Minutes later …

As we sit on opposite ends in my limo, I can’t take my eyes off her. Her olive skin glistens in the sun as it shines through the window she’s looking through. She hasn’t looked at me since she slid into the car with me. I wonder if she’s upset about my proposal, if she has any regrets … whether she’s preparing for what’s to come.

She should.

This isn’t just some ordinary deal, but she’ll find out soon enough. Then again … she isn’t an ordinary woman either.

I admire her from a distance, but my fingers can’t help but reach for her face. I gently slide back a few strands of her black hair and tuck them behind her ear. Her eyes flash as she turns her head, her face still completely blank. I wonder what’s going on inside that brain of hers. If it’s just as beautiful as her body in that skirt.

I can’t wait to peel it all away, layer by layer, until nothing is left.

My hand caresses her cheek gently. She doesn’t lean away, even though I expected her to, with her feistiness. Instead, her lips tip up into a smile. How strange … and delightfully pleasant.

“Why are you smiling?” I ask.

“For a man who can do anything to the woman sitting next to him, you sure do pick an awfully sweet gesture,” she muses, making me smile too.

“That’s because I’m savoring you for as long as I can before—” I cut myself off before I say too much. I don’t want to upset her. At least, not while I’m in her vicinity. She’d probably kill me if she knew, which is why I won’t say a word until we arrive at our destination.

“Before what?” She frowns.

“Nothing.” I pull my hand back and clear my throat. “Ignore what I just said.”

Her mouth twitches, but she keeps it shut, thankfully. Although I can definitely see her thoughts just from the scowl on her face. I snort.

“What’s so funny?”

“Like I said, nothing,” I say, shrugging.

“Well …” She stares at her nails and rubs one of them profusely. “If this is how it’s going to be for almost an entire month, then I guess this is going to be easier than I thought.”

I raise a brow. “How so?”

She smirks. “Because not talking is boring as fuck.”

I laugh. “Miss Lee … if there is anything you do need to know is that these weeks are going to be anything but boring.” I lean in so close, I can smell her perfume. Roses and a hint of honey. I close my eyes and take a whiff. Then I look up at her with half-mast eyes, barely able to contain myself. I’d rather just bite her in the shoulder for trying to taunt me, but I won’t. I’ll keep it civil … for now.

“I will entertain you thoroughly,” I muse, as I grab her hand and kiss her palm. I can feel her shiver.

Right as I lift my head again, my house appears in the distance.

I point at the window and whisper in her ear, “Look.”

She turns her head and places her hand on the window. “Is that your house?” Her voice sounds more like a soft breath.

I slide over to her and smile against her earlobe, the touch of her skin on my lips making me want to nibble “That’s where you’ll be staying. Do you see the fences surrounding the property? Stay within them, or the contract is nullified.”

“Okay …”

“What do you think of the house?”

“Well”—she snorts—“it’s a nice prison.”

“Oh, don’t think of it as a prison. Think of it as a castle where all your darkest fantasies will come to life.”

She turns her head toward me, unafraid of the fact that I’m sitting so close, so in her space. “My darkest fantasies … or yours?”

I grin as I slide my finger down her cheek. “We’ll leave that up to your imagination.”

When the car comes to a stop, I clear my throat and slip back into my seat as my chauffeur exits the vehicle and opens my door and then hers.

I hold out my arm for her to grab, which she does reluctantly. “I suppose you’re not into the chivalrous kind.”

“Oh, on the contrary. I’m just not into you.”

Ouch.

“Are you sure you want to be here?” I ask as I guide her along the gravel path.

“No.”

“Then why are you?” I tilt my head to the side.

“Money. Plain and simple.” She smiles broadly, but it’s a fake smile, and I can see right through it.

“You might want to start working for it then …”

She shakes her head. “That wasn’t outlined in the contract. I’m to be yours. It didn’t specify how or what my response to your advances should be.”

“Hmm …” I smile to myself. Clever girl. No matter. Soon, she’ll find out just how hard she’ll have to work for me.

“Still, I hardly believe you’re telling the truth about not being into me,” I add as we walk to the front door of the mansion. “I saw you shiver when I touched you, and I know you felt it too.”

With just one side-glance and a faint blush on her cheeks, I have all I need to confirm the truth.

* * *

He opens the large, wooden front door and holds it open for me to go in first. His eyes are on me like a hawk as I go inside and marvel at the mansion and its marble floors, large floor-to-ceiling windows and drapes, and the intricate tapestries hanging from the wall.

I saunter around the hallway, peeking into the single bedroom on the left with the beautiful red sheets and some kind of hot tub in the corner. “Is this my room?” I ask.

“No, you’ll be staying in that one over there.” He points at a room above, up the stairs. “The one you’re looking at is my room.”

I linger near it for a few more seconds, wondering why I can’t stay with him. “I like your room.”

“I’m sure you do.” From the sound of his voice, I’m guessing the answer is a definite no.

“Can I explore the house? I mean if I’m supposed to stay here for almost an entire month, then I might as well make myself at home, right?” I ask with a flattering smile, but it’s only to keep up the charade.

“You can but don’t expect to have a lot of free time on your hands.” He winks, and it makes me look away in silence. I don’t want him to see me blush. I hate it. Hate what his smile does to me. I have to focus on why I’m here.

“C’mon,” he says, beckoning me to follow him up the stairs.

I quietly trail behind him as we go up and then into a hallway to the right. There, he opens a door. “This is your room.”

I frown as I walk inside, still keeping my eyes on him, as I don’t know what he’s planning to do.

“Feel free to check it out. There are dresses in the wardrobe that you can wear, and makeup in the vanity drawers. However, you are expected to be ready within fifteen minutes so we can proceed with your introduction.”

“We?” I turn to face him. I hope I didn’t hear that right.

“Yes, we,” he muses. “My brothers and I own you now.”

My eyes widen, and the temperature in the room just dropped by about twenty degrees.

“Don’t look so surprised,” he scoffs.

“Brothers? You never mentioned—”

“It is in the contract,” he interrupts. “The contract only mentioned my last name, which I share with my two brothers.” A wicked smile forms on his face.

I step backward, my hands balling into fists. I can’t believe he tricked me. Even after I read the contract twice. How did I not see this coming?

The tone of his voice darkens. “We all own you now.”

An uncontrollable fury rages inside me as I feel the need to run. So I do. I rush toward him as he exits and closes the door behind him, but before I can get past, he’s already locked it tight.

“You can’t do this!” I smack the door with a flat hand.

“Actually, I can. You signed a contract. You belong to us now, and we will use you in ways you can’t even imagine.” His voice echoes as he walks off, the last audible thing being his footsteps as they move away from me.

I twist the doorknob a few times but no luck. Of course not.

Fuck.

My head drops against the door as I take in a few sharp breaths, my pulse racing.

How could I be this stupid?

How could I have fallen into this trap so easily?

The contract stipulated so little that I thought it was some sort of giant joke, but it also means that whatever’s not included can happen. I gave my freaking soul to him. Willingly.

I ball my fists and slam the door a final time. Fucking fifty million dollars. It’d better be worth it.

“Um … hi?”

Who was that?

I hold my breath and turn around.

It’s a woman, sitting on a couch at the far end of the room, and she’s staring at me.

Along with seven other girls.

* * *