The Temporary Mrs King

“You’ve met my granddaughter,” Walter said, taking a seat in the bloodred desk chair.

“Yes. She seems … nice,” he offered, enjoying using her own word.

The three of them had spent the last twenty minutes chatting and talking about the island. Melinda had left the room just a moment ago and, Sean thought, Walter wasn’t wasting any time.

“Let me be frank,” the older man said, setting his elbows on the desktop and steepling his fingers. “You want to build a hotel on my island. I want my granddaughter happy.”

Sean took a seat in the chair opposite the desk and set one foot atop the other knee and prepared to play dumb. “What’s one have to do with the other?”

Walter gave him a smile and a wink. “You’re single. Wealthy. Reasonably good-looking.”

Wryly, Sean said, “Thank you.”

Tucking his fingertips beneath his chin, Walter continued. “I believe in laying my cards out on the table, how about you?”

“Always best to know what the other man’s holding.”

“Excellent. Then let’s get down to business. I want you to marry my granddaughter. Once you’ve done that, the land is yours.”

If Melinda hadn’t prepared him for this yesterday, Sean thought, he would have fallen out of his chair. Even prepared, even with a deal already in place, he was a little surprised. Amazing to think that in the twenty-first century, women were still being bartered.

Of course, this woman had done the bartering herself and damned if she hadn’t negotiated a hell of a deal.

Walter was waiting for an answer and Sean let him wait. His brain raced with the implications of what he was about to agree to. Getting married, even temporarily, was a huge step. He didn’t want to, but he had spent the better part of last night lying awake trying to come up with a different way to get what he wanted—and he’d come up empty.

Just as, no doubt, Melinda had known he would.

The Stanfords, both of them, were stubborn enough to be Kings.

Tapping his fingers against his knee, Sean asked, “How does Melinda feel about this?”

Walter frowned briefly. “She understands. It’s good for her. Good for the family. Good for the island.”

Unexpectedly, a ripple of anger washed through Sean. If Melinda hadn’t stepped up to chart her own course and make her own deal with Sean, she would have been no more than a bound sacrifice, stretched out across the Stanford altar.

Good for the island.

Who did things like that now?

Frowning, Sean watched the older man and tried to read his eyes. But the old guy must have been a hell of a poker player back in the day. His expression gave away nothing.

“Well?” The older man dropped both hands to the black blotter on his desk. “What do you say?”

There was a lot he should say, Sean thought. He should tell the old man that his granddaughter was worth more than a bargaining chip to be used in a deal. Hell, a couple of hours spent with her had told Sean that much. He should say that Melinda had a sharp mind and a clever way of driving a bargain. He should tell both of the Stanfords to go to hell and take their island with them.

He’d love to tell him that his granddaughter was filling up his mind with tempting thoughts that were destined to go nowhere. That one touch of her hand was enough to set off fires inside him that were still burning hours later.

But he couldn’t tell him that either, so Sean would say nothing about any of it.

“Agreed,” he heard himself say and saw the flicker of surprise in the old man’s eyes. Apparently, he couldn’t disguise everything he was feeling. Or didn’t care to.

“Really. That easily?” He leaned back in his chair and the springs creaked. “You’ll forgive me, but I’m curious as to your quick acceptance.”

Sean smiled. “Changing your mind already?”

“Not at all.” Walter spread his hands wide. “I only thought it would take more to convince you.”

“Melinda’s a beautiful woman,” he said, remembering the flash of her blue eyes as she looked at him before leaving the room a few minutes ago.

“She is—but there’s more to her than her beauty,” her grandfather pointed out.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Sean agreed, though he already knew firsthand just what a clever mind Melinda had. “Once we’re married, we’ll have plenty of time to find out all about each other.”

“Hmm …”

“I assume you’ve already checked me out,” Sean said. Knowing Melinda had researched him assured Sean that her grandfather had done so as well.

“I have.”

Sean nodded. “You made the offer. I accepted. End of story.”

Walter was watching him as if waiting for Sean to change his mind. Sean fought another smile. The man had wheeled and dealed his granddaughter to a stranger and now that the stranger had agreed, the old man was having second thoughts? Too late for that. They had a deal and the Kings would soon be arriving to get the project underway.

Pushing up from his chair, Sean stretched out his right hand and said, “I’ll just go tell my bride the good news. Then I’ll phone my brothers and let them know we can get started on the hotel right away.”

Walter stood up too, took Sean’s hand and shook it. When he released him again, the older man said, “You can start construction the day after the wedding.”

Both of Sean’s eyebrows went up. “Don’t trust me to go through with it?”

“If I didn’t trust you,” Walter said softly, “you wouldn’t be marrying my granddaughter. Let’s just say I prefer to have all of my bases covered.”

“Fine,” Sean agreed with a nod. “I’ll have our lawyers fax you the paperwork this afternoon.”

“And my lawyer will have a contract for you to sign as well.”

Sean’s gaze locked with the older man’s and for just an instant, there was a silent conversation between them. Two men, each of them powerful, each of them walking into this bargain with their eyes wide open and each of them thinking about the woman at the center of it all.

Hope you know what you’re starting here.

You and my granddaughter will work out fine.

If that’s what the old guy believed, Sean thought grimly, then he was way off base. And for just an instant, he felt guilty about tricking Walter Stanford. Then he remembered it hadn’t been his idea and if Melinda was comfortable with this setup, then why should he mind?

Sean smiled. “I’ll go see Melinda and tell her it’s settled.”

“Fine, fine,” Walter told him with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Perhaps you could join me later for a private dinner where we can discuss your plans for the future? Shall we say seven? Here, in my suite?”

Sean eyed the older man. “Sure, I’ll see you later, then. Meanwhile, I’m guessing you’ll handle all the details of the wedding?”