Looking at the men around me, I didn’t figure I’d have much competition at the Millionaire Partners, Inc. party. Sure, they were all rich, and therefore a catch to the women looking for quick cash, but most of the men were older, at least in their late thirties.

Not to be too immodest, but I was the best looking guy in the room. Since I was on my way to becoming a New York State Representative, I felt certain whichever girl I picked wouldn’t turn me down.

Looking through the menu of available women, a few of them caught my eye. They were all beautiful, that went without saying, but some were prettier than others. Not that I needed an absolute beauty to help my campaign chances, but a pretty face never hurt in reassuring the voting public that someone was ‘good.’

If they only knew my past... No, I was a different person back then. My mistakes of the past didn’t define the man I’d become. Having a wife by my side was simply a way to reassure the public that I was a stable, steady man who could handle being a Representative despite my youth. Many of the older folks would think twenty-six was too young to handle complex issues, but my family had been involved with politics for generations. I was ready to take on the responsibilities and shed the shadows from my past once and for all.

As I swiped to the next woman on the tablet, something familiar about her jumped out at me. “Sapphire,” I muttered, looking at the jewel name she’d been assigned to keep her real identity a secret.

She wasn’t gorgeous, not like some of the other women. I’d call her merely pretty, if a bit too slender. She wasn’t voluptuous like Diamond, and her teeth weren’t quite as perfect as Topaz’s, but somehow, I couldn’t stop looking at her picture. She reminded me of someone, someone I couldn’t quite place. Plus, I found myself terribly attracted to the warmth in her whisky-colored eyes, brown but with a touch of honey—they were beautiful. She seemed like a kind person.

I’d never found myself attracted to kindness before. Usually, I was satisfied if a woman gave me sex on our first date and then never called again. That was my life until now—easy women and no commitments. Today, I planned to get married.

“Shit.” I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly anxious. Could I even do this? Sure, she’d be under contract, so my bride wouldn’t complain even if I was a shitty husband, but I honestly didn’t want to make someone else miserable. I had to remind myself this was a means to an end. I needed a woman by my side. Marrying one was the respectable way to get that. Even my parents were on board with me acquiring a wife in a hurry.

The doors to the party room opened and Prudence Mora walked out, a smile on her face. “Good evening, gentlemen. I know you’re all anxious to meet the girls. I trust you’ve looked over the menu?”

I glanced back at the pictures of ‘Sapphire’ again, noticing a notation near the bottom of the screen: Criminal record includes a public nuisance ticket. However, she was defending herself at night from a suspicious man!

Normally, I’d say having any sort of criminal record excluded her as a choice, considering I wanted to advance in the political field. I needed to talk to her, find out exactly what happened. If she had defended herself against a potential attacker, it might play well to the female constituency despite the criminal record.

Swiping over to take a quick glance at her sexual menu and seeing there were a lot of things Sapphire would willingly do in the bedroom, I decided I had my target for the night. She intrigued me—I couldn’t ignore that warmth in her gaze. Hopefully, none of the other men had noticed it. They were probably all going for looks only. If that was the case, I should have a clear shot at Sapphire, considering she wasn’t the model type. One had to look more closely to realize her beauty, but I was sure I could bring it out stronger once we were married.

Taking my turn to walk into the party room, I handed the tablet to one of the waiting attendants and set off in search of my own private jewel.

BELLA

Watching the horde of rich men descend on myself and the other women was almost funny. The men looked to be varying degrees between bored and excited. I couldn’t help but wonder what their stories were. Why were the rest of these people here, getting contracted marriages, instead of finding a mate the old-fashioned way? I was sure they had reasons as valid as mine.

Looking at the beautiful women around me, I could only hope one of the men decided to even speak to me. I had no clue the competition would be this tough. All I had going for me was a nice smile. The other women had everything—great bodies, flirty natures, and elegance and poise reminiscent of Prudence’s. It seemed I’d been admitted to the club on a fluke, but I had to do my best to nab a husband and get out of my roommate’s love life. I was probably lucky Prudence had been lacking women for this party and needed more bodies, or I would have never been accepted.

Unsurprisingly, the men walked past me without a second glance. Trying to stifle a sigh, I decided to head to the bar and grab a drink. I might as well get something out of this party. Besides, maybe a little liquid courage would help me approach the men. I wasn’t the forward type, but I really, really needed to be picked.

I flashed a smile at the bartender, feeling more comfortable with the workers at the club than all the strange men I was supposed to smile at. “Champagne, please.”

He looked at the jewel resting against my chest. “Sure thing, Sapphire.”

“Ugh, don’t call me that.” I twisted my face, showing my displeasure. “The lack of identity seems more demeaning than the entire reason we’re at this party.”

Suddenly, I felt warmth at my side and a low voice murmured in my ear, “Then, what shall I call you?”

Startling, I took a sideways step, doing my best to control my racing heart. The way that man had talked just now reminded me exactly of being robbed. The whispered threat, the cold knife against my throat. Shuddering, I tried to stuff the memories away and glanced at the man standing beside me.

His blue eyes sparkled like gems, obviously amused at my reaction. “Did I startle you?” he asked, pouting with his sensuous lips, though he didn’t really appear sorry at all by the happy glint of his eyes. “That’s no good. I wanted to talk with you, get to know you a bit. I didn’t want you running away.”

Remembering I needed to land a husband, I did my best to put my fear behind me and forced a smile. “Sorry. I’ve had a few bad experiences, so whispers out of nowhere kind of drive me crazy.”

He chuckled. “I’m just glad you didn’t attack me. I saw on your menu that you have a criminal record because of that. I assume you were simply defending yourself in a situation similar to my unexpected whisper.”

“I...” I looked down, ashamed. “I sprayed a man with mace in a parking lot, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding. He was trying to help me, but it was dark, and I was alone and...”

The man’s warm hand suddenly enveloped mine. “A pretty woman alone can never be too careful. I think it’s commendable that you were ready to protect yourself. Women should always be alert. Men are dogs.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Does that include you?”

He chuckled. “Unfortunately, yes, but I’d like to think I’ve grown out of that stage now.” Dropping my hand, he reached over the bar and grabbed two glasses from the bartender. “Shall we sit and have a chat?”

“You... really want to talk to me?”

His rich laughter tickled at my ears once more. “Don’t look so surprised, pretty lady. I’ve been searching for you since I walked into the room.”

“For me? Why?”

He tilted his head, brow furrowing. “Do you really not know? I want to talk to you about a possible marriage contract.” He shook his head, seeming to admonish me without being rude about it. “Isn’t that why we’re both here?”

I let him lead me to a table, accepting the glass of champagne he handed me and then allowing him to help me into my chair. He was certainly a gentleman. It was hard not to be impressed by him, but anyone could be nice for a few minutes. I wondered what sort of person he really was.

When he sat across from me, I sipped from my glass before speaking, thinking carefully about my next words. “What is it you need a wife for? I assume there’s some profound reason?”

“Yes, of course.” He flashed a megawatt grin that somehow seemed artful instead of sincere. He must have switched into whatever pitch he was going to throw at me. “I’m not good with women, if you must know. I’ve never been in a real relationship, but I need a wife for my image.”

“Your image?”

“I’m a New York City assemblyman right now, but I want to move up with the next election. I’d like to be in the House of Representatives.”

I let out a low whistle. “Ambitious, huh?”

“It’s a family thing. My father is retiring, and I want his seat.”

“And a wife helps this how?”

He cleared his throat, looking away from me as though I’d made him uncomfortable. “I, uh, I’ve done things in the past that I’m not proud of. Those might come up if someone digs deep enough. A wholesome wife could help my image if that happens. In any event, you would help me look more trustworthy and stable. A married man seems more responsible than a young kid, right?”

“You do look young,” I agreed.

“I’m twenty-six. I’ll be one of the youngest elected if it happens, so I need all the help I can get.”

“And that’s why you aren’t going after the more beautiful women?” I tried not to make a face as I said it, knowing I should be grateful he had even talked to me. “Your voters will trust a plain woman more than a beauty queen?”

“What?” He shook his head, reaching across the table and grabbing my free hand. “That’s not what this is. There’s something about you...” He broke off, looking at our clasped hands before quickly releasing mine. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

I laughed. “You’re talking about marrying me. I think holding my hand is okay. You did it earlier anyway.”

He glanced up, his beautiful blue eyes boring straight into me. “Does that mean you’re considering accepting me, even knowing what I’m doing and how hectic your life will become? It’s not exactly easy being a congressman’s wife. You’ll be in charge of organizing a lot of charity things and helping on the campaign trail.” He flashed a bright grin. “Plus, I’ll need you to be constantly at my side, smiling, seeming like we are the perfect couple, even if you decide you hate me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh again. That grin was too charming by far, and I was certain he knew it. “That doesn’t seem all that difficult, but I’m assuming my criminal record would be something your opponents would use to discredit me. Perhaps you should look for a beauty queen.”

“No way.” He shook his head. “I figure that can play to our advantage. We won’t even keep your past a secret. We’ll tell your story loud and proud. Part of my platform, which you can help with, will be women’s safety and promoting self-defense. We could even get an instructor and hold self-defense classes everywhere we go while campaigning. It’ll be perfect.”

Trying to keep the frown off my face, I had to wonder if a politician was ever sincere about anything. “So, basically, you’ll exploit me and these other women to get votes?”

“It’s not exploiting.” His congenial smile faded away, a frown marring his handsome face once again. “I told you, there are some things in my past.” He ran a hand through his deep black hair, spiking it up even more in the front. “It’s important to give back. I think helping women become more capable of protecting themselves is something I should do regardless of whether I get their votes.”

“What, exactly, did you do in the past?”

“I don’t want to talk about that.” His tone turned brisk. “What’s important is the man I am now. So, what do you think? I looked over your sex menu. We’re compatible in the bedroom so there are no problems there. I have more money than you’ll ever be able to spend, so you’ll be the most pampered wife in history. Plus, I’m sure Prudence Mora will make a contract that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Should we do this?”

He was serious. It felt so odd, being proposed to in this way. I’d always imagined something romantic, like the jumbotron at a football game or having the ring be in my wineglass at a fancy dinner. ‘Should we do this’ was so impersonal that it nearly broke my heart. Still, I wasn’t in a position to say no.

“There’s a few things I need to tell you first,” I replied, knowing I had to make sure he would agree to my demands before we went any further. “I have a terrible fear of the dark, and I can’t stand being left alone at night. Sometimes I can be in the house by myself, but it’s truly terrifying to me. I need you to promise you’ll take care of me after dark and never leave me alone.”

A frown again graced his face. “That could be hard. We won’t always be at the same place, considering the stuff we’ll do for my campaign. Plus, I still have a couple months left in the current session for the state.”

“Then, I’m sorry, but you’ve wasted your time. You should—”

“Just give me a sec to think!” At his forceful words, I could suddenly see the spoiled rich boy who was used to getting what he wanted. Apparently, arguing with him in the future would be difficult.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m sure there are plenty of women who can—”

“I said to wait!” He ran his hand through his hair again, seeming frazzled. “I don’t want another woman. You’re the one I picked, and after speaking to you, I’m sure I made the right decision, so just let me think about this.”

I closed my mouth with a snap, flabbergasted that he was so adamant about me when we’d just met. Wouldn’t any woman work for him? Was it the self-defense thing? Sure, I might have a good story for that, but any woman could realistically say they’d been attacked before and then hold the classes he wanted. One thing was certain, politicians never seemed to have trouble lying. Surely, it would be a simple matter. So... why did he want me?

“How about this?” he asked after several silent seconds. “I’ll rearrange my schedule to have you travel with me as much as possible once this session lets out for the state. If there’s ever a situation that arises where I can’t be with you after nightfall, I’ll send my assistant to keep you company. In fact, I’ll hire a companion just for you, that way, you’ll never be alone if you don’t want to be.”

“That’s going to be a lot of extra money to hire a whole other person just because I’m afraid of the dark like a five-year-old.”

He set his champagne down and reached across the table, clasping my hand in both of his. “I’ll help you work on that too. We’ll send you to get counseling or whatever you need to eventually beat your fear. Please, Sapphire, tell me your real name and say you’ll marry me. I have a good feeling about you. I think it’s destiny that we met here.”

Unable to stop the blush that his words and actions caused, all I could do was nod. That was definitely more romantic than his original proposal. If he was serious, all I could do was trust that things would work out. “Okay, I’ll marry you. And my name is Bella.”