Business Arrangement Bride. Jessica Hart

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СКАЧАТЬ his voice, and she could only conclude that he was serious. Anyone would think he was some stiff-necked earl planning a marriage of convenience in a Regency romance.

      ‘I’m sorry, but I still don’t see where I come in,’ she told him, looking around for somewhere to put her empty glass.

      Tyler raked a hand through his hair in frustration. ‘Look, finding a woman isn’t a problem,’ he said with unconscious arrogance.

      Mary would have loved to have contradicted him, but she was afraid it was all too true. Tyler was in his early forties and had built his company up from nothing to be listed in the top hundred in the country. He was extremely wealthy, undoubtedly intelligent, apparently straight and even attractive if you liked the ruthless, hard-bitten type—and let’s face it, lots of women did, even when the toughness wasn’t accompanied by loads of dosh.

      No, Mary could see that acquiring a girlfriend wouldn’t be too difficult for Tyler.

      ‘Then what is the problem?’

      ‘Keeping her,’ he said. ‘I want to get married, but my relationships aren’t lasting long enough to get engaged.’

      ‘Maybe you just haven’t met the right woman yet,’ Mary suggested mildly, but he dismissed that idea.

      ‘It’s not that. No, there’ve been several suitable women, but I’m doing something wrong. That’s where you come in.’

      ‘I don’t see how,’ said Mary frankly.

      ‘You said that you ran coaching courses where you helped people identify and achieve their goals.’

      ‘Well, yes, but in a work context,’ she said. ‘I help people with their careers, not their love lives.’

      Tyler brushed the distinction aside. ‘It’s the same process, surely? I’ve identified my goal—to get married. I need you to help me with my strategy.’

      ‘Relationships aren’t like business plans,’ said Mary. ‘You can’t have a strategy for emotions!’

      ‘Everything’s a strategy,’ said Tyler. He dug his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. ‘I’m obviously getting something wrong,’ he conceded. ‘You work out what that is and tell me what I should be doing instead. I apply what I’ve learnt to my next relationship, the relationship works, I get married and achieve my goal. That’s strategy.’

      Mary sighed. ‘I can tell you now what you’re getting wrong,’ she said. ‘Your attitude.’

      ‘What’s wrong with my attitude?’

      ‘Relationships just don’t work like that. I can understand wanting to get married, but first of all you need to fall in love and that’s not something you can plan for. You can’t predict when you’re going to meet the right person. It’s not like interviewing for a job, you know. Falling in love isn’t about mugging up a few notes, drawing up a list of criteria and finding someone who more or less fits your requirements!’

      That was exactly what Tyler had planned to do. ‘I think you’re over-romanticising,’ he said stiffly. ‘The goal here is to get married. It’s not about falling in love.’

      ‘But if you want to get married, that’s exactly what it should be about,’ said Mary, appalled.

      ‘You don’t really believe that love is the only reason people get married, do you?’ he asked, raising his brows superciliously, and Mary lifted her chin.

      ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!’

      ‘You’re a romantic.’ He didn’t make it sound like a compliment. ‘My own view of the world is a little more practical…perhaps realistic would be a better word,’ he added after a moment’s consideration.

      ‘I’m prepared to accept that some people do indeed get married because they’re in love, whatever that means,’ he went on, putting sneery quotation marks around the words, ‘but you’re a fool if you think it’s the only reason, or the only good reason. There are plenty of equally valid reasons to marry.’

      ‘Like what?’ she demanded, profoundly unconvinced.

      ‘Like security…stability…comfort…fear of loneliness…financial incentives…status…convenience…’

      ‘Oh, please!’ Mary rolled her eyes. ‘Marriages of convenience went out centuries ago!’

      ‘I disagree,’ said Tyler. ‘I think the idea of settling into a routine where you don’t have to think about making the effort to go out and impress someone new is very appealing for a lot of people. Knowing that there’s someone else to do the cooking and cleaning, or change the plug, or pick up the dry-cleaning, is a lot more convenient than having to think about everything for yourself. I imagine there are a lot more happy marriages based on comfort and convenience than on bodice-ripping passion.’

      Mary opened her mouth to disagree, then thought about her mother’s second marriage. Her mother had been open about the fact that she was settling for comfort this time round, and she had been very happy with Bill. Until Bill had decided that comfort wasn’t enough, of course, but that was another story.

      ‘Perhaps,’ she allowed, ‘but I don’t see you as someone who’s short of comfort and security and all that stuff. You certainly don’t have any financial incentive to get married! So why get married unless you are in love?’

      ‘Because I’ve decided that’s what I want to do,’ said Tyler curtly. He didn’t have to explain himself to Mary Thomas. ‘You’re not concerned with the goal, only with how to achieve it.’

      Mary shook her head. ‘I’m not concerned with any of it,’ she corrected him. ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. You’re not talking about the kind of goals and strategies I want to be associated with.’

      His brows drew together in the familiar frown at the flatness of her rejection. ‘I thought you were looking for work?’

      ‘Not that kind of work,’ she said. ‘Recruitment opportunities, yes.’

      ‘And if I tell Steven Halliday I don’t want your agency considered if any recruitment contracts come up?’

      Mary’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘That’s blackmail!’ she said, and he shrugged.

      ‘That’s business. I want something from you, you want something for me. Why should I give you what you want if I don’t get what I want in return?’

      ‘That’s not business,’ said Mary, her voice shaking with fury. ‘I’m offering you an excellent service. If you choose to use that service, you pay me for what I do. That’s business.’

      Tyler merely looked contemptuous. ‘That’s not the deal that’s on offer here.’

      ‘Then you can keep your deal! I may be desperate for work, but I’m not that desperate!’

      ‘Sure? The recruitment contract will be a lucrative one.’

      ‘I’m sure,’ said Mary distinctly. She took a firmer grip of her bag and got ready to leave. ‘You know, I’m not surprised that СКАЧАТЬ