Truth - Kelly Favor

TRUTH (The Billionaire’s Rules, Book 3) By Kelly Favor

© 2015 All Rights Reserved

She was alone. She’d been alone for the past ten minutes, waiting. Waiting for what? Elvis has left the building. Ivy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of the situation. She’d finally been ready to lose her virginity, give herself to a man fully and without reservation—and then that man had rejected her. Her body was still bathed in sweat and the afterglow of what Cullen Sharpe had done to her. Her buttocks still burned from the spanking and her pussy was still wet with her own juices. She was naked. But Cullen Sharpe was gone. He’d left the room almost immediately after hearing that she was still a virgin. His reaction had been nothing short of horrified and disgusted. As if she’d told him she had some kind of horrible communicable disease, instead of it simply being an admission of inexperience.

What’s wrong with me? More to the point, what’s wrong with him? Ivy didn’t know. She felt shell-shocked, like she’d been used and discarded by the wealthy CEO with his seductive, finicky ways. One moment he was making her come and the next he was fleeing the scene like a bat out of hell. Enough time had gone by and the worst of the shock had worn off, leaving her nerves raw and exposed. She got off the bed and got slowly dressed, hating the gross sensation of her smoky, slept-in clothes as they came in contact with her sweaty body. Don’t cry. Whatever you do, you can’t cry right now. Save it for later. The task is simple—hold it together until you’re away from Cullen Sharpe, and then you can freak out all you want. Ivy exited the bedroom and walked down the hallway, emerging into the open concept living room and kitchen that were appropriately beautiful and modern. The space was all granite

countertops, beautiful tile floors and sleek furniture with postmodern, Japanese looking paintings and photos on the walls. Cullen was sitting at the kitchen table reading the New York Times. He was dressed in one of his sleek dark suits, and he looked completely put together, as if he hadn’t even been in her room just a few minutes previously. He couldn’t have ever been in that bedroom doing those things to her, because look at him. Whereas she was a disheveled mess, Cullen Sharpe was neat, tidy, perfect, reading his paper without a care in the world. When she came into the room, he glanced up from his paper at her. “My car will take you back to your apartment, Ivy.” “That’s not necessary—“ “Don’t be silly,” he replied sharply. “You need to get home and ready yourself for work. Unless you intend to go into work wearing the same clothes as yesterday.” She sucked in her cheeks. “Maybe if I explain why I’m still

wearing yesterday’s clothes, my co-workers would be more understanding.” Cullen snapped the paper closed. “My driver will take you home. That’s final.” She wanted to scream at him. He was so cold, so cruel. How dare he take that high-handed attitude with her? But she knew better than to lose her cool with a man like him. He would just write her off as a typical crazy woman. And she wouldn’t be written off so easily. Ivy allowed a smirk to creep across her face. “That sounds lovely, Mister Sharpe.” He blinked, as if her words were unexpected. “Good,” he said. “I’m glad that’s settled.” “It’s all settled,” she said, and then she turned and walked out of his home. It seemed as though he’d been about to say something else, but she didn’t give him the chance. You’re all out of chances, Mister Sharpe. I’m not one of

your typical floozies, like that poor pathetic woman I heard begging you for attention this morning. You sent her away, but I’m going of my own free will. Outside, sure enough, a car was waiting for her. She got inside and they drove away. Ivy told herself not to look at his house as she drove off. Don’t give into your curiosity. Forget he even exists, she told herself. But she couldn’t help it. More surprisingly, she saw that Cullen Sharpe was standing in the window, watching her go. It was difficult to tell, but she could’ve sworn that she saw the strangest, most pained look in his eyes. As if he’d never wanted her to leave at all.

***

After returning home to shower and change, Ivy felt

refreshed and determined. I’m not going to let him beat me down. That was her mantra. Cullen Sharpe would not win. He wouldn’t make her lose faith in herself, wouldn’t cause her to crumble up and blow away just because he’d rejected her when she’d finally allowed herself to open up to his advances. She dressed in a formal beige pantsuit; blouse, pants and a blazer, with high heels. Looking at herself in the mirror before leaving the apartment, she thought her look today read as “no time for bullshit.” And that suited her mood just fine. If flashes of Cullen’s steely blue eyes happened to occasionally pass through her mind unbidden and unwanted, she tried her best to ignore such memories. But sitting on the T, as it wound its snakelike way towards the station near Biomatrix, she found her thoughts drifting back to the brief moments they’d spent together in Cullen’s bedroom that

morning. The feel of his hand on her bare bottom. The sting. The sensation of excitement. Her opening for him, his finger sliding so easily into her dripping wetness. Cullen’s rock hard body lowering onto her, readying to penetrate her before those fateful words had left her mouth and changed everything instantaneously. Ivy found it impossible to resist the memory of those powerfully charged moments. She couldn’t help the fact that it was the most intense sexual experience of her life, and Cullen Sharpe was responsible for it. But Ivy reminded herself that even if Cullen had been the catalyst for the experience, that didn’t mean another person couldn’t bring her there again someday. It could and would happen again.

It just wouldn’t be with Cullen Sharpe anymore. That was that. He’d made it quite clear he wanted no part of her virginal escapades. Finally, she arrived at Biomatrix Pharma, and entered the building confidently, head held high. She had to assume he was already there, sitting in his expansive office, watching his monitors and doing whatever it was he did up there. Maybe he was even watching her right now on his surveillance system. Knowing Cullen Sharpe’s interest in controlling every facet of his business, she thought it quite possible he was watching her as she came inside the lobby. That being the case, she made a point to look happy and completely fine with everything. Because screw him. She was actually a few minutes early into the cube farm, and so she stopped by the break room to get a cup of coffee. The break room just so happened to be near Emma Marks’s office.

The blond, bitchy supervisor gave Ivy the hives, but it didn’t hurt to wander by and hope that Emma might notice Ivy had arrived early, ready to start her day. As she strolled by Emma’s office, Ivy happened to see that Emma wasn’t actually in there. But someone else was. Lucas was standing behind the desk, peering at Emma’s computer screen and appearing to be typing something on the supervisor’s unattended keyboard. He glanced up as Ivy passed by and instantly he stood straight and his cheeks went red, as if caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Hey,” he said, waving. He came around the desk and quickly exited the office, walking in step with Ivy as she continued on to the break room. “What’s going on, Lucas?” she asked, trying not to sound as suspicious as she felt. “Not much,” he replied. There was a brief, awkward silence.

“What were you doing in Emma’s office?” she asked, finally, unable to pretend she hadn’t seen what he was up to. “Please don’t tell anyone you saw me in there,” he said, sounding pained. “Please, Ivy. They’ll fire me if you do.” “I can’t promise that. What if they think I covered up for you?” They were now inside break room together, and she put a plastic cup under the Keurig machine and prepared to make her coffee. “There’s nothing for you to cover up,” Lucas said. “The whole thing is so stupid.” “If you say so,” she replied, not believing him just yet. “Yesterday, there were some emails circulating between the temps,” Lucas continued. “It was like, inside jokes about the job and stuff. Goofing on Emma and…you know…Cullen too.” “I never got any emails,” Ivy said, watching him as her coffee started brewing.

Lucas nodded. “Yeah…” He looked slightly pained. “Well, the thing is—the other temps don’t really trust you.” She felt her jaw drop. “They don’t trust me? What did I ever do wrong to them?” “You didn’t do anything wrong necessarily,” Lucas said, sounding increasingly nervous. He looked around as if fearful of being overheard. “But everyone’s noticed the way Cullen Sharpe treats you.” Ivy paused as she went to retrieve her cup from the brewer. “How does he treat me?” His hand on my ass—his finger, sliding deep into my wet pussy. The head of his cock, preparing to push into me, to break me wide open… Oh, Cullen. Fuck me, Cullen. She snapped out of her reverie, as her co-worker seemed embarrassed to comment.

Lucas eventually gave an embarrassed half-shrug of his shoulders. “You know he treats you different from the others. Like how he picked you, out of everyone, to bring him coffee. Calling you at your desk—“ “Is everyone watching me? Eavesdropping on my phone calls?” she said, furious now. “Are all of your lives so lame that you need to focus on me and what I’m doing instead of minding your own business?” “Don’t shoot the messenger,” Lucas said. “I like you, Ivy. You know that. Would I tell you all of this otherwise?” She sighed, grabbing her cup and putting cream and sugar into it, stirring it with a little plastic stirrer. “I guess that’s true,” she muttered. “Everyone around here’s paranoid, Ivy. This place is crazy.” She sipped her coffee and glanced at Lucas now. “None of that explains why you were messing around in Emma’s office.”

“I’m getting there,” he said, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. “We were all going back and forth with those joke emails, and they were getting more and more outrageous. And then I chose to send my worst joke yet directly to Emma Marks this morning. It was an accident, and it was truly stupid. I hadn’t woken up yet, I guess.” Ivy rolled her eyes. “And that’s why you went into her office?” Lucas looked again over his shoulder. “Look, I know it was a dumb thing to do. But her door was open and I thought…if I could just delete the email off her computer—“ “How did you get into her email? Everyone has password protection.” “She didn’t,” he said. “I can’t explain it, but maybe she forgot to lock her computer when she left last night. So I just pulled up the email and deleted the message I’d sent her. That’s it.” “That’s it, huh?” Ivy said, sighing as she continued sipping

her coffee, still not sure how she felt about his confession. “Ivy, please. Don’t rat me out. Emma Marks is a stone cold you-know-what, and she’ll fire my ass in a heartbeat for this.” “Well, maybe you should be fired for that, Lucas. That was dumb.” “I know. I’m sorry.” He hung his head. “Just give me a chance, Ivy. I’ll owe you one.” She thought about it. Was it really her place to tell Emma or anyone else that Lucas had gone into her office and used her computer? If their security system was so great, they should’ve known he’d done so. And besides, Ivy wasn’t feeling very charitable towards anything Cullen Sharpe had a stake in. As far as she was concerned, the controlling and manipulative CEO and his dumb company could both go to hell in a hand basket. “You don’t owe me anything,” Ivy said, finally. “I won’t tell anybody.” She shook her head in disbelief that somehow she’d

been roped into this little conspiracy on top of everything else. “You’re the best,” Lucas told her. He turned to leave and then seemed to think better of it, turning back. “Hey, we never even had a chance to talk about last night. Insane, wasn’t it?” “Very,” she agreed, raising her eyebrows without going further. “When that fight broke out, you disappeared. I was getting knocked around pretty good,” he chuckled. “I’m sorry that happened to you. You were nice. You tried to step in and protect me.” “Tried and did the opposite of succeed,” he said, giving her a wry smile. “They call me Sir Fails a Lot. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Lucas. Everything worked out in the end.” “I figured,” Lucas said, nodding. Ivy left the break room, her brow wrinkled with puzzlement.

Was it her imagination or had Lucas seen more last night than he was admitting to? Surely, Lucas or some of the other temps had been aware of Cullen Sharpe’s stepping into the fray and fighting those drunks, and then escorting Ivy from the bar. But Lucas was acting like he had no idea about any of that. Maybe he really had been too busy fighting to notice anything else. As she went to her desk and sat down, preparing to get to work, Ivy’s mind wouldn’t stop spinning. The other temps didn’t trust her because they’d seen the special treatment she was getting from the CEO. But Cullen wasn’t going to be giving her special treatment anymore. He was clearly done with her after her little revelation about being a virgin. Forget about the other temps. Forget about Lucas. Forget all of them. She shook it all off and got to work. Bottom line, this was just a job…a temporary job to pay the bills. Nothing more and nothing less.

She wasn’t going to let the drama consume her. In fact, she was done with all of the drama and all of the bloodsucking leeches trying to feed on her. Whether it was her fellow temps, a bitchy supervisor, or the temperamental CEO himself, Ivy was through worrying about what everybody else thought about her. She was in it for herself, and that was the end of it as far as she was concerned.

***

Slowly, her coworkers began filtering into the office and Ivy couldn’t help but notice the way they were all sneaking glances at her as she typed away on her computer. There were whispers too, she was certain of it. Ivy tried not to care. And when an email went out that said everyone from Biomatrix Pharma would be attending a luncheon at the upscale

restaurant called The Observatory, located just a few blocks from work—she tried to not care about that either. I don’t want to go, she thought. Cullen will be there. And I don’t want to see his smug, cold face ever again. So I won’t go. Who will know the difference anyway? She worked the next few hours without incident, and then noticed that her co-workers were all starting to filter out of the office in small groups. Lucas stopped by her desk and tapped her shoulder. Ivy had been listening to music, and now she pulled the ear buds out of her ears. “What’s up?” she asked. “Everyone’s heading over to The Observatory for the luncheon,” Lucas said. “Want to go together?” She thought about it for a moment. “I’m not sure if I’m going. I might just work through lunch today.” “Really?” he said, his eyes squinting with disbelief. “The food there’s supposed to be amazing. And it’s free for us.”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “My stomach’s not feeling so hot after last night.” “Okay. Well…” he shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “Maybe I’ll see you there?” “Maybe,” she said, nodding. “Thanks for asking.” She flashed him a smile to show she really did appreciate him trying to include her. And then she put her ear buds back in and started working again. They wouldn’t miss her presence there. And she didn’t honestly have an appetite, nor did she feel like being surrounded by a bunch of other temps that didn’t like her. Cullen Sharpe would be there, giving a speech, making the rounds. Just thinking about him made her heart race, and her stomach tighten unnaturally. She wasn’t nearly over what had happened between them this morning. She lost herself in work for the next twenty or thirty minutes, and it felt good to just focus in and do a simple job. With

data entry, everything was beautifully simple—you just entered the information, all there on the page in black and white. If only all of life was that simple. And then her desk phone started ringing. She hardly heard it over her music, but she saw the light flashing on the phone and faintly heard the insistent ring. Shit. Who else could be calling right now but him? Ivy pulled her headphones off and stared at the phone, wondering what to do. It kept ringing, and finally she answered it. “Hello,” she said, sounding much more relaxed than she felt. “Where are you?” the familiar voice spoke into her ear. The intimacy of his baritone, the sexiness that was always present— she’d nearly forgotten the effect he had on her. Instantly, her skin broke into gooseflesh. “I’m at work of course,” she answered. “You’re supposed to be at the luncheon. It’s mandatory.” She rolled her eyes, knowing he couldn’t see her. “I’m not

hungry. I lost my appetite.” “Ivy, this isn’t a request. It’s an order. Get over to The Observatory. Now.” And then the phone clicked and he was gone. She slammed the receiver down so hard that the ringer sounded briefly, as if the phone itself was protesting her violent aggression. “Asshole,” she muttered. But as angry as she was, didn’t part of her feel relieved, even pleased that he’d taken an interest? That he still cared enough to notice where she was or wasn’t? As she got up and grabbed her purse off her desk, slung it over her shoulder, Ivy considered the situation. No, she decided. It wasn’t a relief to know that the CEO cared, because the fact was he cared about all sorts of dumb little details. Just look at the kind of trouble he makes about his

damn coffee. I’m just another detail he’s keeping track of, like his coffee or his cufflinks. He cares about you in a different way. But Ivy wasn’t buying it. Whatever Cullen Sharpe was doing, she was finished giving him the time of day. She would go to the damn restaurant because he was the boss and she didn’t want to get fired. That was it. There was nothing else between them, no matter what Cullen himself might assume. She got in a cab to travel the short distance, because she didn’t want to walk in late and make a fool of herself. The cab pulled up in front of The Observatory, and she got out, rushing as she checked the time on her phone and realized that the luncheon was due to officially start in the next few minutes. As she was crossing the street, she wasn’t paying attention and a horn honked right nearby, making her jump out of the way as another taxi flew past, horn blaring again.

“You have to be careful,” a man said from the sidewalk. “That was almost another New York horror story.” Ivy glanced at him as she reached the sidewalk safe and sound. “I figured I’d end up a statistic one way or another, with my luck.” “It’s that bad, eh?” the man said, laughing. He was smoking a cigar and wearing a flashy pin striped blue suit with a gold tie. “That bad,” she agreed. “A girl as beautiful as you shouldn’t ever feel like just a statistic,” he said. He was actually quite handsome, although he didn’t have that instant sex appeal that Cullen Sharpe naturally possessed. The stranger had an open, rounded face, and he had short blond hair and green eyes. He was fit, but clearly not in the same league as Cullen in that department either. So what, you have to compare every man to Cullen now? She reprimanded herself, feeling annoyed at the way her

obsession with the CEO knew no bounds. “Thanks, that’s sweet of you to say,” she told the stranger. He flicked the end of his cigar into the gutter and blew a plume of smoke out of his mouth, but away from her as he offered his hand. “Xavier Montrose,” he said. “Ivy Spellman,” she replied, feeling like she should curtsey or something. Instead, she just gave him her hand. He smiled and inclined his head slightly. His green eyes were very humorous, as if he saw the world as one big joke. “Ivy,” he said, nodding. “Are you meeting your boyfriend for lunch?” She felt her cheeks flush. “No, I’m here for an…event…” she finished. “I’m actually running late, so although I’d love to chat —“ “Such a shame,” Xavier said, as he watched her hand slip out of his grasp. “I feel like I was only just getting started with you.” Ivy looked down, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. The man

certainly had confidence and a way with words. “Just getting started with what exactly?” came the voice of Cullen Sharpe, from just a few feet away. She froze in place, feeling absurdly guilty, even though she’d done nothing wrong. Xavier made eye contact with Cullen and grinned. “I had no idea you two knew one another,” he said, his grin spreading. Cullen continued approaching. As he got to Ivy, his hand went to her lower back, possessively claiming her in some way. “She works with me. And she’s late,” he said, his cool tone belying his disappointment. “She’s probably like ten seconds late, knowing you, Cullen.” Xavier flashed his humorous eyes at Ivy and she wanted to smile in return. “Have another cigar,” Cullen told Xavier. “Blowing smoke is what you’re best at.” “Some people blow smoke and some are just full of hot

air,” the blond man retorted easily. He seemed ready to break into laughter. Meanwhile, Cullen’s hand stayed firmly on Ivy’s back. Ivy bit her lip to keep from laughing with him, as Cullen glanced over to read her expression before looking back at Xavier. “I’d really love to stand here all day and listen to your amazingly profound views about human nature, but I have a luncheon to attend,” Cullen said. “And I have a lunch to eat,” Xavier said. “But unlike yourself, my guest is a friend, not someone I pay to spend time with me.” “I have a hard time believing anyone dines with you because they actually enjoy it,” Cullen said. “You’d be surprised,” Xavier quipped, but his eyes were focused entirely on Ivy. “I would indeed,” Cullen said, guiding Ivy away from Xavier Montrose and towards The Observatory.

They crossed the sidewalk as a doorman nodded and opened the door for them. Once they were inside the restaurant, Ivy pulled away from him, and his hand drifted off her lower back. He turned towards her. “I need to speak with you,” he said, his jaw hardly moving. His eyes were piercing. “We’re late,” she replied. “The luncheon won’t start without me,” he said. He crossed his arms. “I don’t like what I just saw out there.” “And I don’t have time for the third degree.” She started walking down the long, ornate hallway towards what she assumed must be the luncheon. In the distance, she could hear the noise of people talking and restaurant sounds of plates and glasses, silverware clinking. “Ivy,” he said, and his voice was so commanding that she stopped in her tracks. “What?” she asked, refusing to look at him. He was like a vampire—if she met his gaze, she wasn’t sure she could resist his

charm. “I need you to promise me you’ll stay away from Xavier Montrose.” “I don’t even know the guy.” “But he’s taken an interest to you. He’s interested in anything that I’m interested in.” “Cullen, I hate to say this—but not everything’s about you.” She finally turned and locked eyes with him. “He started talking to me before you ever showed up.” The CEO’s expression hardened. “You don’t know the man, Ivy, but I do. And I’m trying to warn you—“ “I can take care of myself. I’m a big girl—despite what you seem to think.” She turned her head again quickly, flipping her hair as she walked away from him once more. “Don’t walk away from me,” he growled. “Don’t think of it as me walking away from you,” Ivy said over her shoulder. “I’m walking toward the luncheon, which was

so important to you just a few minutes ago.” She couldn’t help but smirk at her own line as she continued down the hall. Cullen, she imagined, was left standing in place, shocked.

***

The luncheon itself was relatively painless. Lucas had kindly saved a seat next to him in case she showed up, and the food was actually quite good. A bit frou-frou for her tastes, perhaps, but on the whole enjoyable. There must’ve been approximately one hundred of them in a large private room with tables and white linen tablecloths, a DJ booth playing hip music, and black tie waiters and waitresses moving from table to table taking orders and bringing food and drink. Cullen spoke in the beginning, standing in the center of the

room with a microphone, making a few jokes before telling everyone how thrilled he was to bring them to The Observatory to celebrate all of their hard work, and to show his appreciation for the team, meaning everyone who worked with him on a daily basis. Ivy noticed that Cullen often would gaze in her direction when he was talking on the mic, to the point where she grew distinctly uncomfortable. Other people around the room appeared to be glancing over at her, as if they were also catching on to Cullen’s focus. But then again, maybe it was just her overactive imagination. Before dessert was brought to the tables, Ivy excused herself and left the private room to go to the bathroom. As she was walking down the hallway, she passed by the main dining room and saw Xavier Montrose eating lunch with a gorgeous raven-haired woman wearing a low-cut dress. He looked up and happened to catch Ivy walking past the

doorway, and she saw his eyebrows rise in surprise, and then he was saying something to the woman, and getting to his feet, putting his napkin on the table. Ivy kept walking, not sure what was going to happen next —or what she even wanted to happen. But then Xavier was coming out of the main dining area, calling her name. She slowed down and turned to face him. “I think it’s very rude that you left your lunch with that beautiful girl to come and talk to me. I wouldn’t like it very much if I were in her position.” “It you were at the table with me, I would never leave your side,” he replied, his green eyes glimmering with a mixture of mischief and allure. “You’re very quick,” Ivy told him. “Too quick.” “That’s never been my problem,” he purred. She felt her cheeks flush yet again. “I’m—I’m afraid I need to get back to the luncheon soon.”

“Because that silly bastard Sharpe’s going to whine about you leaving him alone for too long?” Xavier chuckled. “He’s not silly,” she whispered, somehow feeling defensive on Cullen’s behalf. “I see I’ve hit a nerve. So you like him, then?” He watched her closely. Ivy flinched at the notion that she still had feelings for Cullen Sharpe after the way he’d treated her. “No, I don’t like him, but he’s my CEO and he’s a brilliant man.” “Brilliant is one way of putting it,” Xavier joked, a wicked grin crossing his features. “But you don’t have romantic feelings for him?” She hesitated. “Forget I asked.” Xavier put out a hand. “I don’t care about that. Just say you’ll come to dinner with me tonight.” “You’re date’s right in the next room!”

“She’s not a date, I told you. She’s just a friend.” “Somehow I doubt very much that you have female friends who look like her.” Xavier laughed easily. “I have lots of friends. But I don’t have you—and you’re the one I’m interested in seeing tonight. If you’ll give me a chance.” He waited for her answer, a patient but bemused expression on his handsome face. She sighed. If it wasn’t for Cullen Sharpe, she certainly wouldn’t have turned down a date with a man like Xavier. He was good looking, funny, confident and seemingly normal. It irked her tremendously that she was feeling guilty because of Cullen, when he’d already rejected her. None of her mixed emotions made sense, and that made her even more perturbed. “You know what? I’m going to say yes,” she said, determined not to let Cullen play any part in her decision. “Here’s my card,” he replied, producing a gorgeous

business card with his name on it. “Call me later.” And then he turned and walked back into the main dining area, leaving her alone in the hallway. She found herself examining his business card closely. XAVIER MONTROSE, PRESIDENT VELLUM PHARMACEUTICALS Her eyes narrowed as she realized that the man who’d just asked her out on a date was clearly a direct competitor with Cullen Sharpe and Biomatrix Pharma. No wonder the two men hated each other. When she looked up again, she saw movement near the far end of the hallway. It was Cullen Sharpe, watching her from the entrance to the private room. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, shaking her head. She spun and continued walking towards the restrooms, her heart racing as she went. He saw us together. He knows Xavier Montrose gave

me his card. Who cares if he knows? You don’t owe Cullen Sharpe anything. And yet, as much as she tried to tell herself that she owed Cullen no loyalty, something inside her continued to struggle with the idea that he’d seen her take Xavier’s card. She knew that Cullen would be right behind her now, catching up to her. Any moment his hand would fall on her shoulder and that deep voice of his would speak, telling her how disappointed he was in her behavior. But when she reached the door to the restroom and turned around, there was nobody behind her. Nobody at all.

***

About an hour later, Ivy was back at the office and at her

desk, working and trying hard to pretend that everything was normal. I’m just a girl working a temp job, doing data entry and making a little money. That’s it. There doesn’t have to be anything else going on. But she knew that things had progressed far past that point. She wasn’t just some worker bee doing her job and going home, living a normal life. The CEO had taken an interest in her—a very particular interest. She could still remember what it felt like to strip naked in front of him, to know that his hungry, cool eyes were watching, examining her nude body as she let him control her every move. And then he’d ultimately turned her down, found her lacking. But he was still sending very mixed signals, wasn’t he? Ivy pulled Xavier Montrose’s business card out of her blazer pocket and stared at it yet again. She fingered the intricate

logo that was swirling in the corner of the card, thinking about whether she was simply considering the man’s offer because she wanted to somehow get back at Cullen. Or was she genuinely intrigued by Cullen Sharpe’s rival? She wished she knew. Sighing, Ivy put the card away and got back to her data entry. She’d begun to find the work easy but tedious. Some temps had been let go for falling behind pace or making too many errors, but Ivy was fairly certain she was in no danger. She found the work to be, if anything, not challenging enough. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she replayed, again and again, what had happened between her and Cullen Sharpe early that morning at his home. The feel of his hand on her naked body, his finger sliding deliciously between her legs, soaking her… Even now, she was getting excited all over again, despite

trying to distract herself and think of anything but him. Damn him. I hate him. What he did to me was wrong. She took a deep breath and refocused. Do your work and stop thinking about Cullen. When you leave work, you’ll call Xavier Montrose. He was friendly, funny, didn’t take himself so seriously. He’s a much better romantic possibility—he put himself out there without demanding capitulation from you. That settled that. And then an intranet chat bubble popped up on her computer screen. The internal chat system of Biomatrix Pharma was something she knew existed only because Lucas had sent her one or two chats. None of the other temps had ever chatted with her, though Ivy had a feeling they were all communicating amongst themselves. They just didn’t like or trust her enough to include her in such activities.

But now the little box popped up on her monitor, indicating that someone was sending her a message. When she saw the name inside the chat bubble, Ivy felt dizzy and breathless. CULLEN SHARPE: I told you to stay away from him. That was all it said. She waited for him to follow up, but after a minute, she realized he wasn’t going to expand on the sentiment. Her anxiety transformed into annoyance. Her fingers flew over the keys as she wrote back to him. IVY SPELLMAN: He’s nice. And it’s none of your business. There was a long pause, and Ivy smiled, imagining Cullen reading it and his head nearly exploding from her defiance. CULLEN SHARPE: I’ve made you my business. And he’s not nice. She frowned, her belly tightening, a chill running up her

spine. Her fingers flew over the keys yet again. IVY SPELLMAN: You’re not nice, either. Who do you think you are telling me what to do or whom I can speak with? Now the responses from Cullen were coming faster, as were her return volleys. They went back and forth, back and forth, so fast she could hardly keep up. CULLEN SHARPE: I’m the one in charge. IVY SPELLMAN: At work. Nowhere else. CULLEN SHARPE: Everywhere. And someone needs to protect you. IVY SPELLMAN: You call what you do “protection?” Don’t make me laugh… CULLEN SHARPE: Xavier Montrose is the lowest of the low. You don’t have a clue what you’re getting yourself into. Also, your disobedience is getting tiresome. IVY SPELLMAN: Then stop trying to control me and

you won’t have to deal with my “tiresome behavior” anymore. Simple. CULLEN SHARPE: You are being childish. But I understand, you’re confused. IVY SPELLMAN: I’m not confused. I’m annoyed. You’re completely controlling and crazy, and you want to drive me crazy too. I won’t let you do it. CULLEN SHARPE: I’m a very difficult man. And I won’t inflict that on you…but I also can’t allow you to be hurt by outside forces. IVY SPELLMAN: I forgot to add paranoid to your list of charming qualities. CULLEN SHARPE: If only I was paranoid. My concerns for you are all too real. You’re very special, very unique. There are people in this world who would twist you to their own ends. IVY SPELLMAN: Sounds familiar…

CULLEN SHARPE: I know that I hurt you. Believe me, that’s the very last thing I want to do. IVY SPELLMAN: Could’ve fooled me. Now please let me get back to work so I don’t miss my targets and get fired for it. She waited for his inevitable response, but it never came. And though she wanted to feel a sense of pride, knowing she’d stuck up for herself and told the entitled CEO to go to hell—Ivy couldn’t escape the sense that she’d gone too far. Maybe you don’t actually want him to leave you alone. The lady doth protest too much. She closed the chat window, closing her eyes momentarily. Even then, she saw Cullen Sharpe in the darkness of her mind, and he was still watching her.

***

Work was mercifully over, and Ivy was leaving the office for the day. Lucas caught up to her as she headed to the T station a few blocks away. “Are you as sick of reading those case report forms as I am?” he asked, as he came along side her as they left the building. The cool, fresh Boston air was a welcome relief. Ivy smiled, laughing, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Yeah, I’m sure this is nothing compared to how we’ll feel a few weeks from now.” “If we’re still even here,” Lucas said. “You know they’re just going to keep cutting until we’re down to like five people that type one hundred and forty words per minute.” Ivy laughed, shrugging. “I might not mind getting fired at this point.” “They’ll never fire you,” he said. She shot him a look. “Why not?” she said, feeling like he was judging her, just as the other temps had. “I’m not going to get

any special treatment, Lucas.” “Are you sure about that, Ivy?” he replied, nodding ahead of them, his eyes suddenly locking on something just up ahead. She turned and followed Lucas’s gaze, and realized that there was a black sports car pulled up a few yards in front of them, idling. Standing outside the car, leaning against it with his arms folded, was none other than Cullen Sharpe. “Fuck,” she whispered. Lucas raised his eyebrows knowingly. “Guess that’s my cue to exit,” he said, walking faster. “Good luck.” “Lucas,” she called after him, feeling bad and embarrassed. Lucas just waved, but didn’t look back as he sped up and almost jogged down the sidewalk away from her. Ivy put her head down and started walking past the CEO, but his pull was magnetic, and she couldn’t help herself. At the last second, she looked at him. “You’re humiliating me in public now?” Cullen didn’t reply. Instead, he moved aside and opened

the passenger door of the sports car. “Get in,” he said. “No,” she replied. “I didn’t ask.” He pointed inside the car. “I must be crazy,” she whispered, and then she moved past him and got inside. But not before she brushed past his face, smelled his aftershave, the clean and masculine scent of him—and it sent her head spinning with so many confusing emotions she could barely tolerate it. The passenger seat of the car was soft, the leather all encompassing, and the car smelled brand new. Cullen shut the door and then came around the driver’s side and got in next to her. He pulled expertly out into traffic, maneuvering the touchy, sensitive car like it was part of his body. Everything Cullen Sharpe did, he seemed to do perfectly, Ivy thought. And she hated that about him, because like everything else he did, it made it difficult to think she knew better.

Even when it came to herself. They were both quiet for a time, and then finally she broke the silence. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. She stared straight ahead, unable to look at him for fear of her need and desire showing in her eyes. Cullen replied softly. “I can’t help myself.” His words stirred something deep inside her, and she felt her need growing. “Maybe you should try harder,” she told him. “I need to watch over you,” he said. “I know that I’m no good for you, but I can still make sure you’re safe.” “Don’t patronize me,” she said, finally turning to look at him. He was watching the road. “I’m not patronizing you.” “Of course you are. Pretending that you rejected me because you don’t want to hurt me.” “I didn’t reject you, Ivy.” He laughed as if the idea was

absurd. “Whatever you want to call it—you pretty much kicked me out of bed.” “Nothing could be further from the truth.” “Please stop trying to rewrite history,” Ivy said, her voice feeling strangled. “It’s insulting. Do you know how awful it was to make myself that vulnerable and then have you walk out of the room the way you did?” Cullen finally glanced at her, and his eyes were full of emotion. “Walking out of the room took all of my willpower,” he said. “You have no idea what I would do to you if…” “If what?” she cried. “If I wasn’t a pathetic virgin?” Cullen shook his head. “You’ve misunderstood me entirely.” “No, I think I understand you all too well.” She felt like she was going to cry and she refused to let him see her sobbing, snot pouring out of her nose like a baby. “Pull over and let me out.”

“Ivy,” he began. “I said, let me out of this fucking car!” she screamed. Her heart was pounding and suddenly she was having trouble catching her breath. “Shit,” she said, closing her eyes and grabbing her purse tightly in her hands. “What’s wrong?” he said. “I—I can’t…” she licked her lips, feeling her throat tightening. She took a breath but it felt like no air was entering her lungs. “I…I don’t…I can’t breathe…” “Calm down,” he said, and he pulled the car over and parked. She kept her eyes closed, because she was slowly losing her mind and terrified if she opened her eyes, she might somehow go crazy and die right there on the spot. “Just leave me…alone…” she managed, but her breathing was getting shallower, and her heart was racing faster. She felt Cullen’s hand on her back, rubbing gently, and then

his voice close to her. “Listen to me. You’re fine,” he soothed. “Lean forward, put your head on your knees.” “I can’t breathe!” she said, panic rising inside her now. She felt like she might actually be dying. Was it some kind of allergic reaction to something she ate at lunch—a delayed response of some kind? “You can breathe, you’re just hyperventilating,” he said. His voice was calmer than ever, and he didn’t sound remotely worried. She leaned forward as he’d suggested, clutching the purse to her chest as her forehead touched her knees. Meanwhile, Cullen rubbed her back and spoke words of encouragement. “Breathe slowly, along with my instructions. I’ll count to three. You take a breath in while I count. And then you’ll hold for one second, and then we’ll breathe out to the count of three. Ready?” he asked. She nodded, trying desperately not to freak out. She felt

like the air whistling through her throat was coming out of a straw. It was similar to being underwater, and someone refusing to let you up to take in a gulp of air, but you were somehow supposed to stay calm. Still, it helped that Cullen was talking to her, and he wasn’t afraid. He was a doctor after all—so if something was truly wrong, wouldn’t he know it? Cullen counted slowly to three, and Ivy inhaled along with his voice. Then he told her to exhale as he counted backwards from three to one. He started counting backwards and she did as he said, letting the air slowly out her mouth. Her body trembled. “Now we do it again,” he said. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.” “Okay,” she whispered. They ran through the process a few more times, and slowly she began to feel more herself. Her hands were tingling a little bit,

but the panicky feeling had subsided for the most part. She took another minute or two to make sure she was actually okay and not just imagining it. Finally, she sat up straight again and looked at him. “I freaked out,” she told him. He gave her a slow, easy smile. “You had an anxiety attack.” “I’ve never had anything like that happen to me before.” “It’s nothing serious,” he told her. “There’s nothing wrong with you physically.” “I’m just an emotional basket case, is that it?” His gaze intensified. “You’re afraid of allowing yourself to let go,” he told her. “You’re afraid of losing control.” “Are you sure we’re still talking about me?” she said. His jaw set and she saw a twitch in his temple. “We’re most definitely talking about you.” His nostrils flared. “I haven’t forgotten about your disobedience, and the fact that you took Xavier Montrose’s business card.”

Ivy sighed. “I don’t know what you expect from me. I was willing to give myself to you this morning, and you didn’t want me. But I suppose you don’t want anyone else to have me either.” “It’s complicated,” Cullen told her. “I’m no good for you. That much is very clear to me.” “Why not? Why are you so bad for me?” He smiled. “That’s like asking why it’s bad to put a scorpion in a cage with a sweet little rabbit.” “You’re so certain that I’m this innocent, fluffy, harmless creature. How do you know I’m really like that? Maybe I’m a closet slut, a bitch just playing at being innocent.” “If only it was that simple,” he told her sadly. “We both know you aren’t pretending to be something you’re not.” “But I’m not as fragile as you seem to think I am, either.” “I never said you were fragile,” Cullen replied. “I think you’re very, very unique, Ivy. You’re like a precious work of art— something to be treasured, respected, loved and tended to

carefully. Not thrown away, abused, kept in the dark, treated shabbily.” The way he looked at her, the expression on his face as he said these things—it took her breath away yet again, but this time in a good way. She felt as though he truly meant it—he truly cared about her so deeply that he was concerned more for her well being than even his own gratification. “You send a lot of mixed signals,” Ivy said, after he’d gazed into her eyes like that for a time. “Is this a mixed signal?” he asked, and then he leaned across the seat, taking the back of her head in his hand as his lips made gentle, exquisite contact with her mouth. His lips were soft, warm, and unmistakably passionate. The kiss wasn’t long, but when he broke away and repositioned himself in the driver’s seat—Ivy was speechless. Cullen smirked ever so slightly, shifting the car into gear and driving quickly into traffic.

***

They arrived at Cullen’s apartment building and he pulled into a parking spot almost directly in front of the home. Ivy hadn’t spoken much the rest of the way. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts, fears, excitement and lust. His kiss had once more awoken everything inside her, and she realized instantly that she was still far more attracted to Cullen Sharpe than any other man she’d ever met. She’d never even thought such a pull of attraction existed in anything but the movies. Yet here she was, feeling it, experiencing it as vividly as anything she’d ever gone through in her entire life. Ivy wanted to ask him why. Why was he so cold and distant one moment—so judgmental, cruel even—while the next he seemed to treat her with loving care and an almost parental compassion?

She knew Cullen Sharpe wouldn’t have given her the satisfaction of an answer. The choice was clear enough. Either she had to quit working for Biomatrix Pharma, stop speaking with and seeing Cullen—or she needed to accept that she was powerless to resist him when he wanted her. Cullen came around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. “Come, Ivy,” he said, looking at her with the hungry expression she’d gotten familiar with. His cold eyes were unblinking, frozen and yet somehow burning like a thousand suns. She got out of the car and allowed him to take her hand, walking with her to the front door. He let them inside and then closed the door behind them. Ivy was aware that it was just the two of them and now they were in his home, in his environment, with nothing to stop him from ravishing her completely. Her nipples stiffened and she felt her most private center

respond with a pulsating excitement. Cullen caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, and then he kissed her softly once more. “How can you be so gentle like this, and then turn around and be so mean?” she asked, her voice coming soft from her open throat. “Nothing I do is intended to be mean,” Cullen said. “But I’m a product of many things beyond my control.” “I don’t understand,” she said, watching him closely. “It means that there are certain things I have to do,” he told her. “It means that everything I told you before remains true.” “You still want to…teach me? Discipline me?” He nodded. “That part of things cannot change.” “But why? Why can’t we just…be like this? The way we are right now? Soft?” Cullen turned his head. “Don’t ask me to change. I can’t change, not even for you, Ivy.”

“You don’t know that.” “I do,” he said, still not quite looking at her. He finally looked at her once more. “That’s why I’ve tried with all my power to end what’s begun between you and I.” Ivy wasn’t sure what to say. She felt incredibly flattered by the notion that this powerful man couldn’t resist her. But she was also terribly frightened. Cullen’s eyes were haunted and bereft, like a frozen winter scape that had lain barren for a hundred thousand years. “I’m trying to understand,” she said. “I want to understand you.” He came closer, his nostrils flaring. “There’s no understanding. There’s only submission.” His hands grabbed her wrists and squeezed. She gasped, and then his mouth was on hers, and he was sucking her lower lip into his mouth. His kiss was the most sensual thing she could conceive of.

His body pressed into her body, and she felt his rock hard chest, his abs, his hips, and of course his hard cock, pushing into her center space between her legs. “Cullen,” she murmured between kisses. He pushed her towards the couch and then abruptly threw her down onto it. She was so confused, so torn in so many different directions. “Pull your pants down,” he said, standing over her. “Pull them down and kneel on the couch with your ass up in the air.” His chest was heaving. She swallowed. Did she want to do this? Did she really want to play his sick, twisted games? And then she realized that, yes, she did. Very much so. Ivy unzipped and unbuttoned her pants and then climbed onto the couch so that she was kneeling with her butt in the air. She slowly slid her pants down over her hips. Her panties were still on,

but she’d only worn a small back thong, hardly covering anything. Almost as if you’d known this might happen. As if you wanted it the whole time. “Like this?” she asked. “Call me Sir or Mister Sharpe,” he reminded her. “Like this, Sir?” “Look at that big, juicy ass,” he growled, stepping behind her. “Do you truly think I’d ever in a million years let Xavier Montrose touch this gorgeous butt?” “No, Sir.” “That I’d ever allow any man to touch any part of you?” he asked. “No, Sir, I don’t think you want anyone else to touch me.” His voice shook slightly as he spoke in a breathless, excited tone. “And yet you had the gall to speak to my rival—flirt with him —in front of my face.” “I’m…I made a mistake—“

His hand collided with her buttocks, hard enough to stop her mid-sentence. She made a small grunt. “You made a very big, very bad mistake. You defied me again and again. You were rude, impudent, insulting and immature,” he told her. “You agree that this merits punishment, yes?” “Yes, Mister Sharpe.” SLAP. SLAP. SLAP. The palm struck her forcefully on the buttocks again and again, and she felt tears pop in the corners of her eyes. Yet, she also felt that her pussy was wetter than ever—and she was excited, not really scared at all of what he was doing. If anything, in this moment, she felt closer than ever to Cullen, connected to him in a way that was inexplicable. “I’m going to pull those little fucking panties down now, and expose your bare bottom,” he said, and she could hear just how excited he was by the sound of his voice. His strong hands pulled her thong down and now she was

bare and her wet pussy was upturned as his fingers slowly stroked her folds. She moaned. “Stop it,” he scolded. “Did you mean for Xavier Montrose to have that delectable, tight pussy for himself?” “Of course I didn’t,” she responded instinctively. Cullen spanked her ass so hard she gave a yelp. “Cullen!” she said, shocked. “Remember what I said about manners,” he said. “Sir, that hurt.” There was a long pause. “You need to be punished.” “I thought you didn’t want to ever treat me badly, Sir.” “I want to make you mine, fully. I want to slide my cock inside your virgin pussy and fuck you until you come,” he told her. She gulped, hearing him say the words. “I want it too, Mister Sharpe,” she whispered. “But first I must punish you for how you’ve disappointed

me. You have to be held accountable for every mistake. Every wrong step, every time you go against my wishes, I will make sure you know it.” “Yes, Mister Sharpe.” She was sweating, and she was aroused. Her buttocks hurt, stung, and a couple of his spankings had been crossing the pain threshold. But she knew that she didn’t want him to stop. Not now, not ever. “I’m going to spank you very hard, five more times. Those five times will cover your offenses. Understood?” “Yes, Sir.” “Do you accept your punishment?” She nodded, closing her eyes tightly and hoping he’d make it quick. His palm crashed into her right buttock. She grit her teeth together as her face pushed against the couch cushion. “That was one,” Cullen announced.

“Yes, Sir.” SLAP. She withheld a moan, as this time her left buttock burned from the stinging strike. “That was two.” “Yes, Sir. I deserved that, Sir.” She could hear his labored breathing, and Ivy sensed that he was getting excited by her vocal submission. His palm crashed into her buttocks again, and this time his hand lingered, the tips of his fingers digging into her flesh. “That was three, Ivy.” “Yes, Sir. I needed to be reminded.” He spanked her again. “Four.” “Thank you, Sir.” The last one was the most painful yet, and it drove her face into the cushions, but somehow it was also the most pleasurable, as she felt a gush of warmth between her legs.

“FIVE,” he said. “Thank you so much for correcting me, Sir, and not giving up on me.” There was a long pause. She kept her bare, stinging ass up in the air for him. Her nipples were tender and stiff. Now his fingers were sliding into her folds again, only this time they were more gentle. She gushed onto him, as the stimulation of his fingers on her pussy was such a turn on, she could hardly contain herself. “That feels so good, Sir.” “I need to fuck you,” he told her. “I simply must have you completely.” “I want you to, Sir.” “Stay in that position,” he told her. “Yes, Sir.” She heard him unbuckling his pants and then the unmistakable sounds of his pants dropping to the floor. “Don’t look at me,” he told her. Keep your head straight,

eyes on the couch.” She felt the head of his engorged cock on her folds, pushing from behind. His hands grabbed her hips, his fingers squeezing her soft skin as he pushed harder. There was resistance and then she broke open for him, and felt the most exquisite sweet giving way inside her as he pushed into her. He’s fucking me. Cullen Sharpe is actually fucking me right now. It felt beyond amazing, even with the slight pressure, the hint of pain. It was dirty. It was wrong. It was crazy and reckless and maybe the dumbest thing she’d ever done. But at the same time, Ivy had never felt so wanted, so taken, so possessed in all the right ways. His shaft pressed into her tight space, and she was dripping, as Cullen worked his way into her from behind. She felt his hips

pushing up close to her backside and she tried to push herself into him. “I’m very deep in you now,” Cullen told her. “You’re very, very wet. I’ve never felt something so damn tight, so damn good.” His thighs seemed to tremble as he pressed deeper. “Oh, God,” she moaned. “I’m…I’m going to come, I think.” “Not yet,” he whispered. “Come only when I tell you.” He withdrew slowly and then pushed in yet again. His motion was becoming more fluid. Ivy smiled to herself as she felt him, felt his sweetness, and he was so good…so right inside her. She was a bundle of nerves that had been stimulated past the point of no return. She was going to climax, and it was just a question of how long she could hold out. Do I need to do anything else to make it good for him?

She wondered. How do I know if I’m doing it right? He seemed excited, but she wanted to be sure that he enjoyed having sex with her as much as she was enjoying it. His cock slid into her and then slowly he would slide out, then press in once again. Each time, she seemed to get even more excited. He began pumping his hips, and now his lower belly was slapping against her buttocks as he fucked her from behind. He took his hands off her hips and pressed them on her lower back. He was fucking her, fucking her so good. She felt tears in her eyes again, but now they were tears of pure ecstasy as she bit her lower lip. “I’m coming, I can’t help it…” she moaned. And then it came, a wave of passion so big that she couldn’t help but scream. She was opening her mouth and moaning so loudly, completely out of control. Cullen seemed surprised by her passion, but she felt him

respond, and then he was driving deeper inside her as she came, and he was groaning, as if he also was overcome with emotion. She felt him crashing into her, the wetness between them so unbelievably juicy and exciting and hot. “Your pussy is so tight,” he gasped, and then she could tell he was releasing himself inside her. He pounded into her and she cried out again and again. When it was done, he withdrew for good and she sat up on the couch, red faced, confused, pulling up her panties and pants as Cullen also pulled on his pants. He looked relatively frazzled; his hair was messy, his face bathed in sweat. “Was…was that…” she wasn’t sure what to say. She was curious to know if it had been what he’d wanted. Cullen looked confused. “I don’t know what that was,” he said, seeming baffled in a way that she found endearing, but also rather frightening. It was so unlike him to be taken aback, even for a moment.

“Do you need anything?” he asked her. “Water, perhaps?” She smiled. “I’m okay.” “Good,” he said, nodding as he pulled his belt tight and then turned and walked towards the bathroom. “I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, as walked away. Ivy sat there, thinking about the mind-blowing sex she’d just had. God, he’s hot. He was an animal, wasn’t he? And I think he liked it too. But didn’t he—didn’t he finish inside me…. She didn’t allow herself to think too deeply about how far they’d truly gone. It was confusing if you thought too much about it. Because Ivy was fairly certain that Cullen himself—Mr. Control—hadn’t intended things to happen quite that way. By the time he returned, Ivy was standing up and feeling a bit more put together. Still, she was confused and a bit nervous now.

Cullen smiled at her, as if to reassure her. But his eyes had once more closed off from her. His cold, reserved expression had returned and his formality was back along with it. “Shall I take you home now?” he said. “I…I can catch a cab.” “Nonsense,” Cullen said, shaking his head. “I won’t hear of it.” “Okay,” she sighed, already accepting that things were changing again for the worse. Cullen was nothing if not unpredictably predictable. They left the house and started for his car. Ivy’s mind was spinning with fears, hopes, memories, wondering how to handle the car ride home. An older woman carrying shopping bags nearly fell right in front of them, and one of her bags ripped open, sending fruit spilling to the sidewalk. “Oh, dammit,” the gruff older woman said. Cullen knelt down instantly, grabbing fruit in his hands,

trying to assist the old lady. The older woman stared at him from her thick glasses. “Are you Cullen Sharpe?” she asked, seemingly in awe of him. Cullen straightened, still holding some bananas in one hand. “Yes, I am,” he said, looking confused now. “Do we know each other?” The woman reached into a bag and handed him a large envelope. “Mister Sharpe, you’ve been served,” she said, and then turned around, leaving her fruit behind and walking to a black sedan parked not far away. The woman got inside and the car sped off. Cullen dropped the bananas and opened the envelope, revealing a set of documents, which he slid partially out to read. “Who was that?” Ivy asked him. But Cullen wasn’t answering her. His eyes scanned the documents and his mouth tightened into a thin line, his lips turning almost white.

His normally calm eyes had taken on a devastated vacant stare, as if he’d been struck so hard that he’d forgotten where he was. “Cullen,” she said again. “It’s nothing,” he whispered, tucking the documents back into the folder and sealing it closed. “Nothing.” But she knew he was lying. Something terrible was happening to Cullen Sharpe, something that even he couldn’t control.

THE END OF THE BILLIONAIRE’S RULES, BOOK 3 If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review and let us know. Also, please consider leaving a review on Book 1 so that other readers can find out about this series… Book 4 of the series, LIES, is out now, and you can click here for immediate download! Also, the TEN BOOK BOXED

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