The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée

1 Claim your FREE contemporary romance book. Click HERE Claim your FREE paranormal romance book HERE Sienna One second you think you have everything, only to lose it all the next. I lean out of the window of the penthouse of The 99, the newest condominium in Silicon Valley. Take a deep breath. I'd gambled everything on this start-up, and failed. The iron band around my chest tightens, and I swallow the sickness that threatens to rise. Take the deal, Sienna. No, I can't. To do so will go against everything I am. I'll be giving up control of my business. My life. Lose the very independence that made me want to become an entrepreneur. To strike out on my own in the cut throat world of Silicon Valley where start-ups are struggling to stay alive. "Have you decided yet?" Jace’s clipped English accent scrapes the edges of my nerves. Feet square on the ground, I turn. Those silver-green eyes slam into me with the force of a physical punch. The sparks in them glow, yet, his features stay flat. I'm just another business transaction. The breeze from the open window ruffles his thick hair. Over six feet tall, he towers above me. The title of 'Angel Investor’ fits Jace Walker and not only in the conventional Silicon Valley sense. Broad shoulders clad in a crisp long-sleeved shirt. Flat stomach hinting at hidden muscles. Formal trousers mold his strong, well-shaped, thighs. Leanly built, like a runner. With those high cheekbones and strong jaw, he could well be a fallen angel. His eyes gleam against burnished skin in an unusual combination. As surprising as the basketball hoop strung up next to his desk. This man likes to play. He's playing with me now. Offering me a deal he knows I must accept. If I don't, I lose everything I've built up over the last three years. "Do you always do that?" His husky voice slides over my nerve endings. "What?" His eyes drop to my mouth and I redden. I'm biting my nails. A dead giveaway that I'm nervous. Damn. Dropping my hand to my side, I clench it into a fist. "You'll invest a million dollars in my start-up if I spend a week with you?" Unreal. He tilts his head in agreement. Those eyes follow my every move, studying my reaction. "It's a good deal," his voice coaxes. One side of his lips lifts in a smile. His charisma hits me, and I blink. This guy is lethal, with the kind of presence that'll always draw attention. "Just small change for you." My voice is sharp with disbelief, a reminder to myself that I'm at his mercy. After being shown the door by more than fifty potential investors, this is the first glimmer of hope I've had. Jace Walker is one of the most eccentric investors in the Valley. He picks projects that capture his imagination, ones that don't always make financial sense at face value. I'm still surprised that he's even agreed to meet me, let alone offered to invest in my failing start-up. And yet I can't bring myself to accept. Why is he not offering this as a simple business loan with a high interest rate? Why attach this insane condition to it? I have a month to pay back my debtors, or I forfeit everything. My office, my rented studio-apartment. Even my car, I remind myself. Biting the inside of my lips, I swallow down the emotions churning inside. I must stay focused. Keep my mind sharp to hold my own against this guy. "You don't think I'm just going to hand the money over, do you? I also need some guarantee on the returns." "The idea for my app is brilliant," I snap back. "Nothing else in the market draws up horoscopes based on people's profile pictures, then matches them to find their perfect partner." Do our horoscopes match? Where had that thought come from? "An interesting premise. You just don't have enough business sense to make it a success." I bristle, but he cuts the air with his palm in an authoritative gesture. "If you did, you wouldn't have had to come to me." That shuts me up. He's right. I've let things get this far out of hand. But then, I never can do things halfway. If I believe in something, I throw caution to the wind and jump right in. I’m just not sure if I want the same in my personal life. "Don't look so glum. A few days in London never hurt anyone. All you have to do is play the part of my girlfriend at a family wedding." Wedding? Family? My stomach churns. At five, an American couple had found me wandering the streets of Bombay, with no memory of my past life. My adoptive father had saved me from being run over by a car. I'll be forever grateful to them for giving me a new life, and yet … I still wonder about my real parents. No, thinking about family, any family, is not my favorite pastime. Some of my dismay must have shown, for he says, "My father has his faults, but he doesn't stint when it comes to throwing a party." He keeps a straight face as I try to make out if he's simply leading me on with this proposal. But he seems to mean it. "Besides, it's one of those society shindigs you women love," he adds. "Shindigs?" I echo, struggling to keep my voice neutral. "Yep," he nods. "The cream of London society will be there. The media will be all over it, the paparazzi trying to sneak pictures of the wedding. You'll meet some very powerful people," he adds. "With the connections you make, you could raise more funding … even snag a rich husband." Great, so it's not like this trip is going to stay secret; it's going to be out there for the world to see. I'm also disappointed in Jace. I thought I'd seen intelligence in those eyes. Yet here he is, consigning me to the stereotype of a woman and what her place in the world should be. I'd been sure he was smarter than that. And yet, something about him reaches out to me, pulls at me. I shove aside the pinpricks of awareness that dance across my skin. I don't want to be attracted to this man. "When your father runs Britain's largest media company, such shindigs must be an everyday occurrence for you," I say, my voice sharp. His eyes narrow, and he shrugs. "No reason you can't take advantage of the opportunity when you are there." "Don't you have a girlfriend? An ex? Someone else?" My voice is desperate in my last-ditch resort to get out of this crazy scheme. Besides, I want to understand his intentions. Why is he suggesting such an unusual arrangement? "You need the money. You'll do as I say, no questions asked." His voice is taut. Ah. There it is. The smugness that comes from knowing he has me in his control. He wants to control, to manipulate. Wants someone who does as she is told. "So what does being your girlfriend involve?" A flash of amusement in those silver-green eyes. He takes a step forward, another. "Intimate kisses." That pine and cloves scent of his cuts straight to my core. "Whatever it takes to convince the world that we are lovers." He's so close now the heat leaps off his body to wrap itself around me. "Why don’t you come out and say it?" My words whisper out on a gasp. "s*x for money, is that it?" The thought sparks a melting inside, one that confuses me. I want this man. I may have even considered sleeping with him if he hadn't taken advantage of my helplessness, offered me this crazy deal. "I won't do anything... not unless you ask me to." His voice is clear. Face innocent. Yeah, right. He runs his gaze over my body, and my n*****s tighten. Dammit, he hasn't even touched me, and I'm half mad, out of my mind with wanting him. If I give in to all his demands, I'll also give up every single shred of pride I have left. "So, we have a deal?" His tone is cajoling, persuasive. "No." I cut off the only means of salvaging my future.