Lucien(11)
“I know better than to try. If you’d been sway-able, Margot would have ditched me long ago.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring.
“I am not marrying you. I’ll work for you, but I am not marrying you.”
“Why not,” he demanded. “I know you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“How do you know that?”
“Never mind how. Why won’t you marry me?”
She scowled at him. “Because I don’t marry men on the rebound. That’s why.”
He stared at her, slack jawed. Rebound? Where the hell did she get that? “I am not on the rebound.”
“You are, too. Margot dumped you today and you’re drunk and you—”
“I am not drunk,” he ground out. “You’re the one who’s sucking down whiskey sours like they’re going out of style.”
Her eyes snapped angrily at him. “If my car would have started, I wouldn’t be sucking down anything alcoholic, but Gaia saw fit to kill my car along with your love life.”
“What love life? I don’t have one. I had a fiancée my mother picked out of a lineup.”
Her chin lifted a notch and she flicked her long hair over her shoulder. “If you didn’t work so much you would have been able to find your own fiancée and you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
Luc was seconds away from losing his grip on reality. Sitting across from him was the most exasperating woman he’d ever met. Not only that, but Elise was the sexiest female he’d stumbled upon in a damn long time. He had to make her agree to marry him. “Elise,” he began in his calmest, most rational tone, “do you or do you not want to save Raven the pain of losing Aphrodite?”
Her eyes narrowed and he knew he’d hit his mark. She’d do just about anything for her older brother. “Do you have any idea how my family will react if I suddenly announce I’m getting married?”
“I don’t care what they’ll think. If you don’t marry me, then Raven will have to sell his bike and you’ll have to live with the guilt of knowing that you could have saved him the pain.” He felt like a bastard manipulating her like this, but he was desperate. He needed a wife and she was the best candidate. They already spent most of their days and nights together. They got along well, most of the time. They could argue and still respect each other. And most importantly, Luc knew she wanted him. Well, he wasn’t absolutely positive, but he could make her want him as much as he wanted her. He’d have to if he had a prayer of a chance in keeping his sisters and mother living in the lap of luxury.
“Getting down on one knee might have moved me to accepting, but handling me like your grandfather did you…? I may never forgive you for that, Lucien.” Elise snatched the ring out of his palm and slid it onto her finger. “You will be with me when I tell Moonbeam, Raven, and Dad. If you survive that, then you’ll get your wife.”
Luc gave a heartfelt sigh and relaxed for the first time since hearing his grandfather’s ultimatum. He picked up Elise’s ice cold hand, giving her a grateful squeeze, and opted not to tell her about the other part of the deal with his grandfather that he was required to fulfill.
CHAPTER THREE
Three days later, Luc placed a hand at the small of Elise’s back and propelled her towards the back of the restaurant. “You’re not leaving me to face Raven alone. Move.”
She sidestepped his hand and latched onto his arm. “Luc, it’s not too late to find someone else.”
He smiled down at her and tapped his finger against her nose. “Not a chance. After we tell your family, we’re as good as married.” And it couldn’t happen soon enough for him. He was tired off keeping his hands off her.
She whimpered and dug her nails into his arm. “Don’t expect me to protect you if Raven goes for your throat.”
He laughed and hauled her to the table where Moonbeam and Raven waited for them. Raven stood as they approached.
Moonbeam resplendent in an airy, purple dress smiled brightly up at him. The tiny bells on her wrists chimed as she lowered her menu to the table. “Lucien. What a nice surprise.”
“You look lovely today, Moonbeam.”
Elise’s mother blushed and touched her long silver hair which was styled much like the last time he’d seen her—in a style which reminded him of a Greek statue. “Thank you.”
Luc turned his attention to Elise’s older brother and held out his hand. “Raven. Good to see you again.”