The Marriage Debt. Daphne Clair
it could be an award winner, and do well overseas. The thing is, if we don’t go into production soon the people I’ve lined up will have to take other work. Even Craig—’
‘Craig?’ A frown raked between his brows.
‘I want him to play the witness.’ And he wanted the part too. She was under no illusion that it was for her sake alone he’d pushed her into contacting Devin. She pulled several folded pages from her bag. ‘I know most of the names won’t mean much to you, but this is a short description of the project, with a list of potential cast and crew members and their credits. If you need me to explain anything…’
Devin nodded, and skimmed the pages while she watched, holding her breath.
Finally he looked up at her. ‘I take it you’ve explored every other avenue before coming to me.’
‘Everyone and anybody I could think of.’
‘You went to people who know about the film business and they all turned you down.’
Shannon said frankly, ‘I guess they weren’t willing to invest that kind of money in a director with only one feature credit to my name. But I’ve lots of experience with my own short films and several assistant director credits. If they’d give me the chance I can do this. Or if you would…’
‘A chance to the tune of millions of dollars.’
‘It’s a drop in the bucket to you!’
Devin laughed. ‘Quite a few drops, in fact.’ He stood up, strolled across the carpet and back, stopping within a few feet of her, regarding her with a disconcerting stare as if he wanted to see into her mind, her heart. ‘This really matters to you.’
‘I know you never thought much of my career, but it means a lot to me—’
‘That I do know,’ he said, ‘since it’s the reason you left me.’
‘Not the only reason.’ But she didn’t want to get into that argument. There were dangerous waters there with hidden shoals. ‘The thing is, will you help or am I wasting my time?’
‘That depends,’ he said, regarding her almost absently for a few seconds. A silky, ominous note in his voice, he said, ‘What are you offering me in return?’
A tremor ran through her. Warning bells were ringing somewhere deep inside her mind. ‘If it’s a success you could make a pretty good profit.’
‘A big if.’
Shannon couldn’t dispute that. But she guessed Devin would make certain that if anyone gained financially from the venture, he did.
She tilted her head at a defiant angle. ‘I can do it,’ she reiterated, trying to infuse all her certainty into the words.
‘You have great faith in yourself.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I do.’
Something complicated flickered across his face. ‘I remember those words,’ he said softly. ‘But it didn’t take you long to forget them.’
For a moment she was lost. Then she flushed. ‘That isn’t true! And it has nothing to do with this. We’re talking about a deal here, a business deal.’
‘You wouldn’t have come to me if we hadn’t had a personal relationship.’
She said fervently, ‘Believe me, if I’d known anyone else who could afford to help me I’d have gone to them first.’
A gleam entered the dark eyes. ‘So I’m a last resort.’
Had she offended him? Bad tactics. Trying to sound humble, she said, ‘Put that way, it sounds like an insult. I didn’t mean it to be. I just don’t like asking favours…of anyone.’
‘Especially me.’ His face as usual revealed little of what he was thinking.
‘I know we parted in anger, but after three years surely we can behave like civilised adults.’
Devin smiled, a slight, contained movement of his beautiful masculine mouth. ‘If you can, I can.’
‘Then will you think about this?’ Shannon hoped she didn’t sound as if she were begging. Trying for a more businesslike manner, she offered, ‘I can draw up a formal proposal if you like, draft a contract.’
‘I’d prefer my own lawyer to do that, I think.’
‘Then you will think about it?’ What the hell if she was begging? She would get down on her knees if necessary.
‘I don’t suppose you have any collateral to offer,’ he asked, ‘or guarantees?’
Shannon chewed on her lower lip. ‘No. I have a car, but my flat’s rented. I spent everything I had getting the script pulled together and hustling for grants or commercial backing.’
‘I see.’ He was looking at her in a speculative way that made her uneasy. Maybe he enjoyed watching her squirm.
‘Look,’ she said, ‘if you’re stringing me along I wish you’d just tell me it’s no go. I’ll find someone else…somehow.’
‘Don’t be so hasty. I haven’t said no.’
‘But you’re not saying yes!’
‘I need a little time to consider your…proposition. And maybe,’ he added slowly, ‘I have one of my own.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘How badly do you want this money?’
‘You know I’m desperate. You said so yourself.’
He seemed to be looking through her rather than at her. She wished she knew what he was thinking, but Devin had never been easy to read. His emotions were hidden behind his classic, slightly austere features.
At last he spoke. ‘I’ll give you the money, but there’s a condition.’
About to say, Anything! Shannon curbed the rash impulse. ‘As long as it’s not creative control over the project I can probably meet it.’
‘Oh, you can meet it all right. All you need to do is say yes.’
‘Yes to what? If you want your name in the credits I can bill you as co-producer if you like.’
A strange, unsettling smile lurked on his mouth. ‘Not that.’
Shannon shook her head. ‘Then what do you want?’
For a second or so he kept her on tenterhooks. Then he said, without any change in inflection, ‘I want you, Shannon.’
CHAPTER THREE
SHANNON stared, the significance of the words sinking in. ‘You don’t mean…’
Surely he wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was.
Devin said, in that same level, apparently reasonable tone, ‘I mean exactly what I said. Do you have a problem?’
It was a moment before her voice would work, and when it did it was higher and shriller than she’d intended it to be.
‘Damn right I have a problem! You can’t ask me to agree to that!’
‘I can ask you to do anything I please.’ He thrust both hands into his pockets and rocked back slightly on his heels, his eyes focused on her face. ‘I can’t compel you to agree, of course. The choice is entirely yours.’
She stood up, her knees shaking. ‘If this is a joke, you know what you can do with it.’
‘You surely know me better than that.’
She gathered up her bag, straightened and stared at him with angry, indignant eyes. ‘You can’t possibly expect me to treat this seriously.’
Devin shrugged.