Read Online Temporary Bride by Phyllis Halldorson - Free Book Online

I'm not a charity case. I won't take your money
unless I work for it!"
    Shane swore and set her on her feet as he got up from the
chair and began pacing the room. "All right, damn it, I'll tell you
what the job is, but this is highly confidential and you are never to
breathe a word of it to anyone! Understand?"
    She nodded, dumbfounded by his change of mind and his
vehemence. He stopped his pacing and looked at her. "I need a woman, a
stranger, who for a large sum of money will marry me and give me a
child." Karen gasped but he continued. "Once the child is born she must
agree to divorce me and give me sole custody of my son."
    Karen stared, shock registered on her open mouth and in
her round, unblinking eyes. The man was out of his mind! Stark raving
mad! Why would a man like Shane, who could have any woman he wanted,
advertise for a wife?
    He was standing there watching her, waiting for her
reaction, which wasn't long in coming. "You've got to be kidding!"
    He shook his head. "I've never been more serious. I need
an heir to carry on the family business."
    "But there must be dozens of women who would jump at the
chance to be your wife."
    He uttered a short bitter laugh. "I don't want a
wife—just a woman with good breeding and background who will
give me a son."
    "Then why marry her? Why don't you just pay her to have
your baby?"
    "My son must be legitimate." His tone was harsh.
    "Your moral concern is touching." Her voice dripped
sarcasm. "And how can you be so sure it will be a son?"
    "Morals have nothing to do with it," he snapped. "I want
no legal clouding of the issue once the child is old enough to take
over the company. As to the sex of the baby, there hasn't been a girl
child in my father's family in over one hundred years, and since I'm
the one who 'decides' that issue…" He shrugged. "It's not
fool-proof, but it does make it more likely that any child of mine
would be a son."
    Karen could see that she was no match for his verbal
sparring and turned to look at Mark, still seated on the sofa watching
them. "Mark, he's teasing isn't he? I don't think it's a bit funny. I
think it's beastly of both of you!"
    Mark looked up and his eyes locked with hers. "No, Karen,
he's not teasing. That's exactly what he's advertising for, a woman who
can be bought and discarded."
    Shane winced. "Oh, come off it, Mark! All she has to give
me is one year—maybe less if she's quick about
it—and then she's free and will be financially secure for the
rest of her life. It's a hell of a lot better than getting starry-eyed
over the local garage mechanic and wasting her youth having a baby
every other year and trying to make the paycheck stretch from one month
to the next."
    Karen dropped back down in the leather chair, shattered by
his callous contempt. She knew she shouldn't ask the question forming
in her mind but she had to know. "Why do you hate women, Shane?"
    He looked genuinely surprised. "Hate them? I don't hate
them. I'm very fond of them—ask anybody. I use them and they
use me and we get along just fine as long as I have the good sense not
to marry one and expect the marriage to be happy and long lasting."
    Karen shifted miserably in the chair. Shane was right, she
wouldn't accept the position if it were offered.
    Mark was the first to break the shocked silence. He'd
been watching Karen and his voice was soft as he spoke. "You look as
though you'd lost your last friend, honey. You haven't, you know. You
still have me." He stood and walked over to her. "You need to get away
from here for a while, try to forget the things that have happened
today. Come on. Go wash that pretty little tear-ravaged face and I'll
take you out to dinner and a movie."
    She looked up, puzzled. "But aren't you and Shane going
back to San Francisco?"
    Shane answered. "No. Not tonight. Go with Mark and enjoy
yourself and tomorrow we'll take you back to your hometown and make
whatever arrangements have to be made about the fire."
    Afterward Karen knew it