Chapter One
“Have you lost your mind?” Lily sputtered.
“No, I think it’s a good a plan as any” Jared said calmly.
“You want me to help you to run an advertisement and interview women as possible wife material. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Yes!” She sucked in a long dismayed breath.
“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Where did you get an idea like that?”
“Well, I’ve been watching some of those reality TV shows recently and they seem like something that could work for us. It would weed out all the definitely nots and give me a viable batch of women to work from, it would save us a lot of time, and…” She interrupted him abruptly.
” Whoa there crazy man, what do you mean us and we? If you think that I’m helping you with this cockamamie scheme of yours, you are out of your mind.” She turned around to leave the room but was stopped as Jared jumped up and rounded the desk to grab her elbow before she had taken two steps. He was quick for such a big man, six foot four inches of ropy muscles, built up from a lifetime of ranch work. His hands touched the delicate skin of Lily’s elbows and she was not surprised to feel the small sparks shoot through her arms. He seemed unaware of the reaction he always caused as his calloused hands made contact.
“You have to, nobody knows me better than you. Not only are you my best friend but you’re also my personal assistant. It’s in the job description.” his tone was cajoling. She never refused him anything when he used that tone , if she was honest she would admit that she never refused him anything at all, regardless of the tone. She was shaking her head from side to side both at his words and in denial of her natural reaction to his touch.
“This is definitely not part of any job description I ever looked at and it is way above and beyond the call of duty. I will not help you pick up women. Why would you need to do something like that anyway, it’s not like you have any problem with the ladies? I’ve seen at least a few dozen come and go over the last couple of years alone” Yeah, if men were held to the same standards as women around here, Jared Mcguire would be called a big ole slut.
“ That’s what I’m talking about, exactly how far has that approach gotten me? Nothing but lots of great sex but no lasting relationships and we’re not picking up women; that would be tacky. Think of it as helping me with a screening process, but instead of a potential employee it will be for a potential wife.” She was still looking at him like he was kicked in the head by a cow.
“C ome on Lily, I wouldn’t trust anyone else with something like this. I know you’ll be watching out for my best interest at every turn and with you helping, it will be someone we could both like. Your opinion matters to me on this very much” he reasoned.
“You’re making this sound like a sane idea. I could end up choosing a woman with a flatulence problem that will cheat on you and run off with half your money. And when that happens I don’t want you come running to me.” She started to grin just thinking about the possibilities.
“You wouldn’t do that to me Lily, besides you’re going to be spending almost as much time with her as I will, so you have to like her as well. You will have equal input about the woman, except for the sex of course, that part I will have to decide on by myself.” He grinned at her salaciously and wriggled black eyebrows over sparkling blue eyes.
“Do you seriously want to go through with this?” she asked, praying he would say no.
“Absolutely”
“But why? I didn’t even know you were looking for a wife, you never said anything about it before.” She sounded hurt that he would keep something like that from her; she thought she knew everything about him.
His voice turned serious for a second “Lily, I’m thirty-three years old, I’m in good health, fairly rich and have been
“Have you lost your mind?” Lily sputtered.
“No, I think it’s a good a plan as any” Jared said calmly.
“You want me to help you to run an advertisement and interview women as possible wife material. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Yes!” She sucked in a long dismayed breath.
“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Where did you get an idea like that?”
“Well, I’ve been watching some of those reality TV shows recently and they seem like something that could work for us. It would weed out all the definitely nots and give me a viable batch of women to work from, it would save us a lot of time, and…” She interrupted him abruptly.
” Whoa there crazy man, what do you mean us and we? If you think that I’m helping you with this cockamamie scheme of yours, you are out of your mind.” She turned around to leave the room but was stopped as Jared jumped up and rounded the desk to grab her elbow before she had taken two steps. He was quick for such a big man, six foot four inches of ropy muscles, built up from a lifetime of ranch work. His hands touched the delicate skin of Lily’s elbows and she was not surprised to feel the small sparks shoot through her arms. He seemed unaware of the reaction he always caused as his calloused hands made contact.
“You have to, nobody knows me better than you. Not only are you my best friend but you’re also my personal assistant. It’s in the job description.” his tone was cajoling. She never refused him anything when he used that tone , if she was honest she would admit that she never refused him anything at all, regardless of the tone. She was shaking her head from side to side both at his words and in denial of her natural reaction to his touch.
“This is definitely not part of any job description I ever looked at and it is way above and beyond the call of duty. I will not help you pick up women. Why would you need to do something like that anyway, it’s not like you have any problem with the ladies? I’ve seen at least a few dozen come and go over the last couple of years alone” Yeah, if men were held to the same standards as women around here, Jared Mcguire would be called a big ole slut.
“ That’s what I’m talking about, exactly how far has that approach gotten me? Nothing but lots of great sex but no lasting relationships and we’re not picking up women; that would be tacky. Think of it as helping me with a screening process, but instead of a potential employee it will be for a potential wife.” She was still looking at him like he was kicked in the head by a cow.
“C ome on Lily, I wouldn’t trust anyone else with something like this. I know you’ll be watching out for my best interest at every turn and with you helping, it will be someone we could both like. Your opinion matters to me on this very much” he reasoned.
“You’re making this sound like a sane idea. I could end up choosing a woman with a flatulence problem that will cheat on you and run off with half your money. And when that happens I don’t want you come running to me.” She started to grin just thinking about the possibilities.
“You wouldn’t do that to me Lily, besides you’re going to be spending almost as much time with her as I will, so you have to like her as well. You will have equal input about the woman, except for the sex of course, that part I will have to decide on by myself.” He grinned at her salaciously and wriggled black eyebrows over sparkling blue eyes.
“Do you seriously want to go through with this?” she asked, praying he would say no.
“Absolutely”
“But why? I didn’t even know you were looking for a wife, you never said anything about it before.” She sounded hurt that he would keep something like that from her; she thought she knew everything about him.
His voice turned serious for a second “Lily, I’m thirty-three years old, I’m in good health, fairly rich and have been
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