o: Strange

ffee cradled between her freezing hands. It was six-thirty in the morning, and the city hadn't yet rubbe

adn't

Jason's face. His calm, apologetic voice

the heat than the taste, and stared out at

just in time to see a sleek black SUV pull up beside the c

ng you ride the bus the day after yo

sed for a laugh. She crossed the stre

ou look like someone who

Gold repl

m into a pillow or thro

just sat there thinking about

r, if I see that walking disappointment in co

t time in hours. "Please

for a while before Leila asked t

. wha

e question,

e been so busy being Jason's cheerleader, I forgot how to stand on my own. M

you helped someone else earn. Maybe it's time t

t answer r

id she

eciated. She wanted to be loved in a way tha

nything, she wa

for a mid-sized firm in Manhattan,typing motions, sorting evidence files, answering phon

re

robbed, and she was one more "Can yo

en the le

n her reports. She assumed it was a misfiled client document,unt

Ben

was a message in ink so dark it looked

u, don't glue the piece

ind me

rtwell

D.

o signature,excep

re, waiting for logic

etter. "Do we have a client or

it. "You mean like

aused.

r. Billionaire. CEO of Copper International. He's this mythical finance dragon t

ed her th

ked, and read it ag

ven know w

"Wait, you really don

ugged. "

ee-piece suit this city has ever seen. If he summoned me

stuffed it into her bag.

cally. "Or a very fancy stalk

I'm

oing to put on something fabulous, go to that lounge, and if this is some rich

r eyes. "You'r

nned. "Now go get your

rtwell Lounge,an exclusive rooftop bar wi

st turne

he thought

oulders and walked

he faint scent of expensive cologne. A hostess approached, but befor

e

ough the lounge to a

here

el C

d suit. A presence that didn't

proached, offering a

the sheer intensity in

" he said simpl

tiously. "Wh

dable. "Because I need a wife. And I th

hen realized he

ha

, but for convenience. You get security. I get discretio

tared

re se

ntract,"

ld've wa

d the tiniest ember of defiance, whispered, What if thi