His Virgin Acquisition by Maisey Yates

point.” She had a feeling it might be their last agreement of the evening.
    “And we need to agree on another one. You cannot get pregnant. If you do, you forfeit the company, and you can forgetany sort of financial allowance from me. I don’t want a wife, and I definitely don’t want diaper duty.”
    She blinked, shocked by the words that had just come out of his mouth. “I thought we’d already established that I wasn’t going anywhere near your bedroom during the course of this…this marriage. And, seeing as you and I both know it isn’t the stork that brings babies, I think fatherhood is the last thing you have to worry about.” She wrinkled her nose. “Well, the last thing you have to worry about with me. I can’t comment on behalf of your other lady-friends.”
    “I always practice safe sex.”
    It was the absolute truth. Marco had no intention of becoming some woman’s meal ticket for eighteen years, and he was totally scrupulous in his sexual practices for both the sake of his health and his checkbook. But that didn’t mean that some of his mistresses hadn’t tried to find a way around the precautions. He’d caught one woman with an open box of condoms and a needle, and he’d watched as she’d put a tiny puncture in each plastic packet before putting them neatly back into the box.
    Then there had been the woman who’d tried to pass another man’s baby off as his. Never mind that she’d been eight weeks along and he’d only known her for two.
    He was well familiar with the female mind and how it worked. Financial security and wealth was the highest goal for the vast majority of the fairer sex. His own mother had prized it above everything, even her two children.
    “Well, you won’t be practicing any sort of sex with me,” she said, twin spots of color high on her cheekbones.
    Her prim exterior amused him—especially knowing what he did about her. She made for a very intriguing challenge.
    “What exactly are your other terms and conditions?” she said tartly, as if reading the tenor of his thoughts.
    “Simple. I’m only agreeing to this for the benefit of my company. I need to be sure that I’ll be gaining much more than I would lose by forfeiting Chapman Electronics. That means I need you on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”
    Elaine didn’t like the sound of that, although the odd fluttering in her stomach seemed to indicate otherwise. “What am I on call for?”
    “Business functions, personal dinners. Whatever I might need my wife for.”
    “What about my job…my life?’
    “I thought the company was the most important thing in your life.”
    Desire burned in her chest. Desire to prove herself to her father, to everyone. “It is.”
    “Then that means for the next twelve months I’m your number one priority. I’m in negotiations right now with James Preston. He’s selling one of his resort properties in Hawaii, but he doesn’t want to turn it over to someone who might turn his nice family vacation spot into some debauched spring break hangout.”
    “Which is why you need a wife,” she said, feeling triumphant.
    The corners of his sexy mouth twitched with humor. “It’s why a wife will be useful to me, yes.”
    “So I’m supposed to be evidence of your transformation from playboy to doting husband?”
    “Something like that.”
    Oddly, she felt a little indignant for Marco. His personal life had nothing to do with what a good businessman he was. Apparently not even men were exempt from the archaic viewpoints of others. Not that she condoned the way Marco treated women, but it was still separate from how he ran his business.
    “So it seems like we need each other,” she said.
    “It isn’t a necessity for me. I want the resort just as I want to experience a profit increase, but you’re the only one who really needs this arrangement. Don’t forget that.”
    “You mean I should remember that when you pull me out of work in the middle of the day