Page 72 of Billionaire Devil

The next day,we take a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. I’ve become used to feeling awed over the past few days, but the color of the sky is electric with a faraway thunderstorm. The deep chasm of the canyon is all colors of earthy red, with the blue-green river winding its way through, like it’s been doing for six million years, carving deeper and deeper.

I’m sitting on Colton’s lap in the helicopter as the tour guide explains that we’re now at the South Rim. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, with an average width of ten miles and an average depth of one mile. The Native American Hopi tribe considered the Grand Canyon to be agateway to the afterlife.

I’ve never seen anything as awe-inspiring as this place. It makes me feel small and inconsequential and temporary. In a good way. In a way that reminds me that life is short and sometimes you have to make sure you’re making the absolute most of it.

If you don’t, you’ll find it’s suddenly six million years later and you’ve missed your chances.

I decide to jump headfirst into my business, no matter what it takes. No matter how much it costs or how much help I get. If Colton’s offer doesn’t stand by Monday morning—because there are at least ten wrecking balls that are rolling toward Saturday afternoon and I have no idea which one will hit the hardest—I’m doing it anyway. Even if I fail, at least I’ll have tried.

The past year has been a disaster because I was giving too much of myself to things I didn’t want. I was acting out of desperation. All it did was to make me more desperate.

I’m not going to continue making the same mistakes.

I’m done waitressing.

I’m done working jobs I loathe.

I’m done yearning for people who aren’t worthy of me.

Colton Maddox is the worthiest person I’ve ever met. Pleasing him, teasing him and loving him is so easy.

For one week, I’m losing myself in him. Beyond that, I have no idea what will happen.

Either way, I’m grateful. I’m glad it was him. I’ll never regret the three most magical days of my life so far. And I’mdetermined to allow that magic to infuse the rest of my life with positivity, even if Colton isn’t a part of it.

His arms are slung around me, his hard warmth underneath me. I’m high on life. I’m hardly even nervous to be flying. The view is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

And we’re on our way to Vegas.

22

Friday

Las Vegas, Nevada

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

I’m trying to figure out why a jackhammer has been implanted inside my skull.

Because you did two tequila shots again in that casino after winning four thousand dollars at a slot machine.

That was after drinking at least four glasses of champagne because people kept offering them to us and we were having so muchfun.

Why, Lila,why?

The waiters were wearing togas and everything looked like a Roman palace.

That’s the last part of the evening I actually remember.

Damn it.IsworeI’d never to do this again.

Colton’s laying next to me in bed. He’s on his stomach, his arm slung around a pillow, the sheet low across his back.

Those wide, tanned, sculpted shoulders really are a work of art, I can’t help noticing. I love his ink. His dark hair’s a glorious mess. I can tell by the evenness of his breathing that he’s still asleep.

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