Page 8 of One Billion Reasons

“Goddammit.” I curse into the silent office.

* * *

Three hours later, I’m deep in a report on a potential acquisition and making notes in the margins when George knocks. We’re going to be outbid on this, I can already tell. And the CEO is friends with Amanda’s father. Fuck. Is this what the future looks like? Stonewalled at every turn because of this broken engagement?

Irritation flares. In addition to this acquisition, numbers are down for the month, and our PR team just emailed with another article that’s out about the breakup. This is a fucking disaster.

“I’ve been trying to get a refund of the deposit for the wedding photos.” George frowns. “The photographer is refusing a refund. Amanda’s personal assistant booked the most expensive package and paid for the deposit. With your credit card.”

Lane. That day on the beach. The way she looked. I force my expression to remain blank.

“What’s the reason?” Not that I even care about the money. But any mention of Lane is a drug. I’ll do anything for a taste. Even pretend I care about a couple grand that she surely needs and I most definitely do not.

“She says it’s against policy. She’s a pretty fierce negotiator.” George sounds impressed. That’s Lane. She doesn’t back down when she believes in something. She rarely uses it to defend herself, though.

I observe George’s annoyance with mild amusement as they tap at their ever-present iPad. A plan starts to formulate in my mind. An insane plan. One that’s only loosely connected by logic, and mostly made of memories, lust, and resentment. One that might bring Lane back into my life in the worst way possible but might be the only way to bring my family back together and buy the one thing my father really wanted.

“Get her to come to our office. Then we’ll see how fierce she is.” I nearly bare my teeth. If there’s anything that can intimidate a person, it’s the glass and steel monolith housing our office, the heart-stopping views of the city, and me when I’m in a bad mood. And I have to admit, the idea of intimidating Lane brings me a little bit of pleasure. She throws me off-balance every time I so much as hear her name. Turnabout is fair play.

“And don’t let her know who I am.”

George arches both brows, then nods and shuts my door behind them.

4

Miles

“I’m going to that fucking wedding.”

“No way in hell,” Jonah responds.

He glares at me from across the conference room where we’re having it out. His dark eyes are stony, his jaw clenched. I’m leaning against the cooling vents, affecting nonchalance, but inside, I’m just as annoyed as he is. Well, maybe not. No one can top Jonah for general frustration at the world.

“Her father just fucked us over. If you go to the wedding, it looks like you’re pandering to him.” Not twenty minutes ago, we received an email that Amanda’s father just outbid us on another project. One he wasn’t interested in until recently. Another one. He’s rich, and powerful, and motivated now that he thinks I broke his baby girl’s heart. Dumbass. She ended things. I would have stayed in that loveless marriage forever.

“Just listen.” I push off the vents and pace as I speak. “Catherine won’t sell the Montauk property to me with my shit reputation. We can’t get any deals done. Our investors are wary. Amanda’s father hates me and keeps outbidding us.”

Jonah’s face is tight as he listens. When we started our business with Theo, we promised to always hear the other person out. So even if he doesn’t agree, he’ll give me a few more minutes.

“And what’s your plan? To beg them to sell to you instead?”

“To go to the wedding. With a date.”

I pause my pacing to stare triumphantly at him.

His brows are drawn together as he considers me. “These people matter. Our reputation matters. We might be rich, but we’re not the richest. We might be powerful, but there are people with just as much power. And you just pissed off someone very important. We need allies. Not enemies. Going to that wedding could anger her father even more.”

“But not if I pretend to be in love.”

Jonah raises a brow. Love is not a concept he’s familiar with.

“Think about it. The approval of a good woman and all that. It was my plan for Amanda, after all. I’ll show Catherine I’ve turned over a new leaf. I’ll show Amanda’s father I’m a good person. And that he’s hurting more than just me if he keeps coming after us. Isn’t that a good story for investors, too? Amanda and I both break the engagement for true love? People will eat that up.”

Jonah looks skeptical. “Assuming that’s true—which I don’t know that it is — where are you going to find such a paragon? You need someone perfect. Someone charming. Someone who can put up with you for a week. Someone you can trust. Because if what happened with Amanda happens again? We’re fucked. You better be sure this will work.”

“Lane.”

Jonah’s brows go up. “Lane Overton?”

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