Total pages in book: 230
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
“I also know that infrastructure costs a fortune to maintain. That’s why you need me.”
“Why did you reject our proposal?”
“It’s wishful thinking.”
“Our numbers are stronger than ever. Cash flow is the problem here.”
“And I’m ready to write a check, Miss Bradley. I look forward to a long and fruitful”—he pauses as if tasting the word—“partnership between our families. It won’t look anything like what you had written down, clever though it was.”
“Clever? No. I think it was fair.”
He stands, and my heart thumps. Is he leaving? He can’t leave. Except he doesn’t head toward the door. Instead he walks leisurely around the table. “Would I see a return on my investment? Probably. If your brother and your father don’t run the hotels into the ground. There’s only so much you can do chasing after them, cleaning up their mess.”
My throat feels tight. It’s not only the words he’s saying. It’s the way he’s prowling closer to me. That’s what it feels like—as if I’m being hunted. “A return on your investment is good.”
“Not good enough. I want more.”
Then he’s standing in front of me. His body blocks the light from a wall of windows. He becomes shadow—heat and scent. He’s intimidating, but I’m not afraid. Instead excitement runs through my veins. An excitement I haven’t felt in years. “What do you want?”
CHAPTER 2
Francisco
The first time I ever saw Isabella Bradley was beneath the strobe lights of my club in Vegas. She looked gorgeous. No, that’s not the right word. She looked fuckable. Immensely fuckable, and I seriously contemplated taking the steps down to the floor. She had turned down every man who approached her, but I felt confident enough about getting her into bed. The problem was, I didn’t want a carbon copy of every beautiful girl. I didn’t want another bland night of vanilla sex. I wanted control, and this girl, with her high heels and fake eyelashes and glasses of Dom Perignon was in no position to give it to me.
What do you want? she asks. The same thing I wanted that night, only now I know that it’s possible. It’s within my grasp, and the anticipation makes me hard. Everything about her makes me hard. I want to own you. If I told her that she’d go running for the hills. “I have something deeper in mind than an infusion of cash.”
“You want a seat on the board?”
“God no. I want controlling interest.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s impossible. Bradley Hotels stay in the Bradley family.”
“That’s exactly what I’m proposing,” I say, drawing out the last word. Proposing. This isn’t how I imagined proposing marriage. “That I become part of the Bradley family.”
Her blue eyes are narrow. She’s suspicious. Good. She should be. “Meaning?”
“Marriage is the easiest way, I should think. And it’s about time I settled down. Produce an heir, as my aunt would say.”
Shock. Disbelief. Fury. They’re written across her face in rapid succession. “You’re an asshole.”
That makes me laugh. It’s a good laugh. A belly laugh. The kind that’s genuine. She’s perfect for me. Her brother was right when he said I liked new construction. The villas in Bali. The club in Vegas. The ice hotel in Sweden. I like to control every single aspect of a situation. I would never have considered taking on the Bradley hotels, no matter the return on investment. Not until I heard the whispers about her taking over the reins. Not until I put her together with the fuckable woman I saw in the club. The Bradley Hotel empire is a bonus. She’s my true acquisition.
This close, I can feel her body heat. I can smell her lavender scent. I breathe in deep. It’s going to make me hard now, anywhere I go. A lavender candle. An air freshener. My cock will turn to steel because it wants inside this woman.
“Is that a yes?” I ask.
Her blue eyes flash. “There’s no way in hell.”
“Not even for Chef Bautista?”
“Not for any chef in the world. I can’t even tell if you’re joking right now. Or just playing some kind of prank. This is a business transaction.”
“Our marriage would be a business transaction.”
She laughs, a wild sound. I want her to make that sound with my tongue on her clit. “Let’s assume I’m even contemplating this idea. Are you suggesting a marriage in name only?”
“Oh darling. We’re going to have sex.” I glance down at her. That sweet little black pantsuit that she uses as a shield, as if anything could cover her innate sensuality. Every man who meets with her in this conference room wants to spread her naked on the shining wood table. Myself included. “I suppose a test run is in order. A spreadsheet with numbers that add up.”
“What?” Her blue eyes are clouded. She’s affected by how close we are. She feels the attraction the same as I do. We’re both just animals beneath the pretty trappings, and her instincts warn her body to prepare itself.