Page 40 of Below Deck Billionaire
Because, apart from the deception, that was what was occupying her brain the most right now. Couch or not, a no-sex dare or not, being in the same room as him and a luxurious king-sized bed may not be the smartest move. The other bed they’d spent the night in had been pretty freaking fancy too but, rolling around in a hotel bed for a night then walking away was very different to spending several nights in a man’s bedroom under the pretence of an intimate relationship and being privy to the most personal things about him.
His brand of toothpaste/cologne/soap. His brand of underwear. Did he do that thing where he shaved in front of the mirror with a towel wrapped around his waist? Did he use an electric razor or did he wet shave using foam and a razor? Did he dress in the ensuite or did he walk buck naked from the bathroom to the bedroom?
How was she supposed to go back below deck after that and act like they were still boss and employee for another month? A line she’d already found hard enough to walk these last weeks.
And what in the hell would the rest of the crew think?
‘What if I were to’ – he turned on his side so his hip was leaning against the wheel and crossed his arms, a speculative gleam in his eyes – ‘sweeten the pot?’
14
Tiffany raised an eyebrow as the speculation morphed into calculation. It was chillingly rapid. The businessman had emerged and he seemed much more in his comfort zone now. Relaxed even, like he knew there was a deal to be made.
Asking her, presenting reasoned arguments, throwing himself on her mercy, had put the ball in her court. Had given her too much power and not produced the desired result.
She imagined he usually operated from a position of strength, and needing her like this had put him on the back foot.
But he was in his natural habitat. Incentivising was his territory.
What shape would his bribe take? Did he think she’d agree to this plan if he was to buy her a diamond ring or a sapphire necklace or a shiny red Porsche? What exactly did this hotshot business guy think her weakness was? Because Tiffany cared for none of those things.
The plain fact of the matter was helping a proud old man save face was probably impetus enough for her to agree to being a billionaire’s fake fiancée.
He just didn’t know her that well.
‘What if I was to buy your brother a new place that’s bigger and better than the one he has at the moment. A place he can live and create and display his art so he can just get on with being an artist without worrying about a mortgage or rent or the whims of a landlord.’
Tiffany blinked as the stunning offer dropped like a boulder into a deep black lake between them, plunging down, down, down but never finding the bottom, taking her stomach with it for the ride.
Well, hell. Maybe he did know her. Because he sure as hell managed to find her Achilles heel.
And her first instinct was to jump on it and grab it with both hands, but Tiffany had learned from the divorce between her parents that being beholden to someone financially could end up disastrously if that relationship ever broke down and the other party held the financial purse strings to your life. Her father – despite being caught with his pants down – had screwed over the mother of his children for every cent he could.
Mikey had also learned that lesson when he’d left Balmain Downs with zero financial support from their father.
‘And leave it up to the whims of a billionaire instead? When my brother’s livelihood becomes part of your property portfolio? An asset that the company can decide, at any moment, to divest themselves of?’
Theo’s eyes turned to two chips of ice. ‘It would be his, free and clear.’ His voice went as chilly as his eyes; he clearly was not impressed that she had called his integrity into question. ‘A gift. No takebacks.’
Yeah… until there was.
All she did was cock an eyebrow. That was it. But he was getting good at reading her eyebrows. His mouth thinned in displeasure, but he didn’t give up either.
‘Okay… what about this. I know a lot of people throughout Europe in the art world. I could pick up my phone and have his art displayed in any number of galleries known for promoting emerging artists. A friend of my mother’s books exhibitions that do the avant-garde circuit from Porto to Prague. I can also arrange very quickly to have several pieces of his on every Oceanós cruise ship in the fleet.’
Okay… this proposal was a much different prospect. This wouldn’t be about Mikey relying on someone else to take care of his financial burden. This would be giving her brother an opportunity to prove himself in the art world and give him the financial means to not rely on anyone else. Not Theo. Not her, even. It would be opening a door that hadn’t been open to him before, but it would be up to Mikey to make the most of it. Take the openings that came from it, the connections, to grow and prosper. He would be in control of his destiny, not reliant on the largess of a third party.
Bubbles of excitement frothed in Tiffany’s blood like a shaken bottle of champagne as a hope took flight in her chest. It was perfect.
Damn Theo Callisthenes to hell.
Breathing in slowly, she looked him in the eye. ‘And you really think we can pull this off? That Dimitri will actually believe it?’
Theo smiled. He knew capitulation when he saw it. To his credit, he didn’t gloat, he just got on with business. ‘Oh, he’ll believe it.’
‘Why? Because you’re that convincing?’ Which was an idiot question. He’d convinced her to go through with it, hadn’t he?
‘No.’ Another smile tugged at his beautiful mouth. ‘We’rethat convincing. Because we have chemistry. Every time I look at you I want to touch you. I want to drag you close and kiss you until neither of us can breathe.’
