MARRIAGE-BARGAIN

chapter 2

Nicholas Ryan had a fortune at his fingertips.

But to get the one thing he wanted, he needed a wife.

Nick believed in many things. Working hard to accomplish a goal. Controlling anger and resorting to reason when a moment became

confrontational. And creating buildings. Buildings that were solid, yet aesthetically beautiful. Smooth angles and sharp lines blending together.

Bricks and concrete and glass attesting to the solidity that people craved in ordinary life. The short moment of wonder when a person looks

upon the final creation for the first time. All of these things made sense to him.

Nick did not believe in love everlasting, marriage, and family. These things made no sense, and he had decided not to incorporate such

societal themes into his life.

Unfortunately, Uncle Earl had changed the rules.

Nick's gut coiled, and his sick sense of humor almost caused a laugh to spill from his lips. He rose from his leather chair, stripped off his

navy jacket, striped silk tie, and snowy white shirt. One flick of his wrist unbuckled his belt, and he quickly changed into a pair of gray

sweatpants and matching T-shirt. He thrust both feet into his Nike Air sneakers and entered his office's inner sanctum, which he'd filled with

models, sketches, inspiring photos, a treadmill, some weights, and a fully stocked bar. He hit the button on the remote for the MP3 player.

The strains of La Traviata filled the room and cleared his head.

He turned on the treadmill and tried not to think of smoking. Even after five years, when the stress kicked up a notch, he longed for a

cigarette. Annoyed at his weakness when the urge hit, he exercised. Running soothed him, especially in his perfectly controlled environment.

No loud voices interrupting his concentration, no scorching sunlight, no rocks or gravel impeding his path. He set the panel and began the

steady pace that would lead him toward a solution.

Even though he understood his uncle's intentions, the sense of betrayal slowly ate away at his peace. In the end, one of the only family

members he loved had used him as a pawn.

Nick shook his head. He should have seen this coming. Uncle Earl had spent his last few months alive spouting the importance of family,

and had thought Nick's response was lackluster. Nick wondered why his uncle was surprised. After all, his family should have been an

advertisement for birth control.

As Nick had drifted in and out of relationships, one thing became clear—all women wanted marriage, and marriage meant messiness.

Fights about emotion. Children tearing them both at the seams, wanting more attention. Needing more space, until the end became the same

as every other relationship. Divorce. With children as the casualties.

No thanks.

He pumped up the incline and adjusted the speed as his thoughts whirled. Uncle Earl remained stubbornly optimistic until the bitter end

that a woman would save his nephew's life. The heart attack had struck hard and fast. When the lawyers finally descended like a pack of

vultures on the scent of blood money, Nick thought the legalities would be easy. His sister, Maggie, had already made it quite clear she