Red Garnier - Once Pregnant, Twice Shy

He couldn’t help it; it had always been like this since the beginning.

The first time she’d made chocolate-chip cookies on her own, Garrett had been fresh out of bed on a Sunday in his randy teen years. He’d been scouring the kitchen for breakfast and had shoved a warm cookie into his mouth, nodding when she’d asked if it was good. Then Kate had laughingly stepped up and brushed a crumb from the side of his mouth, and he’d almost swallowed the cookie whole.

Sometimes he waited until he was alone to eat her stuff. And he imagined he was licking her fingers when he wrapped his tongue around her sugary frostings. And when they had little sprinkles, he pictured her freckles.

He really should look into therapy.

Suddenly he heard Landon sigh and slap his copy of the report shut, and he was jerked back to the present.

“So if your brother is still not aware of our plans,” he asked Cassandra, “why are you chickening out on selling?” The chair creaked as he leaned back, folding his arms over his chest.

Cassandra Clarks may have had the appearance of a blonde bombshell, but behind that “bimbo” facade, Garrett had learned, there was actually a brain. The woman was not only smart, but about as flexible on her terms as a damned wall.

Today she exuded casual confidence, slowly shaking her head as Landon explained his position.

“We’re supposed to keep buying the stock until we get over twenty percent,” Landon told her. “In a week, two at most, your brother’s company will be ours before he even realizes we’re in bed with him. No pun intended.”

“None taken,” Cassandra said, eyeing Landon judiciously as she finally stopped shaking her head and allowed him to continue.

“Once we secure your remaining thirty-two percent, it puts us in control, and it leaves you a very wealthy woman, Cassie.”

“That’s the problem. My brother will know I sold to you. He will destroy me and anything else I have,” she said, her entire countenance clouded with worry. “What I wanted to propose to Garrett on Saturday before he cut me short was a marriage of convenience. My brother has control of my stake in the company now, but if I marry, he won’t have control over financial decisions regarding my stake anymore. My husband can take over the shares and compensate me discreetly. It would be an easy arrangement, and over in six months, where we’ll both happily walk away with what we want. Me with my money, you with the stock.”

Garrett remained silent as he absorbed the proposal.

He met Cassandra’s gaze unflinchingly, the ambitious businessman in him wanting to say yes. But in his mind, he went back to waking up to Kate’s scent on the pillow, to the memory of somehow holding her in his arms.

He tugged at the collar of his shirt several times, aware that his frown was pinching into his face. “I’m afraid that’s not an option, Cassandra,” he said, signaling for his assistant to refill all their coffees.

Hell, he might even start drinking whiskey at this hour. Because marriage?

“Like Landon said, we’re willing to buy those shares up front. No need to get dramatic about it.”

“I’m afraid selling out front is not an option. My brother is... You don’t know him. Marriage is the only way I can free myself of his control. You take the shares, transfer the money to me, and then we walk six months later with irreconcilable differences. It’s a marriage in name only and we have nothing to lose. That’s the only way it’s happening: you marry me and by right take my thirty-two percent.”

Landon’s and Garrett’s eyes met across the conference table. Landon’s gray gaze almost looked silver in his concern.

“Look, Cassandra,” he started. “We’re almost at twenty percent already. We’ll buy your position outright at way above market price. At fifty-two percent, we’ll be in control and can get your brother out of there. He won’t have a say in the matter anymore.”

She shook her head, her eyes tearing up. “You don’t know him. He has a say in a lot of things in my life. I don’t get real financial independence until I marry—can’t you understand?”

She reached across the table and squeezed Garrett’s hand as if she were falling from a precipice and he’d been appointed the task of hauling her up.

“It’ll be a marriage in name only, but I can make it sweet for you. I can. I know I’m pretty. I think you’re an incredibly sexy man.”

His stomach turned, and he was amazed at how calmly he looked back at her. Several years ago, he’d probably have done it without thinking. He was a businessman, after all. She was an attractive woman offering something and he had nothing to lose. People got married and divorced for other reasons; why not for business?

He just didn’t have the energy for it right now. What he’d told Kate at his party had been the truth. All he wanted was for Kate to be home. He would dedicate every waking moment to making that happen. Life without Kate to him was...unimaginable.

He was selfish when it came to her.

He was stupid, unreasonable and stubborn when it came to her.

But Cassandra Clarks didn’t know this. She didn’t know that as he sat in this chair, and let her squeeze his hand, every cell in his body was burning with yearning for another woman. He’d burned for so many years, it was a miracle he hadn’t turned to ashes by now.

“We’ll talk about this during the week, see what we can come up with,” Landon finally said. In silence, the Gage brothers both stood up to dismiss her.

Cassandra went over to shake Landon’s hand, and then returned to Garrett, giving him a hug that crushed all of her assets against his chest. He could see she was trying very hard to look seductive, but he saw fear and frustration glowing in the depths of her eyes as she eased back.

Cassandra was blonde and beautiful, and she also appeared desperate. If Garrett had an ounce of mercy in him at all, he’d find a way to help her. “You’ll let me know?” she asked hopefully.

He nodded. “You’ll hear from us in a week or two.”

“Marriage,” Garrett grumbled as the door closed behind her. He fell back on his chair and rubbed his temples as he tried to think of a way they could free Cassandra from her brother’s grip and get their hands on Clarks Communications.

“In name only,” Landon said, gazing out the window with a thoughtful frown.

“I’m not interested in a fake marriage, Lan.”

Landon sighed and spun around, coming back to the table. “Do you have any other ideas?”

Garrett lifted his shoulders. “We find another fish in the pond, let go of Clarks,” he said bitterly, glaring down at his coffee.

The silence that followed made it clear that neither Landon nor he was ecstatic at the possibility. Clarks was the biggest fish in their pond, and if they were smart—which the Gage brothers were—they would secure it at all costs.

When evaluating the big picture, six months wasn’t a lot of time, if it meant getting Clarks into their pocket. And Garrett had everything riding on this project. Currently, Clarks posed a threat. But once they’d acquired the company, it would be a huge asset for the Gage conglomerate.

But at the cost of a fake wedding?

Hell, it’s not like you plan to ever marry. Why not at least do some business?

The two large doors of the conference room knocked open, and in strode Julian John, casual as could be, blond and Hollywoodesque, an hour after the scheduled meeting time. Behind him, one of the secretaries rushed to close the doors.

Jules never said good-morning, but then they were brothers. They didn’t have to.

He regarded the pair of somber men seated at the conference table and remained standing. “I had something to do, so drop the long faces, both of you.”

Landon arched a challenging brow and leaned back in his chair. “I hope it was business and not you playing around while we try to take over Clarks Communications.”

“Do you even remember I no longer work here? I’m here to offer my assistance, that’s all. Molls needed me this morning.”

“Tell Molly to leave the baby-making for the evening,” said Landon with a devilish smile.

Heading to his chair, Julian rolled his eyes at his brother. “I picked up some medicine for Kate, idiot, after Molly took her to the doctor. And if I want to make babies in the morning with my Molls, I sure as hell will make them without your permi—”

“What the hell is wrong with Kate? Is she sick?”

Julian’s attention swung back to Garrett, and his blond eyebrows flew upward. “Why? Are you a doctor?”

“Is Kate,” Garrett slowly enunciated, “sick? Ill? Feeling badly?”

Julian’s eyes twinkled like they did when he was up to no good. “Don’t you think it’s about time you did something about how you feel for her, Dr. Garrett?”

“I feel responsible for her, that’s how I feel,” he gritted out. “And right now I’m going to punch your face if you don’t tell me what’s wrong with her.”

Plopping into his chair, Julian grabbed his folder and started scanning the contents. “She’s running a fever. A high fever. Molly took her home to stay with her, and I was the guy who picked up the prescription and dropped it off.”

Garrett’s overwhelming protectiveness surged with a vengeance. Kate was never sick. Ever. He didn’t like knowing she was sick at all, and now, he felt sick inside. “I could’ve picked it up for her.”

“And tear you away from Cassandra Clarks and our plans for world domination?” Julian said. “No, bro. If that girl is selling anything, she’ll sell it to you. I saw her with you at your party. I think she digs you even if you don’t dig her.”

“She digs him enough to marry him.” Landon filled his brother in, then broached the topic currently setting Garrett’s brain on overdrive. “Is Kate still planning to move to Miami?”

“As far as I know, nothing has changed her mind. But Molly’s privately freaking out about it,” Julian said, his expression going somber. Garrett knew his younger brother was intensely territorial and protective of Molly, and even if he was usually cool as a cucumber, it must irk him not to be able to do anything to spare her any pain.

“So is Beth,” Landon murmured sadly.

Garrett looked down at the conference table and scowled. Nobody in this goddamned world could be as freaked out about it as he was.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.