Her Indecent Proposal (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) (3 page)

“And you want me to do this because…”

Melanie heaved a dramatic sigh.  “Were you listening to a word of
what I said?  I want you to do this because you’re a man, you’re right here in
Montreal, you’re close to my age and you’re a billionaire.”

Sloane cocked an eyebrow.  “Is that all?”

“No, there’s one more thing.  You’re free and single and you look
like you have no plans to settle down in the near or even distant future. 
Don’t you see?” Her voice rose in her excitement.  “It’s the perfect solution
for both of us.  Neither one of us plans to get married any time soon but in
the meanwhile we can at least make sure we have a child. ”  Her face grew
solemn.  "Before it’s too late."

“And who says I have no plans to settle down?”

The question seemed to take her by surprise.  “Well, you don’t, do
you?” she stuttered.  “Everybody knows you change women several times a year. 
You’re always in the papers with someone new on your arm.  I just thought…”  She
shook her head and now she didn’t seem quite so confident.  Instead, a look of
doubt crossed her features.  “You aren’t planning to get married, are you?”

“Not bloody likely,” he almost barked.  It was true that he dated
lots of women but marriage was not something he took likely.  And he certainly
wasn’t going to propose because a woman declared her undying love and swore she
couldn’t live without him.  He had to feel the same way too, right?  “That’s
beside the point.  This is all too crazy, too…practical.”

“And that’s who I am,” she said earnestly.  “A practical woman.  I
desperately want a child and I imagine you would one day want to be a father. 
Why not start now?  This would be a straightforward arrangement.  Love would
have absolutely nothing to do with it.”

For a long while Sloane just stared at her, wondering where that
brain of hers dug up this zany idea.  But a practical one, at that.  The lady
had a point.

“So,” he said, his voice low and slow, “how do you propose we go
about doing this?  Where do we make love?  My house or yours?”  He’d asked the
question half jokingly, just to humor her.  He still didn’t know if he’d even
go down that twisted road with her, tempting though it was to have her in his
bed.  He could imagine those long legs wrapped around his waist as he sank…

Her gasp put a sudden end to his musings.  “I don’t plan to make
love to you.  All I want is your sperm.  We can just go to the clinic and-”

“Oh, no, you don’t.”  Sloane put up a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. 
“I’m not going to any clinic for them to put my stuff in a bottle.  You want my
child, you‘d better get to work.  And I don’t mean in your office.”

That shut her up real fast.  Mouth agape, she stared at Sloane then
her face grew red.  “I’m sorry.  I thought…”

“What?  Backing out?” Sloane chuckled.  “Am I so repulsive that you
wouldn’t go there…even to get the child you say you so desperately desire?”

“N…no, you’re not repulsive at all.  You’re actually…very handsome.” 
She blushed a rosier pink as the words left her lips, reminding him of the shy
kid he’d seen so many years before.  “I just never thought…”

“You know what?” Sloane said, tenting his fingers as he watched
her.  “You go home and think about it.  I might…just might…grant you your
wish.  But only if you grant me mine."

***

How crass.  Melanie could not believe Sloane Quest actually said
what he did.  She’d better get to work?  He’d made it sound like she was some
kind of lady of the night.  She shuddered at the thought.

But now that she was home and thinking about it, as he’d so rudely
ordered her to do, try as she might she just could not come up with an
alternative.  When she pondered and pondered and still could not identify
another suitable but less demanding donor, she thought of ditching the whole
idea.  But then where would that leave her?  Miles away from her goal, and her
thirty-fourth birthday fast approaching.  That was not giving her much time to
give birth before age thirty-five.

But Sloane Quest's ultimatum had not sat well with her and she
wished she could tell him to just go to hell.  But she couldn’t.  Not when
there was a chance, no matter how slim, that he would say yes.

She wished she had a close friend to talk to, someone she could run
to for advice.  It was a sad thing when, at age thirty-three, the person you
talked with the most was your mom.  Good grief.  She needed a life.

But that was how she’d always been.  Approachable and pleasant to
everyone but never forming deep friendships.  She’d always been a loner and she
guessed that would never change.

And as had been the case all her life, Melanie would end up coming
to a decision all on her own.  And, as always, her decision would be a
practical one.  Because that was who she was.

Maybe she should consider his counter proposal.  After all, Sloane
Quest was a highly attractive man.  Even if he didn’t have a cent to his name
women would still be falling all over him.  With his height and dark good
looks, what warm-blooded woman would not find him attractive?  She most
certainly did – and had felt that way from the tender age of fourteen.

Yes, she’d fallen in love the day she walked into the school
cafeteria and saw Sloane across the room, his steel-gray eyes trained on her. 
She’d immediately dropped her eyes, scared that he’d caught her staring, but
then he’d turned back to the girl he was with and then they both got up and
left.  And, as usual, Melanie felt herself fade into the background, an
insignificant little fly who hadn’t even sparked a mote of interest.

All that year she’d paid keen interest in Sloane’s activities around
campus, even attending a couple of his games although she hated sports and
would rather bury herself in the library.  Had he even noticed she was there?
Highly unlikely.  And that was exactly how she’d wanted it…to watch and admire
in private.

And even after he graduated she did not forget him.  And through the
rest of her high school years, on those rare occasions when she wished she had
a boyfriend, he was the one who popped into her mind.  Talk about puppy love…

And then she’d gone on to college and grad school and the years had
flown by and she used other things to fill her void.  She’d thrown herself one
hundred percent into building her father’s company, filling her days with
strategic planning meetings and taking the work home at nights.  And on the
weekends when she craved companionship there was always her mom, her sister and
her cute little nephews.  

There’d been a couple of relationships along the way but at the age
of twenty-eight, after two heartbreaks, she’d sworn off men, at least for a
while.  She’d been busy with the business, anyway.  The last thing she needed
was the distraction of a man and the issues that usually came with having one
in your life.

She’d been so busy being CEO that before she knew what was happening
the years had flown by and she woke up one day to find herself thirty-three
years old, husbandless and childless.  The husband, she would have to do
without – maybe that just wasn’t her destiny – but not having a child?  That,
she would not accept.  Not without a darned good fight.  And so, when she’d
started thinking about who she could approach with her bold scheme, the first –
and only – man that popped into her mind was Sloane Quest.

And so she’d made her audacious proposal.  And then he’d gone and
spoiled it with his insensitive demand.

Melanie sucked in her breath and stared at the phone.  He’d not been
as gentlemanly about it as she’d expected but at least he hadn’t said no.  Now
it was up to her to proceed or not.

She lifted her clasped hands to her lips as she thought about it
some more.  Finally, she expelled her breath and reached for the phone.  It was
probably the craziest move she'd made in her life but, she decided, she would
do it.

CHAPTER FOUR

Sloane was just stepping out of the shower when he heard his cell
phone ringing.  Not bothering to dry off, he walked into the bedroom and
grabbed the phone from the nightstand.  It was Melanie Parker.

Immediately, he clicked the answer button.  “Yes?”

“Hello…Sloane.”  Her voice was tentative and soft.  “I hope I didn’t
catch you at a bad time?”

The question made Sloane’s eyes involuntarily slide down his body,
still slick and wet from his shower.  Well, if you call being caught with your
clothes off a good time…  “No, you’re good,” he said.  “Go ahead.”

“I…wondered if I could invite you to have dinner with me…so we can
talk.”

So we can talk.  Was she actually considering what he’d said?  Sloane
didn’t respond immediately, the possibilities racing through his mind.  He, a
father?  He’d never really given it serious thought.  Until now.

“Sloane, are you there?”

“Uh, yes.”  He shook his head as her voice brought him back to the
present.  God, this woman had him thinking all kinds of insane thoughts.

“Dinner?” she pressed.  “Would you like to go out with me?”

“Sure.  When?”

“I was thinking this Saturday night, at Toque.  Could we meet there
at seven? That is…if you’re not busy?”

“Nope.  As luck would have it, I’m free that night.”  He threw that
in there just to tease her.  She was probably thinking of his reputation as a
ladies' man for her to sound so nervous about asking him out.  Might as well
rub it in a little.

“Well, okay,” she said on a sigh.  “I guess I’ll see you Saturday
night then.”

“Sounds good,” he said, just before she said her goodbye and hung
up.

And then, prickling from the water drying on his skin, he headed
back to the bathroom where he scrubbed himself dry, his thoughts still on the
woman who had just called.

Almost twenty years had gone by and just like that, Melanie Parker
was back in his life.  Well, not that she’d ever been a part of it, but it was
so strange how life threw these curves every once in a while.

And he was actually considering having a child with her.  And making
love to her.  And at the thought he began to grow hard.

Melanie Parker was no longer the skinny little kid he remembered.  Now
she was an elegant beauty who would turn on any normal man.  Pity she didn’t
seem to know that.

He smiled as he stepped into his boxer shorts.  He was looking forward
to his upcoming rendezvous with the lady in question.

***

Good grief.  I look like a tart
. 
Melanie grabbed a tissue and wiped the crimson stain from her lips.  She hated
this – dressing up, putting on make-up, dolling up to go meet a man.  Once she
stepped out of her business suit she was much more comfortable in sweatpants
and a T-shirt.  She was definitely not a ‘going-out’ person.  As she stared at
herself in the mirror she shook her head.  Maybe that was why she hadn’t been
able to keep a man.

Suddenly pensive, she got up and crossed the room and plucked her
black and gold scarf from the back of the armchair.  Tonight she wasn’t trying
to keep or catch a man.  She just wanted her baby.  She knew some might judge
her for being too matter-of-fact about the whole thing.  Some might even call
her selfish, saying she was putting her own desires before the best interest of
the child.  But she wanted to be a mom.  Did that make her an evil person?

Tightening her lips she picked up her purse then turned to go.

When Melanie got to the restaurant Sloane was already there, looking
striking in a dark suit and shirt open at the collar, his raven hair glistening
under the light cast by the chandeliers in the lobby.  He looked relaxed and
cool, the total opposite of what she was feeling right then.  Surreptitiously,
she patted her palms against her hips.  It definitely would not do to shake
hands when her palms were damp with nervous perspiration. 
Come on.  Get a
grip.
  She stifled a sigh of frustration.

“Melanie.”

He’d seen her and was coming over. 
Slow down, heart.  He’s not the
bogeyman
.  She lifted her chin and pasted a smile on her lips.

“Very nice,” he said, looking her up and down, his eyes
appreciative.

Melanie felt the blush rising up her neck and she almost dropped her
eyes.  Now why did he have to go and do that?  She hated compliments.  They
were nice, of course, but also kind of embarrassing.  It meant she was being
noticed.

“Thank you,” she managed, her throat tight.  “And you, too.”

He smiled and took her arm and, to her relief, there was no more
talk about looking nice.  Right then she had other, more pressing matters on
her mind and she wanted to get it over and done with.  She’d psyched herself up
for this meeting and she wanted to say what she had to say before she had a
chance to chicken out.

After a surprisingly pleasant meal, one in which her dinner
companion made light conversation which eventually put her at ease, Sloane
leaned back in his chair and turned his gray eyes on her.  “So, Melanie, what
did you want to talk about?”

Her mellow mood immediately disappeared.  Here it was, the moment of
truth.  And dare.  Because she would dare to be bold…and sleep with Sloane
Quest.