Page 1 of The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancée
Sienna
One second you think you have everything, only to lose it all the next. I lean out of the window of the penthouse of The 99, the newest condominium in Silicon Valley. Take a deep breath.
I'd gambled everything on this start-up, and failed.
The iron band around my chest tightens, and I swallow the sickness that threatens to rise.
Take the deal, Sienna.
No, I can't. To do so will go against everything I am. I'll be giving up control of my business. My life. Lose the very independence that made me want to become an entrepreneur.
To strike out on my own in the cut throat world of Silicon Valley where start-ups are struggling to stay alive.
"Have you decided yet?" Jace’s clipped English accent scrapes the edges of my nerves.
Feet square on the ground, I turn. Those silver-green eyes slam into me with the force of a physical punch. The sparks in them glow, yet, his features stay flat.
I'm just another business transaction.
The breeze from the open window ruffles his thick hair. Over six feet tall, he towers above me.
The title of 'Angel Investor’ fits Jace Walker and not only in the conventional Silicon Valley sense.
Broad shoulders clad in a crisp long-sleeved shirt. Flat stomach hinting at hidden muscles. Formal trousers mold his strong, well-shaped, thighs. Leanly built, like a runner. With those high cheekbones and strong jaw, he could well be a fallen angel.
His eyes gleam against burnished skin in an unusual combination. As surprising as the basketball hoop strung up next to his desk.
This man likes to play.
He's playing with me now. Offering me a deal he knows I must accept. If I don't, I lose everything I've built up over the last three years.
"Do you always do that?" His husky voice slides over my nerve endings.
"What?"
His eyes drop to my mouth and I redden. I'm biting my nails. A dead giveaway that I'm nervous.
Damn.
Dropping my hand to my side, I clench it into a fist.
"You'll invest a million dollars in my start-up if I spend a week with you?"
Unreal.
He tilts his head in agreement. Those eyes follow my every move, studying my reaction.
"It's a good deal," his voice coaxes.
One side of his lips lifts in a smile.
His charisma hits me, and I blink. This guy is lethal, with the kind of presence that'll always draw attention.
"Just small change for you." My voice is sharp with disbelief, a reminder to myself that I'm at his mercy.
After being shown the door by more than fifty potential investors, this is the first glimmer of hope I've had.
Jace Walker is one of the most eccentric investors in the Valley. He picks projects that capture his imagination, ones that don't always make financial sense at face value. I'm still surprised that he's even agreed to meet me, let alone offered to invest in my failing start-up.
