"It's just dinner with my dad. Why are you so nervous?" Jake's voice spoke volumes about his frustration.He searched for Scarlett's eyes in the rearview mirror, and she pursed her lips once their eyes met. Jake was her boyfriend of two years, and he was currently driving their old, trashy Volvo down a luxurious street past the speed limit.It was a beautiful evening, but Scarlett couldn't relax. Her heart was racing while her hands were sweaty. She took a deep breath, which did nothing to calm her down.And eventually, she snapped."Because we are broke, Jake!" Scarlett glared at her boyfriend. "We got thrown out of our apartment, and now we are eating dinner with your billionaire dad. And you told him it was because you missed him when the truth is that we need his money! We are leeches, Jake!"Jake raked his fingers through his dark hair. "Do you have a better idea then? My dad is a billionaire. He won't care if we borrow some money, and he certainly won't miss it!""It still doesn
The dinner was downright awkward. Jake hadn't returned, and Scarlett was nervously downing her food. She was eating too fast, close to choking. The pizza was good, but it was unnerving to have Griffin's attention. So far, he hadn't talked, yet looking at her was all he needed. The man was intense and also wickedly handsome. Scarlett felt his eyes like a physical weight on her shoulders. Sometimes Griffin would smile at her, making goosebumps prickle over her skin. Scarlett didn't understand why she was so hyperaware of Griffin. He was good-looking, sure, but what else? She dug deeper into her mind but found no answer. Eventually, Griffin spoke. "Miss Greyson?" Scarlett immediately straightened her back, and her voice came out embarrassingly skittish. "Yes?" Why was she nervous? Griffin was a person. Desirable and hot, but he was Jake's dad. Scarlett told herself to get a grip. "Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?" Griffin asked. His demeanor was calm and attent
Scarlett had barely slept last night. She had fought with Jake, and it had been one of their terrible, ugly ones. He was her best friend on the planet, and they had been through a lot during this past year. It was hard to stay mad at him. Jake had looked so guilty when Scarlett had questioned him about his gambling problem. It was no wonder she had forgiven him when she saw the vulnerability in his eyes. Yet, the end of the fight had done nothing to calm her churning and clenching stomach. The gambling worried her, and Scarlett felt like a complete freeloader sitting inside Griffin's luxurious kitchen. Why did Jake have to have a gambling problem? In Scarlett's depressed state, she cursed the entire bird population. Why did they have to sound so happy when they chirped? She hated everything right now... Tiredly, Scarlett lifted her coffee cup to her lips, not even glancing up when Griffin entered the kitchen. He stretched his arms in the door opening. He yawned and gained
When Scarlett entered the third floor, she found that Griffin's door was wide open. He had told her to meet him in an hour, and she was five minutes late. Was she supposed to enter? Scarlett gathered courage by taking a deep breath. She then entered through the door and stepped into a luxurious bedroom. Her jaw slackened to the floor. The room was huge, with another set of stairs inside. Windows were lined up further ahead, but the curtains blocked the light. The tiles on the floor were glossy white, and the couches inside were also white and clean. All the furniture seemed expensive, but there wasn't much personality behind the interior. Scarlett didn't feel like someone lived inside this room. At least not someone with a personality. There were no photo frames or paintings that made sense. Only clean futuristic design. "Do you like it?" Her attention swept up and landed on Griffin, and Scarlett almost choked at the view. Griffin was toweling an insanely ripped chest while anot
Scarlett's heart raced out of rhythm while her eyes were kept on Griffin's face. She was entirely backed up against the wall, surrounded by his intimidating size and muscles. He was a big man, capable of doing whatever he wanted with her. The thought made heat prickle along her skin. But Scarlett was determined to fight her attraction toward Griffin. He was her boyfriend's dad—it was disgusting and wrong for Scarlett to find him attractive.Yet her heart was still racing, still thumping against her ribcage."I know you heard me, Scarlett," Griffin leaned in closer and watched her with his chocolate eyes. "And I know you need the money, so... Where do you want my cock?""This is blackmail..." Scarlett breathed."I don't care..." Griffin tilted his head and locked his gaze on her lips. It made Scarlett shiver, causing Griffin's lips to tilt up by the corners. His voice turned lower. "I got to have you, Scarlett. And with time, you will surrender to me too."Scarlett glared at him. "Th
The day had passed rather quickly. Scarlett had studied the entire morning, and now she sat inside a restaurant with her two best friends. They were about to eat dinner.Lucy and Charlotte were talking animatedly. Scarlett, however, didn't pay them much attention. Her head was filled with images of Griffin's muscular body and his piercingly brown eyes. She shuddered, suddenly remembering how he had made her call him Daddy.It was embarrassing to admit, but she was wet again. Griffin had such a cold yet sexy voice when he spoke to her. He was dominant yet so very gentle with his hands."So, how are things going with Jake?" Lucy suddenly asked and slurped loudly on her milkshake."Yeah, you moved in with his dad, right?" Charlotte's eyes were already sparkling with interest. The lanky blonde was a bubbly person. "I heard he is a billionaire and a very successful CEO, right?""Very successful?" Lucy snorted. "Griffin Archer owns iSky, and you know how popular their phones and computers
When Scarlett came home, Jake was nowhere to be found. He wasn't inside their bedroom, and Scarlett had searched everywhere for him. Was he at a friend's place?Confused and annoyed Jake hadn't texted her, Scarlett picked up her phone to call him. The first beeps went through, and on the last one, Jake finally picked up. "Uh, hello?"Scarlett froze. Jake sounded exhausted, and in the background, Scarlett could hear a shower. Where the heck was Jake? And was that sexy music playing in the background?"Hello," Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows. "It's me. I only called to check where you are.""Oh, Scarlett! Hello!" Jake nervously laughed. "I'm at a friend's late, and... I probably won't come home tonight."In the background, Scarlett could swear there was a woman's voice laughing before asking, "Who are you talking with?"It made Scarlett blink into the wall. "Jake... Was that a woman who just spoke to you? Where the heck are you?""Fuck, I can't hear you, Scarlett. The reception is terri
Scarlett was searching for Griffin. She could hear him trudging up the stairs, and she picked up her pace."Griffin, wait!"Griffin pretended not to hear her. The man was headed for his room, and Scarlett was racing after him. Things were bad between them before this. And even though Scarlett should hate Griffin, she didn't want him to. It was an odd emotion to deal with, one she didn't understand. Regardless of what it meant, it kept Scarlett running until she finally caught up to Griffin. He stood at the top of the stairs and met her eyes without breaking into a smile. Every hair rose to stand on the edge of Scarlett's wet body. Griffin appeared pissed off. His eyes were like two dark holes, and she hesitated to follow him when he entered his room. But her reluctance didn't last long. Scarlett wanted things to be right between them since they lived together. She closed the door behind her and watched Griffin light up a cigar inside his room.Brooding and pissed, he walked out on