All Chapters of BOUND TO THE BILLIONAIRE CAPTAIN: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"You look like actual death," Allie said, slapping a gray, sour-smelling rag against the laminate counter. I didn't even lift my head off my hands. I just stared at the small puddle of spilled creamer on the stainless steel shelf, watching a fruit fly drown in it. "Two hours," I mumbled, my voice sounding like I’d swallowed a handful of gravel. "I got two hours of sleep, Allie. If anyone orders poached eggs today, I’m locking myself in the walk-in freezer and screaming until my lungs burst. Lol." "Still losing your mind over the bursar office stuff?" She tilted her head, tossing the rag into a plastic bucket under the sink. "I checked my bank app in the bathroom five minutes ago." I took a sip of the black coffee in my styrofoam cup, wincing as it scorched the tip of my tongue. "Four dollars and twelve cents. That’s my entire life savings right now." And that wasn’t even counting the near-heart-attack from last night. Dropping that stupid master key in the locker room while cleani

Sunday afternoon shifts at the diner were a special kind of torture. The whole place smelled like stale fry grease, spilled maple syrup, and collective Sunday morning hangovers. I had been running on zero sleep, three cups of black coffee, and pure blind panic all weekend. My brain was officially fried. After spending all of Saturday fruitlessly begging the financial aid office to grant me an appeal, I had less than twenty-four hours left before getting booted out of school entirely. And then, to top off my absolute favorite weekend from hell, Carter Graham walked in. It was about 2:00 PM when the little bell above the door chimed. I was balancing three heavy plates of bacon and eggs on my arm, rushing toward a booth in the back, when I caught a glimpse of broad shoulders and a dark tailored coat walking through the door. My heart did a stupid, erratic flip against my ribs. Carter didn't sit at a booth or wait for a hostess. He bypassed the stand entirely and walked straight over

I thought rich people lived in a different universe, but stepping through Carter Graham's front door proved they were just on a completely different planet. Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was shaking his hand in a sticky living room soaked in blue jungle juice. Now, my worn-out canvas sneakers were sinking an entire inch into white carpet that probably cost more than my full year of tuition. I stood on his entryway tile, clutching my backpack straps against my ribs, and stared. Floor-to-ceiling glass wrapped around the whole living room, showing off the entire city skyline like a giant framed TV screen. The air smelled like cedar wood, fresh lemons, and thick, suffocating money. My throat went dry. The deal was simple on paper. He paid off Jenkins, cleared my tuition balance, and in return, I dragged his failing butt through sophomore psychology so he stayed eligible for the hockey team. Plus, the whole fake girlfriend show to keep Justin's eyes on me. Standing inside his pe

"I'm leaving," I said, shoving my legal pad into my bag and violently yanking the zipper shut. Carter leaned against his marble kitchen island, swirling an ice cube in his water glass like he hadn't just upended my entire life five minutes ago. "Want me to drop you off?" "I'm riding my bike." He tilted his head with that irritating half-smirk he always wore on the ice. "Hayesey, you're riding a bicycle home at midnight in freezing weather?" "Yeah, dumbass. Watch me." "Cool," he said, setting the glass down on the counter with a soft clink. I slung the heavy tote over my shoulder, desperate to get out before his brain cooked up another insane idea. "I'm picking you up after class tomorrow," Carter called after me as I reached the foyer. "We're going shopping." I stopped, my hand resting on his cold brass door handle. "Excuse me?" "Shopping," he said, strolling down the hallway with his hands jammed deep into his athletic shorts. "The high-society billionaire makeover so my d

I looked at him... like, really looked at him. The smug, infuriatingly perfect curve of his jaw.​"I hate to admit it," I mumbled to myself, rolling my eyes so hard they actually ached, "but his plan was working and admitting it would just further justify his ego,"“So I wouldn't.”​Carter didn't even try to hide his massive grin. He killed the engine, turning completely in his seat to face me, resting one arm over the steering wheel. "C'mon, you have to give me my flowers or something."​"Alright, as much as I hate to admit it your plan seems to be working." I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest to keep the aggressive AC from giving me goosebumps.​"Seems to be working?" Carter let out a loud, raspy laugh that bounced around the tight space of the car. "Mr Cool pants is literally stalking you. He barely noticed you a week ago, and now the guy is watching your stories three seconds after you post them. Dude is down bad."​I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to fight the ridicul