Breeding

The words made her pulse skip. She felt them in her spine, in the flutter of her stomach. A declaration too bold, too raw, and yet perfectly controlled.

We would fuck you.

Lili stared at him. For a split second, she nearly laughed, certain it had to be a joke. A dark, dry joke.

But Cade didn’t look like a man about to burst into laughter. And the looming shadow on the other side of the room, Beckett, didn’t look like the type to allow jokes in the first place. His presence made the room feel colder, heavier.

Cade’s voice cut through her swirling thoughts again. “Once we’re comfortable together, of course.”

She took a faltering step back, breath catching, heart kicking up its pace. “I—I’m not a—”

“We would pay you ten million dollars,” Cade said, cutting smoothly across her protest. The figure left his lips like it was nothing. Casual. Off the cuff. “We’ll transfer an initial payment after your first day.”

She froze. Her first instinct was disbelief. Ten million? That couldn’t be real.

But then she remembered where she was. These men probably had ten million dollars stashed in a desk drawer. And they would give it to her, for a baby.

Prostitution be damned.

Sleep with them? What, once each? That might be enough.

And they were, by far, the most attractive men she’d ever seen. Cade looked like he belonged in a cologne ad, sharp jaw, expensive suit, eyes that gleamed with effortless charm. But Beckett—Beckett was something else entirely. All brooding stillness and cutting edges, a storm bottled up in a tailored frame. Even standing motionless, he seemed to prowl.

Though if a glare could smother her to death, he would have done it by now. Still, maybe she could get to know him. Ease the tension. Follow their 'instructions' to build the trust Cade mentioned.

She found her voice. “I want that in writing.”

“Of course,” Cade said smoothly, gesturing toward the contract. “There’s a blank space for the figure.”

His voice slid over her like silk. A beautiful purr, seductive and slick. She had no doubt he could talk anyone into anything. He probably talked the former owner of this company out of their entire fortune.

“Are you sure you don’t want to negotiate?” he asked, amusement curling at the edge of his mouth. “You could probably get more.”

She shook her head. “No. I’ll do whatever you want for ten million.”

Ten million dollars… For her, it wasn’t just obscene. It was salvation. It was the only way to keep her mother’s home, to wipe the debt clean, to stop checking every call for collections threats. It was safety. Maybe even freedom.

His expression shifted into something pleased. He turned to a page in the contract, scrawled something in the margin, and signed with a flourish. The stroke of his pen was confident, claiming.

Then he slid the pen across to his brother.

Beckett set down his glass without taking his eyes off her. The soft clink echoed in the room like punctuation. He moved across the floor with the slow grace of a predator. Unhurried, dangerous, inevitable. He took the pen from Cade without a word and signed the page in silence.

“Excellent,” Cade said, his voice all smooth satisfaction. “We’ll get this off to our lawyer to add the specifics and have it returned to you for confirmation before any bodily fluids are exchanged.” He gave her a mischievous wink.

Lili gave a nervous smile, every part of her still aware of the dark, brooding figure now standing behind the desk beside that calculated, smiling man. Her body felt hot and cold all at once.

“Right,” Cade continued, flipping to a new page. “Let’s agree on a few basic things. It’s typical for the contracting party to provide accommodation and food for the surrogate. We’d like to do that for you. Is that going to be a problem?”

She blinked. “You want me to move?”

“Temporarily,” he clarified, voice still light.

“Um… yes, that should be fine.” Honestly, it might help. She could redirect her bills and save money on rent.

“Excellent. We’d also prefer if you came to the office—nine to five, just like any employee. Of course,” he added with a tilt of his head, “we don’t care if you spend the day playing solitaire or watching N*****x.”

She nodded, wondering if she could take a leave from the florist, at least for now. If she didn’t get pregnant, she could always go back. But if she did… she wouldn't need that job or any other.

He paused, then added smoothly, “But from four to five each day, we’ll require your time to be set aside for intimacy. Getting to know each other properly. No distractions. No phones. No exceptions.”

A flush crept over her skin, uninvited and electric.

“There is to be absolutely no breeding during that time,” he added, tone flat and non-negotiable.

That  word. Breeding. It sent a shiver through her, visceral and uninvited. Her thighs pressed together without thinking. And yet… it was accurate, wasn’t it? That was what they were discussing. What they intended. No medical metaphors or vague euphemisms could disguise the raw reality of it. There was no other word for what they wanted her for.

“Do you understand?”

She swallowed hard, nodding. “Yes.”

“It might help you get comfortable around us faster.”

“O-okay.”

Cade turned to his brother. “We’ll move into the same office for the short term, so we can both be near Miss Vale.” Then, back to her: “We’ll also provide clothes for you to wear. We’ll have a selection sent over this afternoon.”

She nodded again, too dazed to question anything. She vaguely recalled a line in the contract about ‘attire.’ Her pulse was still hammering from everything else.

Cade gave her a practiced, devastating smile, one that could’ve brought kingdoms to their knees.

“Perfect,” he said. “Do you mind heading to the apartment now? Our driver can take you, and of course, you can stop by your old place to pick up anything you need.”

She blinked, surprised by the suddenness of it all, but nodded. “Sure.”

Cade’s smile darkened just a touch, a gleam in his eye that felt like a promise.

“Alright then. The driver will pick you up at 8:30 tomorrow morning.”

He leaned in just slightly.

“We’ll see you at 9 a.m. for your first day.”