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This guy could offer me the moon, and I'd hand it right back. Never in a million years did I expect to run into the biggest crush of my childhood. But, of course, I have. And I'm reporting to him at the new company I landed a big-time job at. Arrogant. Hot as hell. Total jackass. Why he's still single is no mystery to me. He's not willing to settle down. He's always been that way, and as far as I'm concerned, he always will be. But, boy, is he beautiful to look at. Every part of me screams "run" as my insides turn to mush. No. Not me too... Not again. I should be immune by now. I know him far too well to fall into this hopeless pit of adoration again. But maybe there's a way around it. It's his power that drives me over the edge of insanity. If I were the boss instead of him, I'd hold all the cards. Good thing I'm always up for a challenge. Funnily enough, this guy thinks he's going to score. He might have to redefine what getting lucky looks like after me. At least, that's the plan.
KADEN
There was no place better to be during the fall season than New York City. I'd experienced fall at Harvard, in Texas, and in too many other states and countries to bother mentioning. Growing up as the son of a Fortune 250 company owner, I had traveled a lot.
The traveling made me uniquely qualified to make the sweeping statement that there was no place better to experience the season than right here in the city I'd called home for the last five years, and planned to call home for the next fifty-at least.
Once the next fifty years were done and I was seventy-seven, then perhaps the allure of retiring to Florida would become too much for me to handle, and I'd move. But for now? New York was stuck with me.
Whatever arguments could be made for any other city in the world during fall, New York kicked their ass. The weather was cool enough to drink proper beer again, not that watered-down shit I hosed my insides with during summer. I could drink whiskey neat without it being warm and making me look like a total idiot. The mosquitoes were finally gone, and the fall concert scene was fucking brilliant. It was goodbye to the golden-oldies arena tours, and hello to the greats.
And yet, none of those things mattered right now because I was stuck inside one of the sixty-something-story skyscrapers that formed the skyline of my beloved city, and I was about to fire an incompetent fuck for being, well, an incompetent fuck.
The fuck ranted on and on. "I've done everything you've asked me to do. I've done more than you've asked of me, actually. Half the shit I do isn't even near my job description."
I turned away from the view outside my fifty-eighth-story office window calmly, and I arched an eyebrow. "Really? You're arguing that you've done everything I asked of you? You think you've done more than I expected?"
I picked up a thin stack of paper files from my desk and looked him square in his weaselly eyes as I dropped them back onto it one by one. "Jefferson, you forgot to make the trade. Khartoum, you lost the client two million because you didn't do your homework. Collins, you know what you did to Collins."
The investment banker I was berating worked at my dad's firm-my firm one day. His name was John, but incompetent fuck worked just fine.
He heaved out an exasperated sigh, his hands flying to his hair. "Those kinds of things happen. If I didn't have to-"
I lifted a hand, frowning so hard that the line between my eyebrows felt like the Grand Canyon. "Are you actually trying to make excuses? And did I hear you right? These kinds of things happen? Because they don't. Not on my watch."
"If I wasn't doing the work of five people, it wouldn't have happened," he insisted stubbornly. "You can't expect us to work eighty hours a week and not make mistakes."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "I work more than eighty hours a week, and you don't see me making mistakes like that."
"Well congratu-fucking-lations, Kaden. But I'm not you. I didn't grow up in this game. I'm doing the best I can, but realistically, it's not feasible to do everything you expect me to do."
"More excuses." I flicked my wrist, fighting to stay calm. "You're not performing how I expect anyone on my team to be performing. That's it. End of story. I'm not interested in excuses."
"Look, you're focusing on my mistakes only. I've done some good work here. Think about it. I landed the Donnelly account, I got Smith out of that bind with the SEC, and I made Parker five bar." Frustration came off him in waves.
Christ. If the guy wanted a cookie for doing his job on Donnelly and Parker, he came to the wrong place. As for the other thing... "Smith wouldn't have been in a bind with the Securities and Exchange Commission if it wasn't for you. All you did was pick up the phone to call your investigator friend to clear up a misunderstanding you caused."
His shoulders slumped, hatred burning in his dull brown eyes as he clenched his fists. Aggravation was written all over him. It might as well have been stamped on his forehead. "You're wrong. That wasn't my fault. What do you know about it, anyway? You weren't even there. You were probably off partying with your billionaire boys' club friends on a yacht somewhere."
"There is no club," I shot back calmly, tempted to roll my eyes. If this idiot thought he was going to get a rise out of me by insinuating I was nothing but a rich party boy, he was going to be disappointed.
I'd been dealing with shit like that all my life. It rolled off me like water from a duck's back. I knew that I kept my head down and I worked hard, just like I always had. I didn't have anything to prove to anyone, John included.
"I wasn't there because I was doing what you should have been doing in the first place. Working. I heard about every single thing that went down with the SEC. Who do you think drew up the reports?" I pointed my thumb at myself. "Me. I drew them up because you went missing for two days after."
"I was sick," he protested loudly, throwing his hands out to his sides.
"You were hiding," I retorted, turning my back on him to look out over the city once more. His face was begging for a punch, so it was best I didn't look at him right that minute. "Now, I'm not looking for any more excuses. If you want to keep working here, give me one good reason to keep you on."
There. Human resources would be proud. I was doing a stellar job pretending I hadn't already made up my mind that he was about to get fired, no matter what he said. The reality was that he just wasn't Marx Incorporated material.
Our people couldn't be afraid of working the hours we did. They couldn't cower in a corner after they fucked up, feigning illness, and they definitely couldn't come to me with bullshit excuses. John had done all of those things on several occasions, and I was over it.
He also complained regularly and loudly. I didn't like complainers. Toughen the fuck up. That was my motto. Complaining wouldn't get you anywhere in life. You had to grab life by the proverbial balls and squeeze every last drop out of it. John didn't have the grab or the squeeze in him, which made this an easy decision for me.
He cleared his throat behind me, but I didn't turn around. I was bored of this. It was midday, and the city outside was thrumming with an energy I couldn't feel from all the way up here. I was desperate to get down onto the streets for just a couple of minutes to grab lunch and a coffee.
Ethan Lewis has been in the bright lights for as long as he can remember. He’s just turned the cusp of celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday, and yet he feels more like eighty. Living the life of a celebrity isn’t all it is chalked up to be, and dealing with the unruly number of women who are more interested in his billions than who he is as a person is getting old. He has resigned himself to giving up on love and focusing on the only thing that truly gives back – his career. Riley Phillips has always dreamed of being on a big stage with the warmth of the spotlight baring down on her, but she just couldn’t seem to catch the right agent’s attention. After giving a quick commencement speech as Valedictorian of her graduating class at Billmore High, she’s offered something she can’t refuse... The chance to work in Hollywood. It’s not all it’s chalked up to be, but she works hard and finally gets her big break four years down the line. There is a new movie that her agent wants her to audition for, and her co-star? The dreamy Ethan Lewis. She scores the part, but soon regrets it due to his callous, overbearing persona. He’s nothing like the public touts, and she for one isn’t impressed. Funny enough, he is - immensely. This is book 1 in a continued series. All books are available
He said I couldn’t do it, but he was wrong. An old professor at UCLA promised me that I would make nothing of myself, so I made sure I did. To the tune of billions. I’m only a little cocky about it. Yachts, parties, and one-night events pretty much spell out my life. And all of it works well until I run into a beauty I can’t get out of my head. But we’re keeping it friendly and casual until we aren’t. There’s just one problem. Her old man hates me. And for good reason. He was my UCLA professor. He’s dead set against me becoming anything important to his little girl, but the old man’s got it all backward. I’m not looking to make an example out of our passion or prove a point. This isn’t about hit it and quit it. His daughter is mine, and he might kick me out, but she’s letting me all the way in.
My Needs. My Demands. Your Pleasure. You're Welcome. She had one year left of college when our parents got married. And thanks to being raised in poverty, she needed help with her expenses. My dad, being the benevolent billionaire, stepped up without question. But there was a catch. She had to intern at the firm for a year. With me. As her boss. Poor sweet little thing. She has no clue what she’s up against, but she’ll figure it out soon. I don’t play typical games, but the ones I do play, I always win. And regardless of how taboo our relationship might become, I’m all in. The reward is worth the risk. I just hope she can keep up with my many demands.
He’s going to make me break my number one rule. And possibly lose my job. How dare he? It’s pretty simple, though. Don’t date students. Which is normally easy to stick to. Who wants to date an eighteen-year-old boy? Not me. I much prefer an older man with rough hands that knows what he’s doing. Enter Mr. Evans. A single father billionaire with more time on his plate than he knows what to do with. And the man is brilliant and wickedly delicious. Much to my surprise, he’s quickly becoming my star pupil, which means he gets more of my time than necessary. But I can’t help myself. He’s exactly what I need in my life, in my bed, kissing me at the stroke of midnight… And the best is even though he’s older than me, he’s more than willing to let me teach him a few new tricks. Let's just hope we don't get caught.
I need a wife. Now. It doesn’t have to do with love and living the good life. This is all about getting the money my billionaire father left to me. And I’m running out of time. But who proposes to a stranger after the first date? Me. That’s who. As if I have another choice. Luck is on my side though, and a beautiful model shows up in my office. Single? Gorgeous? Funny? All of the above. Our first date goes so well that I feel unsure about my decision to do this thing with her—you know, fake it. I put it off and decide to do it later, to ask for her help after we get to know each other better. But I like her more and more each time we meet, and eventually, offering her a ring isn’t for my dad’s money—it’s because I want her more than anything else in the world. Besides, who’s going to know if it’s fake or real? And does it really matter? Yeah. It does.
She’s playing hard to get, and I love it. I decided a long time ago to let my career as a high-powered New York Editor and my son be my only focuses. But my family had hoped for a different fate. As much as I miss them, I’ve lost touch with them, and with love in general. Wealth calls to me after my grandfather dies and leaves me his billions. But there’s one catch. There always is, right? I have to live on the farm I grew up on for six months and take a break from my big city life. It’s worth it and maybe my little boy will enjoy the time with me. One thing I never expected was a beautiful woman to show up and steal our hearts. She’s everything I want in my life and my bed. But she’s a tough cookie. I’m up for the challenge. There’s nothing I’ve wanted in life that I haven’t gotten. Unfortunately for her, I don’t want just six months in Montana. I’m demanding all of her.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
"We are divorced, Adams." She sighed and wanted to walk away, but he held her. "It doesn't matter." He answered, his voice laced with determination. "I don't love you anymore." "That doesn't matter either. What matters is that I want you, and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it." ***** Alicia's life has been a series of ups and downs. She suffered abuse from her husband and his family because she couldn't give him a child. She thought she had seen it all, but not until the day she returned home only to receive the divorce papers from her husband's parents. She pleaded with them, but was met with deaf ears, and so she signed the documents and left. Little did anyone know that she was pregnant. She returned six years later with her baby girl only to find her Ex-husband craving her once more. How will she take this, and what other surprises does fate have in stock for her?
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.