Hired Wife

Chapter 4. The Proposal Continued

Addison

The room soon goes dead silence and I find myself in complete shock after hearing the words that just slipped from his lips. Is he serious, or is this his way of cracking a joke? He can't possibly be serious we literally just met no more than an hour ago and he's suggesting I marry him. It's one thing moving in here knowing I'll be working for him, but he's now talking about marriage. It's insanity.

"Addison?" he calls my name for the first time, not Ms. Foster. 

"You're joking, right, Mr. Bradford?" 

"I'm fine with you calling me Dominic or Dom, Addison, but please, don't ever call me Nic," he insists.

"Ok, Dom, can you please explain to me why it is you think it's a good idea for me to marry you after just meeting you less than an hour ago?" I ask with my hands planted on my hips. 

"I have my reasons, Addison," he simply replies.

"Dom, you have no clue who I am, and I have no clue who you are. Like I just said, we met less than an hour ago and you're suggesting I marry you, why?"

"Addison, it's obvious you're in desperate need of money. And I am willing to make sure you're financially stable, I don't see the problem here," he says causing me to go back into shock. 

"Are you serious, Dom? There is a very huge problem, the problem is we don't know anything about each other. We literally know nothing about each other," I remind him. 

"Ok, what do you want to know about me, Addison? I'll just start sharing somethings about myself with you. My full name is Dominic Dmitry Bradford. My birthday is December twenty-sixth. I graduated from Harvard. Um, my favorite colors are black, gray, and red."

"Dom?"

"What, Addison?" 

"I think maybe I should go and forget about this interview," I say and grab my purse and briefcase. As I make my way down the long golden hall, his words stop me dead in my tracks.

"Fifty million dollars up front if you agree to marry me, and you'll have complete access to your own banking account, that will have one billion dollars, but you have to sign an agreement contract with a promise to stay married to me for at least five years. I have the ability to ensure you never have to worry about money ever again, Addison. It's either me, or you go out there and struggle to find a decent paying job," he says. I slowly turn to look at him with a stunned look.

"Are you insane, Dominic? You just offered me more money than I will ever see in my lifetime working a job that pays a decent living," I reply. He makes his way to me and looks down at me with those beautiful blue eyes.

"We both need each other to get what we want from one another. I have the financial stability to give you financial stability and you give me your hand in marriage and play the dutiful wife. This is very important, Adddison. I am depending on you to make people believe this is a real marriage and all that comes with it," he says.

"All that comes with it, Dom? As in satisfying your needs in the bedroom?" 

"Addison, let's not worry about what is expected from you in my bedroom right now," he avoids my question. 

"Why not, Dom? That is what a wife does for her husband right? What exactly do you expect from me during our together time in your bed?" I question him once again.

"Will you please listen to me, Addison?" 

"No, Dominic, I will not listen to another insane word from you. I am going home. To my home and leaving your home," I stomp angrily towards the front door. As I open it, it slams shut.

"I am not a begging man, Addison. I am going to give you one more chance and one more chance only. You agree to marry me, and I will make it worth your time. You will never have to worry how you're going to keep from losing your grandfather's house, you will never have to worry how you're going to pay the bills on time every month. I won't beg you and I won't keep repeating myself to you. Come with me, there is something you need to see, and I think this will help you agree to my proposal."

"Dom, where are you dragging me off to?" I snap as his hand is tightly clutching mine.

"Sit here and look at these numbers, Addison," he points to his laptop screen. His bank account pops up and I freeze in shock seeing how much money he's worth.

"You're worth over three hundred billion dollars?"

"That's just in one account, Addison."

"Holy shit, Dom. You have more accounts with more money? And how the hell do you know you can trust showing me this?" I ask and he kneels himself in front of me. He brings up his right hand and caresses my jaw.

"I will change all the passwords after you agree to marry me, Addison. Please listen to me, this doesn't have to involve love. I know you said you're divorced and I'm guessing you have no desire to be married again or even searching for love again, I'm not either, but this is just business, Addison. We're both clear that we need to use each other to get what we want and not have to worry about involving love."

"And you're ok with that type of marriage, Dom?" I ask and he lifts himself back up.

"I have to be, Addison. And I really need you to be ok with it as well. As you can see, I have more money than anyone you know and will ever know. I am willing to share it with you, but you have to agree to marry me and agree to a few other things." 

"I must be insane, but ok, I will agree to marry you, Dom," I whisper as I sigh in disbelief.

"Thank you, Addison. There is no time to waste, our wedding is this Saturday."

"This Saturday? That's not much time to prepare for our wedding," I snap.

"No, but then again it is a marriage of convenience, Addison. Remember, this won't be a marriage filled with love. I'll have my Priest come here and marry us. It will be legal, but not a traditional marriage. We both are in this for what we want from one another and nothing more. Love will absolutely not be developing between us, I forbid it," he insists. 

"You really know how to sweet talk a girl into marrying you, huh?"

"Addison, nothing about our marriage will show any type of love or affection behind closed doors. But we will have to fake it while we're out in public or we have guests here at home. Oh, and another thing, there will be no kissing," he insists.

"No kissing, Dom?"

"No, Addison. It's too personal."

"Well great, Dom, why don't you make a list of the dos and don'ts during our marriage?"

"Hm, that's not a bad idea, Addison," he grins.