Meghan gave herself a pep talk before they boarded the yacht. Jackson’s reminder of the terms of their relationship had stung, but as he’d said, he’d been honest from the start. And with her plan starting tomorrow, making sure their relationship stayed short term was good for her, too.

His warning shouldn’t have hurt and disappointed her, and the fact that it had was disturbing. But there was no time to think about it now. Besides, she was being paid to smile and be charming to Jackson’s business associates, so she’d just have to shake it off.

Stepping aboard the enormous yacht helped take her mind off Jackson’s words. So did a couple of glasses of champagne and a delicious meal. Despite how stuffy they looked, all the dinner guests were friendly, and neither Derrick nor Lex had been invited, so she didn’t have to worry about any unpleasantness.

In fact, by the time dinner was done, she was back to feeling good. She’d spent the day working on her song with Ellie Dray, for heaven’s sake. And making love with Jackson had been spectacular. She loved the way he made her feel, and tonight he was every bit as attentive as usual.

With small, possessive touches and smiles that were only for her, Jackson treated her as though she was special. And when his dark eyes caressed her, she was the most desirable woman in the world.

This was a great way to reverse those wasted years with a lying jerk who’d sapped her confidence before cheating on her and stealing from her. Being with Jackson was an instant antidote. With him, she felt whole again, like the person she was always meant to be. So what if it was a short-term thing? All that meant was that she should enjoy every last minute.

After dinner, the band started playing on the large rear deck. “Want to dance?” she asked Jackson.

His smile made her feel like she was glowing. “With you? Always.”

The band was a four-piece instrumental, playing a saxophone, guitar, double bass, and drums. Their backdrop was the gorgeous lights of Sydney’s harbor, with the lights from the bridge reflecting over the water and the enormous shell-shaped roof of the Opera House shining with multi-colored spotlights.

Had there ever been a more gorgeous night? And had any woman ever danced with a better looking man?

She was just the right height that she could lift her face to the skin at the base of his neck. His cologne was like catnip. It made her want to purr.

“Having a good time?” he asked.

“The best.” She opened her mouth to ask if he was too, then closed it again. She was afraid to know in case it wasn’t the answer she hoped for.

Her heart twisted.

She’d been trying to forget that this was their last night together. But when the thought kept coming back, even her earlier pep talk couldn’t stop her feeling empty and a little desperate. Dammit, hadn’t she already convinced herself that keeping it short term was the right thing to do? But with her face nestled against his suit, she couldn’t imagine letting him go.

Oh God, was she falling for him? She had to be, because I Want You to Want Me was playing in her head.

“The conference has finished now?” She forced her voice to sound casual. “There’s no event tomorrow night?”

“It’s all done.” His voice was matter-of-fact. She let her breath out softly, so he wouldn’t hear her disappointment.

What if Cinderella wanted to keep seeing Prince Charming, even for just a little while longer? Heaven help her, she hadn’t meant to start falling for him. It wasn’t her fault he was damn near irresistible.

Had the other women he’d dated felt this way? Is that why he’d paid them to accept the fact it was over when their expiry date ran out? And was that what she was to him? Just another in a long line of women who wanted more than he had to give?

The thought tightened her chest, making it harder to breathe. But if he’d had a crush on her as a teenager, that meant she’d once meant more to him. Maybe he’d liked her so much more back then because they’d played music together, and she was at her best onstage, when she was singing for an audience. Come to think of it, the sparks had started flying between them when she’d sung for him in his recording studio.

She glanced at the instrumental band as an idea occurred to her. Could she test her theory in front of a real audience? Maybe then he could see her the way he used to.

But no, this wasn’t an appropriate time or place to do something crazy. This was a million-dollar yacht full of technology company VIPs. Men and women who were clean cut and deeply conservative. Getting on stage would shock them, and end any chance she had of fitting in.

But dammit, she had to do something. She couldn’t say goodbye to Jackson without a fight. What was the worst that could happen?

Okay, she could crash and burn. The other guests could be embarrassed. The host might ask her to leave. If that happened, Jackson would be unhappy that she broke the terms of their arrangement.

So yeah, it could all go horribly wrong. But on the plus side, at least she could say she gave it everything she had.

She waited until the song was over and everyone was clapping politely. Then she turned to Jackson. “I want to do something for you.” Her heart was already thumping too hard and her hands were sweating. “Wait here a moment.”

She walked up to the band. “Do you mind if I interrupt for one song?” They lowered their instruments, and she kept talking so as not give them time to object. “Join in if you like. It’s in A major.” She hummed a little of the chorus, then stepped in front of the guitarist’s microphone. From the corner of her eye, she saw the band exchange incredulous glances.

The rest of the dinner party guests wore looks of polite surprise. Jackson was frowning. Her stomach dropped. Had this been a terrible idea? She’d always hated when she had to sing in front of an audience of businessmen. If Jackson got angry about it as well, she’d die of shame.

She spoke into the microphone before she could chicken out completely. “Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’ll allow me to sing you one song. A song I finished writing today, in fact. So it’s brand new. No chance of forgetting the words, at least.” She gave a nervous laugh.

Jackson took a step forward, as though debating whether to stop her. She closed her eyes, unable to bear seeing him approach, or the bemused, puzzled expressions on the faces of the bigwigs she’d had dinner with. Why had she ever thought this was a good plan?

Too late now.

She drew in a breath and sang the song that had come to her while they were making love in the back of the limo. Jackson’s song. When she’d written the words, they’d come easily, as though they’d been right there waiting for her. Like she was remembering them, rather than making them up. And Ellie had helped her tweak it until it was perfect.

And Jackson wouldn’t know it, but they were all about him. Or rather, about the way he made her feel, especially when they were making love.

After she’d got through the first verse and nobody had stopped her, she gathered enough courage to open her eyes. The people on the yacht were all completely still, focused on her. It had been a while since she’d been the center of attention. When was the last time she’d sung live to an audience who listened like this, rather than talking and drinking with their friends, or throwing a coin in her cap as they hurried past?

Her hands were still sweaty and her heart still pounded, but her voice got stronger. Then the drummer started a soft beat and the rest of the band joined in, backing her up and giving the song depth.

Jackson was right. This was what she’d been designed to do. And it didn’t matter if she was barely making enough money to scrape by, or she had to sing in crummy bars forever. The worst night she spent singing was still better than the best day doing almost anything else.

Jackson smiled and her heart filled with air.

Did he like the song? It didn’t look like he was angry. She sang the last verses gazing into his eyes, willing him to see that she’d started falling for him. Hoping for a sign he might feel the same way.

When the final notes died away, everyone on board applauded, even the waiting staff and the musicians who’d lent her the microphone. Meghan couldn’t stop a grin from spreading over her face. From the looks on their faces, the bigwigs had enjoyed it. She hadn’t made a fool of herself after all.

“Beautiful,” said Jackson, coming forward to meet her as she stepped away from the microphone. “I love hearing you sing, and your new song is incredible. That was the best performance I’ve heard in a long time.”

He’d used the ‘L’ word. Was that a good sign, or was she being too hopeful?

“I love singing for you.” She made her voice casual, but linked her arm through his. Claiming him, even if he didn’t know it yet.

“When I get you home, I’ll show you how much I enjoyed your singing,” he murmured in her ear.

The words sent a rush of arousal through her. Last night, he’d driven her to ecstasy every way possible. The more times he made love to her, the more she wanted him. “Then let’s go.”

Jackson moved back to the group to say goodbye to the other guests, and she watched him with a longing so strong it stole the breath from her lungs.

But the feeling was bittersweet. When they left the yacht, their agreement would officially over. Tomorrow he’d expect her to leave.

Unless she managed to change his mind.