Her Inconvenient Groom
French Conquests, Book 4
Chantelle Moreau built an empire on her own terms. She doesn't need a man, and she certainly doesn't want a husband. But when her grandfather's will demands she marry before her child is born, she has no choice. Enter Dustin Spencer: a tattooed, working-class artist with nothing to lose and everything to gain from one million dollars.
It's supposed to be simple. A business arrangement. A temporary marriage. A clean break.
But nothing goes according to plan. As Chantelle and Dustin navigate their unexpected connection, the line between business and pleasure blurs. And when a mysterious threat emerges that could destroy everything they've built, they must decide what they're truly willing to fight for.
Can a marriage born from necessity survive the storms ahead, or will their convenient arrangement crumble under the weight of secrets and desire?
He looked as if he was struggling with the desire to curse a blue streak, but reining himself in. Instead, he asked, “And why would an obviously modern, well-off woman like yourself need to get married to have a baby? Are you a closet anti-feminist?”
That made her chuckle. “Hardly. For the record, I don’t think you need a man to have a family. Matter of fact, I plan to raise this baby myself. Suffice it to say that I need to be legally married at the time of my child’s birth to protect his or her birthright.”
“Which, by the looks of you, is substantial,” he said soberly.
“Yes,” she responded, unflinching.
“And that’s what you get out of this. But why the hell would I want to do such a thing?”
Chantelle eyed him carefully, wondering if this was the start of a shakedown, but he only seemed mildly curious. “Because, Dustin,” she responded without a hint of drama, “if you put a ring on my finger, and leave it there for a period determined by me, I will pay you one million dollars.”
There was a surprised bark of amusement, and then the man standing before her began to laugh so hard he had to bend over and rest on his knees to catch his breath.
She wondered if God would forgive her if she smacked this handsome jackass across the room. “Your debt will be cleared.” He sent her a cutting look. Chantelle was glad to see the amusement wiped from his countenance.
“You marry me, stay married until my baby is born, then get out of my life. And I pay you a million dollars.” To ward off any skepticism, she said tightly, “I can afford it. I can put the funds in escrow now, if you so desire.”
“I’m sure you could. But no thanks, darlin’.”
She did a double take. “No?” That wasn’t a word she heard often.
“No,” he repeated. Then he pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “And I have a client due in about ten minutes. If you don’t mind.”
