“Jesus Christ, you’re not getting it, Francesca!” Addison barked. “The women I see, I see for only one reason, and for only one night. That’s it. Most are already married, and even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t ask them, not with the conditions I’m being forced to meet. I’d prefer to keep the digits in my bank account at the breadth they are now, rather than watch them dwindle down to zero because some tart believes she’s worth more than she is just because she’s got large tits.”

“But if we could find someone—”

“I have an idea. What are you doing for the next three or four years?” Addison said, eyeballing her lawyer.

“Sorry, I’m taken, but nice try,” Fran said with a grin. “What about Millie?”

“You’re teetering on insanity again, and in case you haven’t figured it out, I don’t find any of this even remotely funny,” Addison said, the timbre of her voice lowering as her annoyance grew.

“I know that, but it sounds to me like you’re at least open to trying this. That is if we could find someone. Yes?”

“Exactly how do you plan to do that, Fran?” Addison said, crossing her arms. “Put an ad in the Singles Column? ‘Wealthy woman requires a wife. Length of service yet to be determined. Must be willing to agree to—‘”

“Addison, I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but if I know you will at least consider it, I’ll do everything I can to make it happen. Just give me some time to come up with something. Okay?”

Addison let out a heavy sigh, taking one breath and then another until the need to kill left her thoughts. Sitting back down, she ran her hand over her hair as yet another long breath escaped. “I don’t want to lose my company,” she said softly. “And if this is the way to keep it, then I’ll do it. I won’t be happy...but I’ll do it.”

Opening her briefcase, Fran pulled out a pad of paper. “Well, then we’d best go over the details.”

Raising her eyes to meet Fran’s, Addison cocked her head to the side. “What details?”

“What you’re going to offer this woman when I find her.”

“First you find her, and then we’ll talk.”

“Don’t you want to—”

“No, I don’t!” Addison shouted, slamming her fists on the desk. “I’ve been through quite enough today without having to discuss what else I’ll have to give up besides my name in order to keep the company I bloody own! You find the tart, and then we’ll discuss details, and if I were you, I’d start looking in churches, because unless this bag’s a saint, you and I will both be out of a job!”

Chapter Two