You can’t refuse the Duke. Not if it means leaving your father like this. No, it was true. They needed the money too urgently. Her father needed better care and, since she was the reason he was sitting in this chair, his career-his whole life-in ruins, then it made only logical sense for her to be the one to fix it.
But she wasn’t going to give the Duke everything. She had to draw the line somewhere to protect herself too.
She would marry him, but she wouldn’t sleep with him. And she’d give him the child he wanted, but only via medical assistance. Her father would find her reasoning flawed, but then, her father wasn’t the one who had to do this. She did. And she could tell herself all she liked that the Duke didn’t affect her, that she was stronger than the chemistry that leapt between them, but twice was enough to tell her what lies those were.
Better to be intelligent about it and nip temptation in the bud before it had a chance to grow.
The Duke would no doubt argue, since he was clearly a man used to getting his own way, but he could find other women for his bed. He didn’t need her.
Anna gave her father a last mop up with the cloth and then went back into the kitchen, dumping it in the sink before coming back out again.
“You’re right,” she said flatly. “I’ll do it. I’ll marry him.”
Her father’s expression lost a little of that hard, cold edge. “I knew you’d come to your senses eventually.” He nodded approvingly. “Good girl.”
She ignored the little glow in her chest his good opinion always gave her. Cut it away. She was doing this for duty’s sake, nothing more.
———
Cedric gave her two days. If she hadn’t come back to him after that, then he’d have to reassess his plan, but she’d come back to him, he was certain.
The money would make an attractive package, and, though she’d balked at the idea of sleeping with him, he’d seen the hunger in her eyes. She was passionate and she wanted him, and if she agreed to his plan he would make sure she wouldn’t regret it.
He thought about staying until she’d made a decision, but he hated being at Haerton and, since he never waited on someone else’s pleasure, he took a helicopter down to the city for a few days, giving his staff strict instructions that, should Anna Remington make contact, he was to be told immediately.
He was in the top-floor meeting room of his building in the City, in the middle of a discussion with some top execs from a tech company, when Bonnie knocked on the door then put her head around it.
Cedric didn’t like to be disturbed or interrupted while he was conducting business, but Bonnie never did so if it wasn’t urgent, so all he did was raise an enquiring eyebrow.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said briskly, “but I thought you’d want to know that I have Anna Remington on the line.”
A pulse of the most intense electricity went through him, deep satisfaction following behind it. Of course she would come back to him. There had never been any doubt.
“Thank you, Bonnie,” he said calmly, allowing none of that satisfaction to show on his face. Then he looked back at the execs sitting around the meeting-room table.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’m sure you won’t mind if we adjourn this till tomorrow.”
Naturally, nobody minded. Or if they did, they didn’t dare say. He got Bonnie to put Anna through to his phone immediately, then turned his chair to face the window, looking out over the city in the summer heat. He waited a moment then said,
“Miss Remington? This is a surprise.”
There was a slight pause.
“Is it?” Her voice, sweet and husky, held a hint of asperity.
“Of course.” He leaned back in his chair. “You were very clear that you wanted no part of my offer.”
“Yes, about that…” She sounded very cool and yet he could hear the uncertainty beneath it. “I’ve had a chance to think about what you offered me a couple of days ago, and on reflection… Well, I might have been a bit too hasty in refusing.”
“I see.” He let no hint of triumph color his voice. “Have you had a change of heart, then?”
“Possibly. If your offer is still open, of course.”
He rested one foot on the opposite knee, gazing at the light glittering off the windows of the city below him. “I have been pursuing other options, as I mentioned in our interview,” he lied smoothly, because it wouldn’t do to let her know he’d been doing nothing but waiting for her. “But I haven’t settled on anyone yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Oh.” Another slight pause before she went on. “In that case you should know that I’ve changed my mind. I would like to accept your offer.”
Satisfaction twisted hard in his chest, his smile reflected back from the windows in front of him sharp and white as a tiger’s.
So, he would have it. His brother’s inheritance. His brother’s title and his house, and his wife. Except it wouldn’t be his brother’s any longer. It would all be his. Idly, he wondered whether his father was spinning in his grave yet.
“There is just one condition,” Anna said.
For a second, too lost in his own triumph, Cedric didn’t hear her. Then he did.
He frowned. “A condition?”
“Yes.” Now she was very cool and collected, no trace of uncertainty. “It’s just a small thing.”
Cedric was not in the habit of granting conditions. However, he wasn’t an unreasonable man and he knew what he was asking from her was a lot.
“And what thing would that be?” he asked, keeping the question casual.
“That the marriage will be in name only.” Her voice was firm, unwavering. “And that the child should be conceived with medical assistance.”
Cedric went very still. “That was not the offer I made.”
“I realize that. However, you did say it was a business arrangement. In which case you should consider this a counter-offer.”