The Marriage Of Inconvenience. Nina Singh

a small icon of a dancing couple at the end: What do you say, Princess? Shall we dance?

      He leaned forward to reply to her and stopped himself. There was no reason they couldn’t interact like the true professionals they were, but there was also no reason to be hasty either. He wasn’t going to jump the instant she snapped her fingers. No doubt that’s what she expected. Surprise for her, he’d changed.

      He powered off the laptop and packed it into his briefcase, making sure hard copies of the financial spreadsheets were there. He had a lot to do in the few short hours before his flight back to the States. He didn’t need a distraction like her just now.

      His estranged wife would get his answer soon enough.

      * * *

      “He’s here, you know.”

      Angeline Scott jumped at the announcement, then tried to calm herself before turning away from the window. She leveled a gaze at her assistant, who was also her dearest friend.

      “He’s here,” Shanna repeated. “R.J. just signed in downstairs. He’s on his way up.”

      Angeline managed a nod in acknowledgement. She couldn’t go through with this.

      “Shan, I think we should just forget this whole thing. I’m not even going to tell him why I asked him here. I’ve changed my mind.”

      “Are you going to ask your father, then? For the money?”

      Angeline gave her friend the side eye for that question. “You know that’s out of the question. I refuse.”

      Shanna rewarded her with a look of pride. “That would only be a temporary fix anyway.”

      “But to ask R.J. to do this...” Angeline let herself trail off.

      “We really have no choice, do we?”

      “I guess not. But I know him. He’s going to look at me like I have two heads, pop a hand on his hip—” she fisted her hand and set it on her hip in demonstration. “And then he’s going to laugh. Then he’ll become angry because he’ll think it’s a joke. At his expense. That’s exactly what will happen.” She blew a stray strand of hair off her forehead, then added, “Not necessarily in that order.”

      “Then why did you ask him in the first place?”

      “Because he’s the only one who really qualifies, isn’t he?”

      “True. Technically he’s still your husband.”

      Angel sighed. Yes, R.J. was still her husband. In name only. The only reason being that they had never gotten around to finalizing their divorce. And now, after close to three years apart, she had to demean herself by asking him to pretend they’d never split up at all.

      Shanna smiled at her. “Go straighten yourself out, Angel. Your cheeks are flushed. It’s just not becoming on someone with your olive skin tone. And those curls.” She held a hand up in frustration to the mass of unruly hair Angeline knew was spilling out of her loose bun. “We can do this. Just pull yourself together. It’s the only way.”

      Angeline plunked herself into the wide leather chair behind her. Shanna was right, of course. They had gone through every other feasible option.

      “Fine,” she said, then looked up in defiance. “But I refuse to straighten myself out.”

      Shanna stole a quick glance into the outer room. “Looks like you don’t have time for it anyway. Our fella just walked in.”

      Angeline gripped the armrests on the chair and tried to assume a perfect poker face. Her heart was in her throat, and adrenaline coursed through her veins like a river during a storm. But she was certain none of it showed. R. J. Davet might turn her insides to lava, but she knew how to mask emotion well.

      Shanna gave her a reassuring wink and went to show him in.

      Angeline took advantage of the time to try to calm her nerves. She was a mature businesswoman now. Not a foolish young college student. She’d graduated top of her class, even with the distraction that was R. J. Davet.

      He wouldn’t affect her the way he used to. She was much wiser with a good head on her shoulders. She was over her once all-consuming attraction to him. She was over him.

      Angeline stood up to greet him, feeling much more certain of herself. It was ridiculous to think he could still hurt her.

      But then he walked in. And it hurt just to look at him.

      She managed to curve her lips into a smile. “Hello, R.J. Long time, no see.” She cringed as soon as she said it. Nothing like dazzling him with witty conversation.

      He didn’t say anything for a long moment, merely looked at her. Just for an instant, the hurt fell away and she was staring into hypnotic, deep chocolate eyes that were so familiar. There was nothing between them, there was nothing around them. As if sensing her thoughts, his expression suddenly became aloof and guarded.

      “Hello, Angel.” He smiled when he said it, but his eyes remained distant.

      He made his way toward her with the same confident gait she remembered. Except now there was so much more polish. In a dark Italian-cut suit, he had the elusive manner that only self-made successful people have. He looked like the powerhouse he’d always wanted to be, had always talked about becoming. He looked like the man he had left her to become.

      She checked the impulse to step back as he approached, afraid of her reaction. His wavy black hair reflected almost navy where the light hit it. The strong set of his jaw lent a hardened austerity to his face.

      Her dreams had not done him justice.

      She cleared her throat. “So, I hear your business is doing well. You’re trying to expand Davet Corporate Security into Europe, aren’t you?”

      “That’s the intent, yes.” His voice rang clear with impatience.

      “I can’t believe all you’ve accomplished in the short time since college.”

      He gave a slight nod in her direction. “Likewise.”

      Angeline felt herself shiver. R.J. wasn’t interested in small talk. “It must have been a surprise to hear from me after all this time,” she said in a lower voice.

      “Getting your message was a few notches higher than surprise. Closer to shock, actually.”

      She tried not to bristle at the hostility in his voice.

      R.J. shoved his hands into his pants pockets. “Let’s cut to the chase here, shall we? We’re both busy people. You didn’t call me to play catch-up. What can I do for the reigning tea queen of the Western Hemisphere? I imagine you have some type of corporate security concern. Were your systems hacked or something? Is that it?”

      Regret washed through her. He was obviously not thrilled about being here. While he couldn’t wait to leave, she was aching inside at seeing him again. Yep, she was a fool one hundred times over. “Not exactly. Please, have a seat.” She motioned him to the red brocade chair across from her desk and waited for him to sit down.

      Swallowing past the lump of apprehension in her throat, she began, “I’d like to discuss a business proposition with you. An alliance, so to speak.”

      She saw the curiosity flash in his eyes before he managed to suppress it. “What type of an alliance would the head of a thriving tea retail and distribution business form with the CEO of a corporate security firm?”

      “I need your help. But not in the way you think.”

      He lifted a brow in question. “I’m listening.”

      Angeline walked over to the large window overlooking metro Boston. Past the traffic, the Charles River gleamed like liquid gemstone as the sun reflected off the water. Her back to him, she could feel the intensity of his gaze and imagined his eyes roaming over her. The way his hands had not so long ago. She squeezed her eyes shut.