“You’re mine—for as long as we have.”

For the sake of a family legacy, he must strike a marriage bargain.

With six months to live, Charleston heir Jonathan Tarleton must secure his family’s business—with a contract marriage. He convinces his beautiful, dedicated assistant, Lisette Stanhope, to be his bride, telling himself the proposal has nothing to do with his raw need to make Lisette his. Then their commitment is put to the ultimate test...

USA TODAY bestselling author JANICE MAYNARD loved books and writing even as a child. After multiple rejections, she finally sold her first manuscript! Since then, she has written fifty-plus books and novellas. Janice lives in Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, travelling and family time.

You can connect with Janice at

www.janicemaynard.com www.Twitter.com/janicemaynard www.Facebook.com/janicemaynardreaderpage www.Facebook.com/JaniceSMaynard and www.Instagram.com/TheRealJaniceMaynard.

Also by Janice Maynard

A Not-So-Innocent Seduction

Baby for Keeps

Christmas in the Billionaire’s Bed

Twins on the Way

Second Chance with the Billionaire

How to Sleep with the Boss

For Baby’s Sake

Blame It On Christmas

Hot Texas Nights

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

A Contract Seduction

Janice Maynard

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09233-3

A CONTRACT SEDUCTION

© 2019 Janice Maynard

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

About the Publisher

One

Tumor. Inoperable. Cancer.

Jonathan Tarleton gripped the steering wheel, white knuckled, and stared unseeingly through the windshield. The traffic on the 526 beltway that surrounded Charleston was light in the middle of the day. Even so, he probably shouldn’t be driving. He was undoubtedly in shock. But all he could think about was going home.

Like an injured animal seeking its den, he needed to go to ground. To hide. To come to grips with the unimaginable.

Thank God, his sister was recently married and living with her new husband, Jonathan’s best friend. If Jonathan had come face-to-face with Mazie at the big house out at the beach, his sibling would have known instantly that something was wrong. The two of them were close.

Under ordinary circumstances, neither Jonathan nor Mazie would still be living under the roof where they had grown up. But their father was all alone and getting more and more feeble day by day. Though a number of the old man’s friends had moved to communities where they had companionship and medical care close at hand, Gerald Tarleton clung to his fortress of a home on a barrier island.

Jonathan pulled into the under-house parking and rested his forehead on his hands. He felt weak and scared and angry. How the hell was this going to work? He was the sole force that directed the family shipping company. Even though his father’s name was still on the letterhead, Jonathan carried the weight of the entire enterprise.

His twin brother should have been here to help, but Hartley was nowhere to be found. After inexplicably stealing a million dollars from the company and then vanishing, Hartley had been written out of the will and out of their lives.

The betrayal had cut Jonathan to the bone. It was a secret hurt that ate at him like the disease in his body. He and his father were the only ones who knew what had happened. They hadn’t wanted to break Mazie’s heart or tarnish her image of her big brother.

With a shaking hand, Jonathan turned off the ignition. Instantly—now that the AC was unavailable—humidity began to filter into the vehicle. Jonathan was a South Carolina lowlander to the bone, but the summer heat could be brutal.

He gathered his things and headed upstairs. Because of security concerns, the Tarletons had two high-tech offices inside the house in addition to those at Tarleton Shipping headquarters. Not only did the arrangement ensure privacy when necessary, but it meant that Jonathan could keep tabs on his father. The situation sometimes cramped his style, but he had a condo in the city where he could escape on occasion.

For a man of thirty-one, almost thirty-two, his social life was a joke. He dated occasionally, but few women understood the demands he juggled. His family’s decades-old shipping empire was both his great privilege and his curse. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d felt close to any woman, physically or otherwise.

But he made the sacrifices willingly. He was proud of what the Tarletons had built here in Charleston. Proud, and absolutely determined to see it thrive.

He paused for a moment in the living room to stare out through the expansive plate-glass windows to the ocean glittering beneath a June sun. The view never failed to soothe him. Until today.

Now, the immensity and timelessness of the sea mocked him. Humans were little more than specks in the cosmos. Grains of sand on the immense sandy beach of the infinite universe.

All the old clichés were true. Facing one’s mortality turned everything upside down. Time, that nebulous resource that once seemed a cheap commodity, was suddenly more precious than anything he had ever stored in a bank vault.

How long did he have? The doctor said six months. Maybe more. Maybe less. How was Jonathan going to tell his sister? His father? What would happen to the company, his family’s legacy? Mazie had her own interests, her own life.

She would be the sole owner of the family business once Jonathan and Gerald were gone. Since she had never shown any signs that she was interested in being a hands-on partner in Tarleton Shipping, maybe she would sell. Perhaps that would be for the best. The end to an era.

The thought pained him more than he could say. Until today he hadn’t realized exactly how much he was emotionally invested in the company. It wasn’t merely a job to him. It was his birthright and a symbol of his family’s place in Charleston’s history.

Moments later, he found Gerald Tarleton dozing in a chair in the den. Jonathan didn’t wake his father. He felt raw and out of control. And his head hurt like hell.

The debilitating headaches had started almost a year ago. At first they were infrequent. Then the episodes increased. One doctor said it was stress. Another wrote it off as migraines.

A dozen medications had been tried and discarded. Today his doctor had given him a handful of sample pills, along with a prescription for more. Right now Jonathan could take one, climb into bed and hopefully sleep off the throbbing pain.

But that wouldn’t solve the bigger problems.

The prospect of drugged oblivion was almost irresistible. He didn’t want to face another minute of this wretched day. But when he reached the kitchen, he grabbed a tumbler, filled it with tap water and downed a couple of over-the-counter acetaminophen tablets.

He had responsibilities. Responsibilities that weren’t going anywhere. The only thing that had changed was the time line.

Jonathan always thrived under pressure. Give him a project, a deadline, and he would leap into motion. The adrenaline rush of achieving the impossible drove him to labor, to excel, to work harder than he had to.

Those traits would stand him in good stead for the next few months.

Grimly he leaned his hip against the marble countertop. In that instant, he made his first postdiagnosis decision. He would keep this news under wraps for now. There was no reason for his family and friends to be upset. To grieve. There would be plenty of time for that when he was gone. Right now, all he wanted was to preserve the status quo.

The first order of business was to make a plan. He would figure this out. Vague, desperate ideas flitted through his brain, each one more flawed or untenable than the last. There had to be an answer. He couldn’t simply walk off into that final great sunset and let everything sink into ruin.

He needed time to process, to come to terms with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. His money and power and influence were worthless currency now. He couldn’t buy his way out of this...

* * *

Lisette Stanhope punched in the alarm code, waited for the large gates to slide back and then drove slowly onto the Tarleton property. Even after working with Jonathan Tarleton for six years, she never failed to appreciate the magnificence of his family home.

Tarletons had lived for decades on the tip of a small barrier island just north of the city. Their fifteen acres were more than enough for the compound that included the main house and several smaller buildings scattered around.

An imposing gated iron fence protected the enclave on land. Water access was impossible due to a high brick wall at the top of the sand. The beach itself was public property, but no one could wander onto Tarleton property, either out of curiosity or with dangerous motives. Hurricanes and erosion made the wall outrageously expensive to maintain, but the current Tarleton patriarch was by nature paranoid and suspicious, so security was a constant concern.

When she saw Jonathan’s car parked beneath the house, her heart sank. He was usually not home this time of day. She’d been hoping to slip in, say hello to Gerald and put the envelope in her purse on Jonathan’s desk.

She could have carried out her errand at the main office where she worked most of the time, but this particular scenario demanded privacy. The decision to turn in her resignation had her stomach in knots. Jonathan would be either furious or perplexed—or both.

After reading her brief note, he would demand an explanation. Naturally. She had been practicing her speech. In a rut. New challenges. More time to travel. When she said the words in front of her bathroom mirror, they almost seemed believable. The part that made her wince was acknowledging how good Jonathan and his family had been to her.

Lisette’s mother had suffered a debilitating stroke when Lisette was in grad school. For almost seven years, Lisette had worked two jobs and barely managed to keep food on the table and pay the stable of women who helped care for her mother’s considerable needs.

Being hired by Tarleton Shipping six years ago had literally changed her life. The generous salary and benefits package had relieved her financial worries to a great extent and had enabled her to spend quality time with her mother.

When her mom had a second stroke and passed away last fall, Jonathan had insisted that Lisette take ample time to mourn and to handle her mother’s affairs. Not many other bosses in a corporate setting would have been so generous.

And now Lisette was about to repay Jonathan’s immense consideration by abandoning the company...by abandoning her boss.

He wouldn’t see this coming, but it was her only choice.

She wanted marriage—a husband and a baby and a normal, ordinary life. Mooning over her boss for another year or two or five was never going to bring those dreams to fruition. She’d had a silly crush on Jonathan, but he’d never once given any indication that he felt the same. She needed a fresh start, a new setting, a chance to meet another man and get Jonathan out of her system once and for all. Her personal life had been on hold for so long she barely knew how to begin, but she knew instinctively that she had to move on.

Her heart slugged in her chest. She didn’t want to face him. Guilt and other messier emotions might derail her plan.

When she opened the door at the top of the stairs, again with a code punched in, she stepped into a house that echoed with quiet. Maybe Jonathan wasn’t here after all. Maybe a friend had picked him up. Or maybe he was with Mazie and J.B. The newlyweds loved entertaining.

Finding Gerald Tarleton dozing in his favorite recliner was no surprise. Lisette tiptoed past, careful not to wake him. Perhaps if Jonathan was gone or at least upstairs, she could slip in and out without a confrontation.

The upper levels were the family’s living quarters. At the back of the main floor, overlooking the driveway, were two rooms that had been outfitted with every conceivable feature to make the offices here as good as or better than the ones downtown.

The smaller of the two was Lisette’s domain. She had started out with Tarleton Shipping in accounting but quickly moved up the food chain until she became Jonathan’s executive assistant, a title she had held for the past three years. Her job was to do anything and everything to make his life run more smoothly.

And she was good at it. Very good.

A quick visual exploration confirmed that no one was in either office. Now that she was here, her misgivings increased tenfold. She reached into her purse for the crumpled envelope and extracted it. The door between the two offices stood open.

Last night she had composed and revised a dozen versions. Resigning via a letter was cowardly. Jonathan deserved to hear her decision directly. But she couldn’t do it. She was afraid he would try to change her mind.

Her hands were sweating. Once she did this, there would be no going back. Just as she was ready to approach his desk and place her missive in a prominent position, a deep male voice came from behind her.

“Lisette. What are you doing?”

Rattled and breathless, she spun around, managing to stash the envelope in her skirt pocket. “Jonathan. You startled me. I thought you weren’t home.”

He cocked his head, giving her a quizzical smile. “I live here,” he reminded her.

“Of course you do.” She wiped her hands on her hips. “When you weren’t at the office, I thought I might come out to the house. You know. In case you needed me.” The lie rolled off her lips.

Jonathan barely seemed to register her awkward phrasing. For the first time she saw that his face was pale. And he seemed tense. Distracted.

“Jonathan? Is something wrong?” He couldn’t have known what she was about to do...could he?

He stared at her. “It hasn’t been a great day.”

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?” Maybe fate had saved her from really bad timing. This was not the look of a man who would take her resignation with equanimity.

“I don’t know.” He spoke the words slowly, almost as if he were in a daze.

Now his demeanor began to worry her. The Jonathan she knew was sharp and decisive, a brilliant boss who ran his massive company with an iron fist but was also scrupulously fair.

She touched his forearm briefly, mostly because she couldn’t help herself. “What’s going on? Did we lose the Porter deal?”

He shook his head. “No.” He shuffled a few papers on his desk. “I sent you some emails last night. Why don’t you handle those? Then I might dictate a few letters.” He winced and put a hand to his head, his pallor deepening.

Lisette knew about the headaches. She and Jonathan worked together closely, and she was well aware that he had been plagued by the pain for months now. “Have you taken anything?” she asked quietly. “I can see that you’re hurting.”

His grimace spoke volumes. “Yes. But not long ago.”

“Why don’t you go upstairs and lie down? You can forward your cell to the phone here. I’ll come get you if it’s anything urgent.”

Even hurting and not at his best, Jonathan Tarleton was handsome and charismatic. He carried an aura of absolute control. Seeing him so vulnerable was both shocking and unsettling.

“An hour,” he said gruffly. “No more. I’ll set the alarm on my phone.”

* * *

Jonathan climbed the stairs slowly. Reality began to sink in. This situation wasn’t going to improve. He could get another opinion, but what was the use? He’d been to multiple doctors. This last set of tests was the first time he had received a definitive answer.

In his large, well-appointed bedroom, he cursed beneath his breath and admitted to himself that he needed the pills. He had to think clearly, and right now his head felt like someone was using it for a bongo drum.

Once he was sprawled on his comfortable mattress, he lay very still and waited for the meds to work. Knowing that Lisette was downstairs helped. Though he didn’t doze, he let his mind wander. Slowly his body relaxed. Stress was a killer. The irony of that didn’t escape him.

Thinking about Lisette was both comforting and arousing. She had been a part of his life for a long time now. His personal, rigid code of ethics meant that he never acted on his attraction to her. They were work colleagues. Nothing more. He had regretted that at times, but now he should be glad. He was going to need someone in his corner who could be objective about what was to come.

Lisette was a soothing personality. Her competence and complete ability to handle any and every crisis were what had won him over in the beginning. He trusted her with any number of confidential work details, everything from high-level negotiations to financial secrets.

Some men might overlook her. Her brown hair and quiet personality were unremarkable. She had a feminine shape, but she didn’t dress to impress. Her sexiest trait was her brain. She challenged him, kept him on his toes. The truth was, she was as capable as he, though she was always careful not to overstep her position.

Jonathan wouldn’t have cared even if she had. He knew she could go to any company in the country or even abroad and land a prestigious job. For that reason, he had increased her salary in regular bumps to show her how much she was appreciated. And he had given her more and more responsibilities as she proved her loyalty to Tarleton Shipping.

Gradually the tension in his muscles began to ease. The pain in his head subsided to a dull ache instead of stabbing torture. As he began to feel more like himself, an idea bubbled to the surface.

What if he negotiated with Lisette to sub for him over the next few months when he wasn’t able to function? He never knew from one day to the next how he was going to feel. If Lisette was deputized to make unilateral decisions, Jonathan would be able to mentally relax.

Better still, what if she could be the one to save Tarleton Shipping for the next generation? She had the brains and the people skills. And he knew she cared deeply about the company.

It would also mean he could postpone telling his family for a little bit longer. The prospect of hurting the people he loved flayed him. How could he dump that kind of news on them? It might kill his father. Mazie and J.B. were struggling with fertility. They sure as hell didn’t need grief on top of that.

The doctor had said he might have longer than six months. Eating well and getting plenty of rest were supposed to be key. Jonathan was willing to fight, but the odds were definitely not in his favor. If a cure was out of the question, then all he could hope for was time enough to secure his legacy and the company’s future. The more he contemplated the next few months, the more he became convinced that Lisette was the key to it all.

At last he stood and raked his hands through his hair. After splashing water on his face, he studied his reflection in the mirror. He’d taken some hard knocks in his life, but this was the worst. Grimly he weighed the cost of bringing Lisette in on the secret. He couldn’t stand to be pitied or coddled.

There would have to be ground rules. And she had to know this new role was optional. If she said no, he would go it alone.

By the time he padded back downstairs in his stocking feet, almost two hours had passed. Both offices were empty. He found Lisette perched on an ottoman chatting with his father. She always went out of her way to make the old man feel special.

Gerald Tarleton had become a father late in life. Which was why Jonathan, at thirty-one, now bore the sole responsibility for running a mammoth enterprise. He strode into the room, watching both of their faces. Lisette’s was serene. His father tried to give him a hard time.

“Napping in the middle of the day, son? That’s my job.”

Jonathan ruffled his father’s hair and perched on the arm of the sofa. “I had a devil of a headache, but I’m feeling better now.”

“Are you really?” Lisette asked, her gaze troubled.

He nodded. “Really.” After a moment of chitchat about the weather, Jonathan stood. “You’ll have to excuse us, Dad. Lisette and I have a few things to wrap up before she goes home.”

“Of course. Besides, I’ve got to make sure the housekeeper has all the food ready. The boys are coming over for poker at six.”

The “boys” were all Gerald’s age. Jonathan was happy to see his father pursuing social interests. Both Mazie and Jonathan had been encouraging him to get out of the house more. He’d been depressed over the winter, but things were improving.

Lisette followed Jonathan back to the offices. “I took care of everything you sent me so far. Is there anything else you need today? If not, I’ll see you downtown in the morning.”

Jonathan stared at her intently, allowing his customary reserve to dissolve for a moment. Lisette was everything he liked in a woman and more. Beautiful, insightful, funny. And subtly sexy in a way some men might miss. Was he hatching this plan to save his family’s business, or was his libido steering the ship?

He was about to find out.

Two

Jonathan knew this was an opening he couldn’t pass up. But he had no idea how Lisette would react. He’d never felt uncomfortable around her before today. Then again, he’d never faced the prospect of shifting their relationship to a different footing.

She was the one person outside his small family circle whom he trusted completely. Not only with his secrets but with the future of his company and his personal legacy.

In order for such a fledgling plan to work, Lisette would have to be personally invested in what he was about to propose. She would have to be confident in her power and autonomy.

His burgeoning idea was a lot to dump on a woman. He would have to ease into it.

Maybe this was a stupid idea.

Lisette eyed him with curiosity in her gaze. Perhaps he wasn’t as stoic as he had hoped. Or as guarded.

“I need to speak to you,” he said carefully. “But not here. And it’s not about work. Or at least not entirely.”

Now her curiosity turned to confusion. “I don’t understand.”

Jonathan felt his neck heat. “If you would feel more comfortable, I could ask someone from HR to sit in on this conversation.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you firing me?”

He gaped. “God, no. Are you insane? Why would I fire the best employee I’ve ever had?”

“Then what is this about?”

Jonathan swallowed. “Will you come to dinner with me?” he asked quietly. “We’ll drive up the coast. Where we won’t be seen. The matter I want to discuss with you is sensitive. I don’t want to take advantage of your kindness, though, so feel free to say no.”

Lisette shook her head slowly, her expression wry. “I’ve known you for a very long time, Jonathan. Dinner is fine. And we don’t need a chaperone. Clearly, whatever you have to say is important. I’m happy to listen.”

“Thank you.”

She glanced down at her khaki skirt and sleeveless top. “Is what I’m wearing okay?”

He nodded slowly. “We might even take a picnic instead of going to a restaurant.” There would be more privacy that way. No chance of anyone overhearing the conversation.

Though Lisette was clearly flustered, she didn’t quibble over the plan. “I’m ready whenever you are. Do I need to drive?” she asked. “Because of the meds you took?”

“No. Not this time. I would never do anything to endanger you.”

After quick goodbyes to Gerald, they exited the house. Jonathan tossed a couple of beach chairs into the back of the SUV. Being in the car together was definitely awkward. Her body language said she was uncertain of his intentions.

It didn’t help that he was not big on small talk.

As he drove up the coast, he formulated a plan. Thirty minutes later, he pulled into a small fishing town and parked near a shed adjacent to the pier. This particular spot was more popular with locals than tourists. They ordered two shrimp baskets with large lemonades and took it to go.

Lisette teased him. “I pegged you as more of a beer than lemonade guy.”

He shrugged. “Can’t drink with the headache meds.”

She winced. “Ah. Of course. Sorry.”

Jonathan remembered a stretch of beach that was not particularly crowded. And this was the time of day that families headed inside to shower and clean up for dinner. As he suspected, there was plenty of open sand to be alone.

He carried the chairs. Lisette brought the food and drinks. The tide was headed out, so they picked a spot near a tidal pool and set up camp.

A light breeze blew in from the water. The sea was gunmetal gray, the sky streaked with golds and pinks, though sunset was a couple of hours away. Neither of them spoke as they opened their bags of food.

Jonathan sat back with a sigh. He’d lived near Charleston his entire life. The water was a part of him. The sand. The steady inexorable pull of the tides. Why did he spend so much time inside working?

It was human nature, he supposed, to take things for granted. After all, the sea would always be there. What had never occurred to him was that he wouldn’t. He was measuring his life in months now, not years. Soon the parameters would be smaller than that. Weeks. Days.

Choking anger swelled in his chest. He didn’t want to die. It wasn’t fair. He felt as if he had only begun to live. But if he had to go, he wanted Lisette to protect his reputation and everything he had worked so hard to build.

Beside him, she ate her meal in silence, her gaze trained on the horizon. What was she thinking?

He had to speak his piece. But how? Even now, the words seemed ridiculous. Overly dramatic. By the way, I’m living on borrowed time. Thought you should know.

Part of him wanted to take off running down the beach and never stop. Perhaps if he ran fast enough and far enough, the grim reaper couldn’t keep up. Perhaps this was all a bad dream.

Lisette leaned forward and set her cup in the sand, twisting it until it stayed upright. She tucked her trash in the bag and sat back, eyes closed. “That was lovely,” she said. “I should have dinner at the beach every day.”

“Not a bad idea.”

The silence built between them, but it wasn’t unpleasant. The ocean lulled their senses, washing away the stresses of the day.

Lisette reached out one leg and dabbled the tip of her sandal in the tidal pool, not looking at him. “So what’s this big secret? Talk to me, Jonathan.”

His stomach clenched. His jaw tightened. “I have a brain tumor,” he said flatly. “Inoperable. Terminal.”

* * *

Icy disbelief swept over her body and through her veins as if she’d been doused with winter rain and left to shiver and convulse in a stark landscape. No. It couldn’t be true.

Slowly she turned to face him. Her shaking hands twisted in her lap. “Are you positive?” It was a stupid question. No one tossed around statements like that unless they were sure.

His bleak profile matched his body language as he stared at the water. “Oh, yeah.” His low laugh held no humor. “The latest test results came in this morning.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“I don’t know how long I have,” he said. “And I don’t know what to expect. Which is why I’m having this conversation with you. I don’t want to tell my family yet. I thought you could be an impartial...”

He trailed off, clearly searching for a word.

“A friend? A colleague?” The impossibility of what he was asking staggered her.

“You’re more than that,” he said huskily. “I trust you implicitly. I want to give you the authority to step in and make decisions if I’m having a bad day. I realize this is asking a lot of you, but I’ll change your title and compensate you accordingly.”

“Shouldn’t Hartley be the one to fill this role?” She had never quite understood why he disappeared.

Jonathan’s expression turned glacial. “My brother is gone and he’s not coming back. It’s not something I can discuss with you.”

“But surely your other family members need to know. You can’t keep this a secret, Jonathan.”

“I realize that.” His fists were clenched on the arms of the chair. “But I have to find the right time. I’ll wait as long as I can.”

She wanted to argue with him. For everyone’s sake. But once Jonathan Tarleton made up his mind, you’d have better luck moving a giant boulder than changing his decision.

The enormity of what he had told her began to sink in. Her heart was raw and broken. She loved him. That’s why she had planned to leave. How could she stay with him day after day and witness the unthinkable? It would destroy her. But how could she say no when he needed her?

“I’d like to think about it overnight,” she said. “I’m not sure I feel comfortable trying to insert myself into company politics. There are a lot of people who won’t take kindly to this setup.”

“I’m the boss. What I say goes.”

“But what about the board of directors? And your father, Gerald? And what happens when you become too ill to work?”

Her throat tightened with tears, tears she couldn’t shed. He thought she was an impartial bystander. How much more wrong could he be?

“I need to walk,” she said.

“Okay.” Jonathan stood as well, shrugging out of his sport coat and rolling up the sleeves of his crisp cotton dress shirt.

They took off their shoes and headed down the beach. Jonathan matched his long stride to her shorter one, because he topped her by six inches. His chestnut hair was burnished by the setting sun. The dark brown eyes, which could be fierce or good-humored, were hidden behind sunglasses.

His arms were deeply tanned, his hands masculine.

He was a beautiful human being. It was almost impossible to imagine that vitality and charisma being snuffed out.

At last, after half an hour passed, the tension dissipated and re-formed into something else. Awareness.

At least on her part. Being with him like this was a physical pain. When had she first realized he was the one? Long before she became his assistant. The fact that he was completely out of her orbit had kept her crush in check. But working together day after day had turned her fluttery feelings into something far deeper and more real.

She not only loved him, she admired and respected him. In a world where men in power sometimes abused their positions, Jonathan Tarleton had never treated his employees, female or male, with careless disregard.

If he had any faults at all, and he surely did, the most visible was his careful aloofness. He kept to himself, never blurring the lines between his authority and those who worked for him.

That fact made today’s revelations all the more stunning.

They were walking shoulder to shoulder, so close she could have reached out and touched his hand. The beach was almost deserted now, the daylight fading rapidly as the sun kissed the water at the horizon.

Taking a deep breath, she halted and waited for him to follow suit.

He turned when he realized she had dropped back. “Time to go home?” he asked lightly.

“I’ll do it,” she said recklessly. “I’ll do what you asked.”

“I thought you needed to think it over.”

She shook her head. “You and your family have been very good to me. It’s only right that I should return the favor.”

Jonathan removed his sunglasses and tucked them into his shirt pocket. “We sent flowers and gave you time off when your mother passed.” He frowned. “It’s not the same thing at all. What I’m asking you to do is nebulous and tricky and burdensome.”

Burdensome. The word made her want to laugh, but not in a good way. Walking beside Jonathan for the next weeks and months would tax her emotional strength and her acting ability.

“I’m honored,” she said slowly, trying not to give her secrets away. “I care about you, Jonathan. You’re facing some very dark days. So, yes, I’ll help you any way I can.”

She saw his chest rise and fall. Had he been so uncertain that she would agree to his proposal?

His throat rippled as he swallowed. His gaze held a bleak acknowledgment of what he faced. “Thank you.”

The two words were little more than a croak.

Tears stung her eyes. Without overthinking it, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Then she wrapped her arms around his stiff body in a brief hug. “I’m so very sorry,” she said.

He might as well have been a statue. “I have rules,” he said gruffly.

“Oh?” She shoved the hair from her face. Standing with the wind at her back made her feel disheveled.

“I won’t be coddled.” He snapped the words. “And I don’t want your pity. Understood?”

She recoiled inwardly, but she kept her expression calm. “I can live with that. But when I see that you need help, I’ll give it. So that’s my rule, I suppose. I won’t stand by and let you suffer if I can do anything about it.”

He blinked. Apparently the kiss and the hug hadn’t shocked him as much as her talking back to him with belligerence in her voice.

A tiny smile tilted the corners of his mouth. “I’ve spent most of the day thinking I’d never have anything to laugh about again. You just proved me wrong. Have I had a lioness in my midst disguised as a kitty cat all this time?”

Her face heated. “Things are about to change between us,” she said quietly. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek, barely a touch at all. “I am. I do.”

Something made her legs go all wonky. For a moment, she thought she might faint. If that was how a kiss from Jonathan affected her when he was being amused and affectionate, God help her if she ever experienced the real thing. She tried to suck in more air. “Okay then.”

Jonathan looped his arm through hers and turned them around. “It’s late,” he said. “We need to get you home.”

She would have slept in her car on the street if it had meant not ending this extraordinary interlude. His skin was warm against hers. She wanted to lean her head against his shoulder, but of course, she did not.

Something had happened here on this beach. The tides in her relationship with her boss had shifted to something far more real, more intimate. Unfortunately, she couldn’t even be glad about that change, because it meant she was losing him.

Back at the car, they dusted off their feet and used a water bottle for their impromptu cleanup. When Jonathan started the engine, he glanced sideways at her. “Dessert and coffee before we head back?”

Yes, her heart cried. Yes!

She shook her head. “It’s been a long day. I’d better not.”

“Of course.” He paused. “I think it goes without saying, but you must promise not to talk to anyone about my condition. No one. If the truth were to come out, our stock prices might plummet. Until I have a plan in place to handle the gossip and the fallout, there can’t be a whisper that anything is wrong.”

“I understand. You have my word.”

They barely spoke during the drive back. Without the beauty of the ocean and the beach to distract them, the enormity of Jonathan’s diagnosis filled her with aching compassion and raw regret. How could this be happening? It wasn’t fair. Not for him, not for his family, not for anyone.

But whoever said life was fair?

When they reached the Tarleton house, she exited the vehicle and stood beside her own car. In the unflattering glow of the security light beneath the house, Jonathan’s expression was grim, his skin sallow.

He seemed so damned brave and alone. She couldn’t leave him like this.

Rounding the car, she went to him and slid her arms around his waist. He wasn’t her boss at this moment. He was a man nearing a perilous cliff, a human being with little more than sheer grit and determination to help him face the days ahead.

At first, he was unresponsive. Maybe her emotion was only making things worse. Finally, a great shudder racked his frame. He buried his face in her hair and clung to her tightly.

Her tears wet his shirt. “I’m so sorry, Jonathan. So very sorry.”

They stood there like that for long moments. It might have been a minute or five or ten.

At last he straightened. He used his thumb to catch a tear on her lower lashes. “Don’t cry for me, Lizzy. I’d rather it be me than someone else. Hell, I probably deserve it.”

She stepped back reluctantly and stared up at him. “Don’t joke,” she said. “There’s nothing remotely funny about this situation.”

His smile was both weary and beautiful. “Isn’t that what they say? I have to laugh to keep from crying?”

“I can’t imagine you crying. You’re tough and resourceful. Very macho, in fact.”

“Is that how you see me?”

She shrugged. “You’ve been my boss. I only looked at you one way.”

“And now?”

Was this some kind of trick question?

She hesitated. “I know you’re human, Jonathan. Just like the rest of us. But I never wanted to test that theory. I’d rather think of you as a superhero than admit the truth right now.”

His wince echoed her honesty. “You and me both. This won’t be easy for me. And I’m not talking about the physical part. The prospect of not being in control scares the hell out of me.”

“I’ll be here, Jonathan. But you have to tell your family. They’ll be so hurt if you don’t and they find out another way.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’ll tell them. I swear. I just need a little time to wrap my head around this.”

“Have you thought about seeing a counselor or a priest...someone like that? It might help.”

He cupped her cheek in one big palm, his touch burning her skin and sending shivers of sensation in every direction. “I have you, Lisette. That will have to do.”

Three

Lisette cried herself to sleep. And then had nightmares. Waking at dawn was a relief for half a second until the truth came rushing back with a vengeance. Jonathan was dying.

Thank God, she hadn’t turned in her resignation before he told her about his illness. He needed her. She was determined to give him all the love and care she could muster...but without letting on that she had loved him for a long time. That news would make things worse. She knew it instinctively.

The only reason he had asked for her help was because she was an outsider he could trust. So—not family.

Walking into the downtown office that morning was anticlimactic. Jonathan was on a conference call with someone in England. The entire floor was abuzz with the usual ebb and flow of projects and activities.

Lisette loved working for Tarleton Shipping. As hard as it had been to make the decision to leave, it was impossible to imagine this place without Jonathan. She pressed a hand to her stomach where nervous butterflies performed a tango.

Last night at the beach house had changed everything.

Somehow, she was supposed to carry on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but at the same time she had to monitor Jonathan’s behavior and be ready to step in whenever he needed her. She wondered if he was regretting that he had told her the truth.

Yesterday had been an extraordinarily hard time for him. Hearing news like that would rattle anyone. The fact that Lisette had shown up at his house in the wake of his crisis might have had something to do with him asking her to take on a role that was so personal and critical.

If she knew him well—and she did—it was probably best to pretend nothing had changed. It was going to be very hard not to hover and treat him like he was sick. She couldn’t help feeling responsible, especially because he was keeping his family in the dark for now.

The day spun by, entirely unremarkable in its ordinariness. People came and went. Meetings happened. Jonathan whirled from one thing to the next, barely speaking to her in the interim.

She could almost believe that last night was a dream.

Occasionally, though, she caught his eye across the room, and a connection quivered between them. The feeling of intimacy startled her. He had let her in on something intensely personal. There would be no going back from this.

She had craved a personal connection with Jonathan. But not at this price.

How was she going to face the days ahead?

On her lunch hour, her friend Rebekah coaxed her out of the building. “Let’s walk,” she said. “It’s not quite so hot today, and I’ve been wanting to try that new restaurant over near the market.”

There was nothing unusual about the situation. Still, Lisette felt Jonathan’s gaze searing her back as she exited the executive suite of offices. Did he expect her to dance attendance on him 24/7?

Rebekah called her out on her odd mood while they ate. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, frowning. “You’ve barely said a word. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lisette said. “A lot on my mind.”

Her friend’s expression softened. “I just realized. Today marks eight months since your mother died, doesn’t it? I’m sorry, hon.”

Guilt swamped Lisette. Her friend had metaphorically and literally held her hand during some very dark days. “I’m getting used to her being gone. I find new reasons to be happy every day. My mother wouldn’t have wanted me to be gloomy all the time.”

“Well, good,” Rebekah said. “Because Robbie’s friend who just moved here from Memphis wants to meet you. I thought we could go to dinner together Friday night.”

Lisette winced inwardly. Rebekah had been on her case for months to start dating. Caring for her mother and working full-time had not left any room for a social life. Now that her mother was gone and months had passed, it made sense for Lisette to get back in the game.

She was torn. The trouble was, she didn’t want to meet a string of strange guys, even though she knew her dream of marriage and a baby required some kind of change on her part. She didn’t need clubbing and dancing to be happy. The only man she wanted was Jonathan. Their new situation would give her a little piece of him. Would it be enough to justify putting her dreams on hold?

“Sure,” she said, trying hard to appreciate her friend’s enthusiasm. “That sounds great.”

The following two days passed in much the same manner, at least when it came to Jonathan’s behavior. He didn’t look sick. Aside from downing the occasional over-the-counter meds, his bronzed skin and boundless energy seemed to belie his diagnosis.

When Friday afternoon rolled around, Lisette was almost glad Jonathan was away from the office. Their new relationship made her both tense and uncertain. It was a relief to step out into the sunshine and walk to her car. She had just enough time to dash home, shower and change before she met Rebekah and the others at the restaurant.

It was a shock to run into her boss in the parking garage. He looked frazzled, but otherwise normal. “You’re leaving?” he asked.

She nodded her head. “It’s five thirty. Was there something you needed?”

His small frown took her by surprise. “I thought we might have dinner together,” he said. “To talk about how we’re going to handle this new work situation.”

She flushed, feeling the heat creep from her breasts to her hairline. “I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “I have plans.”

He seemed shocked. “A date?”

“That’s a personal question,” she snapped. His obvious surprise nicked her pride. It was true she had lived like a nun while caring for her mother. And, yes, she was five years Jonathan’s senior. But she was hardly a pariah.

His gaze darkened. “I’m sorry to have held you up,” he said, his tone stiff and formal. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”

The bleak expression in his eyes caught her heart and squeezed it hard. She was trying so desperately to protect herself, to avoid letting him hurt her, that she was forgetting the hell he was facing.

“Wait,” she said impulsively as he turned to walk away. “What about lunch at my place Sunday? I’ll cook for you.”

Some of the starch left his spine. At last a smile tilted those gorgeous masculine lips. “That sounds great, Lisette. If you’re sure it’s not too much trouble.”

“Not at all. And by the way, I’ve moved since my mother died. I’m in a condo in North Charleston now.” Her salary was generous, but it didn’t stretch to upscale places in the historic district.

He nodded. “I’ll get the address from your file.”

“Noon?”

“I’ll be there.”

The unexpected encounter meant she had to rush like crazy to go home and then meet her friend. She made it to the restaurant with two minutes to spare. Her blind date for the evening was overly chatty, but all in all a decent guy. Under other circumstances, she might have hoped for a second date.

As it was, though, she found her mind wandering time and again during the pleasant meal to Jonathan. What was he doing? How was he feeling?

When the two females left the table to visit the ladies’ room, Rebekah leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. “Well, what do you think of him? He likes you. I can tell.”

Lisette made use of the facilities and then washed her hands. “I don’t know, Rebekah. He isn’t really my type.”

Rebekah snorted. “You don’t have a type,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve coaxed you out of the house. At least give him a chance. It’s not like you’ve got your heart set on someone else.”

“I’ll keep an open mind, I swear.”

Lisette had been careful at work to hide her feelings about Jonathan, from Rebekah in particular. She’d kept her hopeless crush a secret from everyone. When Lisette had been planning to resign, she was going to tell her friend that she was in a rut after her mother’s death and that she needed a fresh start. Now those heavy-handed explanations weren’t going to be necessary.

But there would be other questions when she began spending more time with Jonathan. She would have to spin the story somehow to protect his secret. And if her so-called promotion became public knowledge, the situation would definitely become awkward.

At last the interminable evening wound to a close. She had never been more glad to head home and crash. Even then, she couldn’t stop thinking about her boss. He had chosen to confide his secret in her. She couldn’t pretend any longer that she didn’t want to be much more than his stand-in at work.

He was ferociously smart and driven. The man did have a sense of humor, but it was dry and often kept under wraps. Because his father had been forced to step down as president when his health deteriorated, Jonathan bore a heavy load of responsibility.

All day Saturday Lisette obsessed about what to cook, what to wear. She was terrified of letting her boss know that her emotions were involved. If she was going to be able to help, she had to let him think she regarded this as a job and nothing more.

By Sunday morning, she had worked herself into a full-blown tizzy. When her curling iron failed to do what she wanted it to do, she gave up styling her thick, straight hair and put it up in a ponytail.

She didn’t want to look like she thought this was a date, so she put on an older pair of jeans, black ballerina flats and a cute teal top with a lemon print. A dash of lip gloss and some mascara took care of the rest.

By the time her tomato sauce was ready and the simple fruit salad cut and arranged in crystal bowls, she felt mildly nauseous. What was she thinking? She should have resigned as she had planned.

She was weak when it came to her boss. This was a chance to be with him in a way she wouldn’t otherwise. It “was” an intimacy of sorts. A dangerous intimacy she both yearned for and feared.

Instead of getting over Jonathan, she was only going to fall more deeply under his spell and end up having her heart broken into a million unmendable pieces. Broken because he couldn’t love her back, and broken because soon he would be gone from her life forever.

Her buzzer rang at exactly eleven fifty-nine. That was so Jonathan. The man made punctuality a religion.

She opened the door and managed a smile. “Good morning, or I guess it’s officially afternoon now. Come on in.”

Her knees wobbled when the scent of his crisp aftershave teased her nostrils. His broad shoulders were encased in a simple white cotton shirt. Rolled-up sleeves revealed muscular arms tanned from years in the sun. An expensive watch gleamed on one wrist.

He was dressed more casually than she had ever seen him. Jeans, too, like her. Leather deck shoes that drew attention to his sexy feet.

When she realized she was getting turned on by the man’s feet, she knew she was in big trouble.

Her big, sexy guest smiled. “Smells amazing in here.”

* * *

Jonathan was gobsmacked and trying not to show it. What had happened to the prim and proper woman who managed his business affairs with such aplomb? Suddenly...today...she looked barely twenty. Her smooth, creamy skin was unadorned. That perky ponytail bared the nape of her neck.

Her lightweight summer blouse fit her generous breasts snugly. And those skinny jeans? Hell. A man could be excused for wanting to cup that heart-shaped butt in his two hands. His libido, which in recent days had been squashed, roared back to life in a big way.

Was his reaction inappropriate? Should he try harder to ignore the attraction? Or, under the circumstances, could he be excused for wanting to let himself finally get closer to Lisette?

He shifted from one foot to the other. “This is very nice of you,” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to a home-cooked meal.”

Lisette gave him a look, one eyebrow raised. “You have the best housekeeper and chef in the state of South Carolina.”

“It’s not the same as having a woman cook for me.”

He hadn’t intended to bring flirtation into the mix, not at all. But the comment slipped out.

Far from being offended, Lisette gave him a shy smile. “Sit down at the table,” she said. “Everything is almost ready.”

He sprawled in a trendy retro chair that reminded him of something his great-grandmother might have used back in the 1950s. The Formica-top table was aqua and white. In the center sat a white hobnail vase filled with daisies. Yellow place mats had been set with flatware and cloth napkins.

“I like your condo,” he said.

“Thanks. I needed a change of scenery after Mom died. This building is very friendly, and I like the neighborhood.”

“Does the guy you were out with Friday night live here?” The question popped out of his mouth before he could censor it. Entirely inappropriate from boss to employee. Entirely understandable from a man who felt like he was losing everything. His whole life had shifted. Inappropriate feelings he had suppressed for so long in the past were coming to the fore.

Lisette had her back to him, grating fresh parmesan cheese for their spaghetti. He saw her go still. But she didn’t turn around. “No,” she said quietly. “That was a blind date my friend Rebekah set up.”

“Rebekah in Purchasing?”

“Yes.”

He drummed his fingers on the table. “Sorry,” he muttered. “None of my business.”

She turned to face him with an unreadable expression on her face. “This is not going to work unless we can both speak freely. Under the circumstances, I understand that you want to know more about my life. If I’m going to help you, you have to trust me.”

“I do trust you,” he said quickly. “Completely.”

“But?” Her half smile called him out.

Clearly she was reading his ambivalence. “I think you were right about the possibility of people resenting you if I suddenly give you carte blanche to make decisions.”

She nodded slowly. “It will look odd. Does this mean you’ve changed your mind?”

He stood to pace restlessly, shoving his hands in his pockets. Second-guessing himself was a novelty he didn’t enjoy. In almost any situation he was able to cut through to the center of a matter and make decisions...good decisions. But that was business.

This new scenario with Lisette comprised a hundred more layers of uncertainty. “I haven’t changed my mind,” he said. “But I’ve had more time to think about this, and I’ve come to a few conclusions.”

“Sounds important,” she said lightly, pouring each of them a glass of iced tea.

“It will keep until after we’ve eaten. I always think better on a full stomach. And have your wine,” he said. “You don’t have to abstain on my account.”

She shook her head. “I happen to love iced tea. Mine is very good, if I do say so myself. My grandmother taught my mom, and my mom taught me.”

“I know very little about your family,” he said.

“Not much to tell.” Lisette set white porcelain salad bowls, dressing, and the two plates of steaming pasta on the table, along with a smaller plate of fragrant garlic bread. Jonathan held out her chair as she seated herself. Then he took the spot opposite her.

“Is your father still living?” he asked. “I don’t remember hearing you say.”

She shook her head. “My mother never spoke of him. As a kid I fantasized that he was a secret agent or a prince in some foreign country. Unfortunately, I think the truth is that he just didn’t care and walked away.”

“Were they married?”

“I believe so. There’s a name on my birth certificate. And it’s the same last name as my mom’s and mine. But she could have made him up.”

“Haven’t you ever wanted to track him down?”

Lisette grimaced, a bite of spaghetti halfway to her mouth. She set the fork on her plate and sighed. “According to all the books and movies, I should. Want to, I mean. But the truth is, I don’t.”

“Why not?” Jonathan had cleared most of his plate. He was starving, and the meal was amazing. Lisette had barely picked at her spaghetti. Was it because she was nervous? He hoped not. He wanted things between them to be comfortable. Easy.

Maybe that was an impossible task under the circumstances.

She curled her fingers around the stem of her crystal goblet and wrinkled her nose. “My mom did the best she could for us, but I was a latchkey kid from the time I was eight or nine. Our house wasn’t like my friends’ houses. It was quiet and empty and lonely. I decided that I would make my own home someday and fill it with color and sound and happiness.”

Jonathan nodded and smiled. “You’re off to a good start.” Inwardly he groaned. His needs and wants were going to be in direct opposition to hers. Was it fair of him to ask so much when he could give her so little in return?

“Thank you.” Her cheeks were flushed. It could be the heat from the kitchen, or perhaps she was as aware of him as he was of her. Before today, he would have said that he knew Lisette Stanhope extremely well. Now, here in her cozy, peaceful home, he was finding out how wrong he could be.

Away from the office, she seemed a different person to him. Younger, more vulnerable. Again his conscience pricked him. Lisette was conscientious and compassionate. Last year when one of their employees suffered an extended illness, Lisette was the one who organized meals for the family.

She had been a devoted daughter and caretaker to her mother for a decade or more. Jonathan didn’t want to be another burden she had to carry. To be honest, he didn’t want to be anyone’s burden, but especially not hers.

If they were to enter into this arrangement, the benefits couldn’t and shouldn’t be one-sided. It was becoming more and more clear to him that there was only one real way for this new relationship to work. A drastic step that would change everything.

As the silence between them lengthened, Lisette finished most of her meal. Jonathan had a second helping of everything.

“Thank you for cooking,” he said. Something about the simple, hearty meal fed his soul as well as his stomach. Food was one of a man’s appetites. Sexual intimacy was another. The fact that he felt jittery and hungry for his hostess was as much a shock to him as what he was about to say.

They cleared the table together. Lisette started the dishwasher, and then she touched him lightly on the shoulder. “Let’s go into the living room. We’ll be more comfortable.”

The few steps between the two rooms did not give him time enough to prepare a speech.

Lisette kicked off her shoes and settled onto one end of the sofa, her legs curled beneath her. “Well,” she said. “Don’t keep me in suspense. If I’m not to have a promotion, what’s your answer?”

He sucked in a breath, feeling more rattled and off his game than he had since the day of his diagnosis. “I think you should marry me.”

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