The Billionaire's Proposal

“He’s gotta get tired of the hunt one day.”

The others laughed.

My throat tightened, and I pushed the truffles deliberately away—tossing them down upon the coffee table. “It’s not like I’d ever be crazy enough to do anything for real. This is strictly business—nothing more.”

Stacy flashed me a grin. “Of course it is. But in the meantime,” she leaned down and retrieved the truffles, placing them squarely back in my lap, “it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the perks. Right?”

I forced a laugh.

“...right.”

She popped another one in her mouth before returning to my hair. After a second of looking at them, I did the same—snatching up the final caramel before a hand snuck out of nowhere, and the box was passed around by the others. A dozen conversations erupted around me once more, but I found myself quiet and thoughtful—thinking back over what Stacy had said.

Then, as if on cue, my phone buzzed again.

I bet you went for the caramel first.

I stared down at the message, tracing the screen with the tip of a manicured finger, before typing a quick response.

You don’t have to do stuff like this, you know.

This time, the response was almost instantaneous.

Stuff like what?

I stifled a sigh.

Sending me chocolates. There aren’t any cameras around, just our people.

The pause was much longer. Much longer. As Stacy babbled on somewhere behind me, styling my hair to perfection, I stared down at the screen. Waiting for a reply.

When a full minute went passed, I almost texted him again. Worried that I’d upset him or appeared ungrateful. But then, just as I was reaching for the screen, the phone dinged again.

I thought we agreed, I get to treat you like a girlfriend.

Before I could reply, he followed it up.

Girlfriends get chocolates. Amongst other things...

A reluctant smile lit my face, and I cupped the phone protectively against my chest. The last thing I wanted was for Stacy to grab the thing and read it out loud.

Oh yeah? And what might those ‘other things’ be?

A single message followed. The last one I’d receive.

Abigail Wilder...you’re about to find out.

Chapter 7

The next thing I knew I was on stage for a segment on Good Morning America.

“Nick is a billionaire entrepreneur who has multiple zeros in his bank account and a gargantuan mansion,” the host asked. “Does his money intimate you?”

“I’m not dating Nick for his vast fortune. But it’s wonderful to date him. He’s my everything. He’s my greatest fan and my toughest adversary. There’s nothing we can’t face if we stand together.”

“And what makes you think he’s the one?”

I looked straight into the camera. “Our love started out as a bud, for about two years. But then one day that bud blossomed into something beautiful, special, and wonderful, into a glorious red rose. We have a love as soft as the dawn, as radiant as the sun, as bright as the moon. He’s not only my best friend but my one true love.”