The Billionaire's Marriage Bargain Read Online Free PDF Page A

probably made the biggest mistake of his life, by issuing the ultimatum that if Kenzie left she needn’t bother coming back…!
    Not only had she left, but Jerome Carlton had been standing smugly at her side when she had!
    Carlton Cosmetics, Dominick now knew, was a family run company, Jack Carlton having retired several years ago to leave the running of the business to his eldest son Jerome. There was also a younger brother and sister, Adrian and Caroline, who were significant shareholders.
    Dominick knew this because over the course of the last four months he had made it his business to know!
    ‘I—you do see my problem, Dominick?’ Kenzie looked at him anxiously.
    ‘Oh, I see your problem, all right, Kenzie,’ he admitted coldly. ‘In the circumstances, it wouldn’t do at all to turn up at Kathy’s wedding with your lover in tow, now would it?’
    Kenzie could feel herself trembling now. ‘That was never an option,’ she told him flatly. ‘I do intend telling my family the truth, Dominick, I—just not now. So…’ she breathed deeply, her gaze challenging ‘…will you come to the wedding with me on Saturday or not? For my father’s sake, if nothing else,’ she added persuasively.
    ‘That’s emotional blackmail, Kenzie, and you damn well know it!’ he replied harshly.
    Was it? Probably. But it wasn’t for her own personal gain; it was only to help her father.
    Although it was obvious Dominick didn’t see it that way!
    ‘I know it’s a lot to ask, and I really wouldn’t have bothered if I didn’t think it was important. I would be very grateful if you would do this for me, Dominick,’ she added quietly.
    If anything his expression became even colder, his eyes so dark now the black of the iris wasn’t distinguishable from the brown. ‘Tell me if I’m mistaken, Kenzie,’ he murmured, scowling darkly, ‘but it sounds very much to me as if you’re offering yourself up to me as some sort of human sacrifice in order to coerce me into agreeing to be your husband again for a day?’
    ‘Of course I’m not!’ She gasped, staring at him incredulously. ‘I didn’t mean—That wasn’t what I meant at all—Oh, this is hopeless!’ She threw up her hands in frustrated anger. ‘Forget I asked! Forget I even told you any of this! I’ll find some other way of solving the problem!’ she added determinedly.
    Dominick looked at her long, slender hands, the hands that used to touch and caress him…
    Hands that he knew had been touching and caressing another man for the last five months!
    It was obvious now why Kenzie hadn’t seen Jerome Carlton for several weeks—she could hardly drag her lover along to visit her father in hospital when her family weren’t even aware she had a lover!
    ‘What are you going to do, Kenzie, tell them that I’m too tied up on business to attend Kathy’s wedding?’ he scorned.
    She had already tried that. Last weekend when she had gone home to visit, in fact. To which her father had assured her that of course Dominick would be back from his business trip to Australia in time for Kathy’s wedding, that he was probably going to surprise her by arriving back unexpectedly.
    Something she knew there was no chance of Dominick doing. Ever.
    She shook her head impatiently. ‘I’ve already told them you’re away in Sydney on business, but my father is absolutely certain that you will make the effort to be back in time to attend your own sister-in-law’s wedding.’
    ‘It’s nice to know that one member of the family has a little faith in me!’ Dominick’s expression was bleak and unapproachable.
    Kenzie opened her mouth to protest. And then shut it again. What could she possibly say that wouldn’t make this situation worse?
    ‘This isn’t the place for this conversation,’ Dominick told her grimly, picking up his wineglass and throwing the contents to the back of his throat before standing up. ‘Let’s get out of here,’ he muttered, taking her arm as she stood