Page 7 of Marked By the Billionaire
“How so?”
“People marry all the time for convenience or at the very least they stay in loveless relationships for the sake of kids or money.”
“No,” I shake my head, “some things are real. Love is real.”
“To what extent? A few months? Love is a fairytale sold to you by corporations a lot like mine.”
“And what is your corporation, Wilder? You sell cutesy valentine cards?”
“No,” he brushes his hand down over his beard, “I created a file sharing program that allows users to transfer encrypted data peer-to-peer without relying on centralized servers. It’s completely anonymous, lightning-fast, and virtually untraceable, but the concept of love and business are the same. Emotional manipulation, stakes, and the illusion of trust.”
“Sounds like you could hook any woman you want then. Why me? Why pay all this money to spend a weekend with a young, inexperienced virgin?”
His gaze meets mine. “Because I can have whatever I want, and I want you.”
I glance away as a shot of something rushes through me. I can’t identify it, though it feels like a cross between flattery, excitement, and disgust. Thankfully, the cabin door comes into view ahead, distracting me. It’s a massive place tucked between the pines like a secret. Floor-to-ceiling windows reflect the last glow of dusk, and a wraparound porch hugs the structure like an embrace.
I blink, stunned. It’s the kind of place you see in magazines and never expect to stand in front of. But we’re here, and I’m with him, and he’s looking at me like he’s a hungry wolf and I’m the prey he’s been eyeing.
I shouldn’t like it, but I do. I really, really do.
“Yeah,” I finally say, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “Why, though? Why me?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“Yeah!” I gasp, brushing back a strand of loose hair. “You paid four million dollars. I need a reason. A reason more than how innocent I am.”
The spaceship parks itself, and Wilder turns toward me, leaning close. His breath is warm, a mix of cinnamon and sugar. “That’s a part of it, though. You haven’t been tainted yet. The way your body responds to touch is still new. You haven’t been taught how to perform. I want to taste that.” His voice is deep and brooding, sending all the wrong signals to all the right parts of my body.
“What’s the other part?” I ask, my heart beating hard behind my ribcage.
The rough pads of his fingers graze my cheek lightly. “You’re beautiful, and you gave me a run for my literal money back there.I liked that.You’ll challenge me. That’s what I need to make this feel real.”
“Is that what I am?” I blink up at him, far too desperate for his lips to touch mine. “A challenge?”
“You flinch when I touch you. You breathe like you’re afraid of wanting me. Maybe a part of me hopes that breaks.”
A chill traces my spine and I hesitate, stuck on the way he finished his sentence. There’s something about the way he said it, like he sees deeper than he should, like he’s reading lines no one’s ever written.
Or, I shake my head, he’s playing the game he paid to play, chasing control in places real emotion can never reach. That’s the one. That’s what he’s doing. It’s a game.
Still, my thighs clench when he looks at me. It’s involuntary, and I hate myself for it, but it’s there, the creamy wetness, the aching desire, the subtle yearning in my stomach.
He slides from the truck and my pulse kicks harder. Whatever this weekend is, I have a feeling it’s going to be complicated.
Chapter Four
Wilder
She walks into the rented cabin like she’s expecting a trap. Can’t blame her. Nothing about me suggests safe. I’ve paid a twenty-one-year-old four million dollars to spend the weekend with me. I’m pretty sure that could be in a book somewhere as one of the creepiest deals to ever go down.
She’s standing near the fireplace, eyes bouncing across the vaulted ceilings like she’s never seen something so big. Or maybe, she’s just figuring out where to bolt if things go sideways.
“I called ahead and had some clothes sent over.”
“We were only in the car for an hour.”
“People that work for me move fast. I’d like you to go upstairs and change. There’s a room to the left that’s for you. You’ll know it’s yours because of the flowers on the dresser. I figured you for a sunflower girl.”
