Chapter Two.
Alex Smith had a fortune at his fingertips. But to get the one thing he wanted he needed a wife
Alex believed in many things, working hard to accomplish a goal. Controlling anger and resorting to reason when a moment became confrontational. And creating buildings that were solid and beautiful. Smooth angles and sharp lines blending together.
Bricks and concrete and glass attesting to the solidity that people craved in ordinary life. The Short moment of wonder when a person looks upon the final creation for the first time. All of these things made sense to him.
Alex did not believe in marriage, love or even family. This things made no sense to him, and he had decided not to incorporate them into his life. Unfortunately, uncle Billy had changed the rules.
Alex 's guts coiled, and his sick sense of humor almost caused a laugh to spill from his lips. He rose from his leather chair and stripped of his jacket. He quickly changed into his gray sweatpants and matching tshirt. He turned to the treadmill and tried not to think about smoking. Even after five years, when the stress kicked in, he still longed for a smoke. When the urge hit, he exercised. Running soothed him, especially in his perfectly controlled environment. No loud voices interrupting his concentration,no scorching sunlight, no rocks or gravel impending his path. He set the panel and began the steady pace that would lead him toward a solution.
Even though he understood his uncle's intentions, the sense of betrayal slowly ate him up. Alex shook his head, he should have seen this coming. Uncle Billy had spent his last months emphasizing on the importance of family.
As Alex drifted in and out of relationships one thing became very clear to him. All women wanted marriage, and marriage meant messiness, fights and emotions. Children tearing them up wanting attention, needing more space, until the end, divorce with children as casualties.
No thanks.
He pumped up the incline and adjusted the speed as his thoughts whirled. Uncle Billy remained optimistic. The heart attack had struck fast, when the lawyers came to read the will of their uncle, Alex thought the legalities were going to be easy. His sister Olivia had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with the business. Uncle Billy had no other relatives. So for the first time Alex believed in good fortune. Finally he would have something that was completely his.
Until the lawyers read the will. Then he realised the joke was on him.
He would inherit majority of the dreamscape shares as soon as he got married. The marriage must last a year, to any woman he chose, and a prenuptial agreement was acceptable.
If Alex decided not to comply with his uncle's wishes he would retina fifty percent of the shares and the other fifty would be split among the board members. Alex would be nothing but a figure head. Instead of creating buildings he would be stuck in meetings and corporate politics, exactly what he did not want to do with his life.
And uncle Billy had known about it.
So now Alex had to find a wife.
He got of the treadmill and grabbed a bottle of water from the minibar, and walked back to his chair. He took a sip of the ice cold water and placed the sweating bottle on his desk.
He wouldn't waste any more time griping about unfairness. So he decided to make a list clear of all the attributes his wife would need, and see if he could come up with any suitable appropriate candidates.
Immediately, an image of Diana arose, but he squashed the thought. The stunning supermodel he currently was dating was perfect for social functions and great sex but not marriage.
Diana was a sharp conversationalist, and he enjoyed her company, but he was afraid she was falling for him. She had also hinted at her desire to have children, which was a deal breaker. No matter how he laid out the ground rules of a marriage, emotion would ruin it. She had become jealous and demanding, like any Normal wife. No pre nup would ever stand up to her greed once she felt betrayed.
He took another sip of his water and ran a thumb in circles over the rough edge of the bottle top.
He set the pen on the left edge of the page and wrote a list.
A woman who does not love me.
A Woman i do not desire to sleep with.
A woman who does not have a big family.
A woman who die not have any animals.
A woman who does not want any children.
A woman who has her own independent career.
A woman who is not overly emotional or impulsive
A woman who will view the relationship as a business venture.
A woman I can trust.
Jordy read the list over, he knew some of this qualities were optimistic but he intended to offer many fringe benefits, but he wanted the marriage in name only. No sex equals, no jealousy, no messiness which would lead to a perfect marriage.
He sifted through all the women he had dated in the past, every female friend he had exchanged words with, every business associate he ever lunched with.
He came up with nothing.
Frustration nibbled on the edges of his nerves. He was a thirty year old man, reasonably attractive, intelligent, and financially secure. And he couldn't come up with one decent woman to marry.
He had one week to find his wife.
His cell phone rang, he picked it up, "Alex,"
"Alex, its me Olivia." she paused, "Did you find a wife yet?"
A chuckle strangled his lips. His sister was the only woman in the world who got him to laugh on a regular basis. Even if sometimes it was a his own expense. "Working on it now."
"I think i found her."
His heartbeat sped up, "who is it?"
Another pause. "You would have to neet her terms, but i don't think they will be a problem. Be open minded, i know you can trust her."
He Checked the last item on the list, a strange buzzing hummed in his ears as if in warning of his sister's next words "Who is it Liv?"
Silence fell over the line for a beat. "Maya."
The room whirled in a dizzying blur at the familiar name from his past. His only thought flashed like a mantra in vivid neon, over and over.
No frickin way.
Alex Smith glanced around, satisfied with the result his conference room provided a business atmosphere.. The contracts were well laid out, with an elegant silver tray filled with tea,coffee and a variety of pastries. Formal, yet friendly which would reflect the tone of their marriage. He ignored the deep pitch in his gut when he thought of encountering Maya Davis again. He wondered how she had grown, the stories his sister shared painted her an impulsive, reckless woman, she didn't fit the image he needed but his sister Olivia insisted she would be perfect. Stubborn memories of a free spirited kid with a ponytail bobbing teased his thoughts, even though he knew she owned a flower store, hr still thought of her as Olivia's play mate, despite the fact that he hadn't seen her in years. But time was running out. They shared a distant past, but he could sense that Maya could be trusted. She may not fit the idea of his perfect wife but she needed the money and he needed a wife, fast.
"God your parents really screwed you up." she muttered. "Thank you." "What if i don't fit in all these categories?" "We will work on it." Her eyes narrowed, and she bit her lip. Jordan flashed back to the first time he kissed her, when he was sixeen. How his mouth had pressed against hers,feeling her tremble. His fingers lightly caressing the bare skin of her shoulders. Then she had smiled and told him she loved him. Wanted to marry him. He should have kissed her or said something sweet and nice instead he had laughed. Even at sixteen he knew no relationship could ever be beautiful, they all eventually turned ugly. He shook off the memory and concentrated on the present. "Why don't you tell me what you are looking for in this marriage?" "One hundred and fifty thousand dollars upfront. In cash." He leaned closer to her intrigued, "Hell, that's alot of money. Gambling debts?" An invisible wall slammed between them. "No." "Shopping spree?" Temper flared in her eyes. "None of y
Maya looked over the crowd and wished she was back at BookCrazy, holding her Friday night poetry reading with her best friend. The business dinner tonight was the turning point in Alex's career. She knew heavy hitters swarmed the halls for the chance at glory, and Alex needed to dazzle the crowd in order to get a hearing. She handed the hostess her coat and let Alex lead her into the packed ballroom. “I’m assuming you have a general plan of attack?” she asked. “Who are the two players you need to concentrate on?” He motioned toward a thick cloud of cigar smoke. A tight circle of conservative businessmen surrounded a man impeccably dressed in a gray suit and silk tie. “Hyoshi Komo is building the Japanese restaurant. His vote is key to gain the third partner in the waterfront deal.” “So, why don’t you go over there and give your pitch?” She plucked a salmon tart from the tray of a tuxedo-clad waiter and grabbed a glass of champagne from another. “Because I don’t want to be one of t
Her steps carried her around the next corner into a room that looked more like a gallery, filled with shelves of old, bound books carefully displayed. She held her breath as her fingers itched to caress the binding of old leather and relish the sound of crackling as she turned the pages steeped in history. “Ah, so to get you to notice me tonight, I should turn into a book, no?” She spun around. A man stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with a mischievous humor she knew to be a part of his core. His hair was long and caught back in a low ponytail, giving him the look of a pirate who had charmed women for centuries. His lips were full and his nose dominated his strong features in typical Italian style. Dressed in black pants, a black silk shirt, and expensive leather shoes, he exhibited a graceful, seductive air just by standing. Maya knew immediately the man was charming, warm-hearted, and deadly to women. The thought made a smile curve her lips. She had a soft spot for womanizing
Michael watched the gesture with barely hidden amusement. “It seems Richard thinks you are the perfect man for the job. Perhaps we can set up a meeting to go over your ideas.” “Thank you. I’ll call your secretary and arrange an appointment.” She caught the clear-cut simplicity in his tone, and knew Michael noticed. Alex didn’t play certain business games, namely being too arrogant to pick up the phone himself to call for an appointment. “Very good.” Michael took her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. “It was lovely to meet you, Maya.” His Italian accent caressed her name. “I’m having a dinner party for a few close friends two weeks from tonight. Would you join me?” She noted he directed his invitation to her so she turned to her husband. “Darling? Are we free?” This time, his movement wasn’t subtle. He took a step behind her and wrapped both hands around her waist, drawing her back against him. Her butt pressed against his groin. Iron thighs trapped hers. He rested both hands d
Alex’s hands hung at his sides, empty. For one moment, he’d been filled with her: her curves, her scent, her heat. Now he stood in the middle of the room, alone, just like he had on their wedding night. A married man with a hard-on and no relief in sight. Amazed at his ridiculous predicament, he tried to go over the events of the evening and see where he had gone wrong. The moment he caught her with Michael, a slow, steaming anger had risen up within him. The heat started at his feet, traveled to his stomach, his chest, and finally settled like a hot band around his head. If he was a horse, he would have snorted out smoke and stamped his hooves. If he was a wolf, he would have howled at the moon. Her hand had rested on the Michael’s arm. He must’ve been quite amusing, because she threw her head back and laughed, her cheeks flushed and rosy. Her full lips had gleamed under the chandelier light. They’d acted like they were long-time friends instead of people who had just met. But the
“Oh, yeah, Alex would just love this kind of night out. He’d probably prefer a root canal and a prostate exam.” “How are you two getting along? Besides the physical attraction.” “Fine.” Olivua rolled her eyes. “Lying again. You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Maya realized she’d always confessed everything to Olivia except for one event. The first time Alex kissed her. She’d known she loved him back then. Friendship turned to rivalry and then to a girlish crush. That first kiss twisted emotions so pure within her she believed it was love. Her heart beat for him, full of joy at the possibility of them being together, so she uttered the words, her voice echoing through the trees. “I love you.” Then waited for him to kiss her again. Instead, he stepped back from her and laughed. Called her a silly baby and walked away. She learned her first lesson in heartbreak in that moment. Fourteen yearsold. In the woods with Alex Smith. She wasn’t about to repeat the lesson. She pushed th
Alex reached down and snagged Maya's fingers, pulling her up from the chair. “Show me the rest of the store while this guy finishes up.” Olivia chuckled and settled herself into the empty chair. “He’s just afraid of hin being next.” “You’re absolutely right.” Alex led her away from the crowd. With an instinctive motion, he stopped in a shadowed corner by a sign entitled RELATIONSHIPS. He guided her so her back pressed against the bookshelf, then dropped her hand. Alex shifted his feet and cursed under his breath at his sudden uneasiness. He hadn’t planned what to say, just knew he had to break the tension between them before he got crazy and dragged her into his bed. Somehow, he needed to bring the relationship back to friendship. Back to older brother/younger sister camaraderie. Even if it killed him. “I want to talk to you.” A slight smile twitched those bee-stung lips. “Okay.” “About us.” “Okay.” “I don’t think we should go to bed with each other.” She threw back her head