Page 6 of The CEO

“Then you better watch and learn. Where is her mother?”

“Gone. Lilly’s my daughter.”

“It thought so. She has your eyes, you know.” Then she grinned and placed her hand on his arm. “I still can’t believe you’re a father. You’re thirty-six and I figured if you weren’t married again by now, you wouldn’t be. And I never thought you’d have children. This is monumental, Adam.”

Adam shrugged as he finished spreading the towels on the table. “I never thought this would happen. I’ve always been careful. I guess I had a faulty condom.”

“I guess so. It happens to the best.” Bree laid Lilly on the towels, removed her onesie and took off the soaked diaper. “I need the wipes.”

He found the tub of baby wipes and handed her one.

She washed Lilly and then put a dry diaper on her along with a clean onesie.

Adam watched closely, taking notes on his phone. It didn’t seem to be hard, but he knew that this was just a wet diaper, and she would have a messy one sometime soon.

Taking Lilly back into her arms, Bree handed her to Adam.

“So, tell me how you ended up with a daughter, and why now?”

He told her the entire story, leaving nothing out.

“Well, that’s quite a tale. Let me get us some iced tea, and you can tell me why you’re here. Not that I don’t love seeing you, but this is fairly strange you have to admit.”

Bree walked to the refrigerator.

The large kitchen had an eating area where Adam sat at the round oak table. He held Lilly in his lap.

She pounded on the table with her little fists and babbled happily.

“I’m here because I need your help and not just with Lilly. I need a wife and Lilly needs a mother.”

Bree’s hands stilled as she reached for the pitcher of tea. “Why did you come to me? Do you want me to help you find a wife?”

Adam shook his head. “No. I want you tobemy wife.” He hurried on before she could speak. “Please hear me out before you say no.”

She continued with her task and came to the table with two large glasses of iced tea. She made it with just a little sugar, just enough to cut the bitterness tea sometimes had, but not make it sweet.

Her mother had always prepared it that way, and Bree continued with the tradition. He found he preferred it served this way.

“I need a wife for a deal I’m working on. The couple who own the company are rather old-fashioned and very rigid about it. They want whoever they choose to go with, to be a familyman. Now, especially with Lilly, I need a wife.” He hurried on. “It wouldn’t have to be permanent. A marriage of convenience. Please say you’ll do it.”She has to say yes. I won’t get the Breckenridge account if I don’t have Danvers first.

Bree was quiet for a bit. She sipped her tea. “I’ll get attached to Lilly. I never wanted to marry. Not after Brad. You know that. And I thought you would never marry again after Valerie.”

His gut churned, and he stiffened at the mention of his ex-wife. “I know. I’m sorry. I never should have asked you. Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure out something else. I?—”

She placed her glass on the table and smiled at Lilly.

The baby started giggling as if she knew the funniest joke.

Bree turned her gaze back to Adam. “I’ll do it. I want to be a mother, Adam but I don’t want our friendship to become romantic. I want to be loved, as a woman, before I have sex with anyone, including you. You’re my best friend; so of course, I’ll help you. I’m twenty-eight and this will be my only chance to have a child. When would you want to get married?”

Adam let out the breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “As soon as possible. Unless you want a big church wedding, I thought we could just do it at the house with a justice of the peace.”

She waved a hand and smiled. “That’s fine. I don’t want a big wedding. That was my dream when I thought I was marrying Brad; I don’t need or want that anymore.”

“Today is Wednesday. Is Saturday too soon?”

She shook her head. “That will be fine. What will you do with Lilly until you get her some furniture?”