Billionaire Contract

n's

again

rely managing to wrestle my phone into the cupholder. A text from my boss at the sh

hts were green. If traffic played nice. If the

dn't. Suck

er my breath, like the old girl would forgive me. I'd bought it for six hundred bucks from a guy wh

to make my life

d to a stop. I slammed the brake, heart leaping into my throat-

make me sw

steering wheel with both palms

. But when I looked up and saw the rear bumper of the sleek black machine in f

n't just

xury. Wealt

d slowly. Purposefully.

y or gay man sweat. His hair was raven-dark, swept back with a few artfully rebellious strands falling over his

the damage,

face. It was something deeper. Like life had been pissi

ndering to the god of expensive cars. "I didn't see- I

ndescending eyebrow. The kind of look that told me he'd dealt with

I'll pay for it. I swear. I don't have much on m

t bot

ze. "

toward the ca

ou. I need to

said flatly. "This bumper

I have

and resting on the roof of the car. He turned his head slightly

Blac

icon. Also known as the city's most eligible wido

r. Blackwood, I

eat, cool as ice, and shut the door

he wa

-

replaying that moment-his face, that voice, the dismissiveness that burned more than the guilt. I hated

he one thing that made

I was standing in the glass-paneled lobby of Blackwood Industries with

nked at me. "Do you

ed to see Jas

afr

who hit his c

n eyebrow, picked up the phone, and

ecurity guy showed up

round then. But I wa

lly. It had floor-to-ceiling windows, polished steel shelves, and a massive desk wi

n it lik

eak. Just tilted his head like I was a

velope. "This is

u really came all the

u I'd pay

ou I didn

.." I hesita

He stood, slowly, and walked around the desk. Close enough that I could smell the fa

rk?" he

d, uh..." I cleared my

d. Not quite a sm

he urge to s

was figuring out a mat

ight,

didn't tell

t that har

lus

lope, but for a handshake. "You wan

ha

ork under me-pardon the phrasing-and w

ng w

r I tell

him. "You'

plet

't even

ersistent. And irritatin

turned around and walked out

I shook

was the beginning of everything. And th