Page 15 of The Billionaire's Marriage Dare

Oh!

And so she did, not realizing that she hadn’t actually drawn a breath while talking her tongue off.

“And also – corporate espionage?” Christian grinned. “You’ve quite the imagination, haven’t you?” He shook his head. “Can’t all this be an elaborate ploy so I could ask you out?”

She blinked. “Umm...” She tried thinking of the perfect wording, but nothing came so she just blurted out, “You do know I’m not stupid, don’t you? If you had really wanted to ask me out, you’d have done so the first time we met.”

Christian’s lips slowly curved into a smile. “If I say it’s not you, it’s me—-”

“I’d say I honestly want to believe you, but, well.” Jane shrugged uncomfortably. “You really suck at lying.”

Christian laughed.

At least telling the truth didn’t make him mad, Jane thought, relieved.

“That’s too bad then,” Christian murmured with a sigh.

“I know—-”

“Since lying is exactly what you and I need to do if you don’t want me to reveal the truth about us to that rather—-” Christian’s stiff upper lip made a sudden appearance. “—-grotty woman.”

“Grotty?”

“Repulsive.”

Her eyes widened.

He thought Merry was repulsive?

Oh my God, the man did have standards like he said!

But—-

Had he just blackmailed her?

Christian was gazing at her patiently, as if waiting for her to realize that she was still skating on thin ice.

Shit.

“What exactly do you want me to lie about?” Jane asked warily, all the while wondering what Jaike and Derek would say about her current predicament.

Be careful about what you wished for?

She had asked for something interesting, after all.

“Us,” Christian said silkily. “It’s the both of us who need to lie.”

“Okay, fine. What do the both of us need to lie about?”

“Nothing too ornery,” Christian murmured. “You only need to pretend that we have a good enough relationship for us to marry—-”

“Excuse me?”

“If it helps,” Christian drawled, “then I dare you to marry me.”

Chapter Four

Athin, gold tablet was placed next to each button on the elevator, and on the very top was the word Penthouse, next to C. Ravenhearst.

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