PLAYING THE BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACT GAME

m

d call from my best friend, Rachel a

!" She squealed before

always had this uplifting energy around her that could make a

aled again and I joined h

ut in Greenwich Village. Without wasting any more t

ne at the foyer, seated as hot and handsome a

na?" He asked me without even li

my lips a

my friend f

or f

offed in disbelief. "Are

ly lifted his piercing gaze to me, his b

l of my eyes and a sigh of res

eaning back in his chair with one ankle crosse

ued with a frail of my ha

asm laced into his tone. He gave me a deadpanned

ne.

nd brushing nonexistent dust off

idened eyes, but he raised

h the way his lips curved told me he was lying. "But don't m

again,

stay in the c

ea

~~

through the windows. She waved excitedly and got up to give me a hug. I felt my heart melt with warmth a

y introvert, she was outgoing and carefree. She had helped me step out of my shell and helped me elevate m

was all smiles as we sat down on

el. It feels like forever

where Zane was seated at a small table, legs crossed and dark shades covering his eyes as he pretended to r

s widening slightly before a kno

conspiratorially as I took a sip from my cup of

but my cheeks betray

e. "The tall, dark, and dangerous man sitting i

ed my

ingly overp

sed with you." Her tone was teasi

the unpredictable, self c

. "You're imagi

the way he's glaring at any woman who so m

girls at a nearby table were giggling and sneaking glances at him

folding her arms.

ked, desperate to change the subject. "L

here for work. Asher's company just opened a br

ed at the mentio

" I rep

tered. "Yeah. I th

ickly, forcing a smil

er eyes, studying

ated for six months but had broken up when I couldn't really give him the love he deserved. After getting heartbroken by Zane, I h

as in New Yor

el said, glancing at her phone n

hest and my eyes sho

e? N

ingly oblivious to

e great to cat

our table caught my attention and I lifted my gaze to see

e said to me with a small sm

though my heart was thumping violently

cker of something else in his eyes. So

you?" h

ne was forgotten and his dark shades was now resting on the

s casual but his words anything but. "Congratu

her

e my hear

conversation. Especially not with Zane staring at us li

anywhere but here. I wished she had told me he would b

seat and preparing to leave without waiting for Rachel's reply. But as I tried

, my throat tight no

ing away from

d, another hand close

hands off

f his voice was scary and deadly. His grip on Asher's wrist wa

air tense around us. I glanced around to see that everyone in the cafe

g his arm before I could stop

re releasing his grip. Then, without another wo

e inside, he turned on the car and said to me with dark eyes that didn't bo

Mi Reina," He said in a dangerous wh