Page 22 of The Exception

“This could benefit both of us,” he said. “I’d provide my money and my expertise for the restoration. And you could help me show everyone that I’m capable of loving someone other than myself or the business.”

“And howexactlywould I do that?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“You could—” He shrugged, and I’d never seen him look so hesitant. It was honestly kind of cute, the way his cheeks flushed with color. “Give me pointers on how to be myself but show a softer side.”

I furrowed my brow.Interesting. Okay.

I still wasn’t sure what that would entail, but oddly enough, I was more concerned with what he’d want out of the château.

“I assume you’d want a small percentage of the château’s revenue once it starts paying out.”

“Naturally. Twenty-five percent is acceptable.”

“Twenty-five?” I laughed. “You’ve got to be joking.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. If he was trying to intimidate me, it wasn’t going to work.

“We both know that ten percent is standard,” I said.

“My standard is closer to twenty-five.”

“Perhaps, but you’re forgetting the fact that you’d be receiving an additional benefit from the deal. Ten.”

“Twenty,” he shot back.

“Twelve. Take it or leave it.”

He considered it a moment. “Okay.” He held out his hand, presumably to shake on it.

CHAPTERSIX

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” I held up my hands. “I’m not ready to agree to anything.”

I didn’t have enough details. We might agree on the percentage, but there was so much more at stake.

Never in a million years would I have expected Graham to propose something like this. And definitely not to me.

If anything, I’d prepared myself to have him question my reviews of his hotel chain. I’d imagined us arguing about them, him trying to persuade me to revise them. Not…ask me to be his wife.

Breathe, Lil. Breathe.

This was a lot to process. Marriage to Graham. Money for the restoration.

Being married to a handsome billionaire seemed a small price to pay in exchange for twenty million dollars to fund the château restoration.

Twenty. Million. Dollars.

Did he have any idea what I could do with that kind of money? Did I?

“This business arrangement,” I asked. “How long would it need to last?”

“A year. Maybe two.”

A breath gusted out of me. Wow.Wow!

“You’d have to give up your blog or focus on something other than luxury hotels. Maybe experiences? Or even luxury goods?”

If I had the money for the renovations, I wouldn’t need the income from the blog. And if the renovations were moving forward at full speed, I’d definitely need to be more involved at the château. While I hated the idea of giving up something that I’d spent so much time and effort on, I knew something had to give.

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