Harrington nailed him with a stare, waiting for him to bite. Aaron pictured all the new equipment that much money could buy. Hell, he could get a new boat.
“Come on, Mr. Brody, every man has a price. Give it up. I’m not having my granddaughter taken by a two-bit crook.”
Harrington’s smug confidence burned his ass. Thought his fat bank account gave him the power to control the world. “Do you need a step-by-step diagram of where to stick that checkbook?”
Aaron had the pleasure of watching Edward’s self-assured smirk fade as he replaced the checkbook in his pocket and strolled off the Free Wind.
He was going to hate himself in the morning. But hell, once Charlie told her grandfather she’d broken off the engagement the check would be about as worthless as his archaic engine anyway.
Chapter Two
“I may have been a bit rash in judging your fiancé,” Edward admitted as he folded himself into the wing chair across from Charlotte’s desk.
Her fingers stilled over her keyboard. “You’re admitting you were wrong?”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” He held up one hand. “But I’m willing to give him a chance.”
She shut down the spreadsheet she’d been staring at. What had transpired between him and Aaron?
“Let’s face facts. To my knowledge, the only serious relationship you’ve ever had was with Perry. And look how you handled that.”
Nibbling her lip, she told herself he didn’t mean that quite how it sounded. He didn’t know the full story. But then, she’d never actually leveled with him about Perry for fear of confirming his belief that women let emotions cloud their judgment.
“Getting along with people is not your forte.”
A true enough fact, but it stung just the same. The man was a master at capitalizing on people’s vulnerabilities. “Not my forte? I learned everything I know from you.”
“Don’t get upset. I’m trying to protect you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “From what?”
“Yourself.” He exhaled. “Now, you can marry your scuba diver—”
“I don’t need your permission.”
“No, you don’t.” Edward steepled his fingers. “But if you want this resort, you’ll listen to my proposal.”
She clenched her fists in her lap. As usual, everything had to be by Edward’s rules.
“Aaron passed the first test, but I’m far from convinced that romance is his driving force. Still, I’m willing to give the marriage a chance. If, after say six months, I’m satisfied as to Mr. Brody’s motives, I’ll sign the Marathon resort over to you, like I promised. At least you’ll have a means to support yourself.”
Aaron had been right. He was her best shot at ever owning the hotel. But could she marry and pretend to be in love for six months? Could Aaron? It shouldn’t be too difficult. They only had to put up a front when Edward was around, and he had twelve resorts demanding his time.
Edward cleared his throat. “Perry has agreed to stay on as your assistant manager. He’ll report directly to me.”
Her entire body tensed in outrage. She should have known he’d have a trump up his sleeve. “I don’t need Perry.”
“Take it or leave it.” He folded his arms. “I have to look out for you and protect my business.”
She bolted to her feet. “But I’ve been running this resort alone for almost five years.”
“I’m not sure you’re thinking with your brain at the moment,” he said. “Of course, Aaron will sign a prenuptial.”
“He already offered. I told him it wasn’t necessary.” If she was going to bluff, might as well pull out all the stops.
He looked at her as if she were some poor lovesick fool. “Oh, Charlotte!”
“I’m not as naive about men as you think. I know my fiancé.” She could handle Aaron Brody. On the other hand, she thought, remembering the kiss, maybe she was a poor lovesick fool.
CHARLOTTE STEPPED ON BOARD Aaron’s boat, half hoping he wasn’t there. Could she pull this off?
Easy to see why he needed the money. The Free Wind was a dilapidated fiberglass boat in desperate need of a face-lift. The hull had probably been white at one time, but had taken on more of a dirty yellow hue. The wood deck was warped.
She’d about decided the boat was deserted when she caught sight of him sitting behind a desk in a miniscule office.
The afternoon sun barely filtered through the salt-crusted window. He stood as she stepped through the door into the cramped, paneled office. “What did I do to rate two Harringtons in one day?”
She choked down her pride. “We’ll have to draw up a prenuptial agreement.”
Aaron frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.
“But ten thousand is my final offer.” She adopted her don’t-mess-with-me, business tone.
“Lady, I’ve been insulted enough for one afternoon. Take your money and do your husband shopping somewhere else.”
Humiliation burned through her. She couldn’t even buy a husband. Did he want her to beg? She shouldered her purse and turned to go.
But go where? Back to Edward and admit Aaron didn’t want to marry her?
She straightened her shoulders and faced him. “You were right. You’re my only viable option.”
He leaned over, flattened his palms on his desk, and focused his sea-green eyes on her. “A hundred thousand, which I know you can get your hands on, deposited in an account in my name and I’ll sign a prenup that says I walk away with my business and the money in my accounts.” His jaw stiffened. “If it doesn’t specify what I do get, I don’t sign.”
Charlotte let out her breath. She never thought she’d negotiate a marriage like a business contract. Who said she didn’t know how to manage relationships?
“Let’s make sure we understand each other. This is business.” She leaned into his face. “We get married and Edward returns to Boston. In six months, providing we can convince him that a) we’re blissfully in love and b) you’re trustworthy, he’ll sign the resort over to me. At that point, we file for divorce. And—” she paused for effect “—I have no intention of sharing your bed as part of the arrangement.”
That announcement slowed him down a pace or two.
“And it won’t kill you to take a couple months off from your playboy lifestyle.”
“Playboy?” He looked genuinely surprised. “Just because I’m no damn monk? Don’t tell me, you’re saving yourself for marriage. Oh, wait, you don’t want sex then, either.”
Sarcasm dripped from his words. Okay, so sexuality wasn’t her strong point, but still.
Aaron studied the top of his desk and took out his cigarettes. After a glance at her, he shoved the pack back in his pocket. “I’m not thrilled with sharing your bed, either, sweetheart, but you know as well as I do the old man won’t believe this farce unless we share accommodations.” He flashed a wicked grin. “Your place or mine, Charlie?”
The image of lying naked with this green-eyed macho maniac made her stop. She wasn’t the quivering, breathless type and getting naked didn’t figure into this.
He flashed another charming smile, and extended his hand. “Let me see your phone.”
The man didn’t