The Billionaire's Bridal Bid by Emily McKay

imagine you wanting to be with someone who was here only for your money. I can’t imagine you spending five minutes with someone like that. Forget the entire night.”
    He felt a pang of loss at her words. She was right, of course. In his friendships and his work life, he didn’t tolerate people who were in it just for money. In FMJ’s highly competitive research and development department—the branch he was in charge of—employees got by on their hard work and brilliance, otherwise they were shown the door. So why did he put up with that kind of thing in his personal life?
    The only answer that came to mind was that he simply cared less about his personal life than he didabout FMJ’s success. He considered the idea for a minute. Wooing women with money was the path of least resistance. And since none of the women he dated were important to him, that was the path he took.
    So what was he doing here with Claire? Did he really think the limo and the plane were going to impress her? Maybe. Yeah, maybe he had.
    She was dead wrong about one thing: it wasn’t revenge that motivated him. It was something more personal. She may claim to know how much he was worth, but knowing it and experiencing it were two different things. She may claim she didn’t care about the money, but she was lying, if not to him, then to herself. Everybody cared about the money.
    He wanted her to know exactly what she’d given up by leaving him. He wanted her intimately acquainted with what her life would have been like if they’d stayed together.
    The limo and the jet were just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the date was going to impress the hell out of her. And if he knew women half as well as he thought he did, she’d be begging him to take her back.
     
    Claire wasn’t sure what she expected for their date. Between her anxiety and her apprehension, she hadn’t given herself much of a chance to consider the actual destination. Once the plane had landed in San Francisco and he’d moved her into the limo, she gave up badgering him for clues to where he was taking her.
    What would he do next? Something ostentatious. Something guaranteed to highlight the difference between their social standings.
    He’d said this date wasn’t about revenge, and she’d realized on the plane that he was being honest. Or atleast he thought he was. This wasn’t revenge. He was merely putting her in her place.
    Of course, she’d always known they didn’t belong together. Even back in college when she’d thought he was her soul mate. Even then she’d known that he would always be richer, higher-class, better educated and smarter than she was. She’d just thought he didn’t care about that sort of thing. Obviously, she’d been wrong.
    He thought she was white trash, just like every other member of his family did. This was exactly like all the times when she was in high school when his brother, Vic, tried to cop a feel, but didn’t really want to take her out on a date. Those Caldiera girls, they were perfect for fooling around with on the sly, but they weren’t for serious relationships.
    Tonight was that lesson on a grand scale. It was a point-by-point presentation of all the ways she just wasn’t worthy.
    She knew it for sure when the limo pulled up in front of a building with an elegant white marble facade. No grand sign or flashing lights identified the restaurant. Still she recognized the name etched in the glass of the double doors.
    Climbing out of the limo, she blew out a rough breath and pressed her palm to her belly. “This is a Michelin three-star-rated restaurant.”
    Matt just smiled.
    Located in the bustling heart of San Francisco’s financial district, Market had earned a reputation for its simple but elegant atmosphere and its world-class menu featuring local and organic ingredients. Its chef and owner, Suzy Greene, had just launched her own show on the Food Network, Greene on Green.
    Claire’s feet felt heavy, but Matt’s hand was