Her Convenient Millionaire by Gail Dayton Page B

Tug and Bebe must have gone through alltheir piles of money. They still owned the house and all its fabulous holdings; but God forbid that they sell anything, or stop buying new items. Appearances must be kept up, after all. Sherry figured that was why Tug had come up with his brilliant daughter-auction idea. He had to be getting desperate.
    Still, she didn’t believe he would go so far as physical violence. If he did anything to Sherry, he couldn’t marry her off. When he locked her out of the house, he had obviously expected her to come running back begging to do whatever he wanted. But she hadn’t. What tactics might he resort to next? Kidnapping?
    Sherry couldn’t see Tug giving up on his insane plan. Unless she took herself off the market. He couldn’t marry her to Vernon…if she were already married to someone else.

Four
    M ike got home not long after midnight, leaving a little early so he could check on how things went with his mom and Miss Nyland—Miss Nyland who was now sitting cross-legged on the floor outside his apartment in her tiny white shorts and a tiny blue top. Didn’t she own anything that covered more skin?
    â€œAnything wrong?” he asked, striding down the hall in a hurry. “Is Mom okay? I left numbers for you to call—”
    â€œShe’s fine. Sleeping like a baby. Better. She doesn’t wake up and cry.”
    He slowed his pace. He wanted to keep hurrying till he reached her side, but he didn’t want to want it, so he dawdled. “What brings you out here, then? You’ve got work again tomorrow. It’s a little late, isn’t it?”
    â€œEarlier than we got in last night.”
    â€œTrue.” Mike stopped in the hallway, looking down at her, resisting the urge to reach down and lift her to her feet.She was farther away sitting on the floor. “Did you want something?”
    Sherry took a deep breath. Mike didn’t watch the way it made her breasts rise and fall beneath the snug-fitting top. Not much.
    â€œI wanted to talk to you,” she said. “I have a proposition to make.”
    â€œSounds serious.”
    And she looked so cute. He wanted to smile, just looking at her, but she’d probably think he was laughing at her. Besides, why should he smile? She was a Palm Beach trust-fund baby with no idea of what life was like in the real world and no interest in finding out. This was just temporary, as she said. Just a phase brought on by desperation, because she didn’t like the rich geek Daddy picked out. She’d find a guy with lots of money who suited her better, and Micah Scott wouldn’t even be a fond memory.
    But he could see something in her expression, or maybe in her eyes. Fear? “Come on.” He held his hand out to her. “We can talk inside. I never discuss propositions in public.”
    Sherry took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. He unlocked the door and ushered her into his bachelor quarters for the second time.
    â€œSo,” he said. “What’s up?”
    â€œMike?” She twisted her hands together, like she wanted to tie them in knots.
    â€œYeah?” What could have her in such a dither?
    â€œWill you please marry me?”
    Mike stared at her. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, in case this was some weird hallucination, but she was still there. Still twisting her hands together, looking anxious.
    â€œCome again?” he said. Surely he couldn’t have heard her right. He tilted his head to hear better.
    â€œWill you marry me?” Sherry started to pace along with the hand twisting. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the only way.”
    â€œThe only way to what? Get yourself locked up in the nuthouse?”
    â€œDon’t use that word.”
    â€œWhat word? Nuthouse? Honey, if the shoe fits…”
    â€œDon’t call me honey, either.”
    â€œWhy not? You just asked me to marry you. Honey.”