Page 12 of The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée
Arpad makes a gun with his fingers, mimes shooting him.
"And you, Damian?" Eric asks.
"To sex, women and rock shows. May the ride continue."
Jace is the last to raise a toast. He hesitates, choosing his words with care.
"To rolling the dice, one last time."
Eric chuckles. "Good luck, amigo."
As they clink glasses, Jace wonders why, despite his best intentions, he can't get rid of this sinking feeling that he's going to lose this time.
5
Sienna
* * *
Two days later
When my alarm goes off, I sit up with a start. My first thought is that I am going to see him today.
Silver-green eyes. Sardonic voice. The strength in those shoulders. Merely thinking of him sends a curl of heat rising in my belly.
And I plan to spend an entire week with him?
I swear aloud. I'll never be able to resist him.
Is it too late to call it all off?
As if in answer, an email pings in my inbox. Reading the subject, I wince. It's from the landlord, reminding me I owe him last month's rent on the office.
And then there's Bella.
It'd been stupid of me to think I could manage it all. If only I could turn the clock back. Back to before I'd left home. Before my adoptive father died in an accident and I'd sworn to take care of my sister.
My throat tightens. I'm well and truly trapped.
Conceding defeat is not an option. Not unless I have exhausted every single possibility of being funded. And strange as this offer is, it still means securing the money.
It's this or becoming homeless. Perhaps I should have considered that waitressing job at the corner coffee shop? Even as I think of it, I abandon that idea. Not practical.
But spending a week with a strange Angel Investor is?
Besides, I've committed already. I must go through with it. And hope I can resist him. Resist that powerful pull to him that has me in thrall.
Bracing myself, I place my feet on the floor. A gentle hammering starts in my head and I groan aloud, cursing the cheap wine from last night. That’s all I need now, a hangover.
By the time I finish a quick shower and am on my second cup of coffee, I feel almost human. The intercom buzzes.
I'm not ready to face my future, yet here it is.
Wheeling my suitcase out of the building, I barely register the chauffeur who springs to attention and takes it from me. I slide into the back seat, but Jace doesn't even look up or acknowledge me. He continues staring at his tablet.
Annoyed at being ignored, I look out of the window as the limo pulls away. Still, my eyes find their way back to him. Faded jeans, tan loafers. A leather jacket hangs on the peg next to him.
He's wearing a T-shirt, short sleeves reveal the beginnings of a tattoo on his right bicep.
