The Banker

The only reason I'm still alive is because of the baby growing inside me. My baby saved my life. Now I'm a prisoner inside Cato's fortress. He's pissed at me, livid every time he looks at me. He refuses to sleep with me because now I'm the enemy. But I miss him...and he misses me. I only slept with Cato to save my father, but now he means something to me. I care about him, and I know he cares about me. Can I earn his forgiveness? Can I earn his trust? But even if I do, will he shoot me anyway? 

I've fallen in love with Cato, and I'm not afraid to say it. He doesn't need to say it back. I know how he feels. Even if he doesn't have the balls to admit it. Our daughter will be here soon, and our lives will change forever. Will Cato let go of the past? Let go of the promise he made to execute me? Or should I have never come back?

On the day I was married, I promised to love, honor, and obey my husband, Stefan. Little did I know how literally I would mean obeying. Stefan tells me what to do, and I do it. There are questions asked, but I always submit in the end. It would hurt less if I hadn't started falling for him. It was supposed to be pretend. But the secrets we now share are too real, and they're crumbling every piece of who I thought I was. If only Stefan was the man I thought he was. If only I weren't so powerless. But there's one thing I have that he wants. My body.

I owe him a debt. A big one. The payment can't be settled with money or favors. He only wants one thing. Me. Every action gets a reward. A button. Once I fill his jar with 365 buttons, he'll let me go. He'll let me walk away. But I have to earn every single one. By submitting to the darkest, cruelest, and most beautiful man I've ever known.

On my 18th birthday my father, the senator, gives me the gift he thinks every little girl dreams of. The man of my dreams, and the wedding to match. Stefan Zoric is heir to an elite worldwide modeling agency. Practically a prince. My arrangement is simple, as far as sham marriages go. But Stefan has secrets that he holds close, dangerous secrets. And soon I'm wondering what kind of devil have I made a deal with?

Stefan Sabbioni showed up uninvited in my bedroom on my 16th birthday. He stood in the shadows, smelling of whiskey and death and wrapped a broken, blood-crusted necklace around my neck. I thought he’d strangle me with it. That night, he left a message for my father. He said he’d be back to take something precious. I never delivered that message, though. I wonder if things would be different if I had because now, two years later, he’s back. And he’s not hiding in any shadows.

We're a match made in hell, Stefan and I. He took me to exact his revenge. I went from being a pawn to my father to being a pawn to Stefan. The only difference is I have a ring the size of a boulder on my finger and a husband I don't want. And the hardest part is I thought he was different. I thought I was falling in love. I guess my father was right. I'm not a very smart girl. Stefan is a powerful man. He doesn't play nice, not if you're his enemy. But I've learned one thing about my husband.

Jackson Vale. My boss’s rival and the man I’ve thought far too much about since we were introduced last week. Of all the - “I’m not his,” I sputter indignantly. “I’m just his employee. He doesn’t own me.” And for some reason this sets off a flare of intensity and...satisfaction? in Jackson’s expression. That’s it, I officially give up trying to understand any of this. But then Jackson leans over and speaks so softly in my ear I can barely hear it above the falling rain.

I’d never forgotten him - a man I’d yet to meet. Griffin Quinn was my childhood pen pal, the British boy who couldn’t have been more different from me. Over the years, through hundreds of letters, we became best friends, sharing our deepest, darkest secrets and forming a connection I never thought could break. Until one day it did. Then, out of the blue, a new letter arrived. A scathing one - one with eight years of pent-up anger. I had no choice but to finally come clean as to why I stopped writing. Griffin forgave me, and we were able to rekindle our childhood connection.

I’ve got a big...ego and an even bigger bank account. That’s pretty much where my bio ends. I don’t need to say anything else. I’ve just sold 99% of women on going home with me. Do I sound like a jerk to you? That’s because I am. It works for me just fine. Or at least it did. Until I met her. Books talk about sparks flying. Screw that. With her, it was like emergency flares mixed with jet fuel. Or maybe just straight up napalm. Only one problem. She wouldn’t tell me her name or her number when she disappeared from the hotel room after the hottest night of my life.

We come from two different worlds. I’m from the streets. She might as well live in an ivory tower. I made my living with my fists. I doubt she could even throw a punch. Our paths never should have crossed. We never should have met. That doesn’t change the facts. I would sell my soul to taste those red lips. Fight the devil himself to hear her laugh. Burn in hell to have a single night. Scarlett Priest shouldn’t even know men like me exist, but sometimes temptation is stronger than will. If this is how I go down, it’ll be worth every second of the fall.

It was the summer of my life. I’d met the guy of my dreams. Unfortunately, he was the son of my uppity employer - and very much off-limits. But Gavin was a rebel. He knew his mother would disown him if she found out about us; in his eyes, we just had to be careful. He never treated me as his mother did - like hired help. Instead, Gavin put me on a pedestal and loved me harder than I’d ever been loved in my life. 

Edward Fasbender is a devil. He’s my father's biggest rival. He takes what he wants, and he bows to no one. And now Edward Fasbender wants me. I didn’t expect to want him back. Having him is not in the cards, not when a union with him would destroy my father. But that doesn’t mean I can’t play with him a bit. Except, I’ve never played against such a ruthless opponent. Edward is cold and vicious, and my blood has never run hotter. They say you should choose the devil you know, but I've always preferred long odds. Even if it'll get me slain.

Being labelled a player never stopped me from being successful with women. Until I met Truly Harbury. Truly was the first girl who ever turned me down. And she might just be the first woman with whom I ever fall in love. When an emergency means she needs my help running her family’s charity, I’m happy to introduce her to the glitz and glamour of the London business world - taking her to dinners, coaching her through speeches, zipping up the sexy evening gown I helped her pick out. The more time we spend together, the more I want to convince her I’m not a man to avoid.

Eight years ago, I gave Grayson Price a piece of my heart. To him, I was the strange girl whose mom had just abandoned her. To me, he was a savior, an anchor, someone who stood beside me on that beach. The next time I saw him, I was 20, and he was 36. He didn't remember me. And when he flirted...I didn't tell him. By the time he found out, it was too late. We tried to deny our desire, but our attraction was too enticing.