DESCRIPTION

 

Kari had no plans for a marriage of convenience when she walked into a meeting with the President of the Kennedy Group of Companies, but it was the only option she was left with after a business deal her father had with the Kennedy Group.

Blake was only looking to expand his empire and wasn't interested in marriage or a fake wife, but what she had to offer was promising enough for him to give in to her demands.

A strictly business-only contract turns into something else, and when Kari and Blake become more than business partners, she finds out he has a heart filled with secrets and darkness. Does she back out of the contract or go for more?

 

Chapter One

 

“Dad, please tell me you’re kidding,” Kari slammed the envelope of legal documents on the glass coffee table with a thud.

“Karina Vora, behave.” Her mother issued a friendly warning looking up at her from the couch.

“Stay out of this, Mom. Dad, I refuse to sign the contract. This is ridiculous.” She had lost her composure and made no attempt to regain it.

“Why is it ridiculous? I am the CEO and President of the company, and I decided it was time to retire.” Her father took a sip of his whiskey without looking at her.

“Dad… you know I wanted to manage the hotels, you know I can. Why did you enter into this contract?” It felt like everything she worked for was falling apart.

“I know you are capable; you are my daughter.” Her father maintained his calm tone.

“Then why do I have a pending contract in front of me requiring my signature to close the deal?” She slumped her body in the soft leather chair across from her dad in the family room of her parents’ home.

“Kari, your dad did what’s best for everyone,” her mom interjected.

“How is this good? You guys know how hard I’ve been working to take our hotels to the next level.” She raked her nails through her thick, dark hair.

“I want you to have a life, sweetie. We want grandchildren, and you’re not getting any younger,” her dad’s voice was soft.

“You’re kidding, right? I turned twenty-seven just a month ago.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“You’ve spent the last year in a dungeon with your friends working on the software that we have no clue what it does, and you broke up with your boyfriend claiming he was needy… don’t you see what’s happening, baby? You’ve turned into a workaholic,” her mom’s voice held a question.

“I asked your dad to sell it so we can retire, and you can…” Kari’s anger was out of control to let her mother finish. “So I can live off of your earnings?”

“Kari, this deal has a good payout for you as well…” The look on her face made her dad’s voice trail off.

“Go on, Dad,” she urged knowing exactly what he had done with her share of the payout.

“We want you to get married and be happy, so you will get your payout once you are married.”

“You two are fucking with my life,” her voice blared in the large family room.

“Kari, watch your tongue.” Her mom was furious.

“This is ridiculous! Is my software part of the deal?” She pressed her fingers into her temple looking at the floor.

“Everything that belongs to the Vora Group of Hotels will be part of the Kennedy Group of Companies.” Her dad’s voice was not as controlled as it was at the beginning of the conversation.

“Why, Dad, Why?” She couldn’t believe her dad had made a deal to give away the newest concept in customer service. She and her friends had been working on a software program that would take the service at any hotel to the next level. It would change the total experience of any hotel guest, and her plan was to make it big by providing personalization services to guests of all hotels across the globe.

“Hotels don’t run on software, sweetie,” her dad’s voice was devastatingly ignorant.

“I refuse to sign this contract. I can’t let the deal go through.” She crossed her arms in front of her adamantly.

Her dad stood up and looked at her. “You will sign this and graciously take your payout, or I will fire you and get a new Chief Operating Officer to sign the contract.”

“What?” she snapped.

“You know he is capable,” her mom teased shaking her head.

“Why don’t you guys understand? I’m trying to save the company from a bad deal. Kennedy is getting a sweet deal out of your desperation.” She tried hard to maintain a steady voice.

“We are not desperate. It’s high time you start thinking about getting a life,” her dad said.

“I have a life, Dad, I’m trying to do something with it,” she responded.

“From my perspective, the deal is already made. If you want to discuss this with Mr. Kennedy, I can have Linda set up an appointment for you tomorrow.”

She rolled her eyes looking forward to the conversation with a man as old as her dad to discuss her software.

“I’m willing to give up my payout if I get to keep my software,” she declared.

“I won’t let you do that, Kari.” Her dad was not going to budge, and she knew it by the look on his face.

“Fine, I am free to see him after seven tomorrow.”

“It’s not up to you as to when you can meet him. Linda will tell you when he is available,” her dad snapped.

“Fine.” She got up to leave and turned when her dad called out to her.

“You better take this envelope with you. I expect you to sign it before midnight tomorrow.” Her dad was a ruthless boss.

She did not respond and started to walk away before her mom called out to her. “Kari, it’s dark outside, and you know it scares me when you ride your motorbike this late at night.”

“Mom, I need to go. I’ll come by tomorrow night. I have a feeling I’ll be talking to Dad again tomorrow after I meet Mr. Kennedy.” She smiled with confidence. She was confident she could convince the elderly man to add a clause that would exclude her software product, and she was ready to give up her share of the deal if necessary.

 

*****

 

“Kari, this is Linda.” Her dad’s assistant was always extremely polite.

“Hi, Linda. How are you?” Kari asked cheerfully.

“I’m good. I am calling to remind you about your meeting with Mr. Kennedy at six-thirty tonight,” her voice was shaky.

Shit!

“Oh… I’m on my way out.” She looked at the clock and realized it was almost six-fifteen, and she had to get to downtown San Francisco from the pier.

“I’ll take my motorbike, and it shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes to get there.” She waved to her team as she grabbed her helmet and dashed towards the elevator.

“That was close,” she breathed out as the elevator doors closed. She ran her fingers through her thick, dark hair and took a quick peek at herself in the elevator mirror. She had thought through the different options she would present to the president of the company, which was easily ten times bigger than her dad’s company. She knew she could take her dad’s company to that level in a few years, and the software was the missing piece of the puzzle.

She ran towards her bike zipping up her motorcycle jacket and pulling her backpack securely over her shoulders. She had less than fifteen minutes to get to Kennedy’s downtown headquarters.

Her bike zipped through the traffic squeezing through small gaps to make it on time. She cut in front of a slow-moving town car before pulling into the underground parking of the building where the Kennedy Group of Companies occupied three floors in one of San Francisco’s skyscrapers.

She ran her fingers through her hair and sprinted towards the sliding doors, her boots clicking on the concrete floor. She signed the visitors’ log and headed to the bank of elevators to one side of the front desk.

She was waiting for the elevator doors to open when she felt someone approach her from behind. She turned to look into glorious green eyes tinted with a sliver of mischief. She cast a polite smile at the man approaching her just for a brief moment, but it was long enough for her to take in the rugged features that were the exact opposite of the luxurious suit stretched over his broad shoulders. She wondered if he worked as a model at one of the brands listed on the building roster. A twitching started deep inside reminding her she had not been with a guy in a long time.

“Ms. Vora,” a deep male voice called out just as the elevator dinged open making her wonder if she was imagining someone addressing her.

She turned around to look at the man standing behind her with a surprised look on her face. “Yes.”

He held out a firm hand. “I’m Blake Kennedy, how are you?”

“Oh… I’m Kari, nice to meet you, Blake.” She smiled and placed her hand in his large, yet soft palm.

“After you.” He smiled following her into the elevator. “That’s a wicked bike you have there.”

“Thank you!” She smiled feeling the warmth radiate from within. The guy was charming and had made it to her good guys’ list with a single compliment about her bike. It was her 25th birthday gift to herself—a BMW Roadster—and his description of the bike as ‘wicked’ was apt.

“I could tell you were in a hurry when you cut in front of my car,” he drawled.

“Sorry, I have a meeting with your father in about a minute and didn’t want to be late,” she said sheepishly.

“My father?” The side of his mouth twisted making her twitch deep inside.

“Yes, right now.” She looked at her watch as the elevator doors opened.

“Interesting.” His voice was smooth as he held the elevator door for her to step out.

“It was nice to meet you, Blake.” She smiled and turned away to walk ahead of him towards the receptionist.

“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Kennedy.” Her voice was extremely polite.

“Ms. Vora?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Kennedy, Oh… here he is… perfect timing,” she cheered and looked past Kari.

She turned to look at Blake walking towards the desk with a smile that had a devious tinge to it.

“Do you prefer the conference room, or do you want to talk in your office?” the woman at the front desk asked. It took her a moment to realize she was set up to meet with Blake and not his father.

“Blake, I didn’t realize I was meeting you.” She maintained a calm tone even though her mind was on overdrive trying to figure out what to tell him and how to present her offer. She had rehearsed her pitch with an elderly gentleman in mind, and now she was left to convince a man who was probably a few years older than her and distractingly good looking.

“I am your Mr. Kennedy. Sorry to disappoint you,” he chuckled making heat rush to her cheeks.

“My bad, I should have known.” She smiled trying hard to regain her composure while she debated on the sequence of her presentation in her mind.

“Do you mind if we talk in my office?” he asked leading her towards a set of hazy glass doors. “Jen, it’s late. You should go home.”

“Thanks, Blake. I will in a few minutes.” The woman smiled at him as he led Kari to his office. His office was massive with a glass wall running on one side, and the Bay Bridge shone proudly in the darkness.

“You have an amazing view,” she commented setting her backpack on one of the chairs at the round conference table to one side of his office.

He placed his phone and computer bag on his desk and walked towards the table where Kari had her laptop up and running. He sat across from her, his eyes not showing any emotion or reaction. “What is this meeting for, Ms. Vora?”

“Kari, please. I understand my father and you talked about a deal, but I need a few more things clarified.”

He broke into a glorious smile, and when he started to shake his head with the sarcasm playing on his face, she wanted to reach out and claw it.

“The deal is done, Kari.” His voice was gruff.

“I haven’t signed it yet, and I won’t until you agree to my terms.”

“Terms?” he snorted. “I didn’t really make a deal with you. Why are we discussing terms?”

“If you want the deal to go through, you will listen to what I have to say.” She didn’t back down.

“There are a dozen other hotel owners who would strike a deal with me in a blink. What makes you think you are in a position to dictate terms?” His voice held a thread of anger dominated by his cockiness.

“I am not my father, Mr. Kennedy. Our company owns prime locations in all the beach towns; the locations you need for your high-end resorts.” She had a tough time controlling her need to snarl at him.

He leaned back in his chair without taking his eyes off her determined face. “You do, but you are not the only company that owns hotels along the coast.”

“I don’t need to tell you why you reached out to us when you had all these hotel owners lined up to strike a deal with you,” she snapped.

“I’m listening.” His words seared her skin.

“The contract my father signed refers to the physical assets and operational bindings, but there is something I want specifically deleted so there is no confusion in the future.” She closed her computer realizing she didn’t need to show him much.

“Ms. Vora, the deal is done. There is no room for negotiation.”

“It’s Kari, and I am not asking you for anything that is already in the contract.” She held his burning gaze.

“I don’t understand.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the edge of the table.

“My company owns a product which is not listed in the contract. Since there is no reference to this product in the contract, it is not part of the deal, but I need it to be clarified,” she stated.

“What is this asset and why would it not be part of the contract if it belongs to the company that I am a signature away from owning entirely?” His jaw clenched like he couldn’t believe the contract had gaps.

“The asset is a software program that my team has been working on for about a year now. Your interest is in the locations and the vendor relations our company has, so I need the clause added, and then I will leave you alone.

“What if I don’t?” he challenged.

“I will never let the deal go through, and you have no idea how pleasant I can be to work with in the court system.” She batted her eyelashes almost mockingly at him.

The end of his mouth twisted up, but he didn’t respond immediately. “I’m pretty sure you are very pleasant to work with, and I look forward to working with you.”

“Blake, I don’t need the hotels, and you don’t need my software. What is the issue here?” She leaned forward mimicking his body language.

“What does the software do?”

“It’s proprietary, and I can’t discuss the details.” She smiled.

“You can either tell me now, or we take this to court. I have a lot more time and money to fight for what’s mine. Are you willing to spend time in court for your asset?”

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of failure. “I wouldn’t be here if I intended to go to court and ruin both our company’s reputations,” she rasped.

He scanned her face, his dark eyes taking in the most beautiful yet fiery eyes he had ever seen. Her cheeks were flushed with the passion for her work, and her lips quivered. His eyes rested on her pillow lips for a moment longer than needed taking his brain down the wrong road.

“Blake, Kari… are you guys doing okay?” A female voice interrupted the electric silence in the room. “I’m heading out for the day. Alex is downstairs if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Jen. Good night and have a good weekend,” he cheered—the concrete wall look on his face disappearing like it never existed.

“It was nice to meet you, Jen,” Kari called out matching his cheerfulness.

After a few moments of silence, he finally smiled. “What if I want the software too? I might be willing to re-negotiate if I know what I am dealing with here.”

Her heart took a nosedive into her stomach. She did not want to give up her software; she knew what it was capable of and needed it to be an independent product. “We don’t have enough for you to see what we envision from the product.”

“What if I’m willing to take that risk if you tell me what it is I could be getting along with the physical assets?”

A small voice in her mind told her he might just be playing her and may not be interested in the software at all. It would put the conversation to an end if she let him in on a little bit of detail.

“The software is the next generation of personalizing a guest’s stay at a hotel.” She managed to keep her voice steady. She paused when she caught a flicker of interest in his eyes.

“What personalization?”

“The goal is to take the guest’s experience to the next level by gathering information about them which we could use to enhance the experience of their stay.” Her voice was steady while her mind raced.

“Example?” he prompted.

“As a guest, if I register in the app that I am allergic to nuts, I will never have to worry about the food I order at any of the hotels using the information from our system.” She tried hard to read his reaction but got nothing.

“What else?”

“That is all I am allowed to share, and all other information is only for our investors,” she declared.

“What if I want to invest?” He threw an imaginary sparkly monkey wrench at her.

“What?” There was no hiding her surprise. She was not prepared to have someone express interest in her software.

“I am willing to add a clause to the deal I made with your father.” He leaned back like he had made up his mind.

“No, I am not looking for an investor.” She was hoping to get the software excluded from the deal, sign the contract, take her portion of the sale and use that money to invest in the software.

“How are you planning to continue working on your software with no investors?” His eyebrow shot up.

“I have my own payout from the deal, and I will use my own money.” She held her chin high.

He laughed, and it triggered an acidic reaction inside her. His laugh taunted her resolve and mocked her dedication making her want to get up and leave, but she knew better.

“What is so funny, Mr. Kennedy?” She flashed a fake smile.

“Aren’t we on a first-name basis anymore?” he teased easing her anger only by a thread.

When she didn’t respond and continued to look at him, her beautiful brown eyes blistered, he finally spoke. “Were you counting on the payout my company would release the day you get married?”

Fuck, he knew everything, and he controlled her payout.

“Why do you control my payout?” she snapped inadvertently.

“Because I can.” His voice was cool, but she wanted to slap him. She wondered how his cheek would feel under her palm.

Her mind was in turmoil; her plan to walk away that night with a small clause added to the contract came crashing and burning to the floor. She smiled at him in spite of the crazy web that was about to wrap around her.

“Mr. Kennedy, you will need to marry me. This is the only way to finalize the contract and for you to have a piece of my software.” Her voice held a command, and she felt the glow on her face when she took in the shocked expression on his face.

She expected him to laugh, but to her surprise, he looked at her for a long moment. “I like the way you think, and I’m willing to discuss this further if you agree to meet me for dinner tonight.”

“I’m sorry, I am not proposing we get married for real.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Why should I be part of your mess?” He couldn’t help but provoke her—it fueled him, and the rush brought a smile to his face.

“Mr. Kennedy, you became part of my mess when you agreed to make a payment when I get married. Who agrees to such crap?” she blistered, and it only made it all the more intriguing.

He couldn’t understand why Kari reminded him of the woman he hadn’t thought about in seven years. They were very different, but he couldn’t help but notice the similarities. He wasn’t sure if he should avoid her or keep her close. She threatened to break through the barrier he had built, and he wondered if he secretly hoped for someone to crack through it.

“Mr. Kennedy!” She was getting annoyed with his silence.

“We will discuss this at dinner, and the deal is off if you call me Mr. Kennedy one more time.”

“We are discussing business, Blake. We talk now, or we walk away from this,” she snapped.

“It’s not just business if my personal life is impacted. I want to meet you outside this environment. I will send a car for you at eight.” His tone indicated he wasn’t asking, and she realized she had to abide if she wanted to get the funding she needed to launch the software.

“Fine, I’ll see you at eight.” She stood up gathering her things.

“I hope you have thought this through, Ms. Vora.” His voice was cold.

“Yes, I have, and it looks like you are the one that needs time to think before you pick me up at eight.” She let sarcasm weigh on her words.

“I was hoping you would show me why I should consider marrying you.” His smile was devious.

“Show you? The marriage is just another contract.” She looked down at him as he casually looked up at her while seated at the table.

“I have a certain standard for the women I hang out with and need to make sure the contract doesn’t ruin my personal reputation for my choice of women.” The words left his mouth with a certain level of cool, but it only infuriated her.

“I will show you,” she snapped and stormed out of his office.

“I know where you live,” he called out laughing as she left his office. He knew more than she had wanted him to know. The contract had to specifically list every property that was included and excluded, and she was relieved when she saw her San Francisco condominium listed on the exclusion list of the contract.

End of Sample of The Marriage Contract