The Bargain Bride (Boss of Seduction), page 1
The Bargain Bride
Boss of Seduction
Kasi Blake
Copyright © 2023 Kasi Blake
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by: Les Solet
Thanks to Mariah for her expertise in all things horses. She read over every scene with horses and fixed my errors.
I also researched horse breeding operations. It was a little gross, but extremely fascinating.
If you would like to see the picture of the ranch I used for this book, pictures of the actors used, and other book related pics, you can find me on Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/kasiblake/
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Books By This Author
Chapter One
Runaway bride? The two words kept repeating in Beth's mind as she paced her spacious bedroom floor, moving back and forth from the balcony doors to the private bathroom. It was still an option.
She clenched her hands until her fingers ached. The butterflies in her stomach changed to dragons at the mere thought of ditching Simon at the altar. A hand went to her abdomen. She had already taken enough antacid to drown a growing ulcer.
Jaw set, she glared at the closed door and silently shouted at the current occupant to come out. Turning, she caught a glimpse of herself in the dresser mirror and froze. With blue eyes that seemed larger than usual, a thick, dark mane as wild as some of the horses she trained, and a rosy flush to her cheeks, she reluctantly admitted she didn't look half bad. The wedding gown wasn't as ridiculous on her as she had imagined.
The dress was far too expensive and too girly for her taste. Simon had ordered it from an exclusive shop in Beverly Hills without even asking for her input. The marriage-of-convenience was his idea as well. According to his father's totally unfair Last Will, everything went to his older brother—their beloved horses, the ranch, and the entire horse breeding operation—unless Simon married her. When he had suggested they cave to his deceased father's wishes, she shot him down cold.
Three times.
She only gave in after Simon told her his brother was talking about selling the ranch. Now, second thoughts pummeled her from every direction. Most girls got to marry for love. Why couldn't she? Nothing about the situation seemed right. She either married a man she didn't love or she risked losing her home, her horses, and the people that had become her unofficial family.
She repeatedly thumped a fist against her upper thigh as she continued to pace outside the bathroom door. She never should have agreed to trick Jared out of his inheritance. Even though he hated the ranch, it belonged to him. Big Jim had wanted him to have it. Taking it through deception didn't seem like a good idea, no matter how Simon spun it.
Maybe if she talked to Jared, she could convince him not to sell the ranch until she could come up with the money for a down payment. She got ten percent of every horse she bred and sold, not to mention another ten for any new business she brought in. Simon wasn't willing to part with a dime of his cash inheritance, so she would have to buy the place on her own.
She lifted a fist to bang on the bathroom door, but Trish threw it open before she could knock. Shoulders shaking, the sobbing girl blew her nose in a pile of tissues. Irony hit Beth hard. She felt like the one that should be crying. A girl's wedding day was supposed to be a happy occasion, but she wanted to run screaming for the nearest exit. Seeing Trish mopping up her wet face at least gave her something to think about besides her own messy circumstances.
“Are you okay?” she asked with growing anxiety.
Trish plopped down on Beth's bed, perched on the edge like a bird ready to take flight. The leafy tree theme of the comforter added to the visual. Trish’s slender body trembled beneath peach-colored lace. She had insisted on picking her own dress after complaining that brides always put their bridesmaids in ugly gowns, so they looked angelic in comparison. Since Beth didn't care about the wedding—it was just a means to a happy end—she told Trish to wear whatever she wanted. The color of her dress didn't matter; it was a small wedding, and she was the only bridesmaid.
Lower lip quivering and eyes overflowing with tears, Trish lifted up a white piece of plastic. Beth had no idea what it was at first, but it seemed to be the focus of the girl's unhappiness. Trish held it between trembling fingers to show Beth the last thing she thought she'd see on her wedding day.
“I'm p-pregnant,” Trish said.
And that started off another storm of tears. Trish's entire body convulsed as she wept uncontrollably. The hysterical girl was going to make herself sick if she didn't calm down.
Beth drew close enough to peek at the plastic stick. Oh, yes. It had a tiny pink plus sign instead of a blue negative one. Trish was indeed pregnant. Questions popped into Beth's head; she dismissed half of them because they weren't any of her business. She was curious, however, as to why her friend would take a pregnancy test on her wedding day. Couldn't it have waited a few hours?
And why had Trish chosen to take the test at the ranch instead of in the privacy of her own home?
Beth checked the clock on the bedside table again. The wedding loomed closer like a runaway freight train intent on crushing everything in its path. Was Simon still getting dressed in his bedroom three doors down or was he already waiting at the end of the make-shift aisle below them?
Another round of doubts tormented her. Perhaps her pregnant bridesmaid was a sign; she shouldn't be marrying Simon. They were too young to risk everything on a fake relationship. It would have been different if she loved him, but...
Beth sat next to Trish on the bed. She made an awkward move to put an arm around the girl's shoulders, but she stopped at the last second. Although she was great at comforting horses, she had no clue how to do it with people. “Are you worried about telling the baby’s father?” she asked.
Trish sobbed between words. “I am not telling him. I can’t.”
“Why not? Are you afraid he won't want the baby?”
Trish shot off the bed and rushed to the balcony doors. After thrusting them open with both hands, her back arched like a bow as she sucked in oxygen. “I can't,” she cried. “I can't tell him. Maybe I should go somewhere far, far away and start over, just me and the baby.”
Beth's strong sense of justice came into play. She shoved her own emotions down over what she was about to do and focused on the innocent child. Every kid deserved to know their parents. Both of them. Unfortunately, her mother hadn't believed that.
“You can't run away from this.” Beth twirled strands of dark hair around one finger, a nervous habit from grade school. “The father has a right to know the truth, and your baby has the right to know their father.”
Trish shrugged.
Beth sighed in frustration before continuing on with her short, hopefully persuasive speech. “This is exactly what my mother did to me. You know that. She kept me a secret from my father for the first ten years of my life. I spent that time thinking he didn't want me, and all because my mother didn't want him in our lives. She made the decision for me before I was born.”
Trish grunted.
Beth crossed the room with a purpose. She grabbed Trish's arms and forced the girl to look at her. “Is that what you want for your child? Do you want them to grow up feeling unloved and unwanted by their own father?”
Trish's slender shoulders sagged. “What if he doesn't want to be a father?”
“You won't know until you ask.” Beth forced a smile. “Maybe he'll surprise you. He might love the idea of having a child. Maybe you'll be the next one down the aisle.”
Trish wailed, and her entire body shook. “He's... involved with someone else.”
Beth's jaw dropped. “Married?”
“No! I would never have sex with a married man. His relationship with her is complicated. He feels trapped. He made promises to her and doesn't want to break them, even though we’re madly in love.”
Beth gently shook the girl. “Listen to me. You are having a baby, and a baby trumps everything else. This little life growing inside you is more important than promises or hurt feelings or desire or—”
“Simon is the father!”
The blood drained from Beth's face and pooled
Now what?
He had begged her to marry him to save the ranch, and the whole time he was sleeping with Trish. Unbelievable! Her manicured nails bit into her fleshy palms as she tried to regain her sense of balance. After taking a deep breath, she said, “Tell him about the baby.”
Trish's damp eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“He might still be getting ready. Tell him before you lose your chance. Hurry! Go.”
A smile transformed the other girl's face, and she threw her arms around Beth's neck. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Trish kissed her on the cheek. “I will never forget this.”
Neither would Beth, especially if she lost her beloved home because her two friends couldn't keep their hands off each other. Now that she suspected the wedding wouldn't happen, she realized how much she wanted it. She wanted the ranch to be in her name, so Jared couldn’t force her to leave on a whim.
She also wanted the marriage so she wouldn't be alone. The chances of her finding a real husband were slim considering she lived two hours from the nearest town, and the only men she saw on a regular basis worked for her. Dating one of them was out of the question.
Trish dropped the pregnancy test in the trash on her way out the door, and Beth sank down on the bed. Minutes passed. She stared at the wicker wastebasket with trepidation growing in her heart. An unexpected pregnancy sure wasn't what she'd pictured on her wedding day. Trish was probably telling Simon the news at that very moment. Beth tried to imagine his reaction and failed. She really didn't know him at all, so it was impossible to predict what he would do.
Even though their relationship wasn't a love-match, she still felt the loss. Simon had several options now. He might decide to swap brides and marry Trish. The two of them could run away together, leaving Beth to explain their absence to the numerous guests waiting downstairs. Or he might run from both of them. He wasn't exactly Mr. Responsible. She didn't know which outcome to hope for.
Her stomach flipped over, and she launched herself at the wide-open balcony doors. In desperate need of air, she stepped outside and sucked oxygen into her lungs. A sudden breeze sent a chill through her bones. If Simon didn't marry her, they would lose the Montana ranch, the place she'd called home since her tenth birthday. His brother would continue to hold on to everything, even though he had vowed to never set foot on the property again. He would probably sell it before the year ran out. What would she do then?
She and Simon had made the pact to marry over their mutual love of the horses, the breathtaking landscape, and the lovely house, the only real home either of them had known. But that was before she learned he was having a baby with another woman. Now Beth had to rely on Jared's compassion.
The mere thought of facing Jared Wilder filled her belly with hot coals.
If that man had a heart, it was stone cold when it came to her.
Chapter Two
Jared returned home for the first time in eight years with dread as his wingman. He would rather be anywhere else in the world, but his little brother had decided to get married. If that didn't warrant a trip home, he didn't know what did. Simon offered him an out on the phone, saying it was short notice and he'd understand if Jared couldn't make the wedding. As an ER doctor at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, Jared rarely had more than an hour to spare. Work and sleep, that was his life. Under ordinary circumstances, he might have skipped the event, but it was the bride's identity that sent him rushing back to Montana.
A few months ago, Jared refused to give Simon a large cash advance on his trust fund. In retaliation, his little brother threatened to marry Beth Rawlings; Jared hadn't taken the threat seriously. For one thing, he didn't think Beth would agree to a loveless marriage. Boy, was he wrong. He didn't know her at all.
Jared had returned to tell them the fake marriage wasn't necessary. He was giving Beth the ranch. Not Simon. Beth. If he gave it to his brother, Simon would lose the property within a year. But Beth would cherish the 2000-acre horse-breeding operation. She loved the ranch as much as he hated it. As far as he was concerned, she could have everything.
He crossed the gravel driveway with purpose in every step, determined to save her from a loveless marriage. The sight of a woman in white standing on the balcony overlooking the rose garden stopped him in his tracks. Was the bright sunlight playing tricks on his eyes, or was that Beth?
He blinked to clear his hazy vision. During his absence, she had transformed from a gangly tom-boy to a stunning woman with sexy curves and flowing hair. The gentle wind played with her dark tresses, pulling on the ends even as it molded white satin to her legs.
Stunned, he stared at her in silence.
She reminded him of a wild mustang he had worked hard to capture in his youth. In the end, he'd given up the chase after realizing the horse was meant to be free. Beth was a good kid, preferring to spend time with animals over people. The first time he had seen her, a ten-year-old girl crushing a stuffed bear to her small body, her eyes red from crying over her mother's sudden death, his heart had ached along with hers. He knew what it was like to lose a mother. Maybe that's why he'd gone out of his way to teach her about horses and make her feel at home.
Seeing her, the beauty she'd become during his time away, made him yearn for something unknown, something he couldn't have and—until now—didn't think he wanted.
He forced himself to step inside his childhood home, a sprawling two-story traditional Tudor with diamond cut windows, six chimneys, and dark wood beams crossing the high ceilings. The house looked out of place among the rugged Montana scenery, but his father had paid an architect to give his mother her dream home.
Knowing the house was filled with curious guests, people who would stop him from going up to see Simon so they could ask a million nosy questions, Jared slipped up the back stairs. His first inclination was to talk to his brother, but he found himself outside of Beth's bedroom door instead. Thanks to her appearance on the balcony, he knew what room she was using.
He rapped on the door with his knuckles; she didn't respond. She was probably still on the balcony and couldn't hear him knocking. He pushed the door open a few inches and started to call out to her. That's when he saw it: a game changer. There was a pregnancy test in the wastebasket.
Jared plucked a tissue from a nearby Kleenex box and picked the test out of the trash. He stared at the plus sign in horror. It was the last thing he expected to see today. Beth wasn't marrying his brother to get her hands on the ranch. They had a bigger, more important reason to tie the knot. She was pregnant with his brother's child. Little Beth really had grown up.
His stomach muscles clenched until they ached. He closed her door behind him with a soft click before charging down the hallway to his brother's bedroom. Too angry to knock, he stormed inside and found Simon sitting on the bed, head in his hands. His jacket was beside him on the mattress; his tie was undone and only half the buttons on his pressed shirt were in their designated holes.
Simon's head jerked up. He looked both surprised and pleased to see Jared. Then he noticed the pregnancy test in his hand. Simon's expression caved, and Jared wanted to beat him senseless. Of all the stupid...
Jared shook the test at him. “Seriously? You're twenty-six years old, Simon. Haven't you figured out how condoms work yet?”
“Funny. Ha-ha.” Simon jumped to his feet. “For your information, I always use a condom, but they are not a hundred percent effective. As a doctor, you should know that.”
“That's why you always need to have a second line of defense. Isn't she on the pill?”
“How should I know?”
Jared's lips compressed into a tight line. He dropped the pregnancy test in the trash near the bed and made a mental note to wash his hands as soon as possible. His brother's room was a mess, clothes strewn everywhere, just like when they were kids. The disturbing sight underlined his belief that Simon hadn’t matured in the slightest.
