The Billionaire's Bargain

Chloe Anderson stood by the massive windows, her arms crossed as she gazed out at the city skyline glittering against the night. Her reflection in the glass mirrored her thoughts: unsure and trapped. She was in a penthouse in the heart of Minnesota. One owned by her billionaire husband. She could have been excited to be clothed in such wealth, but this is not the place she would have wanted to be. At least, not under the circumstances she was under. Starry Wordsworth adjusted the cuff links on his suit, the motion precise and practiced. He didn't like bringing women to his most lavish penthouse, but tonight was different. He was a married man now— as the world thought. At thirty-seven, he was used to controlling, to orders. But tonight, standing across the room from his new wife—a woman seventeen years younger than him—he felt the first cracks in his carefully maintained composure. They hadn't known each other for a complete two weeks yet, but she was constantly driving him nuts. “This is ridiculous,” he heard her mutter, her voice breaking the silence. She turned to face him, her eyes sharp with frustration. “I can’t believe it's done already. I’m married to someone…like you.” A frown appeared on his forehead as he took a step closer to her. “And what, exactly, is someone like me?” “Too old. Too serious. Too… everything,” she snapped, waving her hand in his direction. And then she turned back to the window. She wasn't paying him full attention. She was still in the dress she'd worn for the reception, and she wasn't going to ask him to undo the zip for her. His frown faded, replaced by a look of indifference. “I wasn’t exactly eager to marry you either, Chloe. But here we are. Two years. That’s all we have to endure. You get your handsome reward and I get to retain my position as the CEO of the company.” “Endure,” she repeated with a bitter laugh. “As if this is some prison sentence.” He met her gaze, his blue eyes cool and steady. “Isn’t it? You’re here for the financial benefits. I’m here to secure my position as CEO. Let’s not pretend this is anything else. You're not here for anything else.” Chloe’s jaw tightened. She hated the way he always managed to sound so calm, so composed, while she felt like she was constantly unraveling. “You don’t have to remind me,” she said, her voice low. “I know exactly why I’m here. Just help me regret it less.” “Good,” he replied, turning away from her. “Then let’s stop wasting time on pointless arguments.” He took off his shirt and walked to the dressing table. She remained by the window. She wasn’t done. She turned and took a step closer to him, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. “You think you’re so above it all, don’t you? So mature, so collected. But you’re just as stuck in this mess as I am.” Starry turned back to her, his expression unreadable. “We’re not the first to get into a marriage of convenience. You're lucky I picked you.” Her cheeks flushed with anger, and she took another step closer. “You’re insufferable.” “And you’re exhausted,” he countered, his voice soft but cutting. They were close now, the tension between them palpable. Chloe could see the faint lines around his eyes, the slight stubble on his jaw that his razor had missed. He wasn’t conventionally handsome, but there was something about him— his sharp jawline, his aristocratic cheekbones and those piercing blue eyes. He was six feet tall. Taller than the men she usually found attractive. And his jet-black hair dropped to his neck. “You think you’re so much better than me,” she said, her voice trembling with frustration. “I don’t think that,” he replied quietly. “But I do think you’re acting like a child. I should have known what to expect from a twenty-year-old college undergrad.” She was closer now, and she was even more enraged. He found a way to say something demeaning to her every single time. Her hand shot out before she could stop herself, shoving him back. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but it was enough to push him out of his infuriating calm. “Don’t call me that,” she hissed. Starry’s eyes darkened, and for the first time that evening, he looked genuinely angry. “But that's what you are. A childish twenty-year-old college undergrad.” She took another step closer but, even with the heels she had on, he was still very tall. He looked down at her as she stood in front of him, her chest almost rubbing against his. She was daring him. “I'm warning you, Starry Wordsworth, I'm not…” His mouth came crashing down on hers, cutting her off. The kiss was rough, impulsive, and nothing like she had imagined. For a moment, she froze, caught off guard by the suddenness of it. But then his hands gripped her waist, pulling her closer, and her body responded before her mind could catch up. Without meaning to, she kissed him back, her fingers tangling in his hair as the heat between them intensified. She couldn't tell why she was doing this, but she liked it. Her n*****s perked up, and she could feel the tight kernels rub against the fabric of her dress. “This is a bad idea, Girl. Don't wake up hating me more than you already do,” Starry murmured, his voice hoarse. “Terrible idea,” Chloe agreed, though her hands didn’t move from his shoulders. For a moment, they simply stood there, their gazes locked. And then his hand went behind her to undo her zip. She gasped softly as his hand made contact with her naked flesh. “Take off your shoes, I'm not going to stop this time even if it's a bad idea,” he said against her lips. She obeyed, climbing out of her shoes. She kicked them aside as he lifted her and placed her on the king-sized bed. “Is this still a bad idea?” He asked as he started to take off her dress. She bit into her lower lip, not willing to let out moans. He discarded her dress finally, and she sat on the edge of the bed in her lace panties and bra, watching him. He took off his singlet. “This was supposed to be a marriage of convenience…we aren't to have s*x,” she said. He nodded. “True. But it's still our wedding night, and I'm going to take off those panties and make love to you like a man would to his new bride.”