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  He turned to me, frowning again, “Philanthropy?”

  I nodded, “I know you give money to charity.” I suspected I’d be arranging a donation to whatever this Madison thing was this weekend. “But maybe you could donate some of your medications to third-world countries or poorer communities.”

  He stared at me in a way that made me uncomfortable as if I was missing something I should have known.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he sat back in his chair. “If you could get me this information on Madison before the end of the day, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Yes, sir.” This time, his lips didn’t twitch. Recognizing I was being dismissed, I stood, “Anything else?”

  He already had his head down looking at a spreadsheet, “No. Thank you.”

  I left his office and headed back to mine, passing his secretary as I did.

  She piped up, “Hey, Hallie, I’ve got a message from your insurance company.” She handed me a pink message slip.

  “Thank you, Claire,” I took the paper and went to my office. I’d deal with the insurance company at lunch. I took my job seriously. I wasn’t going to take care of personal issues while I was on the clock. So I started on my research about Janine Madison and her upcoming charity event.

  Janine Madison was an heiress that liked to use her money for good, but also, for flaunting her wealth. She was stunning looking and probably the reason people said that forty was the new thirty. She was forty-five but looked at least ten years younger. Her major investments were in tech and pharmaceuticals, which is probably why Dave was sending Nate to her event. I couldn’t help but wonder if Nate planned to use more than an investment report to woo Ms. Madison. Although the rumor was, Nate never mixed business with pleasure, so maybe not.

  I pulled together all the information and headed back to Nate’s office. He was out, so I set it on his desk. It was close enough to lunch that I could take a break. I’d start with a call to my insurance company.

  My house had been fairly well insured, but that didn’t mean the insurance company wanted to cover the extensive damages the fire had done to my home. Added to that was my desire to make changes to my home that would make it easier for my parents to come and live with me.

  Since the fire, I’d been living with my parents, and I realized that my mother's multiple sclerosis and my father’s age were impacting their quality of life. It was time I moved them in with me, but my home wasn’t conducive to the wheelchair my mother would soon need. The problem was, insurance definitely didn’t want to cover those changes. So I needed to find the money before I could start the rebuild on my home. I didn’t want to ask my parents to help because I hadn’t yet told them of my plans. They’d reached an age where they seemed to say no to anything and everything that they thought would make them a burden.

  After dealing with the insurance guy, I went to the breakroom where Clair and a few other staff were having lunch.

  “Nate says you’re going with him to the fundraiser this weekend,” Clair said. She sat at one of the tables with her lunch.

  “He sees it as an investment opportunity,” I said sitting across from her.

  “You should see it as a-gawk-at-Nate opportunity,” Jolene, an admin in the accounting department said as she sat down next to Clair.

  Clair nodded.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Nate in a tux is like heaven on earth,” Clair said, cutting the crust off her sandwich.

  “Oh, how I’d like to have a piece of that heaven,” Jolene sighed dreamily.

  I snorted, “You’d have to wait in line.”

  “It would be worth it,” Jolene said. Then she looked at me. “You have to get a picture and text it to me.”

  “What?” I liked hanging with the girls and doing girly things, but sneaking a picture of my boss to text to my friends seemed a little too much, especially since there was nothing private about today’s technology. What would he think if he learned I had a picture of him? “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not? Who will know?” she asked, popping the tab on a soda.

  “What could it hurt?” Clair asked.

  “You want one too?”

  Clair shrugged, “I kicked Danny out, and now I have to take care of my own needs - a picture of Nate would make that oh so satisfying.”

  I gaped. Did she just say she was going to masturbate to Nate? “I might have done it, but sending you a picture so you can get off feels exploitive.” Besides, they shouldn’t need a picture. I could conjure Nate up just fine when it was just me and my battery-operated boy toy, practically the only thing I owned not damaged by the fire.

  “You’re naughty, Clair,” Jolene said.

  “Tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing,” Clair took a bite of her sandwich, her eyebrows raising up and down suggestively.

  Jolene laughed, “Well, of course, I was, I just wasn’t going to say it out loud.”

  “What are you going to wear?” Clair asked. I was glad for the change of subject.

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to go shopping.” I opened my own lunch. One of the benefits of living back at home was that my mom made my lunch just as she had when I was in school.

  “Be sure to turn in your receipt,” Jolene said.

  “The company isn’t going to buy me a dress,” I pulled out a sandwich, apple, and homemade cookies. I’d need to buy a drink from the vending machine.

  “Would you be buying it if you weren’t going to this event?” she asked.

  “No.”

  She pointed her carrot stick at me, “Are you going to this event because of your job?”

  “Yes.”

  She shrugged and made an I-rest-my-case gesture as she bit her carrot.

  “Do I have to give the dress to the company when I’m done?” I pulled a dollar bill from my purse and went to the vending machine to get a drink.

  “No and chances are you’ll have to wear it again. Nate likes to have his assistant with him when he’s business schmoozing.”

  I frowned as I brought my drink back to the table.

  “But don’t worry, Hallie. He’s not a perv boss. He sticks by his no touching the staff rule, so you’re safe,” Clair said.

  “Bummer, huh?” Jolene said.

  It sort of was.

  Marry Me

  Chapter Three: Marry Me

  Nate

  I enjoyed getting out and being with people. I didn’t even mind schmoozing very much. But I definitely didn’t like asking for money. Since I had success and lots of money, it felt odd to be asking other rich people to give my business money. But that was why I was at this event tonight - to see if Janine Madison would be interested in investing in Sloane Labs’ IPO.

  In most cases, when I was doing business with a woman, it was strictly business. While I might have a reputation as a ladies’ man, I never mixed business with pleasure. However, it wasn’t a rule that Janine Madison seemed to adhere to, if I was reading her signals right.

  Janine was a beautiful woman, and perhaps in another place and time, I might have considered taking her up on her offer. According to the information Hallie had brought me, Janine was in her forties, but to look at her, it was difficult to tell. Her skin was smooth, her body firm and tone, and her hair was a shade of blonde that I’m sure only came from a bottle. I’d have pegged her in her thirties.

  “Your donation to the Madison Fund’s work in Africa was very generous,” Janine said, leaning close to me as if the ballroom of the five-star hotel was loud and I wouldn’t hear her otherwise. While there were many people attending the event, I didn’t need to be close enough to see the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes.

  “I want to be a part of the wonderful work you do,” I replied, taking a sip of my drink while resisting the urge to down it and then leave to get another one.

  “I’m interested in the work you do too, Nate,” her fingers wrapped around my bicep and lightly squeezed. “I understand you’re about to go
public.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I suppose you’ve heard I like to invest in pharmaceuticals.”

  At least she was to the point, “I had heard that.” I scanned the room, wondering if Hallie had arrived yet. I’d trusted her to bring the information about my IPO, so I could give it to Janine.

  She laughed, “I’ve been following you, Nate.” The gleam in her eyes told me she hadn’t just been following my business. “Maybe we could take this discussion somewhere more private? I’ve reserved a room in the hotel for the night. We can go have a drink, and you can tell me about Sloane Labs. Show me your prospectus.”

  Why did prospectus all of a sudden seem like a euphemism for dick? And where the hell was Hallie?

  I scanned the room one more time. As my gaze passed the entrance to the hotel ballroom, it immediately came to a screeching halt. Hallie stood in the entrance, her eyes scanning the room for me. I needed to lift my hand to signal her, but my brain had stopped working as it took in the sight of her. She was stunning.

  She wore a green halter dress which accented her smooth, creamy skin and brought out the beauty of her auburn hair, which she wore up on one side and down on the other. The dress dipped just enough in front to create tantalizing cleavage that I imagined running my tongue along. The gown tapered at her waist and clung to her curves. If there was anyone I wanted to show my prospectus too, it was Hallie.

  “Nate? Is something wrong? Why don’t we get that drink?” Janine nudged closer, her breasts pressing against me. It brought me back to the moment, and my need to figure out how to ask Janine for money without having to fuck her.

  I lifted my hand and waved to Hallie. It took a moment before her gaze caught my gesture. When it did, she made her way to me. I turned my attention back to Janine, my mind scanning for ways to say no. I hadn’t told a woman no very often, so I was having a hard time finding the right words.

  “I’ve heard some good things about you and your zest for life,” Janine whispered and licked her lips as she looked up at me.

  Where the fuck was Hallie? I turned my head and saw her approaching. She was like an angel, an angel who could save me.

  I reached out my arm and started to slide it around her waist. I noted the curious expression on her face as I did and had to hope she wouldn’t out me.

  “Janine, let me introduce my wife. Hallie, this is Janine Madison. She’s the head of the Madison Fund that does all that wonderful work in Africa.” Please, please, please go along with this, I implored her with my eyes.

  Hallie’s eyes widened as they looked up at me, but she didn’t pull away from my arm around her waist. I stared down at her, hoping I was telepathic, and she could read my mind.

  Finally, she turned to Janine, “So nice to meet you.” She extended her hand.

  “Wife?” Janine shook Hallie’s hand briefly and took a quick step back, “I didn’t realize you were married.”

  “Most people don’t,” Hallie said, quirking her brow at me.

  I’d have to give her a raise later, but it would be worth it.

  Hallie handed me a brochure size folder with Sloane Labs information about the IPO in it. “Here is that information you wanted…honey.”

  “Thank you,” I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll make this up to you,” I whispered as I nuzzled her ear. Then I turned to Janine, “You said something about getting a drink and talking. Hallie and I would love to share with you Sloane Lab’s IPO and plans for growth.”

  Janine inhaled a breath, “I’d enjoy learning more, but I should probably mingle with the other donors.”

  “Yes, of course.” Hallelujah. I didn’t have a commitment for money, but I got out of turning the offer of her body down.

  “But I will take your information. I’ll admit, I had some reservations. While your company is known for good work, your reputation…but I see that you’ve settled down and are taking your business seriously.”

  She was a piece of work. She was offering herself to me and then was going to use it against me if I accepted? Maybe Dave was right. People’s perception of me was clouding their opinion of my business.

  I handed her the information.

  “I assure you, Ms. Madison, Nate takes his work very seriously,” Hallie said. “There is nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure it was a success.”

  I held back a laugh as I realized she was poking at me. Yes, I would pretend my assistant was my wife for business. Except, in this case, it was to avoid having to tell Janine I didn’t want to fuck her.

  “That’s good to hear. Enjoy yourselves,” Janine sauntered off.

  “Thank fuck,” I said, blowing out a breath.

  “Mr. Sloane?”

  “Hmm?” I looked down at Hallie. Good Christ, I’d never realized how green her eyes were.

  She looked down at her waist where my hand was still firmly holding her and then back up at me.

  “Oh,” I released her and stepped back. “Thank you for going along with that.”

  “What was that about?”

  “She wanted to take our conversation to a more private place…her hotel room.”

  Hallie’s brow furrowed, “And you didn’t want to do that?”

  I frowned, “I don’t sleep with every woman I meet. I especially don’t sleep with a woman I’m trying to secure funding from.”

  “No, of course not.”

  I looked over the sea of people. Did they all think I was a horndog? Was my reputation worse than I’d thought? Was Dave right that it would hurt the IPO? Maybe he was also right that I needed to prove I’d changed my ways.

  “Hallie?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I leaned closer to her, “Will you be my wife?”

  She gaped up at me. I couldn’t blame her. What I was asking was ridiculous.

  I held my hand out in the direction of the entry, “Can I talk to you in private?”

  Her eyes widened, and I realized she might have thought I was propositioning her. Christ, if she filed a sexual harassment claim, I would be ruining Sloane Labs’ future.

  “Just in the hallway. Just to talk.”

  She studied me for a moment and then walked toward the door. Once we were in the hallway, I led us to an area that didn’t have any people around.

  She stared up at me again like I’d gone nuts. I probably had.

  “I’m sorry for putting you on the spot like that, but this incident with Janine and you're confirmation that my rep is worse than I thought, I suddenly realized I needed to do something drastic.”

  “Drastic?” There was something in the tone of her voice that suggested my idea that we play husband and wife was more than drastic - it was insulting.

  “I need this IPO to go well. To do that I need to change my image, and ward off the Janine’s of the world. A wife would do both.”

  She nodded, still looking a little offended.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I’m prepared to compensate you for it.” Then, again worrying she’d take my suggestion the wrong way, I added, “What is something you need that I can help with?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if you can pretend to be my wife during the dog and pony shows, I can do something in return for you. A trip to Paris? Pay your student loans?”

  “You’re serious?”

  I ran my fingers through my hair, “I know it’s crazy, Hallie. I really do.” I decided to change tactics. She might not want to help me, but she’d probably want to help others. “With this IPO, we’ll be able to expand our research. We’ve got a great start on research for treatments for autoimmune diseases such as MS and Guillain-Barre syndrome, but there’s still a long way to go. This IPO will help with that.”

  That seemed to have worked as her eyes turned less suspicious, “How would such an...arrangement...work? People at work, our families - they know we’re not married.”

  “We don’t announce it officially. We can keep it on the down-low at home. It
’s just during the presentations.”

  She looked away; I hoped that meant she was thinking about it.

  To help her, I reminded her of my offer, “I can do something for you in return. Name it.”

  She blew out a breath, “Well, my house burned down, and insurance isn’t covering everything I need to fix.”

  What? Where was she living now? Instead of asking her for the details, I said, “I’ll pay for your rebuild.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise like she hadn’t expected my offer. Wasn’t that what she was asking?

  “I need to have expensive upgrades put in,” she said.

  “Fine. No problem.”

  She frowned, “You don’t know how much it will cost.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” I felt more than certain I had enough to rebuild her home. Unless she was rebuilding the Taj Mahal, we’d be fine.

  “You know this is crazy, right?”

  I nodded, “Yep.”

  “Who would believe it?”

  I frowned, “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I’m not your type. Who would believe that you’d marry me?”

  It was my turn to gape, “Why wouldn’t I marry you?”

  She rolled her pretty green eyes. “One,” she held up her index finger, “I’m nothing like your usual woman. Two,” her middle finger joined the first one, “I’m your assistant and, despite your reputation, it’s also known you don’t mix business with pleasure. And three,” she held up a third finger, “I’m not…glamourous. Besides, you said yourself this was drastic.”

  Huh? I began to understand why she seemed offended. She thought I meant it was drastic to choose her as a fake wife because she didn’t think she met my standard of woman.

  She huffed out an exasperated breath, “I’m not as fancy or pretty as your usual woman.”

  “What are you talking about? You’re beautiful.”

  She jerked back as if she hadn’t expected that, “I’m...um…bigger.”

  I shook my head, “Are you putting yourself down, Hallie? Do you want to know what I see? I see a beautiful woman with sexy curves. If you weren’t my assistant, I’d have definitely hit on you.” That was probably grounds for a sexual harassment suit, but I didn’t know how to dissuade her of the belief I wouldn’t find her attractive. I had found her so since the moment I met her.