A'S

ame on the contract again, just to be sur

Cal

rich boy with daddy issues o

name was a kn

itinerary. Nor the penthouse address th

's f

n the way up. Of course. Of course, the universe would make me

trauma, the same man who had cared as I bled out a

It threw them bare-knuckle

signed

the town car that arrived exactly

hat's who

Professional

a sur

emotional

ane Callahan, if only

eading toward the Ca

turn. The driver didn't speak-thankfully-a

contract had listed "Callahan

orth, weaving into quieter blocks, past doormen and polished limestone

in front of the penthou

no office

But take the elevator up to the top f

oor, and as the elevator

n throu

o the bone. But something about the sudden change in pl

k

n already kn

into the living room. Of cour

floors. A view of the skyline that screamed

the other holding a glass of bourbon like it had

ing in with my coat still on and with bitternes

eeting at your office. Why

his gla

room under fluorescent lights? Or here, where n

just said that upfront. You didn'

show their true selves when

, Mr. Analytical?" I asked, step

tful. Strategic. Like he was assessing an asset, not a woman. Or a person

gh. "You don't kno

ust motioned to the

s crossed and my chin tilted just enou

ven c

told me who you

lie about

tever," I said, voice flat. "That name should

me of every guy who contrac

d, it made me want

ped cl

our little CEO fantasy while casually omitting that yo

hink it's an opportun

at him. "

a rather good business out of wearing rings that aren't yours. I need a wife, fo

d Z

abou

sit there and act like this

d. "Zane doesn't run this family. A

slipped out. "He sure had a way of rui

he did," Kane

silen

he aftermath. Like he hadn't just read about it in tabloids

idn't. N

before he broke

sed. And t

aligning myself with the Callah

ake six figures next time. But stay? You walk away with seven. And something Zan

, and I was

I didn't ha

glass walls at the New York sk

run even. To disappear and leave the

t.

sound still lived in a box I

were paid, but th

t stood there, watching him f-k my st

ust can't sta

was looking at me with that perpe

, trying to sound more

ne confirming that he was just

intimacy," I insisted, raising a finger for emphasis. "No

replied, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lip

most as if I could feel a spark of

just bought yourself a wife," I said, l

f we were sealing some kind of deal. His p

and, every inch of me screaming to take it, but reason held me back. Because let's be real,

be a whole differ

that kind of "worse" is

odd

e game

E'S

the only th

r believed

le whom you couldn't change no matter how

d in front of me was a

d everyone up; she was like sunshine, spreading cheerfulness whenever sh

e she would shatter

le and two more years of whatever hell he mad

bas

g place, at first, I was willing to pay double to know wh

uld kick back. She wasn't the littl

although I wasn't stupid enough to

rom her black purse and plung

t blam

but I still bore the same sur

on that fact. We continued as I made a deal I knew she wouldn't refus

a simple ponytail revealing the contour of her face, her blue ocean eyes flared with a

ore like a l

ed in, awaitin