Marriage in Name Only? by Anne Oliver Read Free Book Online

sign of meaning anything other than food, and, pushing erotic images from her mind, she cast her eyes quickly to the menu in front of her.
Concentrate on your
stomach,
Chloe
.
    When they’d decided on their choices, Jordan signalled the waiter.
‘Nous voudrions l’assiette des fruits et fondue de Brie pour les deux, s’il vous plaît. Pour le plat principal, mademoiselle voudrait le filet de saumon au beurre rouge et je voudrais l’entrecôte è la bordelaise.’
He placed the menu on the table.
‘Merci.’
    The waiter inclined his head.
‘Merci, Monsieur.’
    Chloe spoke French well enough but listening to Jordan speak it was like having the back of her neck stroked with rich velvet. She indulged in the sensation a moment before forcing her thoughts back to the reason she was eating expensive French cuisine without prices in the first place.
    ‘So what’s the deal here?’
    He rotated the base of his wineglass on the cloth and met her eyes. ‘I spoke with Dana today. With your references and what I’ve learned about you so far, I’m satisfied you’re the best woman for the job.’
    ‘Oh? And what if I don’t want this job?’
    ‘You will,’ he said smoothly.
    She took a sip of wine and studied him over the crystal rim. ‘So confident?’
    ‘I’m always confident.’ He leaned forward slightly. ‘For the record, though, how badly do you need cash, and just as important, why?’
    She hesitated, then decided what the hell? She had nothingto lose and maybe something to gain. ‘My sister emailed me that my parents could lose the family home. They always put us kids first, sent us to the best schools and paid our tuition fees because they hadn’t had the opportunity themselves and wanted it for us. I was the only one who disappointed them and now they’re elderly. Donna expects me …’
    They’d not been in touch for years except for birthdays and Christmas and Chloe had never got around to telling them about her humiliating breakup. ‘I want to help.’
    He nodded. ‘Sounds reasonable. And I need someone to help me win a lucrative contract overseas. Which makes it perfect.’
    ‘Huh?’ She stared at him, incredulous. ‘How can a woman with no business expertise possibly help you win an overseas contract?’
    His voice was polished business professional. ‘You’d accompany me to Dubai as my wife.’
    Her mouth dropped open. ‘Excuse me?’
    ‘In return for a very large sum of money.’
    In the ensuing silence she clamped her hands to her head to keep it from spinning away. ‘How large?’ she said, finally. Faintly.
    She thought she saw a smile of satisfaction flicker at the corner of his mouth, then he named a figure that had her head spinning in the other direction. And it wasn’t just the money; everything about this proposal had
dangerous
plastered all over it.
    ‘You like to play games, Chloe, so let’s play Mr and Mrs Jordan Blackstone for a couple of weeks.’
    She almost choked on an invisible lump in her throat and all she could think was, ‘Why?’
    ‘Say yes and I’ll explain.’
    She shook her head. ‘It’s ridiculous. Impossible.’
    ‘You’re already married?’
    ‘No. I just … can’t up and go away with you.’
But that kind of money,
a tiny, desperate voice whispered. ‘Dubai …?’
    ‘Have you been there?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘But that adventurous girl would like to, right?’ He nodded. ‘Think about it, Chloe.’
    Oh, she was. She surely was. Like how easy it would be to fall into another man’s honeyed money trap.
    ‘If you’re worried about publicity, no one need know,’ he assured her in a soothing tone.
    ‘Oh, yeah? The media obviously loves you. What if they see us together and get snap happy?’
    ‘I’ll make sure they don’t. I’m an expert at not being seen when I don’t want to be seen.’
    Ideas were tumbling inside her head. She was already calculating what she could do with that kind of money. First and foremost she could ensure her parents