apologized.”
“Too much partying last night?” he asked.
“I’m not sure I would call it a party,” she said. “Please sit.”
He shrugged and sat down. “How does your head feel?”
“Like hell,” she said with a smile. “But you already knew that. I need to discuss something else with you. I made a decision last night, and it will impact your duties.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What decision is that?”
“I’ve decided I want to get married, and I want you to help me find a husband.”
Chapter Four
“Dogs are generally more devoted than men are.”
– SUNNY COLLINS
J ackson stared at the insane woman in disbelief, but he didn’t need to ask Lori to repeat herself. Her words would ring in his ears at the top of his list of unforgettable requests. He stood and shook his head. “No, ma’am.”
With perfectly manicured, unsteady hands, she poured herself a cup of coffee. She rattled the china so much he took the cup and saucer from her, for fear she would drop them. Jackson poured the coffee and nodded toward a chair. “You need to sit down,” he said. “You drank way too much last night if you think I’m going to find a husband for you.”
Lori sat down and immediately slipped off her shoes. She tucked one leg behind the other, beauty-queen style, and gingerly sipped from the coffee, wrinkling her nose. She closed her eyes for two seconds, then fixed her baby blues on him. “This is the perfect solution to my financial situation. Find a man who agrees to be my husband until I turn thirty, pay him for his services, then divorce him so I can do what I want.”
“Have you even considered that a budget could be a better solution? You need to learn how to responsibly manage your inheritance.”
Lori rolled her eyes. “You and I both know that even at the rate I spend, I would have to throw away a lot more money on a daily basis in order to go through my father’s fortune during my lifetime. My father wrote his will to control me. He always tried to control me, and a lot of the time, he succeeded.” Her eyes turned dark. “Now it’s time for me to take control. That’s why I’m getting married on my terms.” She took another sip and grimaced. “That’s where you come in.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I manage your finances, not your love life.”
She shook her head, then pressed her fingers to her temple. “This has nothing to do with my love life and everything to do with my finances.”
His stomach twisted at the determined expression on her face. She looked angry, resolved, and a little nuts. “Marriage is serious business, Lori.”
“Exactly,” she said, meeting his gaze. “Business. That’s why you’ll be the perfect matchmaker for me. You can vet prospects, arrange for background checks, and coordinate a prenuptial agreement with an attorney. Plus, you’ve got that whole emotionally detached accounting thing going for you.”
She was serious. This kooky rich girl was serious. He swallowed an oath. “You’ve got the wrong man. There’s no way I’m going to be your matchmaker. No way.”
As he bolted from the Granger mansion, Jackson felt steam rising from his head, and it wasn’t because of the August heat. It was all internal. Lori had fried his brain circuits with her idiotic proposal.
Driving to the office, he strode directly to Hollingsworth’s office and tapped on the door. His boss’s assistant looked up at Jackson and frowned as if she weren’t going to let him inside, so he went ahead and opened the door.
“ Jackson?” Mr. Hollingsworth mouthed, cradling a telephone receiver to his ear.
“Excuse me, sir-”
Hollingsworth held up a finger. “I look forward to meeting with you. Friday at 10:00 p.m. We’ll have your favorite cigars.” Hollingsworth laughed. “Sure, see you then.”
Jackson felt movement behind him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hollingsworth,” the assistant said, frowning at Jackson in disapproval. “Mr. James got past
“Too much partying last night?” he asked.
“I’m not sure I would call it a party,” she said. “Please sit.”
He shrugged and sat down. “How does your head feel?”
“Like hell,” she said with a smile. “But you already knew that. I need to discuss something else with you. I made a decision last night, and it will impact your duties.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What decision is that?”
“I’ve decided I want to get married, and I want you to help me find a husband.”
Chapter Four
“Dogs are generally more devoted than men are.”
– SUNNY COLLINS
J ackson stared at the insane woman in disbelief, but he didn’t need to ask Lori to repeat herself. Her words would ring in his ears at the top of his list of unforgettable requests. He stood and shook his head. “No, ma’am.”
With perfectly manicured, unsteady hands, she poured herself a cup of coffee. She rattled the china so much he took the cup and saucer from her, for fear she would drop them. Jackson poured the coffee and nodded toward a chair. “You need to sit down,” he said. “You drank way too much last night if you think I’m going to find a husband for you.”
Lori sat down and immediately slipped off her shoes. She tucked one leg behind the other, beauty-queen style, and gingerly sipped from the coffee, wrinkling her nose. She closed her eyes for two seconds, then fixed her baby blues on him. “This is the perfect solution to my financial situation. Find a man who agrees to be my husband until I turn thirty, pay him for his services, then divorce him so I can do what I want.”
“Have you even considered that a budget could be a better solution? You need to learn how to responsibly manage your inheritance.”
Lori rolled her eyes. “You and I both know that even at the rate I spend, I would have to throw away a lot more money on a daily basis in order to go through my father’s fortune during my lifetime. My father wrote his will to control me. He always tried to control me, and a lot of the time, he succeeded.” Her eyes turned dark. “Now it’s time for me to take control. That’s why I’m getting married on my terms.” She took another sip and grimaced. “That’s where you come in.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I manage your finances, not your love life.”
She shook her head, then pressed her fingers to her temple. “This has nothing to do with my love life and everything to do with my finances.”
His stomach twisted at the determined expression on her face. She looked angry, resolved, and a little nuts. “Marriage is serious business, Lori.”
“Exactly,” she said, meeting his gaze. “Business. That’s why you’ll be the perfect matchmaker for me. You can vet prospects, arrange for background checks, and coordinate a prenuptial agreement with an attorney. Plus, you’ve got that whole emotionally detached accounting thing going for you.”
She was serious. This kooky rich girl was serious. He swallowed an oath. “You’ve got the wrong man. There’s no way I’m going to be your matchmaker. No way.”
As he bolted from the Granger mansion, Jackson felt steam rising from his head, and it wasn’t because of the August heat. It was all internal. Lori had fried his brain circuits with her idiotic proposal.
Driving to the office, he strode directly to Hollingsworth’s office and tapped on the door. His boss’s assistant looked up at Jackson and frowned as if she weren’t going to let him inside, so he went ahead and opened the door.
“ Jackson?” Mr. Hollingsworth mouthed, cradling a telephone receiver to his ear.
“Excuse me, sir-”
Hollingsworth held up a finger. “I look forward to meeting with you. Friday at 10:00 p.m. We’ll have your favorite cigars.” Hollingsworth laughed. “Sure, see you then.”
Jackson felt movement behind him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hollingsworth,” the assistant said, frowning at Jackson in disapproval. “Mr. James got past
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