Roses For Sophie

By Alyssa J. Montgomery

From the polished, pacy, passionate pen of USA Today bestselling author Alyssa J Montgomery come a delicious billionaire, a mining heiress, a marriage of convenience and a very inconvenient attraction.

To convince the court that his playboy days are over and to keep a desperate promise, Australian billionaire Logan Jackson needs a wife…fast.

To make her grandfather happy and sway him into making her managing director of the family company, mining heiress Sophie Hamilton needs a husband…fast.

With common goals, similar values, and a very definite end date, there is no reason why Logan and Sophie shouldn't be able to strike a deal to satisfy them both. No reason except that the sizzling attraction arcing between them is too hot to trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jan 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780857992192

Alyssa J. Montgomery

USA Today bestselling author Alyssa J. Montgomery lives with her husband and three children on a five-acre property nestled into a mountain range south of Sydney, Australia, and enjoys having the space for gardens, a dog, horses, goats and chickens. Visits from the native wildlife (echidnas, wallabies and a variety of native birds) are particularly welcome ... although visits from native wildlife with scales and fangs aren't met with quite as much enthusiasm! She continues to work in her private practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Previously she's done a stint with Qantas Airways as an international flight attendant, completed her Master of Science degree, and has also been a professional pianist. If you'd like to know more about Alyssa, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her webpage: http://www.alyssajmontgomery.com Follow her on Twitter: @Alyssaromance or like her Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaJMontgomery

Book preview

Chapter 1

‘Logan, please don’t be angry with me!’

The almost-desperate plea in his younger sister’s voice made Logan frown as he took her call. A quick glance at his watch confirmed Melissa was supposed to have met him ten minutes ago at the revolving restaurant in Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower, but that was hardly something for her to be so apologetic about. ‘Don’t stress, I’m used to you being late and I’m looking forward to catching up. When will you be here?’

Seconds ticked by before she rushed out, ‘I’m not coming.’

‘Are you sick?’ he asked, instantly concerned.

‘No.’

Good. But something was wrong. He recognised now that her tone was the one she used when she’d done something she shouldn’t have and was working up to a confession. ‘You got a better offer?’

‘No.’

His frown deepened. ‘Don’t tell me you can’t face me because you’ve been partying too hard and failed another uni exam?’

‘Hey, I learnt my lesson,’ she protested. ‘You know I got distinctions in every subject this semester.’

‘You did and I’m very proud of you. So, what’s the problem?’

‘Well, you’ll probably see it as a problem, but —’

One of his fingers tapped on the table in agitation. ‘What’s so bad you’re not here in person telling me?’ When she still didn’t answer but he heard her deep intake of breath, his stomach took a dive. ‘Bloody hell! You’re not pregnant, are you?’

‘Of course not!’

Thank God for that.

‘Cut to the chase, Melissa. I presume you have a good reason for standing me up.’

‘Actually, I have.’ Another pause. ‘I’ve been thinking about your upcoming court case.’

Uh-oh. For a second the magnificent view of Sydney by night blurred as he heard the intensity of Melissa’s tone.

‘I don’t think the court’s going to award you custody of Charlotte.’ After her previous hesitations, her words now tumbled forth in a great rush.

His hold on the mobile phone tightened. ‘You’re wrong.’

‘You won’t win the way things stand. Charlotte needs a stable home environment and you can’t provide that for her.’

‘I can and I will.’

‘You live on another continent.’

‘I’m moving back to Australia permanently. I was going to tell you that tonight.’

‘Truly?’ Her pitch was slightly higher. ‘No more jetting around the world and into some of the worst conflict spots in Africa?’

‘No trouble spots, and as little travelling as possible. I’m going to base the company’s headquarters in Sydney.’

She gave a little squeal of delight. ‘That’s fantastic!’

Logan felt a stab of guilt at Melissa’s reaction. She’d longed for him to return to live in Australia. Even when their father had died, a move home hadn’t been something he’d been prepared to contemplate. Now, he had no choice.

‘Relocating will help,’ she continued with barely a pause for breath, ‘because I’m almost certain the court wouldn’t have allowed Charlotte to live in Canada with you.’

His eyes travelled to the activity in Darling Harbour. Despite the beauty of the city, his memories of Sydney weren’t happy ones. ‘She won’t have to. Most of my business can be done from here.’

‘No more putting your life in jeopardy?’

‘No. All the negotiations will be done through diplomatic channels now that the UN Treaty has been signed.’

‘Thank God! Apart from my personal relief in hearing that, the possibility of you being kidnapped again by renegades and held for ransom wouldn’t have made you an ideal guardian in the eyes of the judge. That’s one problem taken care of. But the steady procession of goodness knows how many women in and out of your bed will be a huge strike against you.’

‘Melissa —’ he began on a warning note.

‘Your average relationship lasts…what? A month, at the most? That doesn’t look good for your ability to commit. Are you prepared to stop gracing the world’s social stage with one beauty or another on your arm and settle down to be a father?’

‘Damn it, Melissa, I can hardly alter the way I’ve lived, nor would I want to, but the court can’t hold my lifestyle against me. I didn’t know I was going to have to raise a five-year-old girl. Things will change now because they have to. I’ll be far more discreet in my affairs.’ He waved an approaching waiter away and lowered his voice. ‘I have Charlotte’s best interests at heart and if there was a better alternative for her, I’d support the decision. I won’t, however, sit by and watch that gold-digging maternal grandmother of hers keep custody when you and I both know the woman’s a closet alcoholic with a history of neglecting her own daughter.’

There was another pause before Melissa ventured, ‘There’s only one way you can get the edge over Charlotte’s grandmother.’

‘I know. I’ve got a private investigator employed right now to dig up the dirt on her. By the time I’m finished, Thea Winston won’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell of keeping Charlotte.’

‘That’s not enough. It might stop Charlotte from being placed in Mrs Winston’s care, but it won’t guarantee you being awarded custody.’

‘There’s nobody else. I have to do this. I have the financial means to support Charlotte and the expertise to manage her inheritance.’ He reached for his glass of scotch.

‘Wealth and money management isn’t what the court will place importance on. Having such a successful company could actually go against you. It means you’re a very busy man with no time to raise a little girl.’

‘I’ve already employed an excellent nanny.’

‘Oh great.’ The sarcastic note in his sister’s voice was impossible to miss. ‘Can’t you see this situation requires more than a good nanny? You need to get married.’

‘Married!’ The word jarred through him with the force of a land mine exploding, and had him jerk so hard his scotch sloshed out of his glass en route to his mouth.

‘Yes,’ she said tartly. ‘I presume you know the meaning of the word?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he grated as he dabbed in annoyance at where the spirit had dampened his shirt. ‘I’m not the marrying type.’

‘Then you’re hardly the type to be able to raise your goddaughter either, are you? Just what sort of moral example would you provide for her with a string of affairs?’

Logan swore.

Melissa pressed on. ‘That’s what Mrs Winston’s lawyers are going to argue and you know it.’

His own lawyers — the best that money could buy — had also raised the issue of his playboy reputation with him. He’d declared his personal life a no-go zone and they’d pointed out that just as he was hiring a private investigator to discredit Mrs Winston, her lawyers would try to discredit him. Her lawyers wouldn’t need to do much digging. Due to his high-profile lifestyle, photos of him with many different women had been plastered all over the North American and European tabloids. Occasionally, from what Melissa told him, some photos filtered through to Australian magazines. Without doubt, the number of images of him available via the Internet would tell the tale of the number of beauties he’d dated. Melissa and his lawyers had a point, but surely the court would see beyond that?

‘You need a good wife,’ Melissa asserted.

‘I have a good nanny.’

‘Charlotte needs a mother. Nannies come and go.’

‘So do mothers. Hell, my mother proved that and yours was no better!’ Once the words were out, he regretted them. He might’ve come to terms with his mother walking out on their father when he was only a young child, but Melissa was still sensitive about her mother’s desertion. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have —’

‘It’s okay. I’m a big girl now, Logan,’ she told him briskly. ‘Neither your mother nor mine was worthy of the title, and it’s hard to let go of the betrayal. Regardless of the hash our father made of his marriages, you have to put that behind you. Marriage is the only option you have if you want to be assured the court will appoint you as Charlotte’s legal guardian. You have to get married, fast.’

He ran his free hand through his hair in agitation and felt the tension from his shoulders creep up with vice-like tightness to the back of his neck. It took savage determination to close his mind on all thoughts of his parents. Those memories were better off buried. As for marriage? No way! He’d thought about it once and suffered another betrayal for his efforts. Marriage would never be on his agenda.

‘This is a nightmare,’ he confessed raggedly. ‘I still can’t believe Scott and Kathleen are dead.’

‘I know how close you guys were.’ Her voice was sympathetic now. ‘I understand this has been a shocking time for you, losing your closest friend and his wife.’

His eyes fixed on the flickering candle that was in the centre of the table setting. ‘Frankly, the idea of raising Charlotte daunts the hell out of me. When Scott asked me to be her godfather and guardian, I really didn’t expect to ever have to step in to fill their shoes.’

‘Logan, nobody could’ve foreseen the way their lives would be cut short in that dreadful car accident, but they chose you because they knew you loved their little girl and would always do the right thing by her.’

‘I’m not about to let them or Charlotte down, but I can’t believe they didn’t update their wills when Charlotte was born. I’m livid that Thea was granted custody just because she’s Charlotte’s closest living relative. It’s criminal that the welfare department didn’t check more thoroughly into her background.’

‘It is, and although it’s not fair, you have to be prepared to acknowledge that you could lose this fight,’ she warned. ‘Thea put on quite a show of concern for Charlotte at the funeral.’

Yes. The whole doting grandmother performance had made his stomach turn. ‘The court has to recognise that I’m not only the better choice, but I was Charlotte’s parents’ choice. That woman just wants to get her hands on the fortune Charlotte’s inherited. She doesn’t want Charlotte.’ He knew the pain of being unwanted. He’d never let Charlotte experience that.

‘You’ve found the email from Scott where he’s referred to you becoming Charlotte’s guardian?’

‘Yes.’

‘You realise the judge could decide to make Charlotte a state ward and put her into a foster home?’

His fingers clenched around the phone. ‘There’s no way I’ll stand by and watch that happen.’

‘Then you have to prove to the court you can look after her.’ All trace of empathy was gone as Melissa turned into his bossy little sister once again. ‘You have to change your image.’

‘I already have.’

‘How?’ She sounded doubtful.

He felt his lips rise in a small half-smile. ‘You wouldn’t recognise me.’

‘Don’t tell me…You haven’t chopped off your trademark ponytail, have you?’

‘Yep.’

‘No!’ Melissa sounded incredulous.

‘The lawyer told me it should go, so it did.’

‘That was one brave lawyer. I can’t imagine you without your long hair.’

He ignored her dig. Cutting his shoulder-length hair had been easy. Gaining custody of Charlotte would be harder, and trying to parent her would be the hardest task of all. ‘I now have straight back and sides and I’m clean-shaven.’

‘No stubble? You’re right. I wouldn’t recognise you. But they’re only superficial changes and it won’t be enough to win custody. Get married, Logan. That’s what’s required here.’

‘I don’t want a wife.’ His tone and resolution were adamant.

‘Charlotte would benefit from a mother-figure in her life, but if you don’t want to marry permanently, you at least need to marry temporarily and stay married until you’re appointed Charlotte’s guardian. Marriage could be a sort of confidential business arrangement.’

He groaned in frustration. ‘Even if I decided to get married for Charlotte’s sake, I don’t know anyone who’d be prepared to sign up to be her mother.’

‘You’re absolutely right. None of the high-powered career women or supermodels you’ve dated would be considered suitable mother-material. So,’ her deep intake of breath was audible, ‘I’ve arranged for someone else to fill that role.’

‘What?’ He jerked forward in his chair, astounded by what he thought he’d just heard her say.

‘A friend of mine. She’s older than I am and a gem with kids,’ she blurted. ‘I’ve explained the situation and she’s prepared to play the role of your adoring wife as a short-term arrangement. Although it took a lot of convincing, and you’re going to have to make good with some serious financial incentive while she puts her life on hold, she’ll be meeting you at the restaurant tonight to nut out the terms of the agreement.’

Poleaxed. There was no other word to describe how Logan felt about his sister’s announcement. Of all the crazy, ridiculous things Melissa had done in her life, this had to be the one that topped them all.

‘Be nice,’ she added while Logan was still rendered speechless, ‘and don’t try to get her into bed. She’s not a one-night-stand type of girl and it will only complicate your marriage agreement.’

Shaking his head in disbelief, he tried to process what she’d said. ‘That’s certifiable behaviour! You should know better than to think I’d go along with such a ludicrous idea.’

‘I promise you won’t regret it. She’s not only respectable with incredible credentials, but stunning, so the court will buy that you’re attracted to her.’

‘No. This isn’t going to happen,’ he told her firmly.

‘I don’t see you coming up with a better idea,’ she challenged. ‘You should be thanking me.’

‘Listen hard, Melissa, I’m not thanking you.’

‘You will when you meet her. She’s going to knock your socks off.’

‘I don’t care how good looking she happens to be, you shouldn’t have done it. And despite what you may think of me, I don’t take my socks off for just anyone.’ Blasted tabloids! Yes, he’d had his fair share of lovers, but if his sister read all that garbage printed by the media and believed it, what chance did he have of convincing the court he’d be a good moral role model for Charlotte?

‘Do it for Charlotte.’

He closed his eyes briefly and his lips twisted. ‘Melissa —’

‘Just…Damn it! What’s the time?’ She didn’t even wait for a response before she gave a loud groan. ‘She should’ve been there by now. She must’ve had cold feet.’ Another curse. ‘I’m going to have to find someone else.’

‘Don’t.’

‘I will. And if you care about Charlotte’s future at all, you’ll go along with it.’

‘Like hell!’ His words erupted a little too loudly and he became aware of the scrutiny of some who were dining close by. A pointed look from him had them all returning to their conversations.

‘You think Scott wouldn’t have done it for you if the situations were reversed?’ she challenged.

Her words were like huge fists punching him in the solar plexus and driving the air from his lungs. God, he missed Scott. He closed his eyes momentarily on his grief. The pain of his friend’s death was still agonisingly raw. ‘That’s a low blow, Melissa.’

‘Just think about it, Logan,’ she told him quietly, as though she were reasoning with a child. ‘You and I both know what it’s like to grow up in a dysfunctional family. I know how damned lucky I was to have you as my brother, but it would’ve been great to have had one mother and father and not the endless procession of women Dad brought home after Mum left him. Right now, Charlotte doesn’t have anyone but her horrid grandmother. She can’t afford for you to lose this case. You have to do whatever it takes.’

And just like that, Logan knew she was right. He owed it to Scott and Kathleen, and most importantly to Charlotte, to do whatever it took to provide a happy, safe and healthy environment for his little goddaughter to grow up in. The kind he’d never known, but what Charlotte would’ve had if her parents had lived.

But marriage?

There had to be another way. He’d sworn he’d never contemplate marriage again. The mistake he’d made had caused him so much grief. On top of that, he’d been angry with himself for not learning from his father’s experiences. The errors his father had made needed to be learned from, not repeated.

‘You’re staying at your city apartment?’ Melissa asked.

‘Yeah,’ he replied distantly, his mind still trying to sort out the best way to win this court case.

‘Then I’ll be there around ten tomorrow morning for a coffee, and in the meantime I’ll contact the woman who was number two on my candidate list and see if I can talk her into meeting you.’

‘No.’ The protest was adamant. Nobody was talking anybody into marrying him. ‘If I decide it’s necessary, I’m capable of finding my own temporary bride.’

She ignored him. ‘See you tomorrow — and I’ll look forward to seeing your new look. To see you without your ponytail will be amazing, but I can’t imagine you without that famously sexy pirate’s stubble on your upper lip and jaw. It’s no wonder women go into a tailspin whenever you’re around. I’d go nuts for you too, if you weren’t my brother and I didn’t know how damned pig-headed and —’

The rumbling sound of his extreme annoyance only made her laugh.

‘Love you, Logan,’ she told him before she disconnected.

Love you too, he thought as he replaced the phone inside his jacket pocket. He really did love her. Madcap Melissa he’d called her when they were kids, and she hadn’t changed a bit. Yeah, she was crazy and bossy, but she was also like a breath of fresh air.

Being sent away to boarding school had been tough initially but in some ways it had been easier than facing his father every day and knowing that his father blamed him for his mother’s departure. The only good memories he possessed of being at home during his childhood holidays had been the times he’d spent with Melissa. Now, when everything in life had been going according to his plan, he’d been thrown another curve ball. Melissa would say it was the universe trying to prove to him that he wasn’t the master of his own destiny.

The same waiter he’d waved away previously, approached him again. ‘Would you like another drink, sir?’

Just bring the whole damn bottle of scotch, he felt like saying. He could sure use it.

Refraining, he nodded. ‘I’ll have a bottle of your Margaret River Merlot now. My guest isn’t able to make it so I’m ready for the menu as well.’

‘Of course.’ The young man hurried away.

Logan looked around the restaurant at all the seemingly happy couples. Happy now, but how many of these relationships would last? How long before the yelling and screaming started between them and they began to rip each other apart in nasty divorce settlements?

Scott and Kathleen would’ve made it. Their devotion to each other had been undeniable. The love they’d shared had been precious and rare. It made their deaths even more unfair.

Charlotte needed a stable, loving environment. He could provide that.

Charlotte needed a mother.

For a moment he buried his head in his hands.

He knew all about needing a mother. He’d only been a kid, not much older than Charlotte, when his mother had walked out on him and his father. The upheaval from his parents’ divorce and from his mother’s abandonment had been traumatic. He wouldn’t wish it upon any child.

Marriage for Charlotte’s sake would be a paper marriage. A business contract. The nanny he’d already decided to employ was too old for the role, and as Melissa had so rightly pointed out, none of his lovers would be suitable women to play a role in Charlotte’s life, even temporarily. There must be an appropriate woman somewhere who’d take on the role. A woman who’d agree to a marriage of convenience at least for the time it took for the court to award him custody.

Would marriage under those circumstances be so bad? If he set the terms, marriage needn’t tie him down or restrict his lifestyle. He could be discreet in his relationships. No emotion involved, and therefore no heartache for either party. All he had to do was find the right woman, compensate her generously, and convince the court it was the real deal. Melissa’s idea was taking root. Perhaps his sister’s idea wasn’t quite as scatty as he’d initially thought.

Turning over the possibilities in his mind, he glanced out of the large window. He stilled. It wasn’t the panoramic view of northern Sydney by night that caught his eye but the woman whose image was reflected in the glass.

Stunningly beautiful Sophie Hamilton was entering the restaurant. Even though he’d never met her, he recognised the granddaughter of Australia’s richest mining magnate. Three years ago, when Logan had been home in Australia recovering from his capture at the hands of an African militia group, her divorce from media mogul, Jake Formosa, had been splashed across the front page of every newspaper Formosa didn’t own. Journalists had circled like vultures, eager to dig up dirt on the split of Australia’s ‘golden couple’. Virtually hunted by the press at that time, Sophie had handled the relentless media pack in a calm, dignified way and spoken respectfully to them, even though they had disparaged her and dubbed her the ‘Ice Princess’.

Even had she not been instantly recognisable, a man would have to be dead from the waist down not to notice Sophie’s classic beauty, her flame-red hair and perfect body. Logan turned away from the window to look at her more closely, because the mere reflection of the woman wasn’t enough. The short, emerald-green dress she wore clung to her body lovingly, outlining full breasts and a narrow, hand-span waist. His eyes ran appreciatively over the female hips that flared gently and the luscious long legs that went on forever. Unbidden, the image of those legs being wrapped around him as he made love to her sprang to his mind in vivid Technicolour.

Sophie’s sensational legs were momentarily obscured as she weaved her way in between the tables where couples were seated. Seeking her face, Logan saw her features relax into a warm, friendly smile as she greeted the head waiter.

Whoa…Logan’s breath caught in his lungs. The woman was a knockout, and just looking at her caused his blood to rush south in a very disturbing manner. He looked away in case his desire was stamped too blatantly across his features. Ordinarily he’d make no secret of his interest in a woman. In his current circumstances, however, he didn’t want whoever she was dining with to take offence and deck him. A public brawl was the last thing his reputation needed in the lead-up to the preliminary court hearing.

‘Hi,’ a slightly breathy, female voice said a few moments later, as he was still wrestling to refrain from looking back at Sophie Hamilton. ‘I’m Sophie. Sorry I’m late.’

Logan looked up to see that the object of his fantasies stood opposite him. The waiter had accompanied her and was beginning to pull out a chair for her — at his table.

Chapter 2

Sophie Hamilton was the woman Melissa had arranged for him to meet?

‘Hi.’ Logan stood automatically, but his brain was so busy rejecting what was happening, he didn’t even introduce himself.

This couldn’t be happening. Surely Sophie Hamilton had