Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Damn. Maybe being a steak wouldn’t be so bad—
“I have to say I’m surprised you showed up,” Crossland said, stopping my erratic thoughts in their tracks.
“I have to say, I’m surprised, too,” I admitted, folding my arms over my chest. I was so out of place in this world, his world.
“I have something for you,” Crossland said, taking long strides toward his desk with a confident gait that had me standing up just a little straighter. He grabbed a file off his desk and handed it to me.
“Is this the contract?” I asked, only half teasing as I opened the folder, rifling through the papers inside.
Crossland laughed, then casually slid his hands inside his dress pants pockets. “That’s a full background check,” he said. “My entire history, right down to the ticket I got last week for speeding.” He came closer to me, tapping the papers in my hand. “Everything in here usually requires an NDA signature before reading.”
I glanced up at him. “And yet here you are, handing it over to me,” I said unable to hide the bitterness in my tone after the long ass day. “I feel so special. If I get on my knees right now, will you throw in an extra million?”
I regretted the words the second they flew from my lips.
This wasn’t his fault. It was my shitty attitude thanks to the day I’d had, and I was taking it out on him.
Crossland took a step back, smirking with nothing but challenge in his eyes.
“I don’t pay for sex, sweetheart,” he said, his voice low and rough. “And if you’re so offended by my offer,” he said, pointing toward the door. “You’re more than welcome to get the fuck out.”
CHAPTER 3
Crossland
Surprisingly, she didn’t seem offended by my blunt response.
Instead, her eyes lit up with shock and delight, and just a hint of curiosity, all of which were quickly swallowed by some form of shame or hesitance which appealed to my more sensible side.
This wasn’t a typical, everyday business transaction, and I was sure the situation was taking her out of her comfort zone.
Well, that made two of us.
I was just thrilled she’d actually shown up today.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her shoulders dropping slightly as she glanced down at the folder in her hands. “This is all new to me. I’m not entirely convinced it’s even real.”
I nodded. “I understand that,” I said, dropping my hand and sliding it into my pants pocket. “It’s not like I’ve done this before, either.”
She seemed surprised by that statement, tilting her head as she looked up at me, then down to the documents in her hand, then back again.
“You’re pretty prepared for somebody who hasn’t done this before,” she said skeptically.
I laughed softly, then motioned to my desk. “Do you want to sit down and talk about this or are you about to bolt?”
She studied me for a few moments, something settling in her eyes before she walked to the chair across from my desk. She settled into it, crossing one leg over the other. I couldn’t help but note the move. She was effortlessly graceful, but she didn’t exactly look comfortable. The professional outfit she wore hugged her body perfectly, but she didn’t look like those were the clothes she’d normally wear, and it made me wonder what she would be completely relaxed in.
I walked around my desk and took the spot behind it, facing her.
“I’m prepared,” I said, getting back to what she’d mentioned earlier. “Because I’m an entrepreneur. Whenever I make a deal, I make sure I do my due diligence. And since you haven’t officially accepted my offer yet, I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure that you knew exactly what you were getting into.”
“And what exactly am I getting into?” she asked. “Beyond the obvious of pretending to be your girlfriend for three months so you can win some sort of billionaire poker bet.”
I chuckled at that, realizing how ridiculous it sounded when it came out of her mouth. I leaned back in my chair, contemplative.
“The thing is, I made a bet thinking I was going to win. I lost. And what I put at risk was something I actually can’t afford to lose.” The thought of losing my father’s beloved car, one of the last things that we ever rode in together on our last boys’ trip before he passed away, was unbearable, even when I knew it would go to my best friend. It’s not like Ethan would trash the car or even sell it. Nevertheless, I couldn’t part with it. I was kicking myself for ever even entertaining the idea in the first place.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to not lose what I mistakenly put at risk,” I continued. “Can you understand that?”
“More than you realize,” she said softly, then shifted in her chair. “But you need my help to win? What kind of bet is that, anyway?” She continued without allowing me time to answer. “Like, why would you need a girlfriend in order to win the bet?”