CHAPTER THREE: ILLICIT PROPOSITIONS.

Ares. 

I had never been one for impulsive decisions. In fact, it went against everything I stood for. The girl that stood in front of me was everything I was staunchly against and yet, my brain had decided that she was the perfect candidate. 

The perfect candidate to be my wife.

Now, you may be wondering why I needed a wife, it all went back to my father and his mission to control my life even from the grave. I had just stepped out of a meeting with Jude Kerrigan, my childhood friend turned attorney. 

He had called me at dawn and demanded an urgent meeting. There were very few people in the world who could make that demand of me and Jude was one of them. Apparently, my father didn't think I was fit enough to be CEO of Masters Global.  Hence, the stupid contingency that I had just found out about.

Apparently I had to be married by my thirtieth birthday if I wanted to retain my position as the CEO. I was turning thirty in three days, which didn't give me a lot of time to explore my options. I had worked day and night for this position, and I wasn't about to let something as insignificant as marriage put an end to all my efforts. Contrary to what people thought, I hadn't just inherited this position. 

Marriage had always been something I knew I'd have to do one day, but that day had been a distant and theoretical some day for me. I didn't believe in love and I couldn't be bothered with women either. They were predictable and too emotive for my liking. They were good for a one night stand and arm candy as far as I was concerned. Anything longer than a night was a solid no for me. Women saw me as dollar signs, always trying to get in my pockets or trap me into being leg shackled or years of child support. I wasn't stupid, and I could always tell what they were up to. 

Jude had laughed when I had announced to him that I was going to get married. He should know by now that there was nothing I wouldn't do to win. Marriage was the most tame challenge I would have to face. 

After all, there wasn't a woman on earth who would ever say no to marrying me. There was no better catch me. It was just inconveniencing for me to have to sort this issue out with little to no reaction time. But that was what made me one of the wealthiest men in the country. I was good at thinking on my feet and solving problems on the go. 

The woman in the elevator was too young. My preferred dating age gap was from twenty five to thirty five and this woman didn't look a day over twenty. 

But she wasn't a girl as I had originally assumed when I had walked into this elevator. She hadn't really registered to me then. I had been more intent on devising the best plan of action to secure a wife and my position. I had noted that her eyes had been red like she had been crying which has been none of my business.

It was an elevator ride that was supposed to last minute and then I'd be away from her. At least, that had been the plan. 

When she had pressed herself against me, I'd felt all of her and revised my assumption. She was a woman. A woman whose curves had been pressed tight against me as she cried about something. My initial feeling had been irritation and disgust, and a little bit of annoyance that she had been ruining my suit. Fate had been playing a cruel joke on me making me get stuck in an elevator with an unstable woman. Crying one second and glaring at me the next. 

It only occured to me a while later that this woman had practically landed in my laps. 

What had Jude said earlier about marrying the first woman I came across. He had said it as a joke of course. I knew that logically. I wasn't about to offer marriage to the first woman I ran into. But this woman had practically gift wrapped herself and presented herself to me. Why did I need to sift through a list of bachelorette curated by my assistant when I had a desperate woman right here. 

Desperate meant susceptible and susceptible was practically a done deal. 

I bit back my triumphant grin and ran an accessing eye down her frame. Gold hair and big, blue eyes that were too wide on her face. She was good looking enough I supposed. A bit too short and graceless, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

I I looked at her, she was staring at me like I was about to devour her. 

Good. She should be wary of me. 

"Did you say you were in debt and homeless." It was more of a statement than a question. I had clearly heard all her word vomit from earlier. 

"Uhm. No?" She swallowed, looking around like she was finding a means of escape.

 I ignored her lie. "I'm Ares Masters. What's your name?" I waited for her eyes to light up with recognition at my name but there was nothing. 

Good, I thought.

"Winnifred, but I answer to Winnie."

She could answer to a whistle for all I cared. I wasn't planning to use her name a second longer than it took me to secure my position as CEO. Winnie was a ridiculous name and it sounded more like a dog's name. Why anyone would want to be called Winnie was beyond me. 

"Today is your lucky day, Winnie." I managed to keep a straight face while I said the name. I comforted myself with the fact that a week from now, this would all be behind me. 

"No, it's not."

I ignored her again. 

"I have a proposition for you." I said.