Samantha coughed into her hand. “She has a point.”
Gavin shot her a dirty look. “Everyone out except Amandine.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk to her alone,” Craig began. “Legal—”
“Quiet, Craig. I’ll let you know when I want your opinion,” Gavin said, not even bothering to look at his lawyer.
“I’m not letting you talk to my client without me present,” Samantha said.
“I can’t leave if she” —Craig gestured at Samantha— “is staying.”
Gavin’s jaw flexed. “I’m paying you to be helpful, and it’d be helpful if you shut up.”
Amandine sighed. “Gavin, stop and say what you want. I’m not going to ask Samantha to leave just to make you feel comfortable.”
Gavin narrowed his eyes. “Fine.” He tapped the table once. “For the four months—and no, the duration is not negotiable—you are to be a loving, agreeable wife.”
She squinted at him. “You want a Stepford Wife?”
“I didn’t say brain-dead and mindless,” he said testily. “Just agreeable.”
“Oh excuuuuse me.” Amandine waved her hand. “Do go on.”
“I will also want sex.”
She choked. “Sex is not the cause of our problem.”
“But it can help solve it.”
“Forget it.”
His eyes grew hard. “Don’t push me on this point. You won’t win.”
She clenched her hands and forced her jaw to relax so she could get her question out. “What position and how many times a month?”
“It’ll be my job to ensure you’re interested. You just need to be receptive to my advances.”
“Like a prostitute?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had to pay for sex.” His gaze was steady, and his voice was firm and clear as he said, “I’ve always been faithful to you.”
Amandine swallowed. “We aren’t here because I thought you were cheating on me.”
She was certain he’d never slept with anybody else since they became an item. Two-timing was never an issue. Emotional unavailability was.
“I just wanted you to know that.” Gavin’s voice was terse.
“Well, that’s touching, but my client needs more than just avoiding a failure if she were to agree to this outlandish proposition,” Samantha said.
“If we reconcile, she will have unlimited access to my assets,” Gavin said.
Before he could say more, Craig leaned forward. “If not, she’ll get what she’s legally entitled to. It’s no loss to her.”
“Really? I’m to give up four months of my life for something I’m already entitled to?” Amandine said. “You think I’m stupid?”
Gavin raised a hand. “I’ll pay for all your medical bills. It’s not cheap to have a baby in this country. Plus I’ll set up a sizable trust fund for the child. No strings attached. He can pursue whatever his heart desires without ever having to worry about money.”
“Oh.” Amandine blinked. Mired in her immediate worries, she hadn’t thought about how she’d pay for hospital bills or the child’s future. She thought about her brother Pete, and how highly he valued making as much money as possible. If he hadn’t been so obsessed with becoming rich, he might have pursued something he liked more.