control.
I leaned against the bar, waiting for him to speak.
“ I don't want to keep you from what you have to do. ” His voice ran over me like silk.
“ You're not. At this point, I only need to lock up. ”
“ Then please. Sit for a moment. I have a business proposal for you. ” He turned slightly to face me full on, and the effect was like that of a magnetic force.
I felt myself drawn to him, nothing I could do about it. He was the moon, and I was the ocean, pulsing to his pull on me. I sat down heavily on the bar stool next to him, heat creeping into my cheeks at my lack of grace.
“ Okay. ” I didn't know what else to say. I had no earthly idea what a man like this wanted from a woman like me.
Well, I had an idea, but it didn't make sense other than in the form of a quick lay. And he could have found that anywhere with his looks. I was far from the most attractive or most polished woman on earth, and I was flat broke. Hardly a trophy for a billionaire, which I had an inkling he was.
“ Melinda Louis. ” He spoke my name slowly, lingering over each syllable. There was something illicit in the sound, and goosebumps rose on my arms.
“ Yeah, that's my name. Don't break it. ”
He didn't smile.
Guess he's not the joking type.
A shiver rippled through me, and I felt exposed in my barmaid costume.
“ Melinda, I'd like you to come work for me. ”
I gaped at him and finally closed my mouth. He gauged me without flinching.
Cool as ice, this one. That's how I know he has money.
“ Doing what? ” I hated how stupid I sounded but he'd flabbergasted me.
“ Whatever I want. ” He clicked his tongue in a way that sounded quite naughty.
I held my breath, all thoughts leaving my head. I might have been an imbecile for all the brain activity going on at that moment.
“ Wow. Okay. ”
“ You would, of course, have the opportunity to say no to anything that made you uncomfortable, Ms. Louis. Is it miss? ” He smiled.
“ Yes. ” I clasped my hands together tight, aware they were shaking. “ But I don't see how I'm the person for the job. ”
“ You are. I knew it before I even walked in here. I've been looking for someone like you, Linda. ”
The way he said the nickname made me hot all over. I remembered that it meant pretty.
“ Right. ”
“ Really. ” His bit his lip, his brows furrowing. “ Of course, I'm sure you're waiting to hear about pay. ”
I nodded stupidly. That was honestly the last question I had. The whole situation was so bizarre that it defied reason.
“ I'd pay you $500,000 for a one - year contract. ”
My breath whooshed out, and I gasped for air. I knew I must look like a fish washed up on shore, breathing its last.
“ Um, I don't see how there's any honest way I'd be earning that much money. ”
Magnus grinned at me, his teeth impossibly white in the darkness. For the first time, I noticed a tiny scar on one cheek. I wanted to touch it, to know about it.
“ Sure there is. I have need of your services, of your freshness. I've seen your writing, and you're obviously a woman of many talents. I want you to work for me personally — no more time in a basement room. ” His gaze raked my uniform.
My writing and where I work? How would he know about that?
I gulped. Something very strange was going on. Was he a stalker or a psycho who'd been following me around the city?
“ You can think about it. I'll be back tomorrow evening to get your answer. ” He stood.
“ What? One day to consider it? ” My voice was a squeak.
“ Yes, that's plenty of time. I promise you, I'm trustworthy. Here's my card, Linda. ” Magnus handed me a slick business card and I read it, the words hardly registering, though the cover scheme and logo was one I'd have known in my sleep:
Magnus V. Gray
CEO
Gray Enterprises
The rest went blurry. No wonder he'd looked familiar. I'd seen him on company brochures I'd worked on. He was a legend among women and worth billions. The