She scoffed. "Flattering yourself, huh?"
He turned his head, meeting her gaze. "Then some of it must be pretty good, huh?"
Madison wasn't going to match wits with him now. "You do realize what this entails, even for just an evening?"
"I have an idea." His smile bordered on wolfish, and her heart skipped.
"Had many wives?"
"No. God, no."
"Fiancées?"
"A couple."
This was news. "Drag them out of the closet when you need them, do you?"
"Very funny."
She leaned out to take the saucer and cup, then relaxed into the chair. "You're already deep in the puddin', Mr. Donahue. You'd best tell me what it is you want from me."
"I want to hire you to act like my wife for one evening, dinner with a man whose company I'm trying to buy. After that, its over."
"Sounds like a one-night stand without the sex."
"Exactly."
She sipped coffee, staring at Katherine's desktop, very aware of his eyes on her, his impatience. Let him wait, she thought. It was degrading for him to ask her to dinner and pay her to do it. Did he think she was not good enough to date otherwise, or that this agreement would keep the news of the artificial marriage from leaking to the public? Lord a'mighty, if the press got ahold of this. If Elizabeth did…
"I set the rules."
"I didn't know we'd need any?"
Her gaze flashed up. "Do you want to convince this man or be two strangers dining with a third?"
"I see your point."
She set the cup on the desk and stood, taking a step away. "I'll meet you at your place and we pick O'Malley up together." He frowned. "It'll make a stronger 'we're married statement.'" He agreed. "I'll prepare a dinner for us."
"I thought we'd go to the Baintree."
She made a face. It was posh bistro on the waterfront where she swore laughing was not allowed. "Don't take this too personally, but I'd rather not be seen as your flavor of the week."
Alex had to admire her candor. It was rare that a woman faced up to him. He knew he wasn't the most congenial person, but he was relieved she saw this the same way he did. As a job, an assignment. Yet a part of him, the barren spot deep in his chest refusing to remain hidden when she was around, wanted to be more than a job to her.
"You keep the touching down to a minimum, and no kissing."
His eyes flared a bit. "You're supposed to be my wife."
"I'm frigid," she said, deadpan.
Like hell, he thought.
"What will you tell him later?"
"Hopefully I won't have to say a thing, but if I have to, I'll just tell him we had irreconcilable differences." My life story, he thought, bitter memories threatening.
"Just don't make me out to be the bad guy, okay? Your history has a way of clinging to a woman."
The distaste in her voice irritated him.
"When?" she asked.
"Tomorrow night."
Her eyes widened. "Cutting it a little close, aren't you?"
Hell, yes, it was close, but he'd already recognized that his attraction for her ran too deep for comfort and control, which was why he'd battled over this until it was almost too late. Good Lord, the woman floated through his dreams again last night until he'd stormed through the condo, dumping aging flowers in the trash to get her memory out of his home. And the last place he wanted to be was here, staring into those incredible dark eyes and asking for her help.
"I was desperate," he finally admitted.
"You seem to be that way a lot lately, rich boy." Grabbing her handbag, she headed to the door. "You pay Wife Incorporated directly." She stopped at the door, looking back. "I want to feel like the lady my mama raised and not a—"
"Don't." He hated her even thinking like that. "Don't say it, Miss Holt. I swear that's not what I was thinking when I asked this."
Her expression softened. "I'd like to believe that, but if you'd known me a bit better, you would have just asked and I might have done it."
He pushed away from the desk and crossed to her. "Might?"
She paused long enough to say, "I guess you'll never know now, will you?" Then she was gone.
* * *
Alex took one look at her car and said, "I wish you'd have let me send the limo for you."
She didn't need this evening to bring that kind of attention. "I'm perfectly capable of driving myself, Mr. Donahue. Besides, I needed to pick up groceries for dinner." Madison ducked into the limousine, feeling as if she were stepping into a fantasy world.
He joined her. "Don't you think you could call me Alex by now?"
"I could."
His smile was slight as he shifted toward her. "This isn't going to be a battle? Please say the white flag is up."