Auctioned By The Ceo novel Chapter 22

It was rather satisfying to see her lips move silently, and to hear her sharp intake of breath, as he rounded his desk, and one hand on her shoulder, pushed her down into the chair facing it.

“Sit down, Ms. Watson, before you fall down. Surely that idea is not that abhorrent? We know we’ll be compatible in the bedroom anyway, and it’s only for a limited amount of time until I gain full custody of Rhia. My solicitor is of the opinion that my single status would go against me in the hearings, and then there is the small matter of my ex-nanny and her boyfriend. He’s threatening to press charges, and as I refuse to be blackmailed by him, that will be another dark mark against me. Marrying a respectable young woman like you will negate all of that, especially with your history. My temper can’t be that bad, right, if you’re willing to marry me. We’ll have to pretend to be love’s young dream, of course, but the auction and all the gossip since will work in our favor there. I’ll simply pretend I fell in love at first sight and this was a whirlwind romance.” He paused, aware of how perfectly still Hannah had become. Were it not for her uneven breaths, and her pulse beating erratically at the base of her throat you’d have been forgiven to think she’d turned into a statue.

Logan frowned. This wasn’t going at all like he’d envisaged it in his mind. While he hadn’t expected her to fall at his feet, this non-response was odd.

“You’ll be handsomely reimbursed, of course. There are certain privileges with being Mrs. Logan Bryce.”

The resulting slap to his face packed punch. Fortunately, he managed to block the next one, as Hannah’s fury unleashed on him.

“How fucking dare you? I told you before I’m not for sale.”

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Logan’s astonishment at her outburst would have been comical had she not been at the receiving end of this colossal joke. And it had to be a joke. He couldn’t really expect her to go along with this, could he?

“When did I ever say you were, Hannah? This is a simple business transaction. I need a wife. You’re single. We’re a good sexual match, so having to appear as though I can’t keep my hands off of you will not require a lot of acting. Here.” He took her hand and placed it firmly on his groin. His dick twitched at the contact, and he smirked at Hannah’s sharp intake of breath in reaction. “This is what you do to me. I can’t get you out of my freaking head, and I don’t want to. Not until this thing between us burns itself out, and it will. In the meantime, we can have some fun, and ensure Rhia gets to stay with me and not…”

Hannah yanked her hand out of his grasp, and Logan swore under his breath.

“Don’t make this about Rhia. Don’t you dare do that. Of course, she’s going to stay with you. Who else would step up? You’re family and—”