The Billionaire's Forbidden Obsession'

Brown unlocked the door to Brew & Bean, a sma

y. Claire switched on the lights, tied her apron aroun

uxurious, but it provided steady work,

didn't have much money, so she understood the value of hard work. She dreamed of a comfortable life where

n the counter and the coffee machine, taking ord

ntil a man in an expensive charc

air of authority that made people instinctively move aside. He

said sharply. "The numbers speak for th

approached the counter

e. Large. Ma

aised an

rning to

er and check

r. She had dealt with rude customers before, and she w

r, she placed the

o. Careful,

p, took a sip, and

is ter

ed at him.

orrectly, or is competenc

rs glanced in t

al. "It's the same coffee everyo

e else has lo

unnecessary force and fina

y. "What makes you think you're so spe

, but Claire re

r confidence to let a stranger tear

me?" s

s watch. "Some people really sho

ed at him f

fee, and move on with her morning. T

rogance made her unwilling

fresh pot of coffe

ling the coffee across the counter and splashing i

e shop fe

d, staring at his ruin

ell is wron

et the p

needed a taste of the coffe

ough she had committed

ve any ide

honestly

reddened

u regret this.

folded

reat me like I'm worthless. If you don't like the coffee,

man seemed too s

the counter and attempted to clean his jack

t over," h

knocking over a display of pastries

the entrance ji

seconds, n

he customers

the shop was filled with l

eached for a cloth t

with a disbelieving grin, "you just poured coffee o

e shr

t some of that money buyi

s lau

somethin

you.

t affected her. Still, a small part of her wondered

nly looked fu

rogant stranger. She had bills to pay, a family she wa

sleep over a man whose

he same couldn't

on the sidewalk, staring thr

her coworkers, looking completel

ered b

at irritate

he powerful Reed family and a successful billionaire in his own ri

ion, feared his temper, or

in the eye and poured coffee o

rious enough to forget

ldn't stop thin

ttered, looking down

ing to call his driver, when a

'clock meeting has been moved forward. Don't tell me y

the shop one last t

g postponed. So

se arrived almo

thing came u

th fr

: Don't

d crossed the street tow

the entrance when so

nne

urrying toward him, a leather b

speak to him without worrying about the consequences. He also ha

lained as he caught up with him. "Your driver said you l

nced down a

ffe

t his face, the

pilled cof

ne poured

went

s eyebr

y poured coffee

our voi

nderstand how someone managed to look at you and d

ve him a w

aised hi

ll be serious.

ding and headed towar

d silent, his e

died him f

ou shouldn't have, someone answered

insult

stared

h star

nter replied dryly. "And

h igno

the elevator and ent

it over the back of his chair b

offee shop across t

er p

w &

es

gnition crosse

e woman who threw coffee a

turned

ha

lled out

rk. She sent a message in our office group about a waitress who'd thrown coffee at

s jaw ti

was alread

at the stain

ence, I'm guessing t

ou fin

mos

his phone back

d you do to

ustified that k

sn't my

shot him

Fine. I'll stop

ed to his desk

d you to find

usement fad

t to rep

N

her

N

at do yo

t her

folded

r you get

s chair, remembering the

e does, who she associates with, and an

s eyebr

ble for a woman who p

it a perso

nvestors, businesses to run, and a board of directors waiting for your

me to ask s

ghed dram

ly person around here with eno

information on

shook h

s going to get you i

door on you

g something about unr

ned back to

looked as cheerful as ever, as though their encounter had be

her to rem

erstand exactly who

er have admitted it aloud,

.m., Hunte

e holding a thin folder, his usual teasing e

ound

aightened i

am

t two years. She lives in Queens with a roommate, and from what I could ver

opened t

tanding outside the coffee shop, her hair falling

about the ruined suit an

ndwritten note attac

ression

t's

r hes

while checking the inf

d the note fr

es nar

name written at the bottom m

t Whi

looked u

n's name connected

exhaled

blem. It isn't

ther document

t it, waiting fo

tated befor

about her family

the document again, the

over about the woman who had thr

nneth realized that the encounter at Brew & Bean might hav

ginning of something neit