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"Then it's win-win," I said confidently. Inside, I felt anything but. This is fucking crazy. What made it even worse? It was all my idea.
But once I made a choice, I acted on it. I followed through. That was how I'd gotten ahead in the high-tech industry, becoming a billionaire in my own right before I'd even turned thirty. I was a venture capitalist, and I was considered a ruthless one: I bought new companies and sold them at whim, never letting personal attachment become a factor in my business dealings. I rarely, if ever, doubted myself. And as I sat in the office and waited for my escort, I realized why: self-doubt was creeping and invasive, a choking weed wrapping itself around my insides.
I roughly brushed the doubt off, eradicating it from my mental landscape. This was just an unfortunate circumstance, a blip on the radar. I was hiring this girl for the greater good. She was going to help me, and I was going to help her.
And then I was going to get back to what was really important: running my empire. Alone.
BLAKE
Elena came hustling through the door, her cheeks flushed, as I put the finishing touches on my makeup.
"Are you all packed and ready?" she asked.
I nodded, gesturing to the luggage I'd neatly assembled over the course of the afternoon. Elena had let me have free range over AccomoDating's wardrobe. I'd packed gorgeous designer dresses, skimpy bathing suits, expensive jeans and T-shirts, and of course, lots of sexy lingerie.
I hadn't packed a wedding dress, though. That was the one thing Elena didn't have. Lucas and I were going to have to figure that out.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I had no idea what sort of women my new client preferred or what his tastes were like. My earlier Internet search of him had come up largely empty, aside from the Globe article. There were items here and there about his technology empire, his latest start-up acquisition, and older photos of his proper-looking parents attending various society events. I’d found lots of pictures of his sister, Serena. She was stunning, with long dark curls and the figure of a Hollywood starlet. She appeared to be a lady who lunched, served on several boards, and attended what seemed to be an endless string of black-tie events.
Elena patted my hand, bringing me back to the present. "The client's added some terms to the contract," she said.
"What?" I asked, immediately suspicious. This close to so much money, I was waiting for the rug to be yanked out from under me—a learned response.
"An additional economic incentive." Elena gave me a reassuring smile.
I didn't want to get my hopes up. "Please tell me what you mean."
"Mr. Ford just told me that if you follow the terms of the contract to the letter for the next year, he'll give you more money."
A nervous flutter went off in my chest. It took me a second, but I finally recognized what the feeling was: hope. "Go on."
"This is big, Blake." Elena's eyes sparkled with excitement. "He said if you pull this off, and the family believes this marriage is real, he'll give you another million dollars at the close of the assignment."
I almost fell over. "Seriously?"
She nodded. "Seriously. You know I don't joke about money."
"Wow… just, wow." Two million dollars. For the first time in my life, I was finally going to rise above the poverty line. Not only that, I was going to get the actual hell away from it.
"He's waiting," Elena said. "He seems antsy, and he's definitely all business. Not exactly into small talk. But very handsome."
"Works for me," I said, grabbing the over-sized designer pocketbook I'd borrowed from the wardrobe and throwing it over my shoulder. The bag was new; I'd taken the tag off of it that afternoon. It had cost more than my monthly rent, which I found utterly ridiculous. But I had to look the part. I had to seem like a billionaire's fiancée, not an escort hired to pretend to be a billionaire's fiancée. My cheap plastic tote from Target wasn't going to cut it.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? It's a big commitment…" My boss's voice trailed off.
"Don't get soft on me now, Elena." I kept my tone light. The truth was, her concern touched me. "I'll be fine. In fact, I'll be two million dollars more than fine. How many people get to say that?"
I'd already promised myself that if Lucas Ford was mean, or if he was dangerous at all, I would leave the assignment. Money was important, and I needed it badly, but my safety came first.
The money came a very close second.
Elena nodded. "I just want to make sure you'll be okay."
"You don't need to worry about me. I can handle this," I assured her. "It's just business."
She reached out and clasped my hand. "I know how much this will help you. You and your mom can finally get a nice place. Somewhere safe. But I mean it, Blake, if you have any second thoughts, call me. I'm here for you."
"Thank you." I smiled, trying to reassure her. "I'll be fine. And just wait until my mom hears about the money!" I couldn't wait to call my mom, to let her know that by the end of this assignment, we would officially be in the monetary clear. I would just have to get her to swear, up and down, that she wouldn't tell my leech of a sister.
