curiosity reached a fevered peak but she reined in her questions when the waiter came to ask their drink preferences. Marc ordered sparkling water for her and a martini for himself.
She sat quietly until finally they had ordered dinner and been served their drinks. He raised his glass in a toast.
“Here’s to the best secretary I’ve ever worked with and, hopefully, to a mutually bright future together.”
She touched her glass to his and sipped, watching him and waiting as he set his martini on the table. Her curiosity increased because, whatever he was about to discuss, it involved both of their futures.
He folded his hands on the table and cleared his throat. “I’ll cut to the chase now. My grandfather is very ill with pancreatic cancer and doctors have given him three months to live.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, hearing the pain in Marc’s voice even though he seemed in control of his emotions.
“I’m close to him. My dad died when I was twelve and my grandfather has always been there for me. I’ve spent a lot of time with my grandparents on their ranch. I love that life and I love that ranch. It’s beautiful.” He smiled at her. “At least, it is to me.”
“I’m sorry, Marc, that your grandfather’s health isn’t good,” she said, still unable to see how any of this involved her.
“Thanks. My grandparents love that ranch. They’ve worked it all their lives.”
He paused when the waitstaff came in with their dinners—a thick steak for Marc and Alaskan salmon for her. When they were alone again, she had a bite of salmon and closed her eyes. “Mmm, this is delicious.”
“Yes, it is,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. She opened her eyes to see him watching her. Heat flashed through her and she was aware of the intense way he looked at her. His dark brown eyes hid his feelings.
“Go ahead with your story,” she said, suddenly tingling with awareness. She knew whatever he was going to ask her, it had nothing to do with the office. Not with the look she had just received from him.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Now that my grandfather is ill, he’s worried about my grandmother. She wants to stay on the ranch and live out her life there, but—this is where I come in—she can’t run it or deal with it herself. And this is where you come in.” He paused and nodded at her plate. “Maybe you should enjoy a few more bites of dinner before I continue.”
She shook her head. “My curiosity will overcome me.” She wondered if he was thinking about trying to hire her as a companion for his grandmother. “What on earth is it, that I won’t be able to eat after you tell me?”
“I think I’m going to shock you. Frankly, I’m still reeling in shock myself,” he said, forcing a smile at her. “My grandfather wants me to move to the ranch and I have to agree to stay at least one year. That way I’ll be there to see that my grandmother is all right.”
“You’re leaving the company for a year?” Lara asked. “Or will it be longer?” Was she losing her boss permanently? She felt a pang at the thought and immediately thought of his vice presidents, wondering whom she would work for.
“It’ll only be a year. I know my grandpa and how he thinks. He thinks if I live out there a year, I’ll never want to leave.”
“I can understand what he wants, but is that what you want to do?”
“He’s given me an offer—actually, it’s more an ultimatum. I live there a year and I inherit the ranch, also one third of the mineral rights and one third of the producing wells on the ranch. My mother will also inherit a third, the same as I will, and the remainder of the estate will go to my grandmother.”
“I see.” She put down her fork and wiped her lips on her napkin. “You wanted to tell me that I’ll have a new boss.”
“Oh, no. I’m not through. I love my grandfather too much to refuse to do what he wants. Even if I didn’t feel that way, this offer is too big to turn down. And I love that ranch. As I said, I love Grandpa and I want his last days to be happy. I want to do what he wants and make him happy.”
“That’s wonderful, Marc. I can understand. I loved my mother, and at the last, I did everything I could to make her happy. I’ll miss working for you,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound too depressed, but she would miss him terribly. She liked working for him. He was a fair, considerate boss and a handsome, appealing man, so it was nice to be around him.
“There’s more, Lara, but I’m trying to wait until you’ve had enough of your dinner that you won’t go home hungry.”
She picked up her fork again, to placate him, and smiled up at him. “I’m eating, okay? But you’ve told me your news—that you’re leaving.”
“I haven’t reached the part that includes you,” he reminded her.
Startled, she stared at him as curiosity gripped her. Maybe he wanted a secretary on the ranch. Was that it?
“Lara, I’ve only told you part of my grandfather’s demands. There’s another part. Besides living on the ranch for a year, I’m to marry this month.”
He reached across the table to take her hand, which was something so unlike him that she nearly gasped. For a few seconds, she couldn’t speak. She could only stare at him.
“Don’t say anything until I’m through. You’re surprised, just as I was.”
While she heard his words, she was still focused on his hand wrapped around hers. His hand was warm, his grip light, yet the instant they touched she tingled from head to toe. Somehow, she felt the touch of his hand had changed their relationship in a subtle way. She was certainly more aware of him as a man. And that awareness made it impossible to respond.
“I need a wife for a marriage of convenience, possibly for one year, possibly much shorter,” he continued. “In order to inherit, I have to marry this month and live on the ranch for one year. That is what my grandfather has in his will. I want a wife as long as my grandfather is alive, which doctors have only given him a few months. I want his last days happy. After he is gone, I will stay on the ranch that full year, but there is nothing in his will about how long I have to stay married. When he is gone, I will end the marriage—that’s a promise,” he said. “I want to see if I can make a deal with you. Make you my wife.”
Stunned, she stared at him, looking into unfathomable brown eyes that hid his feelings so well. Marry Marc and then dissolve it? She couldn’t imagine doing such a thing. Those dark eyes so intently focused on her took her breath away. Marry Marc. Without love. A marriage for convenience. Her heart raced at the thought.
“Marc, that’s very flattering, but I can’t do that,” she said, her pulse pounding. Marry Marc? For a moment she felt light-headed. She couldn’t agree to what he was proposing.
“Wait a minute. Just listen to the whole thing. What’s in this for me, and more importantly, what’s in this for you. Please, just listen.”
“I am,” she said. Breathless, still in
