Business Arrangement Bride. Jessica Hart

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СКАЧАТЬ defiance, ‘that’s what the princess in the fairy tale always says to the frog, and you know what happens to them!’

      Tyler’s fierce brows were drawn together in a ferocious scowl, and if Mary hadn’t been so cross with him by this stage she would have been quailing in her heels. As it was, when he demanded, ‘Do you want a job or not?’ she only looked straight back at him.

      ‘I’m not at all clear what this job of yours involves,’ she said. ‘Or, to put it another way, I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about!’

      A passing waiter, seeing that they were without glasses, approached with a tray, only to falter as Tyler waved him away irritably, but as the man made to retreat Mary gave him her best smile.

      ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’d love one.’

      Ignoring Tyler’s glare, she helped herself to a glass of champagne. She didn’t care what he thought anymore. It was late, she was tired, her feet hurt and she was fed up with Tyler Watts looming over her. She didn’t know what he wanted, but it didn’t sound like it was anything to do with recruitment, and that meant he was wasting her time.

      ‘I think you’d better go back to the beginning,’ she told him coolly and took a sip of champagne.

      Tyler drew a deep breath and counted to ten. If he was the kind of man who was prepared to admit that he had made a mistake, he would have to accept that he might have made a big one in approaching Mary Thomas.

      When the idea had first struck him, she had seemed ideal. She had been talking about coaching and he needed a coach. More to the point, he didn’t want to spend time finding a suitable coach, and here was one, right in front of him and anxious for work, it seemed.

      Her ordinariness had been appealing too, if he was honest. While accepting in principle the idea of a relationship coach—it was just one step in his strategy, after all—Tyler hadn’t been looking forward to the prospect of discussing his private affairs with anyone too smart or sophisticated. He had every intention of remaining in control of the whole process, and Mary Thomas had looked suitably meek and deferential. All he wanted was for her to offer him a few pointers and then fade into the background.

      But the closer he looked, the less ordinary she seemed. Take away that ill-fitting suit and those ridiculous shoes, and you would be left with a lush figure and an impression of warmth that made an intriguing contrast with the direct grey gaze and the slight edge to her voice. Mary Thomas, he had realised already, was not going to do meek or deferential.

      It was annoying, Tyler admitted. He had decided that she was the person he needed, and once he had made up his mind he liked to go straight for what he wanted. His ability to focus on a goal and his refusal to be diverted had been the secret of his business success and he wasn’t going to change a winning strategy now. He didn’t have time for doubt or hesitation. He needed to get Mary Thomas on side, and get the job done.

      ‘All right,’ he said. ‘I’ll start again. I want a wife.’

      There was a pause while Mary tried to work out what was going on. He sounded utterly clear and utterly serious but she couldn’t see how this could be anything other than a very elaborate joke at her expense. People just didn’t say things like ‘I need a wife’.

      Although, perhaps, people like Tyler Watts did.

      ‘I think you’ve misunderstood what I do,’ she said after a moment. ‘I’m not a dating agency. I can find you a secretary or a computer operator, but not a wife.’

      And then she offered a smile, just in case he turned out to be joking after all.

      Tyler looked down at the empty glass in his hand, made an irritated gesture and put it down. He was getting frustrated. Mary Thomas didn’t seem to be taking this seriously at all.

      ‘I don’t want you to find me a wife,’ he said in a taut voice. ‘I’m just trying to explain. Getting married is my goal. I just need a bit of coaching to get there.’

      ‘Coaching?’ said Mary, trying to look willing but still confused about where she came into all this.

      ‘Yes, you know…relationship coaching.’

      Tyler couldn’t quite hide his distaste of the term, although Mary wasn’t sure whether it was relationship or coaching that was the problem for him. There was a very slight tinge of colour along his cheekbones and he looked faintly uncomfortable.

      Mary’s interest sharpened. The Tyler Wattses of this world would normally only discuss emotions if they were listed on the stock exchange, so it must be costing him a lot to even mention the word relationship, let alone with the implication that he needed some help on that front. Men like Tyler Watts didn’t do asking for help any more than they did talking about their feelings. Things must be pretty bad.

      She had only ever thought of Tyler as an employer, but of course he was a man too. And not an unattractive one, Mary had to admit. He projected such a forceful personality that it was hard to get past that and look at him properly, but if that cold blue stare didn’t have you trapped like a rabbit stuck in headlights, it was possible to see that he had a face that was dark and strong rather than handsome.

      The fierce brows, jutting nose and forceful jaw were familiar, of course, but she had never noticed his mouth before, she realised. It was rather a nice mouth too, now she came to look at it. They might be set in a stern line right now, but his lips looked cool and firm, and it would be interesting to see what they would be like if he smiled.

      Or feel like if he kissed.

      Sucking in an involuntary breath at the thought, Mary caught herself up sharply and stamped down firmly on the little tingle that was shivering its way down her spine.

      What was she thinking of? This was Tyler Watts, of all people. He was a hard man, and she didn’t envy the woman he was planning on marrying. It would be like cuddling up to a lump of granite.

      On the other hand, she would know what it was like to kiss him.

      Enough. Mary pulled her wayward thoughts sternly to order.

      ‘Relationship coaching isn’t really my field,’ she said carefully. ‘If you’re having problems with your fiancée, there are plenty of organisations that offer counselling and will be able to help you. I could put you in touch with them, if you like.’

      ‘I don’t need counselling,’ said Tyler, outraged at the very idea. This was all proving much more difficult to explain than he had anticipated. ‘I haven’t got any problems. I haven’t!’ he insisted crossly when Mary just looked at him.

      ‘What does your fiancée think?’ she asked.

      ‘I haven’t got a fiancée, that’s the point,’ he snapped, goaded by the needle in her voice.

      ‘But you said you wanted to get married,’ said Mary, puzzled.

      ‘I do.’

      ‘Then who do you want to marry?’

      ‘Anyone—anyone except you,’ he added hastily.

      ‘Anyone?’

      ‘Well, not anyone,’ Tyler amended. ‘Obviously I’d want my wife to be beautiful and intelligent СКАЧАТЬ