CHAPTER FOUR

The first thing I see when I open my eyes is a huge pair of eyes staring closely into mine. Drawing air into my lungs, I let out a loud scream and flail my hands at my supposed attacker.

"Oh, just shut the hell up!" Brandon's exasperated command causes me to cease screaming. My breathing is ragged as I try to sit up on the feather-soft bed I lay on.

"What is wrong with you?" He asks.

"What?"

"First, you faint right after I kiss you. Now, you open your eyes to the sight of me and the first thing you do is scream. What exactly is wrong with you, tell me."

He places a leg on the bedside chair as he waits for me to respond.

"Water"

"What?"

"I need water," I say with a raspy voice.

With anger evident in his every movement, Brandon pulls a switch behind me and a maid scurries inside.

"Get the lady some water," he says and has the maid scurrying back out. She comes back in with a glass of water which I accept and smile kindly at her. Thank God I don't have to live like this, I think. All my life, I've never had anyone wait on me.

As if he has read my thoughts, Brandon waits for the maid to leave before saying "You'd better get used to this. It's how it'll be once you become a Martinez"

Water sputters out of my mouth as I choke on what little I have drunk. This man is really bent on driving me mad.

"Become a Martinez?" I ask shakily but he does not respond. He only stares down at me from his place at the bedside. I try to put the glass down and end up spattering some water on the bed. Brandon grabs the glass and places it on the bedside table.

"Are you always this clumsy?" He sounds frustrated.

His tone puts my back up so I do not reply to him. "Where are we?" I ask instead.

"In my room"

Panic has me jumping out of the bed and to my feet. "Why are we in your room, sir?"

He sneers at me before responding, "I would never force myself on any woman, and certainly not you."

Again, his comment puts my back up. "That isn't what I was implying, Mr Martinez"

He shrugs and continues to stare at me.

"Erm... Thank you for your help." I say nervously "I'll take my leave now"

I don't know my way around the house but I head towards the door. Being in Brandon's presence is tying my insides to knots.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? We've got a wedding to plan" He says sharply and causes me to turn back to face him.

"What wedding, Mr Martinez?" It's my turn to sound exasperated.

"Sit down" he orders. I continue standing but he gives me a look cold enough to make my knees buckle so I sit at the edge of the bed.

"Listen to me, Natalie. You and I will get married in three weeks. We'll stay married for the next five years, after which we'll get a divorce. During that time, I'll pay you handsomely every month. You're not allowed to sleep around, though. I can't let you ruin a reputation that my family has spent years building. Now, any questions?"

My mouth is hanging open. Any questions? He's asking if I have any questions? What sort of a mentally deranged man makes such an announcement to a woman he barely knows and asks with a straight face if she has any questions? The ridiculousness of the situation that I'm in, coupled with exhaustion from all that I've been through in the last few days causes me to begin to laugh hysterically. I double over in laughter and see Brandon's face grow darker.

"What exactly is funny, Miss Hayes?" He asks in a clipped tone.

"What isn't funny, Mr Martinez?" By this time, I'm in full panic mode. "First your mother announces publicly that I am to marry you, giving me the impression that you were in on the proposal, then I'm whisked to your house, only to have you call me an ugly swan! And then, instead of you to just letting me wallow in all that, you come to the restaurant, kiss me senseless, bring me to your room, and tell me with a poker face that you and I are getting married and I can't cheat." By this time, my voice is so loud, that it's starting to give even me a headache.

Looking confused, Brandon purses his lips "You want to cheat? I'm sure we can arrange that. It's just, I don't want my family image--"

"You moron! I don't want to cheat! And I certainly do not want to marry you! I didn't want to marry you yesterday, I don't want to marry you today!" I scream at the top of my voice.

Looking unruffled by my screams, Brandon takes a seat on a chair across from me and looks me straight in the eye. "You don't have a choice, Natalie."

I sputter. I try to form words but it takes me a whole minute "What do you mean I don't have a choice?"

"What I mean, Natalie, is that you have to marry me."

I'm wary now "You can't force me"

"Oh, I won't force you. But you see, I happen to know that your life is fully dependent on this job. I know that both your parents are dead and you have no one else. And that's why I know that if I have you fired from Giancarlo, you'd lose everything. But I'm not one to do anything halfway. I wouldn't stop at firing you. I know almost everyone in Seattle, Natalie. With the snap of a finger, I could blacklist you and ensure that no one else employs you. But we're not going to get to that part now, are we? Because you're going to be a good girl and agree to marry me without any pressure."

With every word that comes out of his mouth, my face pales. "You wouldn't actually do that" I whisper in a voice barely audible to myself.

His face turns a darker shade "Oh, I will. I will do whatever I must to ensure that I do not lose my inheritance."

"Excuse me?" I ask breathlessly.

"You're not the only one being forced into this marriage, Natalie. My mother has threatened to cut me off if I do not marry you."

My face pales even more and I feel tears begin to gather in my eyes. The chairwoman doesn't even know me. She might think she's helping me but she's just going to ruin my life.

"Three weeks, Natalie. You get three weeks to get used to the idea of being a Martinez"

I want to scream, I want to kick at this man and tell him that he can't tell me what to do with my life, but instead, I hold my head in my hands as I feel the first drop of tears fall from my eyes.