Love Of Lust

Chapter One

"Please, Ms. Mentore," he said, gesturing towards one of the chairs.

"Take a seat. Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Water? Juice?" I shook my head.

"Before we begin, I want to assure you that this meeting is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. I have no issues with your job performance here. I have a business proposal for you, which I believe to be mutually beneficial. My attorney is here to oversee our negotiations and ensure that each of us is getting a fair deal. Do you follow so far?" I nodded, swallowing hard.

I suspected he was about to ask me to do something that was against every business ethics seminar I'd ever been forced to sit through. He took a seat in one of the chairs opposite me, unbuttoning his suit jacket.

"I want you to understand that if you refuse, your employment here would not be jeopardized in any way." The attorney was twirling his pen between two fingers, staring at the floor. I got the feeling he wasn't very happy with what was going on, but he wasn't about to say anything as long as he was getting his paycheck.

"Ms. Mentore, as I'm sure you know, I've been living and working in this country for a long time. This place is my home. This is where I have built everything that's important to me. But, as it happens, I was born just across the border, in Toronto. Unfortunately, I put my trust in the wrong person to handle the paperwork that should have allowed me to legally live and work here. He stole a lot of money from me, but worse than that, he failed to properly file my papers. I was not aware of this until I received notice from the INS that I was no longer welcome here." He paused, fiddling with his cufflinks.

"You're an intelligent woman, I'm sure you can see where this is going."

Well. This certainly had taken an interesting turn. I forced myself to think about this logically, if such a thing were possible. He was a good-looking guy, of course - no question about that - in fact, I couldn't help but think I'd look slightly dingy by comparison, on his arm. But obviously he didn't think so. Or he didn't care. I cleared my throat.

"Mr. Thorne...sir...can I ask why you picked me?" He looked at me for a moment.

"Your supervisor," he said, finally. "Mrs. Anderson. Lisa. She's one of the few people who know about my...problem. When she came to me and told me that you and she had several conversations where you expressed distaste for the institution of marriage, I thought you might be interested."

"That's - quite a leap of logic," I said, frowning at him.

If I'd known Lisa was practically in Mr. Thorne's pocket, I never would have had so many deeply personal conversations with her. She'd just gone on maternity leave, so I wouldn't even have an opportunity to corner her and ask her what the hell she was thinking. Not that I'd dare. I tried to think of other things I'd said to her, my ears starting to burn as I searched my mind. Mr. Thorne bit his lip. "I've offended you," he said, standing up. "I apologize."

"Wait," I said. "Are you serious about this?"

"Yes," he said. "Of course."

"You're not playing some kind of elaborate prank on me?" His smile returned.

"What sort of person do you think I am?" The attorney made a small noise, shifting in his chair.

"I assume I'll be compensated in some way?" I said, trying to sound cool and composed. I didn't know the proper way to react in this situation - hell, I didn't know if there was a proper way - but I was trying to pretend like he hadn't completely floored me with this offer. A marriage of convenience? Who even did that in real life?

"Of course," said Mr. Thorne, sitting back down and reaching for the sheaf of papers sitting on the table. "It's quite simple, when you cut through all the legalese. You will need to live with me for the next year, at least, for appearance's sake. During that time, I will support you and provide for all of your needs and wants. After that time passes, you will be compensated with two million dollars U.S., payable in cash or bearer bonds."