Page 78 of A Billion Dollar Romance
“No, Edie, we can’t. Remember why we’re doing this,” he said, looking away.
For my career, which is in ruins?
“For the company. I know this feels hard right now, but the best thing for us to do right now is just move past it. The papers have said worse things about me, and I’ve survived. You will too, you’re strong–”
I blinked.
“They haven’t,” I said, picking the magazine from the wastebasket. “Theyhaven’tsaid worse about you. They’re saying I slept my way to this job… to mycollege graduation–”
“Edie, that’s not–” he started, and his eyes burned into me. “That’s notaboutyou. They would have said it about anyone.”
“But it’smyname in the article, James!” I paused to take a ragged breath, my fists clenched. “You keep saying this article is about your past, but this myfuture. Everything I ever publish, everything, will have people wondering if it was me who earned the reviews, or if it was James Martin, pulling the strings. Or worse, was it just that I fuckedmyagent,too?”
He sat back against the desk.
“Oh,” James said, and I thought,yes, finally, he understands,but instead he just tilted his head down at me with a wry smile, the same knowing smirk that had had me so desperate for his attentions when he’d been my untouchable professor, and my stomach filled with lead even before he opened his mouth to speak. “I’ve told you before, sweetheart.That’s how this business works.” I couldn’t move, my lungs refusing to inflate, my knees locked. “That’s how this all works, Edie.” His hands were loosely gripping the edge of the desk, just where mine had been the other day, when he flipped up my skirt and fucked me here in the office.That’s how this business works,I thought, and hot bile rose in my throat.
That was what I was doing, wasn’t it?
Sleeping with the CEO to get what I wanted?
Had I thought that just because he hadn’t offered me a book deal, I wouldn’t be tainted by his association?
I was just as bad as the rest. Worse: I’d beenfoolish, as well as greedy–I hadn’t even realized the bargain I’d made.
“How do you think I got my first book deal?” James was saying as I stared blankly at his hands. “It wasn’t sending it to a thousand agents, late nights of edits and revisions. It was a well-placed word in the ear of an important person–”
“You told me it would be good for my career. This interview,” I said stupidly. “The conference, I–” He raised an eyebrow. “If I had known…” I said slowly, haltingly. “If I had known what you meant, I…”
I’d made a bargain I didn’t understand, with a man who knew exactly what he was doing. Look where it had gotten me: my career hadn’t even gotten off the ground, and already, it was smeared with the indelible ink of scandal.
I looked up at James, half sitting on his desk in his dark, dark suit, his brow serious and his jaw set.
He didn’t look much like my Professor Martin, not any more.
CHAPTER38
James
“I should never have said yes,”she said, her eyes red, but still dry.
My gut twisted.You told me this would be good for my career,she’d said.I should never have said yes.I straightened my shoulders, lifting my chin.
“I didn’t realize you cared so much about your reputation,” I said. My voice sounded flat.
“I don’t care what people say aboutyou,” she snapped. “That’s whatyoucared about. That’s whatyouwere supposed to get out of this arrangement. That’s whyyoucame up with this scheme.” She gestured to Bridget, standing quietly in the corner of the room, her fingers tight around her tablet. Lyle, standing dumbstruck. I’d forgotten they were there.
“Get. Out,” I snarled, and Edie nodded.
“Fine.” She turned on her heel. Fuck–no, that wasn’t what I wanted. I reached out, grabbed her by the wrist.
“Not you, Edie.” I jerked my head at Lyle.
He hurried for the door, Bridget scurrying behind him. “Sure thing, boss,” he said, not making eye contact.
A cascade of rage washed over me, and I felt my grip tighten. I dropped Edie’s wrist like a hot iron, and she snatched it back to her.
“Inevershould have agreed to this,” she hissed, venom in her eyes as she stared at me.
