Garrett remained silent as he absorbed the proposal.
He met Cassandra’s gaze unflinchingly, the ambitious businessman in him wanting to say yes. But in his mind, he went back to waking up to Kate’s scent on the pillow, to the memory of somehow holding her in his arms.
He tugged at the collar of his shirt several times, aware that his frown was pinching into his face. “I’m afraid that’s not an option, Cassandra,” he said, signaling for his assistant to refill all their coffees.
Hell, he might even start drinking whiskey at this hour. Because marriage?
“Like Landon said, we’re willing to buy those shares up front. No need to get dramatic about it.”
“I’m afraid selling out front is not an option. My brother is... You don’t know him. Marriage is the only way I can free myself of his control. You take the shares, transfer the money to me, and then we walk six months later with irreconcilable differences. It’s a marriage in name only and we have nothing to lose. That’s the only way it’s happening: you marry me and by right take my thirty-two percent.”
Landon’s and Garrett’s eyes met across the conference table. Landon’s gray gaze almost looked silver in his concern.
“Look, Cassandra,” he started. “We’re almost at twenty percent already. We’ll buy your position outright at way above market price. At fifty-two percent, we’ll be in control and can get your brother out of there. He won’t have a say in the matter anymore.”
She shook her head, her eyes tearing up. “You don’t know him. He has a say in a lot of things in my life. I don’t get real financial independence until I marry—can’t you understand?”
She reached across the table and squeezed Garrett’s hand as if she were falling from a precipice and he’d been appointed the task of hauling her up.
“It’ll be a marriage in name only, but I can make it sweet for you. I can. I know I’m pretty. I think you’re an incredibly sexy man.”
His stomach turned, and he was amazed at how calmly he looked back at her. Several years ago, he’d probably have done it without thinking. He was a businessman, after all. She was an attractive woman offering something and he had nothing to lose. People got married and divorced for other reasons; why not for business?
He just didn’t have the energy for it right now. What he’d told Kate at his party had been the truth. All he wanted was for Kate to be home. He would dedicate every waking moment to making that happen. Life without Kate to him was...unimaginable.
He was selfish when it came to her.
He was stupid, unreasonable and stubborn when it came to her.
But Cassandra Clarks didn’t know this. She didn’t know that as he sat in this chair, and let her squeeze his hand, every cell in his body was burning with yearning for another woman. He’d burned for so many years, it was a miracle he hadn’t turned to ashes by now.
“We’ll talk about this during the week, see what we can come up with,” Landon finally said. In silence, the Gage brothers both stood up to dismiss her.
Cassandra went over to shake Landon’s hand, and then returned to Garrett, giving him a hug that crushed all of her assets against his chest. He could see she was trying very hard to look seductive, but he saw fear and frustration glowing in the depths of her eyes as she eased back.
Cassandra was blonde and beautiful, and she also appeared desperate. If Garrett had an ounce of mercy in him at all, he’d find a way to help her. “You’ll let me know?” she asked hopefully.
He nodded. “You’ll hear from us in a week or two.”
“Marriage,” Garrett grumbled as the door closed behind her. He fell back on his chair and rubbed his temples as he tried to think of a way they could free Cassandra from her brother’s grip and get their hands on Clarks Communications.
“In name only,” Landon said, gazing out the window with a thoughtful frown.
“I’m not interested in a fake marriage, Lan.”
Landon sighed and spun around, coming back to the table. “Do you have any other ideas?”
Garrett lifted his shoulders. “We find another fish in the pond, let go of Clarks,” he said bitterly, glaring down at his coffee.
The silence that followed made it clear that neither Landon nor he was ecstatic at the possibility. Clarks was the biggest fish in their pond, and if they were smart—which the Gage brothers were—they would secure it at all costs.
When evaluating the big picture, six months wasn’t a lot of time, if it meant getting Clarks into their pocket. And Garrett had everything riding on this project. Currently, Clarks posed a threat. But once they’d acquired the company, it would be a huge asset for the Gage conglomerate.
But at the cost of a fake wedding?
Hell, it’s not like you plan to ever marry. Why not at least do some business?
The two large doors of the conference room knocked open, and in strode Julian John, casual as could be, blond and Hollywoodesque, an hour after the scheduled meeting time. Behind him, one of the secretaries rushed to close the doors.
Jules never said good-morning, but then they were brothers. They didn’t have to.
He regarded the pair of somber men seated at the conference table and remained standing. “I had something to do, so drop the long faces, both of you.”
Landon arched a challenging brow and leaned back in his chair. “I hope it was business and not you playing around while we try to take over Clarks Communications.”
“Do you even remember I no longer work here? I’m here to offer my assistance, that’s all. Molls needed me this morning.”
“Tell Molly to leave the baby-making for the evening,” said Landon with a devilish smile.
Heading to his chair, Julian rolled his eyes at his brother. “I picked up some medicine for Kate, idiot, after Molly took her to the doctor. And if I want to make babies in the morning with my Molls, I sure as hell will make them without your permi—”
“What the hell is wrong with Kate? Is she sick?”
Julian’s attention swung back to Garrett, and his blond eyebrows flew upward. “Why? Are you a doctor?”
“Is Kate,” Garrett slowly enunciated, “sick? Ill? Feeling badly?”
Julian’s eyes twinkled like they did when he was up to no good. “Don’t you think it’s about time you did something about how you feel for her, Dr. Garrett?”