“What kind of appearances?”
“A small reception and a few appearances in public venues. I’d need you to come with me to London to sign papers with the lawyers in regard to my title, our titles.”
She swallowed; she had forgotten about the whole Duchess thing. “I’ve no idea what being a Duchess is about.”
Blake lifted his fork and started eating again. “I’ve never had one, so I’m not completely sure either.”
Samantha couldn’t help but offer a laugh. “This is crazy.”
“I’m surprised you think so. The arrangement makes perfect sense to me.”
The waiter returned with their meals and quickly left.
Samantha remembered the advice she’d given Blake earlier in the day. It will be up to you to keep it in your pants, Mr. Harrison. Perhaps he picked her because of how easy it would be to stay out of her bed. That made perfect sense. Maybe he’d seen the pictures of the women she’d picked out and found them perfectly doable.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
She really needed to work on her poker face. “Nothing… I—this is a lot to think about. I wasn’t expecting this proposal.”
“But you’re considering it.”
“I’d be a fool not to.”
“You don’t strike me as foolish.” He took a bite of his prime rib with a gleam in his eye.
No, she wasn’t a fool. “I’ll look over your contract tomorrow.”
“Excellent.”
Chapter Three
The plane reached cruising altitude and the pilot told them they could remove their seatbelts for the forty-five minute flight to Las Vegas. Blake took advantage of the freedom to move about the cabin of his private jet and open a bottle of champagne.
Samantha said very little once they boarded. After she had agreed to be his wife for a year, he solidified his plans for a wedding chapel visit in SinCity. He believed a seemingly romantic wedding in Vegas would appear more legitimate to Parker and Parker than a drive to city hall.
When he glanced at his fiancé, he noted how her hands twisted in her lap. Funny, he was the one with everything to lose, but she was the one fidgeting. “Here, maybe this will help.” He handed her a tall flute and sat across from her in the oversize, plush leather chair.
“Am I so obvious?”
“The white knuckles give you away.”
Samantha swallowed half the wine in one drink. “I never wanted to be an actress.”
“I’d bet the studios would pay top dollar for you to do voiceovers.”
She shrugged. “If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that.”
He could only imagine. “You do have an amazing voice.”
Samantha’s eyes scurried away from his and her cheeks started to take on a rosy glow. “I think this marriage thing will work out better if we didn’t find anything about the each other amazing. Nothing personal, anyway.”
“You’re probably right, but being honest is something we both agreed to. And your voice is sexy as hell.” Watching her squirm under his compliment was worth him showing his cards. She wore a full-on blush now and it was nothing short of adorable.
Just like that, her glass was empty. “I’m not sure if I should thank you or encourage you to be less shallow.”
“Ouch.”
“You wanted honesty.”
He watched her toe off her high heels and tuck her legs under the seat. Some of the color started to return to her fingers. Obviously dissing him put her at ease. He wasn’t sure how to take that. “The only person in my life who’s called me shallow is Carter.”
“Your best friend?”
“My one real friend.”
“Really? I’d think a man with your wealth would have an entourage of friends.”
“Money brings people, not friends,” he said.
“Amen to that. I take it Carter knows about us. Our arrangement I mean.”
“He does.”
“What about your girlfriends? Do they know?”
Now it was his turn to squirm. Even though their marriage would be a sham, talking about his lovers with his wife didn’t feel right.
“Telling my girlfriends, as you call them, would be equivalent to calling the Inquisitor and giving them a full page interview.” Blake finished his wine and stood to refill their glasses.
“You don’t trust them?”
“Not with this.”
“How do men do it?”
“Do what?”
“Sleep with women they don’t trust?” Samantha thanked him for the wine and sipped it slowly this time.
“It’s called attraction.”
Laughing, she said, “It’s called lust.”
“That, too.” Blake’s insides started to warm. When was the last time he’d held a conversation with a woman about the motivations of men? Never. He found he liked it.
“So what did you say to your… what do you call the women in your life, lovers?”
The title of lovers started to feel too personal. “I haven’t told them anything… yet.”
She lifted her manicured eyebrows high. “I’d like to be a fly on the wall during that conversation. Oh, darling, by the way… I got married over the weekend.” Samantha laughed at her own joke.
“I don’t think I’ll tell them like that.” He wasn’t sure how he would break the news and honestly hadn’t given it a second thought.