Billionaires Dollar Series

He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back, and nods at the heart. “It’s looking good.”

“You’re deflecting.”

A sigh. “Well, I started with small business lots. They were old office buildings that no one wanted.”

“Except you.”

“Except me,” he agrees, handing me another book to glue in place.

“And then you flipped them?”

He snorts, perhaps at my layman term. “Yes. We renovated them, timed it right with the market, and sold for a profit.”

“You make it sound easy,” I say. “Did it all fall in line perfectly for you?”

“No. It was a lot of work. We weren’t many working together in the beginning, so it was a lot of long hours.”

I wonder if he still works long hours. He must, to maintain the empire, but he still makes time to sit here and glue books with me. It makes me… well. There must be an ulterior motive somewhere.

“And then business took off. Going from office buildings to the Reese hotel…”

His eyes flash with the memory, but I don’t look away from him, despite my own flushing cheeks. “Yes,” he says. “It was a leap. Not everyone believed I could do it.”

“But you did.”

He inclines his head. “Your belief in yourself is all that really matters. Careful, there. It’s toppling to the right.”

He’s right. I straighten the heart and lean back, inspecting it. Nearly done, and I only have a handful of books left. This couldn’t have worked out better if I’d counted them.

“Your nephew isn’t around tonight,” he says. “He’d like this, no?”

I smile. “He would. Anything with building or tools, he loves.”

Cole’s face is unreadable. “You like kids.”

“I do. Pass me that book? No, the red one.”

He hands it to me in silence, and I study him again. He’s being polite, civil. Cordial. So am I. It’s… odd. And nice. And that’s when my suspicion hits with full force.

“You want a repeat of the night at the hotel,” I say.

Cole’s eyes snap to mine, and I can tell by the sudden fire in them that I’m right. “So what if I do?”

“Were the plants a part of the seduction scheme? The glue gun?”

“Would you take the plants down if I said yes?”

“Then yes, sure, they were.”

I cross my arms over my chest. This doesn’t make sense. That night had been beyond my wildest dreams… exciting, daring, dangerous. Sexy. He’d been fantastic in bed.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“You’d be risking so much.”

Judging from the faint amusement in his eyes, he’s finding my whole act amusing. “I would?”

“Yes. Sleeping with someone you’ve made a business deal with. Not very professional.”

He hands me another book and nods at the top of the heart. “You’re nearly done, Skye. Don’t stop now.”

I take it from him in an angry movement. This whole conversation, him here… it’s beyond frustrating. I could have a repeat of that night-the night I’d been dreaming about for so long-but only if I was willing to sleep with the enemy. With him.

Because despite his cut-glass jawline and his casual laughter, he will tear down this business if he doesn’t deem it worthy. I’d read enough online about his ruthless business decisions to know that’s true.

“You’re the last person on earth I would sleep with,” I say. “You’re the reason I might be unemployed in a month and a half.”

Cole supports the bookheart with strong, capable hands. His handsome face is set in clearly composed lines. He doesn’t look remotely flustered by this conversation. “Everyone in the business will be compensated. You won’t be empty-handed.”

“If I sleep with you.”

His eyes flash to mine, and for the first time since I’ve known him, there’s actual anger in them. “No. Absolutely not.”

“That’s not what you’re suggesting here?”

“No. Fucking hell, no. You’d think that of me?”

I look over at him. His jaw is working, a faint flush spreading up his neck. There was one headline that had stood out in particular when I’d searched his name. Cole Porter sued by former business partner, alleging malpractice over his departure.

“I don’t know what to think,” I say honestly. This man is effectively a stranger, and I need to remember that. “We don’t know each other very well. And you are trying to tear down the place I love, Cole.”

“A very unlucky coincidence,” he says darkly. “Tell me. The night we spent together at the hotel. Why did you leave me that note? Truthfully?”

Now my cheeks flame with the memory. Thanks for the night, stud. “I didn’t want to push it,” I say.

“Push what?”

“I don’t know. Myself? My luck?” I throw up my hands. “I don’t sleep with random men at bars. This is me,” I say, sweeping a hand over my casual clothes. “I spend my days here. I’m currently glue-gunning. And you’re… well, you. I knew that even before I found out you owned the whole damn hotel.”

His wolfish grin is back. “I’m thinking of turning Legacy into a chain of bars. All because of you.”

“Oh, God help us.”

“But you enjoyed the night.”

I look up at the ceiling. “Yes.”

“I wasn’t planning on propositioning you like this. You beat me to it. But of course I want a repeat of that night. Don’t you?”

I look at the shelves around us, and force myself to picture Cole in a hard hat, tearing them down one by one. “No.”