The Billionaire's Lust Read online

  “Oh don’t worry about him,” Alicia said with a flippant chuckle. “We should talk about you and I, Leila. You’re going to be my daughter after all--and all I know about you is the scraps I can glean from Jacob and skimming tabloid rags in the supermarket.”

  “Yet another lie,” Jacob scoffed, slowly lowering himself back in his chair. “We both know that it’ll be a cold day in hell before you do your own grocery shopping. There is no luncheon, is there?”

  She shrugged a shoulder, bringing her mug to her lips. “People change, Jacob. Once upon a time I wouldn’t have believed the man who called marriage an ‘arrangement for the deluded and weak’ would ask me for my mother’s wedding ring, but here we are.” She took another gulp and moaned with pleasure. “This is delightful, Leila. French roast?”

  I nodded slowly.

  She inhaled it for a second more before putting her mug down. “So tell me about yourself. Was it always your dream to be swept off your feet by a charismatic billionaire?”

  “I am warning you--” Jacob glowered.

  I gave him a tight smile. “It’s fine.” I poured syrup onto my pancake. “I studied communication, marketing, and publicity in college and graduated at the top of my class. Someday, I’d like to have my own business. Charismatic billionaire or not.”

  “I could tell she was smart,” Alicia said, dabbing the side of her mouth even though she’d only consumed a couple of grapes. “I’m going to use the bathroom then we can finish up here. I know you two had plans other than spending your morning with me.”

  Once her stilettos became a muffled tap, I whipped to face Jacob. “What the hell is going on with you and your mother? And Jakey--”

  “We don’t have nearly enough time to get into that right now.”

  “Maybe we should make time,” I hissed. “Because she’s dropping not so cryptic comments about us. About me. And I want to know how you could go from that letter I found to not being able to stand being in the same room as her.”

  His eyes were still raging, but he let out a sigh, trying to calm himself. “The day after I wrote her that letter, we had a conversation that changed everything. The things she said…” His voice trailed off and I could tell he was getting riled back up.

  My throat tightened. “About me?”

  “About everything,” he corrected. “It took my mother and I a long time to work through our past and she went from being so excited about meeting you to swearing she’d put an end to us if it was the last thing she did.”

  I dropped my head in my hands. “I don’t understand. I don’t even know her. What happened to change her mind?”

  “I have a feeling that someone didn’t take lightly to the rescission of our contract.”

  “If you say that crazy woman’s name...” I left it unsaid as I heard his mother’s shoes click excitedly as she breezed back into the room.

  “Why don’t we just cut to the chase?” she said, dropping the niceties. She walked to the island and opened her clutch, pulling out a small rectangular case. When she flipped open the cover, my heart lurched to my stomach. Not many people carried them around anymore, but there was still no mistaking what was in her hand.

  A checkbook.

  “How much do you need to start your own business and forget this whole marriage thing, Leila?” She clicked her pen and poised the tip on the blank check. “Because the only way I’m letting you marry my son is over my dead body.”

  ###

  Thank you for taking the time to read The Billionaire’s Lust. Please consider leaving a review. xoxo, A.C.

  About the Author

  Ava Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters. When not putting pen to paper or glued to her e-reader, Ava likes road tripping, karaoke, vintage fashion, and searching for her own brooding billionaire.

  Stay tuned to Ava’s blog for more info on new releases!

  http://avaclaireromantica.blogspot.com

  About the Author

  Ava Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters. When not putting pen to paper or glued to her e-reader, Ava likes road tripping, karaoke, vintage fashion, and searching for her own brooding billionaire.

  Stay tuned to Ava’s blog for more info on new releases!

  http://avaclaireromantica.blogspot.com