Free Billionaire's Pursuit of Love: Destiny Romance by Jennifer St George Page A

seductive.
    ‘What?’ she demanded. What was it about this man that made her want to periodically kill him?
    ‘It wasn’t going to be that sort of proposition, but I’d happily consider sex as part of the deal.’
    Heat roared like a bonfire into her cheeks. Oh, hell. Her errant thoughts had put sex front and centre and it wasn’t even on his agenda. She wanted to storm off, get away from this maddening man. Instead, she glanced at the array of crystal tumblers within nice, easy reach. Smashing every one at his feet would surely wipe away that smug expression. Then those pretty porcelain lamps that were probably worth as much as the crown jewels. Smash. Smash. Smash.
    He followed her gaze. ‘Be my guest,’ he said. ‘Break them all if it makes you feel better.’
    She crushed her lips together. She couldn’t even imagine her own dramatic acts without him being one step ahead.
    She took a seat on the sofa opposite him. Increasing the distance between them helped her equilibrium.
    ‘What’s your proposition?’ she demanded.
    ‘Fifty thousand pounds for the Sanctuary and you stay in the UK for the next three months,’ Blake said.
    She stole a sharp, shallow breath. She’d planned to hold her face in a mask of indifference to any proposition he’d dealt, but she knew her expression betrayed her shock. Fifty thousand pounds! Half the Sanctuary’s annual budget.
    ‘But there are conditions,’ he added.
    She narrowed her eyes. Of course there were conditions.
    ‘I’m sure they’re very reasonable,’ she said, heaping on the cynicism.
    ‘You’ll receive the money in instalments and you and Daniel will live with me.’
    She opened her mouth to object. He held up a hand.
    ‘Wait, I’m not finished.’ He paused to ensure he still had her attention. ‘Daniel will go to school with my nephew, Tom, and if there’s even a hint that you’re planning to leave, you can expect the full force of the law.’
    She held her body rigid to stop herself from doing something foolish.
    ‘Finished?’ she asked, her voice gritty.
    ‘I’ll wait until I hear a yes from you.’
    She wanted to fight, to scream, to crumble his tower of supremacy, but with what? She was in no position of power. She had to negotiate. Negotiate to get all she could. ‘I have some conditions of my own.’
    He threw her an I’m-listening-but-don’t-expect-anything look. ‘You’re not in a position to bargain.’
    She lifted her drink to give herself time to think. She needed to work this to her advantage. If she could solve the Sanctuary’s funding problems then that would eliminate one of his points of leverage.
    ‘The income from the Trust your father established ten years ago is the reason we’re in so much trouble now.’
    ‘And how do you figure that?’
    ‘If we hadn’t had the guarantee of those funds each month we’d have been forced to develop fundraising experience . . . skills. After your cash injection’s gone, we’ll have no money, no skills and we’ll be in the same position we’re in now.’
    He laughed. ‘And you’re laying your ineptitude at my door?’
    Ineptitude. That stung. She grazed her teeth across her lip to stop a sharp retort.
    ‘Yes. Your money lulled us into a false sense of security.’ She knew this audacious argument was more ridiculous than sensible, but it was the only thing she could think of. ‘After three months I’ll be back where I started. No sustainable income for the Sanctuary. And how can I trust that the money will come? You could cut and run like you did last time.’
    ‘We didn’t cut and run. The Trust was established for a ten-year term. The term was up.’
    ‘Hang on . . .’ A logical progression of events ran through her mind and ended with a worrying scenario. ‘You want the Sanctuary to fail. If it fails, you think there’s nothing to keep us in Brunei.’ She shifted forward in her chair. ‘But you’re wrong. I’ll start from scratch and build it