The Billionaire's Convenient Bride (Billionaire Cowboys Book 3) Read online

“Thank you,” she said.

  The server arrived with their main courses—filet mignon for both of them. As Marianne cut into her food, her knife slid through the meat like butter. It was tender and flavorful and the absolute most delicious thing she’d ever tasted.

  “You like it, huh?” Jay asked.

  When she glanced up, she realized she’d had her eyes closed as she savored the flavors dancing along her tongue.

  “It’s unbelievable,” she said.

  She scooped an oyster from its shell and took a bite, enjoying the surf and turf combination.

  “Good. There’s really nothing quite like a good Texas steak,” he said.

  She tilted her head as she considered him, then, and poked her fork in his direction as she spoke.

  “You know, you’re really not at all how I expected you to be,” she said.

  His reaction wasn’t what she expected. His expression closed, and he crossed his arm as he considered her.

  “I imagine you’re referring to the retirement scandal,” he said, his tone cold.

  Undeterred, she shrugged and nodded.

  “Well, yeah. It’s all you hear about on the news, and I hear even more about it since, you know, I work there.”

  Jay winced.

  “Yes, well. I’ve been watching the news, too. It doesn’t paint the prettiest picture of our situation, does it? Here am I, the cruel miser refusing to give my former employees the money they are owed.”

  Marianne wondered if he’d put a bug in her living room. Her mother had called him something along those exact words just the other day, if not that very day. She kept her face carefully neutral as he continued.

  Jay leaned in again, and his eyes widened, giving him a somewhat wild expression.

  “Marianne, I know that my company wasn’t responsible for those lost funds. I know it. I purposely got an external investigation team to prove as much, and I know it will be confirmed.”

  “That’s all well and good,” Marianne said, once again unable to help but speak her mind, “But there are people relying on that money.”

  His gaze clouded over and he ran a hand over his eyes as he sat back and gazed at her, his expression haunted.

  “Yes. I am deeply aware of that,” he said.

  Somehow, he’d gone from looking so energetic and handsome to exhausted as the conversation topic turned. Marianne watched with awe at the change in him, bewildered.

  “I didn’t expect the investigation to drag on this long,” he said. “Every day, every night, I think of all the people that expected to have a peaceful retirement that are suffering because of this. I barely sleep anymore.”

  “Can’t you simply pay them back? Brunscorp is pretty flush with cash, isn’t it?” she asked.

  He shook his head as despair washed over his features.

  “I tried that. I presented the idea to the board months ago, when the money first disappeared. My lawyers advised me that to do so would be taken as an admission of guilt. Not only that, but a true payout would risk bankrupting the company, which would result in the majority of my current employees losing their jobs. It’s an impossible situation.”

  Seeing him so distraught nearly brought tears to Marianne’s eyes. For the first time, she saw the whole scandal in a different light. Every nasty thing she had said about this man before her, this tortured soul…

  She and her mother had decided long ago that Jay Parish was a typical, selfish, money-grabbing corporate monster, out for his own gain and nothing else.

  What if she’d misjudged him?

  When she continued to stare at him and say nothing, Jay cleared his throat and took a long pull of his wine.

  “Hey, now. That’s the kind of alcohol that gets savored,” she said, trying to lighten the mood a little. “Merlot is not something you chug.”

  His expression lightened ever so slightly.

  “And what do you chug, exactly?”

  She grinned at him, taking a delicate sip from her glass for good measure.

  “You tell me. You’re the one that went and had that wild college experience,” she said.

  “Ha! I spent most of my time at the library, studying.”

  Marianne laughed.

  “No, you didn’t,” she said.

  He nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit as the next topic took hold.

  “I did. I knew that I was to inherit my parents company, and they made it very clear that I had expectations to meet.”

  “So, what did you do for fun?” Marianne asked.

  “What do you do for fun?” he countered.

  She considered that for a moment, then gave her own shrug.

  “These days, not too much. I work, I provide my daughter with a stable home and I try to be a fun mom, and that’s about it.”

  “But what about before you became a parent? You couldn’t have met Zoe’s father alone in your house.”

  She wanted to bristle at that comment, but he wasn’t wrong. As she took the last sip of wine from her glass, her body went pleasantly numb as she relaxed into her chair.

  “Line dancing at the local dive bar,” she said.

  He snorted.

  “Line dancing?”

  “Yeah! This is Texas, my friend. There is nothing like a good sticky bar with a mechanical bull, plenty of beer, country music, and a room full of dancing people. It’s the most fun I can remember ever having.”

  His eyes glistened with amusement.

  The server arrived with the bill and set it down on the table. Without looking at it, Jay reached into his wallet and handed a credit card to the woman. The meal was somehow already over.

  Marianne felt a pang of regret.

  “Well, I suppose this was a good start to our adventure,” she said.

  “It was,” he said.

  He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially.

  “Now, are you ready for another?”

  Chapter 10

  Marianne

  Marianne grinned as she leaned closer to Jay. They seemed to be gravitating toward each other, like disparate stones creating something new in the vacuum of space. The more time they spent together, the more drawn to him she felt.

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked.

  The buzz from the wine loosened any sense of hesitation, and she hadn’t had fun as an adult in so long. She loved her movie dates and popcorn with Zoe, of course, but going out, getting dressed up and having a few drinks on the town?

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed such a luxury.

  Now, she was surrounded by luxury while she did it. The whole experience was heady and exciting, and she had no desire for it to end.

  “There’s a benefit reception happening tonight that I intended to attend once this date was over. I think you should come with me.”

  Marianne swallowed.

  “Like, as your date?” she asked.

  “Of course! We need to be seen, right? When people are asked about our relationship pre-marriage, we’ll have much more leverage if we have proof on our side.”

  A little pang of disappointment shot through Marianne at his words. Of course it would be for the ruse. That was her entire purpose in being there, for heaven’s sake!

  “What kind of benefit reception is this? Like a black-tie affair?” she asked.

  “Yep,” he said.

  She blanched.

  “Then we couldn’t possibly. We’re not dressed for that, Jay!”

  He chuckled.

  “Come on. We’re dressed well enough, and I happen to be fairly influential in this town. However we dress will be exactly what the others wished they came in. That’s how being an influencer works.”

  Marianne glanced away, unconvinced.

  “If you say so.”

  He reached out and grasped her hand from across the table, and her attention was locked on their joined hands before she looked back up into his beseeching gaze.

  “Don’t be afraid, Marianne. I would never
put you in a situation that would cause you discomfort.”

  “You mean like a false marriage?” she asked.

  He released her hand, and she could feel the camaraderie they’d built slipping away.

  “This arrangement is meant to help us both, correct?”

  She sighed. She didn’t want to start an argument. Not when she was finally starting to relax and enjoy herself.

  “Correct,” she conceded. “It’s just something that takes a little getting used to.”

  He nodded.

  “Of course. I’m asking you here and now to trust me. I know, given your history with men, that trust can be tricky even in a real romantic situation, but I promise you, Marianne, that my intentions are pure here. I will never hurt you.”

  He was so sincere, his eyes pleading with her to believe what he said, that Marianne was nodding without realizing it. She stopped and pushed her chair back, standing up.

  “Well, then,” she said as Jay stood as well, “Let’s get ourselves to the benefit.”

  Jay walked around the table and held out his arm for her to take. This time, she didn’t hesitate, lacing her hand through the loop of his elbow and cradling his arm with hers.

  It felt so delightfully natural to be on his arm. She glanced around and noticed people looking their way and speaking in whispers at their tables. The ruse was already working! She nestled a little closer to him, playing into the game.

  Also, his warmth was insanely comforting.

  Jay patted her hand with his and gazed down at her with open affection in his eyes. She had to hand it to him. The man was an exceptional actor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, tapping out a text before they reached the elevator.

  “Have a great evening!” the host called out.

  “You, too!” Marianne said, waving as they stepped into the elevator. The beautiful tableau of the rooftop restaurant disappeared behind the closing elevator doors. After a moment, Marianne realized she was still holding onto Jay’s arm.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, pulling away and stepping to the side.

  She could feel the heat of a blush creeping up her cheeks as she kept her eyes steadily on the elevator floor.

  “No problem,” Jay mumbled.

  Marianne shifted from one foot to the other. Everything about this situation was foreign to her. She didn’t know how to date men even when she was interested in them. This façade of a relationship was completely out of her comfort zone.

  But she had to remember Zoe. Once this investment was all said and done, her little family would never have to worry about money ever again. It was too good a deal to pass up, and, if she was honest with herself, it certainly didn’t hurt to have a gorgeous man to spend time with, either.

  One who was funny and nice and cared about the welfare of her child.

  The elevator doors opened at the lobby and Marianne swooped out, desperate to have a little space away from Jay. She needed to clear her head, to remember to keep her eyes on the prize. He easily fell in step with her as he opened the door for her to walk through. The town car was waiting at the curb, their driver ready at the door. When he saw them, he pulled it open with a smile.

  “Where to, sir?” he asked Jay.

  “The Museum of Science, please.”

  The driver nodded as Jay slid into the car. Marianne ducked and joined him, trying her best not to press her thigh against his. It was nearly impossible in such close quarters, but she did it, and to his credit, he gave her as much space as he could.

  Or perhaps he was just as uncomfortable as she was.

  Oh, this was so maddening!

  The town car pulled away from the curb and meandered through the city streets as they headed in the direction of the museum. The building soon appeared before them, the white Grecian columns lit up in the glow of early dusk. A few stars poked holes against the backdrop of the sky, and Marianne watched as they lined up behind a few other arrivals, waiting for their turn to exit the vehicle.

  “What is this a benefit for, anyway?” she asked.

  Jay nodded in the direction of the giant circular sculpture that stood before the massive museum doorway.

  “Science. We like to raise as much money as possible to provide grants for exploratory scientific research. Anything from curing various forms of cancer to the discovery and preservation of species—whatever discoveries we can help with, we try to do what we can.”

  She gazed up at him, surprised. He grinned down at her and shrugged.

  “The charity work we do isn’t as sexy as calling me a criminal, so the newscasters rarely report on it.”

  “That’s a shame. It would be nice even as an employee of Brunscorp to know that this kind of thing is happening in our name!” she said.

  She had no idea that this charity, let alone any others, even existed. The car pulled forward to a red carpet, and the driver hopped out, opening the door for her to exit first.

  Marianne glanced back uncertainly at Jay. He nodded out the door.

  “After you, of course,” he said.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  She stepped out, expecting to be met with a wave of flashing camera lights, but instead found nothing between her and the museum entrance. In a moment, Jay was beside her. He gently took her hand and placed it back on his arm, where it was starting to feel quite at home.

  “Let’s do this,” he said.

  He stood tall and confident as they made their way to the entrance. A bouncer in a tuxedo looked at them both, then nodded to Jay.

  “Mr. Parish. Welcome.”

  Jay nodded back.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “You know where to go?” the guard asked.

  “I do,” Jay said.

  The guard nodded.

  “On your way, then.”

  Jay led the way through the massive open foyer. There were examples of scientific achievement all around them. Models of a flock of birds hung on display above, and the lighting of the museum was muted for the evening event. Marianne was stunned by the sheer beauty of the transformation. It felt like she was sneaking into a party she had no right to be at, and on some level, that was certainly true.

  They walked past several other couples, and Jay greeted them all as he continued toward another set of doors that led to a large ballroom. Tables were set up for guests, and waiters walked around with silver trays laden with flutes of champagne. Jay approached a waiter and snagged a pair of glasses for them.

  “May the party continue,” he said, holding up his flute.

  She clinked her glass against his and smiled up at him.

  “Party on,” she said.

  She tipped the glass against her lips and savored the bubbly sensation that danced along the taste buds of her tongue.

  Then, the city mayor appeared directly in front of her, and she nearly spit in his face.

  “Ah, Mayor Jameson. Mrs. Jameson” Jay said, nodding to the mayor and his wife.

  Mayor Jameson reached out his hand, and Jay took it in a hearty handshake. Then the mayor turned and looked right at Marianne, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

  “And who is this lovely young woman?” he asked.

  Jay nestled a little closer to Marianne, and she held onto him for dear life, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.

  “This is Marianne Lawson. She’s a…very close friend of mine,” he said, gazing down at her with even more affection.

  Buying into the game, she batted her eyelashes at him and grinned, then turned to the mayor and his wife and held out her hand.

  “It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

  She shook hands with them both, easing into her role a little more.

  “The pleasure is ours. Any friend of Jay’s is a friend of ours, of course,” Mayor Jameson said.

  In spite of the salt-and-pepper coloring of his hair, Mayor Jameson had a youthful face. His smile was infectious, and it was clear that he was born for a life of service.
He’d been mayor since Marianne could remember. The town flourished under his leadership, and she felt a little starstruck meeting him in person.

  If only her mother could see her, now! She was a huge fan of the mayor.

  They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then the mayor excused himself to circulate with his constituents a little more. Marianne once again was struck with the feeling that she was being very intently watched. Every time she met someone’s gaze, their eyes darted away.

  “Feeling a little exposed?” Jay whispered against her ear.

  She fought back the urge to shiver at that intimate sensation.

  “A little,” she admitted.

  “You’re doing wonderfully. Come on. Let’s really give them a show.”

  Jay grasped her hand and walked over to the string quartet. He asked them to play a tune that Marianne had never heard of, then pulled her to the area just in front of the bandstand. When the music started, he wrapped his hand around her lower back and pulled her close.

  “This isn’t exactly line dancing,” she said.

  He pressed his cheek against hers and whispered again. This time, she couldn’t stop the shiver from traveling all the way down her spine.

  “No, but it’s certainly doing the trick,” he said.

  She glanced around again and realized the entire room was looking at them with open curiosity, now. They didn’t bother to hide it, and with Jay being so open and obvious, how could they?

  After a moment, the mayor and his wife joined them, the four of them grinning and laughing as they twirled around the dance floor. Setting the example, several other couples joined in, and soon the room was erupting with laughter and joyful conversation. Jay pulled Marianne out of his embrace and twirled her around, swinging her and dipping her in his arms.

  His forehead brushed against hers, and as she opened her eyes all she could see was his lips, a mere inch away from hers.

  Then he lifted her back up, and the song came to an end. Marianne was breathless, and not entirely from the dancing. A woman in a red dress approached them.

  “Okay, I have to know who you are. Jay hasn’t had a date in ages!”

  Jay frowned, and Marianne chose her words carefully.

  “I’m Marianne Lawson,” she said.