Page 1 of Marked By the Billionaire
Chapter One
Penny
He’s a big guy with wide shoulders, a tall stance, tattoos everywhere, and his aura is pure contradiction. A rugged rebel wrapped in sharp elegance. I’ve never seen a man with such unapologetic intensity, and I’m not sure I ever will again.
I’m not supposed to be looking this closely. I’m not supposed to notice how strong his hands look or how his biceps are about to shred the fabric of that flannel. I’m not supposed to notice how confidently he stands… waiting forme.
I mean, I could notice if I wanted to, but there’s no point in it. I’m not here to go gaga for some older, rich man. I’m here to get paid.
My heart hammers against my ribcage. How the hell is this guy waiting forme?
Short, round, imperfectly poor little me. This man could do so much better. I imagine him with a swath of supermodels stroking his ego on an hourly basis.
The wind bites gently, and leaves swirl around my boots as I tuck behind a wooden booth, with a tower of glossy red apples glinting like jewels in the afternoon golden light.
I need to call Sloane. She’s always my voice of reason. The girl could talk a caterpillar out of molting if she wanted to. I need that kind of reckless dialogue right now.
Fumbling with my phone, I dial her number as the fair buzzes with laughter, carousel music, and the occasional shriek from the haunted hayride down the hill. Still, my heart thuds louder than any of it.
I steal a glance around the corner.
He’s still there.
He’s still there, and he’s somehow hotter than he was four minutes ago.
Lord, help me.
I press the phone tighter to my ear and whisper, “Pick up, please. Please… please pick up.”
“Hey, girl. Thought you’d be knee-deep in a billionaire by now. Or should I say… I thought he’d be deep inyouby now?” She laughs at her own joke, but my head is spinning too fast for me to recognize the humor in it.
“Hey,” I pant, though I’m standing still, “I… he’s here, but I can’t like… I can’t do it.”
“Didn’t he pay already?”
“He did. Well, five hundred thousand now, the other half after the deed.” I clear my throat. “I guess he wants to talk about rules or something. I don’t know.”
“Rules,” she giggles. “That sounds…interesting.”
“You say it like I might be getting murdered tonight.”
“Nah.” She slurps at something in the background. I imagine it’s her daily smoothie. Sloane loves exotic fruits, and she loves them even more when they’re blended with yogurt and chocolate sauce. “I doubt that app allows for murderers. He’s probably just some bored rich guy who wants to knock ‘virgin’off his bucket list. He’s paying big bucks for this. If my life wasn’t currently in a tailspin, I’d consider sellingmyvirginity. I didn’t realize the kind of cash involved in the whole thing.” She laughs under her breath. “Seriously, though, you’re going to be fine. This’ll give you a story to tell for the rest of your life.”
I drag in a deep breath, trying to let the fall scents soothe me, but not even cinnamon and sugar are doing the trick. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I need the money, and I’ve already signed the paperwork, so… I guess I go through with this now, right?”
“Hey, I say this is a better deal than the arranged marriage I’m getting thrown into. With your deal, you walk out with cash. I have to sign a prenup and agree to weekly brunches with some stranger’s mother.”
I huff a dry laugh, more stress than amusement. “Okay, you might have it worse. But what if this dude is crazy?”
Sloane slurps again, then sighs dramatically. “Or what if he’s a super freak who gives you the best night of your life? A night you’ll think about when you’re having boring sex with some normal guy twenty years from now.”
I tuck myself deeper behind the stand as another gust of wind kicks up a flurry of leaves that are swirling around like they’re mocking me. The candy apples gleam in their wrappers, untouched… like me. I wonder if they’re as nervous as I am for someone to take a bite. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“You have your pepper spray, right?” Her voice is thick with empathy, though I know she thinks I’m being ridiculous. These guys are vetted, and so was I. That’s the point of the website. Safety and anonymity.
I unzip my purse to check for the tiny canister I made a special trip for last night. “Got it. I’ll check in with you tonight. Oh shoot, unless you’re flying out.”
“I am, but the flight has Wi-Fi. I’ll keep everything turned on so I can keep tabs on you.”
