Page 5 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Fake Girlfriend

I nodded, watching as he left the room. My peace was short-lived. Moments later, Denver stepped into the room.

He looked as commanding as ever. Not a single line of his perfectly tailored dark suit was out of position. His short dark hair was neatly styled and even under the harsh overhead lights, his sapphire blue eyes seemed to pierce through me. "Still here?" he asked, his voice low.

I stiffened, my guard immediately going up. "What do you want, Denver?"

He stepped closer and sat on the edge of my desk. My grip tightened around my pencil until it was about to snap. His presence was overwhelming, but I wasn't going to let him know that. "You seem upset. What's going on?"

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's nothing. Just a rough day."

He tilted his head, studying me with an intensity that made me squirm. "You're a terrible liar, Sasha. What happened? I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth."

I hesitated, torn between my pride and my growing fear. But something in the softness in his voice made it seem like he cared. Finally, I gave in. I pulled the box out from under my desk. "I got a package today. From my stalker. A rose and a note. The rose is identical to the ones in my apartment. At first, I thought I was being trolled online, but it's been getting worse. I don't know what to do."

Denver picked up the rose and then read the note. He placed the items on my desk. His expression darkened, and for a moment, I saw a flash of something primal in his eyes. It was rage, but it wasn't directed at me. Was he protective of me? "Let me help you," he said, his voice firm. "All the conditions we discussed yesterday still stand. Agree to be my girlfriend. I can keep you safe."

I looked at him, searching for any sign that he might be manipulating me. But all I saw was sincerity. "Why do you care?" I asked quietly.

His eyes locked onto mine. "Because I don't like seeing you scared. This is serious, Sasha. If he knows where you live, you need more resources to protect yourself. Resources that I can give you."

I stared at the black rose and sighed, letting out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding in. "Alright, we'll do it your way, but I have conditions."

He raised an eyebrow. "Name them."

"We are dating only for the public. There will be no hanky-panky or catching feelings," I said, keeping my voice steady. "And you keep your promise to deal with the stalker."

His lips twitched at my words. "We still need to make this look real. That means public appearances, dates, making it look like we're living together, the whole thing."

I frowned. He was right, of course. I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "Fine, but we need to have boundaries."

"Such as?"

I held up my fingers and counted out each of my conditions. "There will be no more touching than is necessary. Kisses will be on the cheek only, no mouth to mouth. And we don't spend more time together than needed to make it look convincing."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're not making this easy, but alright. I agree with your boundaries. We still need to sell it to the board. If they don't believe us, then this whole thing will be for nothing. The easiest way is for you to move in with me until your stalker problem is resolved. I have plenty of space at my place. We will be like roommates."

I wanted to protest, but the argument died on my lips before I could say anything. He had a point.

He nodded and extended his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal." I shook his hand, the warmth of his touch sending a strange jolt through me. As I looked into his eyes, I felt a mix of relief and apprehension. While Denver was going to protect me from the stalker, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Only one thing was certain, I had just made a deal with the devil and my life was about to get a lot more complicated.

Chapter 3

DENVER

The drive to Sasha's apartment was quiet with the hum of the car's engine the only sound between us. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared out the window. I could feel the tension radiating off her, but I didn't push. She'd agreed to this arrangement, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. I couldn't blame her. I'd just upended her life, and now I was dragging her into mine.

Her apartment building was a modest brick building at the edge of the city. I eyed the rusted iron bars on the first-floor windows and the graffiti that covered the brick walls. It wasn't the worst neighborhood, but it wasn't somewhere you could leave your car overnight and expect your windows to be intact in the morning. I suppose this was one of those gentrifying neighborhoods popular with struggling artists and up-and-coming professionals.

She finally spoke. "You don't have to come up. I can pack my things myself."

I turned off the engine and unbuckled my seatbelt. "I'm not letting you go up there alone. Not after what happened today."

She shot me a glare, but despite her defiance, I detected the fear lurking below. Awkward silence weighed heavily on us during the elevator ride up. When we reached her floor, she led the way to her apartment down a dingy hallway. Her keys jingled in her hand as she unlocked the door.

The moment she opened the door, I was struck by the chaos. Not a single table, chair, or wall was left uncovered. Even her television had sketches taped to the screen. At the dining table in the middle of the room, there was a mannequin draped in a dress covered in black roses. It stood at the table like it was a guest at a meal. The space was cluttered, but Sasha's creativity oozed from every corner. Even though I hadn't known her for long, I could tell that it was completely her.

"Sorry about the mess," she muttered, stepping inside. She swiped her hand along the wall and flicked a light switch. "I wasn't expecting company."

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