Reece’s mouth dropped open before snapping shut again. “But you didn’t approve when I told you about that.”
“I was surprised, that’s all.” A reasonable reaction, in Richard’s opinion. Reece was not the sort of man one would ever imagine using an introduction agency. His confession to his best man and groomsman just before his wedding last year that he’d found his beautiful new bride via an internet website had come as a shock.
The agency was called Wives Wanted, its aim being to match professional men with the kind of women lots of them wanted to marry, especially those of the “once bitten, twice shy” brigade. Apparently, its database was chock-full of attractive women who were only interested in one career. Marriage. Women whose priority was not necessarily romantic love, but security and commitment.
A lot of them had had previous marriages, or relationships, that had failed to deliver what they wanted in life. Some were currently career girls, but were prepared to relegate their careers to the back seat, for the right man.
“It was Mike who didn’t approve,” Richard pointed out. “But don’t forget, he hadn’t met Alanna at that stage.”
Thankfully, Richard had stopped Mike from repeating to Reece at the reception that he thought all women who put themselves out like that were nothing but cold-blooded gold-diggers, looking for a gravy train to ride. He’d voiced that opinion to Richard, however. More than once.
But no one who got to know Reece’s wife would believe such a thing of her.
Richard had initially been stunned when Reece had confessed that he’d found his lovely Alanna through this agency. He’d presumed Reece had met her socially. After all, he had a very active social life. A man of his looks and position could have had his pick of women.
When Richard had asked him outright at the wedding reception why he’d gone to an introduction agency, Reece’s reply had been very to the point, and extremely pragmatic.
“It was a question of time. I wanted a wife and a family, but I didn’t want to be bothered with a traditional courtship. Far too lengthy a process. Whenever I want a property with certain requirements, I get my PA to narrow the field down for me before I look personally. I approached finding a wife the same way. I gave Wives Wanted a list of my requirements and they selected several suitable candidates for me to view via the internet. I chose three who appealed to me. I only had to date each one once and I knew straight away which girl I would marry.”
Richard recalled naïvely asking Reece if it was a case of love at first sight, at which Mike had laughed.
“Reece isn’t interested in love any more,” Mike had drily informed him. “Not after that other bitch did the dirty on him. Isn’t that right, Reece?”
Reece had confirmed that love certainly hadn’t come into the equation, on either side, although he claimed he wouldn’t have married Alanna without some sexual chemistry between them.
Some sexual chemistry?
Richard still considered this a rather outrageous understatement. He’d had several opportunities to observe Reece and Alanna together, both before and after their wedding. To his eyes, the sexual chemistry between them was quite electric, especially on Reece’s part.
Richard had noted at a recent dinner party he’d attended at the Diamonds’ place that Reece had spent an inordinate amount of time watching his beautiful wife talking to the male guest sitting next to her.
Admittedly, Alanna had looked extra stunning that night in a clinging white satin gown that made the most of her physical assets. There hadn’t been a man sitting at that table who hadn’t found his eyes coming back to her all the time, himself included.
Richard thought it was just as well that ethereal-looking blondes with porcelain skin, pale green eyes and tall, willowy figures didn’t overly stir his male hormones. He preferred the more earthy kind of women, with stronger colouring and lush bodies.
Joanna had had black hair, black eyes and a voluptuous figure.
Not that Richard wanted to marry some clone of Joanna. Hell, no. He wanted the second Mrs Richard Crawford to be as far removed from the first as a woman could be. In personality and character, that was. Physically, he’d always been attracted to brunettes with curves. He knew, when he eventually studied the Wives Wanted database, he wouldn’t be selecting any skinny blondes.
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” Reece asked him.
“Absolutely.”
“I presume you’re not looking for love, then.”
“You presume correctly.”
“You want a marriage of convenience. Like mine.”
“Yes.”
Reece frowned. “I’m not sure you’re cut out for a relationship like that, Rich. You’re a bit of a romantic at heart.”
“Not any more, I’m not.”
Richard wished he hadn’t sounded quite so bitter. Reece looked startled. As well he might. Reece knew nothing about Joanna’s betrayal. Men, even the closest of friends, didn’t tell each other things like that.
“I’ve made up my mind about this,” Richard stated firmly.
“Can I ask why?” Reece probed.
“It’s not rocket science, my friend. Just the need for companionship. And some regular sex.”
“You could get that from a girlfriend.”
“I don’t want a girlfriend. I want a wife.”
“Aah, I get the picture. It’s because of the bank. Your position as CEO would be consolidated if you were married.”
Now it was Richard’s turn to be startled. “It has nothing whatsoever to do with the bank. I simply want to be married. I want what you’ve got, Reece. A good-looking woman who’s happy to be my wife, and to have my child.”
“I didn’t realise you wanted a family.”
“Why on earth would you think that?”
Reece shrugged. “You were married to Joanna for two years, more than enough time to have a baby.”
“That was not my doing,” Richard informed his friend, doing his best not to sound cold.
Reece still frowned. “I thought you were happy with Joanna…”
“I was,” he said truthfully enough. His unhappiness hadn’t begun till after she’d died. “I was mad about her. But she’s gone, and I’m here and I’m lonely, all right? I want a woman in my life. What I don’t want, however, is romance. I’ve been there, done that.”
Reece nodded. “Yes, I can understand where you’re coming from.”
“You should. I know how you felt about Kristine. Which is why you went to Wives Wanted in the first place. Because you were still in love with her.”
“The way you still are with Joanna.”
Richard didn’t deny it. If he had, he might have had to explain.
“Now that that’s all settled, I’m going back inside to have another look at my fabulous new penthouse,” he said, scraping back his chair and standing up. “Which reminds me. Can I move in before contracts are exchanged?”
“Move in today, if you like.”
Richard was not an impulsive man by nature but, today, things were a-changing. “You know what? I think I will.”
CHAPTER ONE
HOLLY glared for the umpteenth time at the FOR SALE sign that had been taped on the shop window less than half an hour earlier. Fury and indignation warred inside