Page 10 of Some Like It Royal

“Okay,” she committed. “I’m in.”

* * *

DANIEL

Daniel controlled the urge to fidget as she read through the papers. Martin stood in the center of the salon-style room with Daniel perched on the edge of a chair while she sat on the sofa opposite.

She took her time scanning the contract, reading each page—sometimes twice. Occasionally she circled something, the faint crinkle of the paper and the scritch of the pen the only sounds in the room. On the last page was the amount he’d told Martin to write in. He already had a check drawn.

“No.” Alyx shook her head, jerking her attention from the paper.

“It’s a more than equitable amount.” Martin intervened before Daniel could answer.

“It’s five million dollars. That’s way too much.” She leaned back, the papers a neat stack on her lap.

Daniel glanced at his attorney and saw a perplexed expression that mirrored his own confusion. They’d expected she might ask for more, but less?

“I’m asking you to commit to this project twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for a year. I don’t think five million is too much for that kind of investment.” He kept his voice calm, but he couldn’t keep the question out of it.

“It’s too much. Look, I work six nights a week at the steakhouse. I make about three hundred a day, average. Some days are better, some are worse, but six days a week for fifty two weeks is sixty-two thousand four hundred dollars, after taxes. Five million is way too much.”

“You want us toreducethe amount of payment?” Martin folded his arms, his frown turning speculative.

“Yes. I also want half up front. In addition, I want you to set up a scholarship fund for foster kids in California—discretionary aid to help them pay for college. If you want to invest five million, then take—I don’t know—set one million aside for me and put the rest in the scholarship fund.” She tapped the paper. “I also want an open-ended round-trip ticket to anywhere in the world, dated for one year from today. And an apartment. In my name—here in the city, and I’m the only one with keys to it.”

Clasping his hands together, Daniel leaned forward. “Alyx, the scholarship fund isn’t a problem.” Martin cleared his throat, but Daniel ignored him. “But I think you should take more than just a million. I get that you think it’s too much, but realistically—a million goes fast. What about the rest of your life?”

She shrugged. “What about it? I don’t have a house. If you pay one year of an apartment for me—it’s a done deal, no rent payments. I’m not going to have that job anymore and I’m assuming you’re going to feed me—that won’t be an expense. I can put the half you pay me up front in the bank, it can collect interest, and one year from today I collect the other half and I can get on a plane and go anywhere I want.”

“And you’re willing to sign a waiver to relieve Mr. Voldakov of any other financial remuneration associated with this year?” His attorney studied her, seeming as uncertain as Daniel was of her counteroffer.

“Yes. He’s paying for whatever lessons, clothes—” she flipped through the pages, “—travel and anything else required to deliver on the idea that I am a princess. I won’t have to spend anything. Maybe we can add a caveat that I keep the clothes— Oh, and no sex. I’m an actress, not a prostitute. I want that in the contract.”

The hard look on her face surprised the hell out of him. She’d made a similar statement in one of their earlier meetings, but it hadn’t occurred to him to add a sex clause and his body tightened in rebellion of the idea. Sex wasn’t a requirement, but he hadn’t dismissed the idea entirely. She was attractive and they were going to be in close quarters for the next several months.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t a bad idea.

“I don’t think that will be a problem.” Of course Martin didn’t think it would be a problem. He wasn’t the one signing the agreement.

“And that’s it? Those are your only stipulations?”

“Pretty much.” She nodded. “We’re not actually getting married. The legal right to my name remains mine. And your property remains yours. I’ll leave this charade with the experience, the clothes, the scholarship funds, the plane ticket and a tidy bank account. That’s all I want.”

“You realize you’re not stipulating any of the jewelry, including the engagement ring?” He ignored Martin’s huff of annoyance, because no matter what she thought or his attorney believed, a year of her life was worth a lot more than she realized. She wasn’t listing the taxes on that income either, but he would take care of those.

“Engagement ring?” Her eyebrows climbed in surprise.

“You didn’t think you would get one? I’m asking a princess to marry me. I’m thinking that calls for something fairly fat and definitely diamond.” A solitaire would be the perfect type of elegant—not that he knew much about jewelry.

“I think I’m good. It’s a symbol of our arrangement, not any real feelings.” The casual dismissal of the ring irked him, but he didn’t look too closely at that.

“Fine. Martin, I need you to amend the contract to reflect Alyx’s requirements. She agrees to study everything she needs to know about being a princess, will maintain the role full-time with no asides for auditions or a return to the life beyond what we construct. When we’re in public, we’re a loving couple. We have fun, we smile and we stare longingly into each other’s eyes. Any time we’re in the house and the staff is present, we’re also on. Now, my staff is part-time and here two or three days a week, but wecan’tslip. I don’t care if anyone questions your lineage or where you’ve been all these years, because we have the truth on our side for that one. But we can’t afford any questions aboutusas a couple.”

“I know. We have to sell ourselves as the next great love story of all time before it becomes tabloid fodder for crash and burn. Celebrity couples do break up.” Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “Just remember, no sex.”

“If you can keep your hands to yourself—” he grinned, “—so can I.”

Her gaze flicked over him like a cold spray of water. “That won’t be a problem. Oh, and, Martin?” She glanced at the attorney. “I want evidence of the scholarship fund being set up and a cashier’s check in hand before I sign the contract.”

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