The Substitute Millionaire. Susan Mallery

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      With that, he lowered his head and lightly brushed her mouth with his. The kiss was unexpected but delicious. Her stomach clenched and her breasts began to ache. He moved back and forth, but didn’t deepen the kiss.

      Public place, she told herself. He didn’t want to embarrass her. She should appreciate that. And she would…in time.

      He straightened, then cleared his throat. “We should probably go back and order dinner. You know, be responsible.”

      For a heartbeat, she almost asked about the alternative. What would happen if they kept dancing and touching and kissing? Except she kind of had a feeling she knew the answer to the question.

      Too much, too soon, she told herself as they stepped apart. She hadn’t been doing the dating thing for a long time—taking it slow made a lot of sense. But the man did tempt her.

      He kept her hand in his as they walked back to their table.

      “You never told me why you’re here,” he said when they were seated. “I told you Aunt Ruth asked me to come. What’s your excuse?”

      He didn’t know? Seriously? Oh, my. This could be good.

      “My mother and her mother have been estranged for years. Ruth popped back into our lives a couple of months ago. My sisters and I had never met her before. Mom hadn’t even mentioned her. Last week, at dinner, Ruth said she had a great nephew and suggested one of us go out with you.”

      “Interesting.”

      “More than interesting. She offered us…it’s not important.”

      “Of course it is.”

      “You’ll be insulted.”

      “I can handle the truth,” he teased. “What did she offer?”

      “Money.”

      He stared at her. “She’s paying you to date me?”

      “Oh, no. The dates are free. Now if I marry you, I get cash. A million dollars. Each. For me, my sisters and my mom. Pretty cool, huh.”

      A muscle in his jaw twitched, but otherwise, he didn’t show any emotion. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he was thinking.

      “We were all surprised,” Julie said. “We couldn’t figure out what could possibly be so wrong with you that your aunt had to offer that kind of money to get someone to marry you.”

      “Wrong? With me?”

      “Sure.”

      She was enjoying herself, but trying really hard to keep him from knowing.

      “We decided that one of us would go on a date and figure out how truly awful you were,” she continued. “We played Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine the most likely candidate.”

      He actually flinched at that. “Rock, Paper…” He cleared his throat. “So you won.”

      She allowed herself to smile. “Oh, no, Todd. I lost.”

      Two

      The waiter arrived to take their order. Julie placed hers, then waited while Todd did the same. He barely glanced at the menu, instead keeping his gaze fixed on her.

      “You lost?” he asked, his voice slightly strangled. “As in, you didn’t win?”

      She allowed herself a small smile. “Uh-huh. You know how it goes. The loser has to do the icky thing. That would be this date with you. Total ick.”

      “You lost?”

      He seemed unable to comprehend the fact that the three of them hadn’t been dying to be his lady for the night. Ah, the foolishness of men.

      “If it makes you feel any better,” she said before taking a sip of her drink. “I’m glad I lost.”

      “I can’t tell you how that confession moves me.”

      “You shouldn’t take it so hard. Look at the situation from our perspective. Your own great-aunt, who has known you all your life, is willing to pay a woman to marry you. We figured at the very least you had a hump on your back and maybe some odd disease that left you twisted and bumpy. Like the Elephant Man.”

      He nearly choked on his drink. “You thought I was the Elephant Man?”

      “It was a consideration. And yet I showed up anyway.”

      “You lost and I’m a mercy date. Great. I can’t believe Ruth offered you a million dollars.”

      She thought that was odd, too, but hey, everyone had strange relatives. “Not for the date. Remember? The date is free. I have a really simple solution to the problem—don’t propose.”

      He grinned. “Oh, sure. Easy for you to say, but now I don’t have any entertainment for the dessert course.”

      As she laughed, she admitted to herself that he was nothing like she’d imagined. Anyone with a number after his name had to be stuffy and he wasn’t. She liked him—a lot.

      “You should have gotten something for the date,” he told her. “Fifty thousand, at least.”

      “You know, I didn’t even think of that. But if Grandmother Ruth mentions it again, I get a check.”

      He gazed into her eyes. “I’m glad you lost, too.”

      “Thank you. Although my losing wasn’t hard to predict. I’m kind of a sucker for scissor and my sisters know. So someone is always playing the rock.”

      “Interesting way to determine your destiny.”

      She raised her eyebrows. “Destiny? Are you implying you’re mine?”

      She expected him to squirm, but he shrugged. “Neither of us thought things would go this well. Maybe fate had a hand in tonight.”

      She groaned. “No talk of fate or the universe, I beg you. My sister Willow is constantly explaining how each of us has a destiny we can’t escape. She’s very sweet and I love her to death, but sometimes I want to choke her. Plus, if you could see the things she eats…sprouts and tofu and slimy drinks.” Julie shuddered.

      He nodded sympathetically. “Vegetarian?”

      “Most of the time. Although she has an entire list of foods that don’t count as meat. Like hamburgers at a picnic or hot dogs at a Dodger game.”

      “Interesting.”

      “She’s great. Marina is, too. She’s the baby of the family. Just think, you could have been out with either of them.”

      “I’m happy with the sister I have.”

      “But you don’t have me.” Although he certainly could, she thought wistfully, remembering how she’d felt his in arms.

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