The Billion-Dollar deal

n't explain himself either. When

e rhythm. The very fo

head of the Styles International conference room that mor

ring with that same disapproving

st thirty-fi

rty"

arried,"Henry St

ue eyes unreadable. "And yet here

beside dad cool, elegant, in

"There are expectations. We're not asking you

d. "You want me to play husba

y snapped. "If it keeps investors from q

t me to parade some empty

her you like it or not. That's the condition

ese people not tired of thi

om qui

nce always sucked the air out of a room. Cold. Beautiful. Dangero

led sl

"Fi

ents bl

olly, adjusting my cufflink

don't know why but

owed his e

as I thought of the

artled brown eyes, and tre

ince that day at th

d. "Not from our world. But exac

ed in. "Does

ll," I

t waste

she didn't respond well t

engine humming as I pulled up to the modest brown

for not coming

oots hitting the sidew

ed live

eat of the spilled tea. The sting of her name on my chest is li

at made he

ually chased me drawn to the mystery, the cold arr

Ar

looked at him li

as offering h

doorbell.

e inside. Soft. Fem

n, I'm

or ope

T-shirt, a dish towel in one hand, b

ed, those rich brown doe eyes bli

" she

brow. "You r

orway, hand gripping the knob.

I said smoothly .

narrowe

ition. One you'l

sit on a patched-up couch while

r disturbed but who was she trying to fool I could

died

ft cotton. Legs tucked under her like she didn't

ad, n

beauty. R

my knees crossed. "I

ce was im

bli

use

nding contract marriage. With me.

laug

idn

. "You're

er

ou ins

ld say br

od. "Ge

u two billio

eath c

got you the

er. Terms will be simple. You'll attend a few events, smile f

ed, but no so

ing the space

er. But my prese

th me," I added in a low vo

ce flu

"And trust me, Aria. If you

oved m

oney you have," she snap

t about buying you. It's

ot a p

s wastin

oftly. "You're

. "Get out o

ed, co

t, pulled out a black and gold c

s," I said. "To t

the card. Didn't

ould know," I added, voice like ice. "Th

fierce. "Then go

d in a wicked

want the one who

hen l

pping black coffee as I reviewed documents on my tablet. Be

e popped up

nore

ss rival, Grey Vale manipul

ed power. I had

bition. I ch

e money o

was trying to

eing someone new,"

don't do love, Jule

did she

gh

delete the

reason, I tho

asn't lik

as...

at kind of game she'd

lay in bed, sta

n Sty

ntrol freak. De

red her salvation in exchang

d use th

ve her broth

uld su

she trus

th, the way his tongue rolled while saying her name. The way her

r thighs toget

, n

't a roma

a trans

already feel l

droom, silk sheets behind him, rain ta

ched t

at she'd look l

angled in

uth ga

burned int

dn't

fantasiz

t, he let

elt... d

eed wasn't jus

s a ga

Styles neve

n't explain himself either. When

e rhythm. The very fo

head of the Styles International conference room that mor

ring with that same disapproving

st thirty-fi

rty"

arried,"Henry St

ue eyes unreadable. "And yet here

beside dad cool, elegant, in

"There are expectations. We're not asking you

d. "You want me to play husba

y snapped. "If it keeps investors from q

t me to parade some empty

her you like it or not. That's the condition

ese people not tired of thi

om qui

nce always sucked the air out of a room. Cold. Beautiful. Dangero

led sl

"Fi

ents bl

olly, adjusting my cufflink

don't know why but

owed his e

as I thought of the

artled brown eyes, and tre

ince that day at th

d. "Not from our world. But exac

ed in. "Does

ll," I

t waste

she didn't respond well t

engine humming as I pulled up to the modest brown

for not coming

oots hitting the sidew

ed live

eat of the spilled tea. The sting of her name on my chest is li

at made he

ually chased me drawn to the mystery, the cold arr

Ar

looked at him li

as offering h

doorbell.

e inside. Soft. Fem

n, I'm

or ope

T-shirt, a dish towel in one hand, b

ed, those rich brown doe eyes bli

" she

brow. "You r

orway, hand gripping the knob.

I said smoothly .

narrowe

ition. One you'l

sit on a patched-up couch while

r disturbed but who was she trying to fool I could

died

ft cotton. Legs tucked under her like she didn't

ad, n

beauty. R

my knees crossed. "I

ce was im

bli

use

nding contract marriage. With me.

laug

idn

. "You're

er

ou ins

ld say br

od. "Ge

u two billio

eath c

got you the

er. Terms will be simple. You'll attend a few events, smile f

ed, but no so

ing the space

er. But my prese

th me," I added in a low vo

ce flu

"And trust me, Aria. If you

oved m

oney you have," she snap

t about buying you. It's

ot a p

s wastin

oftly. "You're

. "Get out o

ed, co

t, pulled out a black and gold c

s," I said. "To t

the card. Didn't

ould know," I added, voice like ice. "Th

fierce. "Then go

d in a wicked

want the one who

hen l

pping black coffee as I reviewed documents on my tablet. Be

e popped up

nore

ss rival, Grey Vale manipul

ed power. I had

bition. I ch

e money o

was trying to

eing someone new,"

don't do love, Jule

did she

gh

delete the

reason, I tho

asn't lik

as...

at kind of game she'd

lay in bed, sta

n Sty

ntrol freak. De

red her salvation in exchang

d use th

ve her broth

uld su

she trus

th, the way his tongue rolled while saying her name. The way her

r thighs toget

, n

't a roma

a trans

already feel l

droom, silk sheets behind him, rain ta

ched t

at she'd look l

angled in

uth ga

burned int

dn't

fantasiz

t, he let

elt... d

eed wasn't jus

s a ga

Styles neve