The Texan's Contract Marriage by Sara Orwig Read Free Book Online

released her. “I know it’s not the issue, but I think we ought to look at all aspects of this. Finances, arrangements, a physical relationship. Want some more tea while we talk?”
    His voice deepened, and that surprising fire he could ignite effortlessly between them sent a shiver to her toes. With the flicker in the depth of his dark eyes, she guessed he felt the same sparks, too. “Yes, thank you,” she said, walking to the outdoor kitchen with him and watching while he poured another tall glass of tea for her. This handsome, wealthy Texas rancher intended to marry her. The idea was impossible.
    After retrieving his tea, he directed her to a chair away from the broken glass and slid his chair close to hers.
    As she sipped the icy tea, she focused on him. His eyes gave away nothing about his feelings. He could have been discussing the weather as far as his demeanor and expression were concerned.
    “We will draw up papers so our arrangements are as binding as any contract. If you accept, I will pay you five million dollars.”
    Her shock returned full force. What were his real intentions? To offer that much money, was he working toward getting custody of Noah? “If I marry you, I get five million dollars from you,” she repeated.
    “That’s right,” he said quietly. “You’ll get one million when we sign the papers and four million as soon as we are husband and wife. You will get a million each year we are married, plus a generous allowance. I will set up a trust for Noah and pay for everything for him. You can spend the money I give you as you please because there will be no strings.”
    Her shock mushroomed over the fortune that he was dangling as an inducement to accept what he wanted. She could only stare at him, speechless over his offer that would transform her life and the lives of every member of her family. The money was both frightening and dazzling. “Now I see why you get your way so often,” she whispered without even realizing she had spoken aloud.
    She had been counting on her career to help her family. With this money she wouldn’t have to worry whether she made stardom or not. Life should be far easier, and yet…
    “That’s a huge amount of money,” she said, thinking it was an even bigger power play. Marek looked relaxed, as if accustomed to bargaining with such high stakes, but these were the highest possible as far as she was concerned. This cool rancher had thought this out and come up with an offer that she might be unable to refuse.
    “I can afford it and I’d want to do it. If you say yes, you’ll be giving me far more because I know I will become a permanent part of Noah’s life.”
    “You hardly know Noah. How can you feel this strongly about him?”
    “It’s easy,” Marek replied. “I feel this strongly about my brother. This baby is a definite tie to Kern.”
    She nodded, touched and aware how vulnerable he was where his heart was concerned. “I can understand that.” She rubbed her forehead. “Wow. You’ve turned my life topsy-turvy. Actually, if I accept your offer—my whole family will be topsy-turvy. That fortune will change all our lives. You’ll want Noah a lot of the time. I’m sure you’ve thought about how much.”
    “You and I would live in the same place some of the time. I don’t want to give up being a rancher or living on my ranch. But I don’t do that all the time now, and I can give up some of the time. When Noah gets to school age, you’ll have to give serious thought about how much he will travel with you.”
    “I know, but I can’t foresee what my career will be. It’s filled with uncertainties at this point.”
    “You’ll have enough money that you can give it up completely if you want.”
    Momentarily, her tension lightened, and she smiled. “No, I’ve dreamed of this all my life, and things are beginning to open up for me. At this point, I definitely do not want to toss aside what I’ve gained. I want to sing. I want to be a