CHAPTER ONE-THE OFFER
I had exactly twelve dollars and forty-three cents left in my bank account.
I stared at the number on my phone for almost a minute, hoping it would somehow change.
It didn't.
My rent was due in three days.
My mother's medical bills were already overdue.
And this morning, my manager had called me into his office and told me that my position was being eliminated.
"Amara, I'm sorry."
Those were the words that had destroyed the last bit of hope I had been holding onto.
Now I sat alone at a small café across from my old workplace, staring at a cup of coffee I could barely afford.
I laughed bitterly.
Twenty-four years old, unemployed, buried in debt, and somehow still expected to believe that everything would work out.
My phone vibrated.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
I almost ignored it.
Instead, I answered.
"Hello?"
"Amara Bennett?"
My back straightened.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"My name is Victoria Hale. I represent Damien Cross."
The name made me pause.
Everyone knew Damien Cross.
Thirty-one years old. Billionaire. CEO of Cross International. The man whose name appeared in business magazines almost every week.
"What does Mr. Cross want with me?"
There was a brief silence.
"An arrangement."
I frowned.
"What kind of arrangement?"
"I'd prefer to explain it in person."
"I don't think that's necessary."
"You should hear the offer before you refuse it."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"And where exactly am I supposed to meet you?"
She gave me an address.
My heart nearly stopped.
It was one of the most expensive hotels in the city.
"I'll be there at seven."
The call ended.
I stared at my phone.
This was probably a mistake.
It had to be.
But three hours later, I found myself sitting across from Victoria Hale in a private hotel lounge.
She placed a folder on the table.
"Read it."
I opened it.
My eyes immediately landed on the number written at the bottom.
Five hundred thousand dollars.
I nearly dropped the papers.
"What is this?"
"The amount you will receive if you agree to the terms."
My mouth went dry.
"What exactly am I agreeing to?"
Victoria folded her hands.
"Damien Cross needs a woman to accompany him publicly for six months."
I blinked.
"Accompany him?"
"Attend events. Appear beside him. Spend time with him. His family expects him to settle down, and there are business reasons for maintaining a certain public image."
"So you want me to pretend to be his girlfriend?"
"Exactly."
I looked down at the contract again.
"Why me?"
Victoria's expression changed slightly.
"Mr. Cross chose you."
The words sent an unexpected shiver through me.
"He knows me?"
"He knows enough."
That answer made me uncomfortable.
I closed the folder.
"I can't do this."
I stood.
"Miss Bennett."
I stopped.
"If you leave, the offer disappears."
I looked back at her.
She slid a second document across the table.
It was a list of my debts.
My rent.
My mother's hospital expenses.
Everything.
My heart sank.
"How did you get this information?"
"Mr. Cross has excellent resources."
I hated that answer.
I hated the entire situation.
But most of all, I hated the fact that I desperately needed the money.
I slowly sat back down.
"What happens if I say yes?"
"For six months, you belong at Mr. Cross's side."
My eyebrows rose.
"Belong?"
She immediately corrected herself.
"You will accompany him as his contracted partner. There will be boundaries."
"Such as?"
"No relationships with other men during the contract. No discussing the agreement with the media. You will attend whatever events are required."
"And after six months?"
"You walk away with five hundred thousand dollars."
I stared at the contract.
Five hundred thousand dollars.
Enough to pay my mother's bills.
Enough to clear my debts.
Enough to start over.
I picked up the pen.
"Where do I sign?"
Victoria smiled.
But before I could touch the paper, a deep male voice came from behind me.
"You sign after you meet me."
I froze.
I slowly turned around.
Damien Cross stood several feet away.
Tall.
Impossibly composed.
Dark hair. Sharp features. A black suit that looked like it had been made specifically for him.
His eyes met mine.
And something about the way he looked at me made my heart beat faster.
Not because he was attractive.
Because his expression wasn't that of a stranger meeting me for the first time.
It was almost as if he had been waiting for me.
He walked toward the table.
"I wanted to see whether you'd accept the money before I wasted my time."
I swallowed.
"Do you always insult people you're trying to hire?"
His lips curved slightly.
"No."
He pulled out the chair opposite me.
"Only the ones I'm interested in."
My heart skipped.
I didn't know it yet, but that sentence was the beginning of the biggest mistake of my life.
Or perhaps the biggest love story of my life.
