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She wasn’t going to get caught up in the riches. Abby knew money was fleeting. She had learned that the hard way. She had seen her family’s fortune go up in flames when her father lost everything in a real estate deal. They lost it all: the cars, the land, her mother’s jewelry, and their house.
It wasn’t long after his financial ruin that her father learned he was sick. Life went from bad to worse. Money meant nothing and everything at the same time.
Abby wandered to the window and stared out at the manicured grounds. There was an infinity pool that stretched the length of the house. It had to be heated.
She would do anything to trade the money to have her father back. She watched the landscaper trimming hedges. The money almost made her sick. She had seen how hard he worked to make sure they never wanted for anything. But what was the point?
There was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” she called.
Douglas entered. “Mr. Rockford and Mr. Evans would like for you to wear this for dinner, Miss Mantelli.” He presented her with a gown tucked inside a leather garment bag.
She rolled her eyes. “Is there something wrong with my sweater and jeans?” She folded her arms. She knew the boots were cute.
“Dinner at the manor is formal.” He cleared his throat. “Appropriate dress is required.”
“Fine. I’ll wear the damn dress.”
She attempted to yank it from his gloved hands.
“It is a one-of-a-kind Shera. It’s delicate, Miss Mantelli.”
For a second she hesitated. “A Shera?”
He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
She wasn’t going to be seduced by the price tag on this dress. She didn’t care if it was a twenty-thousand dollar gown. They were showing off. Paying her off. It wasn’t going to work.
She took it from Douglas. “I’ll wear it, but only because I have to.”
It was hard not to peek. She waited for the butler to leave the room. “Is there anything else they would like to decree?” she snarled.
He walked toward the door. “Dinner is promptly at six.”
“I will be there.”
She didn’t have a choice. She thought about her options. There were none. She had to put on the dress and march down the stairs like the piece of property she was. For the next thirty days Cole and Deacon owned her. There was no way around that unless she could prove herself through her art.
For thirty-days she had to survive in this golden castle. Endure the loneliness. Bear the brunt of what they expected. Her stomach rolled. She had no doubt what she was expected to do. They might have acted like gentlemen. They might disguise their motives with lavish gifts. They might try to hide behind a job offer at HiTech Global. But she knew. It was an elaborate sham.
They bought her.
They owned her.
And the price was sex.
6
Abby
Abby had to hold the banister to keep from tripping over the train on the black gown. The beading made it heavy as it clung to her body. Her heels were high and if she tipped forward, there was a chance she would tumble down the winding staircase.
The dress cut in a low V to her navel and draped gracefully off her shoulders. It was hard to deny how elegant and sexy it was. The slight train gave it a glamorous feel. It seemed ridiculous to wear this to dinner in the dining room, but she did as she was told. Douglas didn’t seem like the kind of man who joked around, and she wasn’t interested in testing Deacon or Cole.
When she reached the bottom of the staircase she peered around the corner looking for the dining room. The house was eerily dark and quiet.
She didn’t know what it would be like living with two bachelors. Whether they would have sports blaring on the TV at all times. If they would smoke cigars or walk around in their underwear. These two men didn’t seem like other bachelors. They were different.
