suite and unceremoniously dropped Ja

wet bar, and poured three fingers of neat whiskey. He threw his head back and swallowed it in

ward a frosted glass door o

r female guests," Christian said, his back still to her. "G

around her chest, pushed herself off the sofa, and limped toward the

the cool wood of the door, her chest heaving as she dragged oxygen into her lun

: a pair of black trousers and a long-sleeved, black silk button-down shirt. The clothes were clearly tailored for someone taller and lingering with the faint, powdery scent of another woman's expensiv

larbone. She walked over to the mirror, ran wet fingers through her

ional. Do not let

ck into the main suite. In her hand, she held a fresh business car

looked up as she walked in. Seeing her wrapped in black silk, completely covered

ance. She placed the fresh business card and the crisp client prosp

emotion, cold and clinical. "I am Jacqueline Blackburn. I am the senior acade

ospectus folder, and scanned it. His dark eyebrows twitched slightly when he read t

e paper back

rms across the back of the sofa, looking at her like a predator analyzing a puzzle. "If you're such a

d his gaze. Sh

hey wanted a highly-paid babysitter to write their children's college a

's black eyes. He liked the absolute arrogance in h

"But useless. You're

g just enough to show her teeth. "His transcripts are a disaster. If you keep throwing money at

owly reached over and crushed the burning cherry of his c

th, her stomach clenchin

d out a thick manila folder. He tossed it onto the marb

inety days to pull Kevin's grades out of the gutter. If he fails his midterms..." He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers.

e a leash. She didn't pick up the pen. She wasn't ready to surrender her

e like ice as she pushed the folder back towa

rned t

aring the heels, one of which was completely s

y," he ordered, then hung up. He looked at Jacqueline. "My driver will take y

turned her head, looking

she said firmly. "I

ssive frame radiating dominance. He closed the distance between them in two lon

he growled, looking down a

Her blue eyes were blazing wi

If I sell you my brain for the next three months, I will not sell

ed the heavy door open, and

u'll sign it, Jacqueline," he murmured to the empty room. "By tomorrow night, you'll realize you have no other cho

loor. The moment she pushed open the back exit do

wn, unbuckled the straps of her ruined high h

n soaked through her black silk shirt in seconds, washing away the li

alley, a black Maybach sat with its engine purring.

oaking wet figure walking barefoot through the storm. He watched her until she disappeare