inquisitive face in front of him. ‘The deal I’m offering you is that I will increase what I paid for your father’s business by half the amount again if you agree to come with me to Greece and play the role of my fiancée.’
Natalie turned as still as a statue, her stunned expression suggesting she wasn’t entirely sure she’d heard him right. Her next words confirmed it. ‘Would you mindrepeating what you just said? I’m afraid I might have imagined it.’
‘You didn’t imagine it.’ Willingly, he repeated his proposition.
‘You really will increase the money you paid for the business if I travel to Greece with you and pretend to be your fiancée? Why would you want me to do such a bizarre thing?’
Shrugging a shoulder, Ludo sighed. ‘It will perhaps not be as bizarre as you might think when I tell you my reasons,’ he remarked.
‘Go on, then.’ Moistening her lips, she patiently waited for him to continue.
‘My parents—in particular my mother—have long hoped that I will bring someone home that I am serious about. Someone who will help give them hope that they might one day have a grandchild.’
Noting the brief flash of alarm in Natalie’s candid gaze, Ludo forced himself to press on regardless. He told himself she wouldn’t still be standing there listening if the idea was absolutely abhorrent to her.
‘Unfortunately I have not had a long-term relationship in a long time and, frankly, they are becoming despondent that I ever will. The situation has become sadly compounded by my only brother’s death three years ago in a boating accident. Now I am their only son and heir. Unfortunately I have not been home since the funeral. I did not want to return until I could give them hope that the future was brighter than they had perhaps envisaged. I know it is a pretence, Natalie, but the intention behind it is a kind one. I promise you that if youcan convincingly act the part of my fiancée while we are in Greece, when we return to the UK I will make sure you are richly rewarded.’
‘But even if I should agree to the pretence, how hurt will your parents be when they find out that the whole thing was a lie? They must be broken-hearted as it is to have lost their son. Nothing you can do for me or give me would make up for how terrible I’d feel about deceiving them.’
‘The fact that you care so much about that aspect of the deal assures me that you are the right woman to ask this favour of, Natalie. I will be forever in your debt if you do this for me.’
She looked to be thinking hard for a moment. ‘And how do I explain to my father that I am going away with you to Greece for—for how long?’
‘At least three to four weeks,
paidi mou
.’
The soft pink hue that tinted her cheeks at his use of the Greek endearment momentarily distracted him, because it brought a lustre to her eyes that was nothing less than magical and gave him an irresistible glimpse of how she might look if he were to try and seduce her … prettily flushed and aroused. A little buzz of pleasurable heat ricocheted through his insides. He suddenly became even more determined to have Natalie masquerade as his fiancée … Especially as—in the hope of convincing his parents—he fully intended to play the part of devoted fiancé to the hilt.
‘You can tell him that I have offered you the chance to learn the ropes of good financial dealing with an expert,’ he asserted with a teasing smile. ‘I am sure he willsee the benefits of such an opportunity. If you take it, and learn what I consider to be the essential skills for success in business, your father will need to have no worries about your financial future, because you will know exactly how to go about securing it.’
As he came to the end of this speech Natalie moved across the room to a burgundy-coloured wing-backed armchair and slowly sank down into it. When she glanced up again to meet his eyes, Ludo experienced a private moment of undeniable triumph and
Natalie turned as still as a statue, her stunned expression suggesting she wasn’t entirely sure she’d heard him right. Her next words confirmed it. ‘Would you mindrepeating what you just said? I’m afraid I might have imagined it.’
‘You didn’t imagine it.’ Willingly, he repeated his proposition.
‘You really will increase the money you paid for the business if I travel to Greece with you and pretend to be your fiancée? Why would you want me to do such a bizarre thing?’
Shrugging a shoulder, Ludo sighed. ‘It will perhaps not be as bizarre as you might think when I tell you my reasons,’ he remarked.
‘Go on, then.’ Moistening her lips, she patiently waited for him to continue.
‘My parents—in particular my mother—have long hoped that I will bring someone home that I am serious about. Someone who will help give them hope that they might one day have a grandchild.’
Noting the brief flash of alarm in Natalie’s candid gaze, Ludo forced himself to press on regardless. He told himself she wouldn’t still be standing there listening if the idea was absolutely abhorrent to her.
‘Unfortunately I have not had a long-term relationship in a long time and, frankly, they are becoming despondent that I ever will. The situation has become sadly compounded by my only brother’s death three years ago in a boating accident. Now I am their only son and heir. Unfortunately I have not been home since the funeral. I did not want to return until I could give them hope that the future was brighter than they had perhaps envisaged. I know it is a pretence, Natalie, but the intention behind it is a kind one. I promise you that if youcan convincingly act the part of my fiancée while we are in Greece, when we return to the UK I will make sure you are richly rewarded.’
‘But even if I should agree to the pretence, how hurt will your parents be when they find out that the whole thing was a lie? They must be broken-hearted as it is to have lost their son. Nothing you can do for me or give me would make up for how terrible I’d feel about deceiving them.’
‘The fact that you care so much about that aspect of the deal assures me that you are the right woman to ask this favour of, Natalie. I will be forever in your debt if you do this for me.’
She looked to be thinking hard for a moment. ‘And how do I explain to my father that I am going away with you to Greece for—for how long?’
‘At least three to four weeks,
paidi mou
.’
The soft pink hue that tinted her cheeks at his use of the Greek endearment momentarily distracted him, because it brought a lustre to her eyes that was nothing less than magical and gave him an irresistible glimpse of how she might look if he were to try and seduce her … prettily flushed and aroused. A little buzz of pleasurable heat ricocheted through his insides. He suddenly became even more determined to have Natalie masquerade as his fiancée … Especially as—in the hope of convincing his parents—he fully intended to play the part of devoted fiancé to the hilt.
‘You can tell him that I have offered you the chance to learn the ropes of good financial dealing with an expert,’ he asserted with a teasing smile. ‘I am sure he willsee the benefits of such an opportunity. If you take it, and learn what I consider to be the essential skills for success in business, your father will need to have no worries about your financial future, because you will know exactly how to go about securing it.’
As he came to the end of this speech Natalie moved across the room to a burgundy-coloured wing-backed armchair and slowly sank down into it. When she glanced up again to meet his eyes, Ludo experienced a private moment of undeniable triumph and
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