Page 33 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

I exhaled slowly, the weight of my decision settling on my shoulders. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Roman raised his glass, a glint of triumph in his eyes. “Here’s to a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

I clinked my glass against his, my stomach churning with nerves.

Had I just found my salvation or had I made a deal with the devil?

12

ROMAN

Victory tasted as sweet as the bourbon I swirled in my glass. She agreed. I knew she would, of course—I always won. Still, watching Kaira wrestle with her decision and finally come to the inevitable conclusion had been entertaining. I leaned back in my chair, letting her simmer in the quiet for a moment.

“Excellent,” I said smoothly. “You’ve made the right choice.”

“That is yet to be determined,” she muttered.

“Here’s what happens next. You’ll meet my board on Monday morning. They’ll want to put a face to the arrangement and finalize the terms. We’ll have a contract drawn up, which we’ll both sign. You’ll receive your payment when the contract is fulfilled.”

She nodded cautiously, like she was bracing for impact.

“In the meantime, I’ll cover all your expenses. Rent, bills, living costs—anything you need. Just send me an invoice.”

Her brows shot up. “An invoice? For my rent and bills? My… living expenses?”

“Everything,” I confirmed. “Down to your birth control costs.”

Her cheeks flushed so deeply I thought she might combust. It was hard to tell if she was embarrassed, offended, or both. She opened her mouth, probably to yell at me, but shut it again. Instead, she crossed her arms and looked at me like I was an alien.

“I have a roommate,” she said. “I can’t leave her high and dry.”

“I said I will pay your expenses. I’ll cover your half of the rent and bills and what not.”

Kaira gave me a long, measured look. “Why are you doing this? Why go to such lengths?”

I swirled the bourbon in my glass again, watching the liquid catch the light. Honesty wasn’t always my first choice, but perhaps with Kaira, it would be a different kind of weapon.

“There’s more at stake than just my reputation,” I confessed. “Business deals, potential partnerships—my future—it’s all on the line. You being by my side, convincing the board and investors that I’m a stable, committed man changes the narrative.”

Kaira’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re using me to secure your empire.”

“I prefer to think of it as mutual assistance,” I countered smoothly. “You help me stabilize my image; I pull you out of financial quicksand. We both emerge stronger.”

She studied her hands for a long moment. Then, looking up, she said, “And what happens when this contract ends? When these six months are over?”

“You go your way, and I go mine. Period.”

“Why me?” she asked again. “Why not one of the women that fawn all over you?”

I smirked slightly at the question, setting the glass down with a soft clink. “Fawning women are too easy to read, too predictable. They enter the room, and everyone knows what they’re after. But you? You challenge me. You keep them guessing, and that’s exactly what I need right now. My board will not approve of a woman that’s been out there and is known. Not that they need to approve, but they would have an issue with someone that would not be taken seriously by the public.”

“And I will?”

“Yes. We’ll make sure they do.”

She sighed. “So, I’m just a strategy to you?”

“Isn’t that what I am to you?” I shot back gently. “This is nothing more than a business deal.”