Chapter 5

When their eyes crossed, a pleasant heat flowed down her spine.

"You're late," he told her in a provocative tone, alluding to what she had first told Josephine during their previous meeting. She started to answer Josephine, but immediately closed her mouth.

"Shower." He smiled at her.

"I was free to order wine. I hope you don't mind. ”He let her pass Josephine and waited for her to settle in the booths, and only then did he reach for the ice bucket behind his back. Josephine watched Josephine as he poured her golden-yellow liquid into an elegant crystal glass, concentrating on staring at Josephine.

"Are we celebrating something?"

"Maybe," he said and poured the wine into his glass. She wanted to immediately ask Josephine which candidate he had chosen but still refrained. Of course, he hadn't decided, since he hadn't met any of Jose yet. Theo raised his glass and waited for her to do the Josephine.

"Toast to our successful business relationship." As she reached for her glass, Josephine felt a slight shiver shake her. There was something strange about the way Theo pronounced the word relationship. After they knocked, Josephine took a sip of wine and then placed her hands on her lap so that her palms would not be seen trembling, on the basis of which he could sense her feelings.

"I hope you enjoyed the ride so far. ”OK, so she won't start the job conversation she had hoped for. Instead of insisting, Josephine continued in a relaxed style. "It's always hard to break through Ocean Boulevard at dinner time."

"Thank you for agreeing to come here."

"I admit I was surprised by the choice of restaurant. I always thought a less formal place was more appropriate for a business meeting.", she wanted to add. Theo settled more comfortably. His outrageously irresistible look deconcentrated her to such an extent that she almost forgot why she came at all. When you have such a man in front of you, it is not difficult to succumb to his charm and enchanting smile.

"I'm not in the habit of inviting pretty women to cheap bars." Uh, it's time to chase the water to his mill. Josephine knew very well that she was not beautiful. Okay, it could be said that she is attractive, but she certainly did not belong to the category of women whose beauty could attract the attention of men like Theo. "You are very polite, Mr. Smith, but you are wasting your charm on me in vain. Josephine, I hope you were able to look at the candidate files sent to you by my assistant. ”His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Josephine swallowed the dumpling and folded her arms on her lap. But instead of looking away, she deliberately looked Josephine in the eyes, her lips pursed. The unpleasant tension was interrupted by a young waiter who approached their table at that moment. While listing the house's specialties, Josephine opened the menu. Although this restaurant was too expensive for her pocket, business etiquette dictated that she pay the bill for her client. She chose a grilled swordfish and a salad, trying not to worry about prices. She will pay by credit card and pray to God that the bank does not deduct that amount from her before she charges for her services from Mr. Smith. After the waiter took the order and walked away from the table, Theo asked her, "Tell me, Josephine, why do you think I'm wasting my charm on you in vain?" He said her name softly and warmly as if she were his mistress, not a businesswoman. associate. There was an admixture of a British accent in his speech, which certainly matched his title of duke. "Because we are here to talk business. Let me remind you, you should choose one of the three candidates from my agency's offer, "she said. "I don't see how charming me could contribute to your choice."

"Does everything have to be seen through a business prism?"

"I have to." In her world, that was perfectly normal.

"Even when it comes to your private life?" He leaned toward her and only then did Josephine notice that she wasn't wearing a tie. As his top two buttons were unbuttoned, her gaze was drawn to his bronze skin visible through the slit of his shirt. "We're not here to talk about my private life." The fact that you demonstrated great knowledge of my private life this morning made me inquire a little deeper about yours. ”Josephine was afraid of his condemnation. She never tried to hide her past, but there was always a chance that she would lose her client at the expense of her father's sins. "It's not difficult to inquire about me at all, Mr. Smith. It doesn't require a deeper analysis. "

" I thought we agreed that you would address me as Theo. "Stop persevering and talk about relationships. This is not going well, Josephine thought, and took a few sips of wine, wishing she had a stronger drink in her glass instead of wine. "My father did something terrible, after which my mother acted cowardly. But the two of Jose don't paint me or my job, Theo. ”

“ I didn't mean that. ”She didn't like the way she sounded like she was defending herself, nor did she like his compassionate expression. “You deliberately left out the surnames of those women. I want to know why. ”Oh, great, we're going back to work. "I'm not the only one whose parents tarnished her last name. I concluded that origins can significantly disrupt relationships between people, even when it comes to business relationships. I only provided you with the names of these women so that something like this would not happen. "

"What does that mean? That all three have too rich parents or are they the daughters of convicted criminals? ”

“ None of that. All three come from normal families and do not depend on Jose, at least not financially, and that is exactly why they are looking for a safe haven, not love. ”Theo turned the glass between his fingers. Josephine watched Josephine and only wondered for a second how she would feel if those hands crossed her arms and thighs. Sensing a wave of heat overwhelming her and descending, she quickly looked away. "If you really insist, I will give you their last names. It may make it easier for you to make a decision. ”

“ There is no need for that. I have already decided which one I will offer the contract to anyway. ”She turned her head abruptly with the intention of asking Josephine which one he had chosen, but she was hindered by the waiter who had just brought the salads. While he sprinkled Jose with fresh pepper and poured wine into their glasses, Josephine was silent, but she sat as if on needles, unable to wait for the waiter to leave, to hear which Theo had chosen and why. And how could he even decide on someone he didn't even meet? It's really weird, even if he was an extravagant millionaire with the title of duke. And yet, it may not have been strange. What does she actually know about Theo Smith? She knew that he liked beautiful, slender, and long-legged women with lush breasts. She didn't find any of his photos without Josephine in it with a model hanging over his arm. That's why she chose the three most beautiful girls from her little black book - that is, her little black diary. Still, it bothered her how he managed to decide on one of Jose, and only on the basis of their photos.

"Don't you want to meet Jose in person first?" Suddenly, even she thought that choosing a future wife through photography was stupid. Are all men so easily glued to a beautiful face? Probably so, she concluded. Although it seemed to her that Theo Smith was different, he was probably as superficial as most men, which disappointed her a little.

"You mean those women in the photos?" Josephine nodded in confusion.

"Who else?"

"I don't want to," he said and grabbed a fork salad. Does not want to? What bullshit! So he decided to marry someone else. Suddenly, her beautiful dreams of earning all her financial problems were shattered.

"Are you saying you found another woman who agreed to marry you?" It's just that she hasn't agreed yet. ”He took another bite of the salad, casually and in a controlled manner. If he has already found another woman and does not want to use the services of her agency, what the hell did he invite her here? "So the Alliance is something like Plan B to you?" Maybe he didn't quite write it off after all. People of his position and status do nothing for no reason. "Not quite." Josephine lowered her fork and looked at Josephine sharply.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith, you completely confused me. How many times this morning have you asked me to find you a woman who will agree to marry you fictitiously. Has anything changed in the past few hours? Or are you perhaps dissatisfied with the choice of women I have offered you? ”Theo set down his cutlery and set it down next to his plate.

"I am not dissatisfied. Those women are perfect. Maybe even too much. However, my time frame for selection is very tight, and I just don't have time to get to know Jose. ”He reached under the table and reached for a briefcase that Josephine hadn't seen before. He pulled a folder out of it and pushed it across the table toward her.

"What is this?"

"The contract my lawyer and I made this afternoon." Josephine was burning with desire to open the file, but she just put her hand over it.

"What contract?" Theo's gray-blue eyes caught her eye.

"The marriage contract I'm offering you." It rang in her ears and her heart almost stopped. "I'm not on the menu, Mr. Smith." She pushed the file toward Josephine, but he suddenly took her hand and squeezed it tightly. Every touch on her body straightened from his touch, and hot tingles rushed down her spine. The Josephine thing happened to her when she first met Josephine, with the fact that this time her heart was beating so fast that she thought his thumping could be heard at the other end of the restaurant. And it all happened with just one of his touches.

"Everyone has a price, Josephine."

"Possibly, but that doesn't apply to me." She tried to pull her hand out of his, but he tightened his grip on her fingers. "I will establish a foundation that will take care of Ana for the rest of her life. Even if something happens to you, your sister won't miss a hair. ”Josephine gasped in wonder. She really didn't expect a bomb like this. Apparently, Theo did his homework thoroughly and learned about both her sister and her poor financial situation.

"My sister is only twenty-two years old. He can live to be a hundred.

”If the doctors were to be believed, such a thing was unlikely, but there was also no evidence that the bride would die. "Currently, taking care of your sister costs one hundred and six thousand dollars a year. Those costs can only increase. ”His handshake loosened, but Josephine still didn't pull her hand out of his. "If we take into account Ana's age, does that mean you're going to pay over eight million dollars for her treatment just to play your wife for a year?" That's your commission, isn't it? ”Josephine thought, but then shook her head.

"Why me?"

"Why not you?" Theo said, running his thumb over her back, but she was still too confused to move her. "I'm not your type."

"My type?"

"I'm neither tall nor long-legged, and I don't have lush breasts." Theo laughed out loud at this, completely disarming Josephine. This is just a business deal, Josephine thought. No less, no more. Theo turned her hand and began circling his finger over the inside of her wrist. Well, a marriage contract is perhaps a little more than just a business deal. She pulled her hand toward her and looked at Josephine resolutely. "If I agree, I want to know what our marriage will look like."

"Your life won't change much," Theo said, taking a sip of wine.

"We just need to go to the registrar, say in Vegas. After that, you will have the obligation to appear with me at some events during the first few months, purely to satisfy the lawyers, but also to appease the insatiable appetite of his cousin, who is waiting like a hyena to see if my marriage succeeds. . By the way, I've been in Europe for half a year, and the other half here in Malibu, so we won't interfere with each other's everyday life. "

" Then why didn't you find a wife in Europe? "

" To avoid unnecessary publicity. The media in Europe can't wait for something like that to happen, so they have something to talk about. Unlike European tabloids, Americans do not deal with the lives of noble families, so the news of my wedding will soon cease to be interesting to Jose. "According to the provisions of the will signed by his father, Theo must marry by his thirty-sixth birthday. Otherwise, he will lose the right to inheritance and the title of duke. . After one year of marriage, the father's lawyers will lift the inheritance ban and release the funds in his late father's bank account. Josephine found out about this information through her connections in London.

"What kind of events are we talking about?" We need to organize several receptions and appear in public five or six times. You will have to come with me to London so that we can sign documents concerning my titles, that is, ours. ”She swallowed. It completely blew her mind that his future wife also received the title of duchess.

"I have no idea what a duchess's life looks like." Theo raised his fork and continued to eat. "I don't know what a duke's life looks like either, so we're equal in that regard." Josephine couldn't help but laugh.

"This is complete madness." This suggestion seems perfectly reasonable to me. "Josephine remembered the advice she had given Josephine this morning. If you don't think your wife is pregnant, you'd better keep the slit buttoned-up, Mr. Smith. Maybe that's why he chose her - because he's not physically attracted to her, so it won't be hard for Josephine to stay away from her bed. That. That was the only reasonable explanation, she thought and frowned unconsciously.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her. She quickly changed her expression.

"Oh, no ... everything is fine. Only, there is a lot to think about. "But would you think about it?" "It would be foolish not to do that." Of course, I'm not stupid, Josephine thought.

"I'll read your contract tomorrow," she said. "Excellent."