Page 41 of The Billionaire's Temptation

“Yes!” she whispered. “In other words, Ian Montrose is going to suggest that you sell five buildings so that he and his cronies can buy them for dirt cheap. They are essentially stealing them from you, buying them up under the cover of another business entity that they just established two days ago. Their identities as the buyers will be hidden by this new corporate name. Montrose is going to convince you that this is an excellent opportunity to make a large amount of money in a quick sale. But in reality, he's convincing you to sell at a fraction of the buildings’ value.”

Clarissa gasped, shocked. “That’s so unethical!” she hissed.

Mandy nodded. “It is. An accountant shouldn’t ever advise their clients to do something that’s against their best interests.”

“What should I do?” Clarissa asked. “I mean, he can’t force me to sell, can he?”

“No, he can’t,” Mandy assured her. “However, I overheard him propose that he could petition the courts that he should be established as a trustee of your father’s estate. If Montrose can convince the courts that you don’t understand the complexities of your businesses, and you don’t have anyone to advise you, then he could possibly win. Then he can do whatever he wants. He can even establish an allowance, a sum that he deems appropriate for you, and you will have no say in what he does.”

“That’s so wrong!” Clarissa snapped, standing up and pacing across the expanse of her father’s…no,heroffice. This was her house. It wasn’t a home yet, because this heavy, dark furniture wasn’t her style. Plus, she’d moved out of the primary suite, preferring one of the more light filled rooms at the far end of the second floor hallway. But still, this was her house! She hadn’t known her father, but there was no way she was going to allow a bunch of sexist, unethical men to dismantle everything her father had built. She hadn’t known him, but she was going to figure out how to be a good trustee of his wealth.

And she refused to be swindled out of her inheritance! She’d stopped Blaire and Chad from stealing and invading her house. Now, she had to stop Ian Montrose from stealing her businesses!

“I have to go,” she announced abruptly. Clarissa grabbed the notebook Mandy had created for her, clutching it to her chest.

“Where are you going?” Mandy called out.

Clarissa paused in the office doorway. Biting her lip, she considered her options. However, there was really only one option available to her. And her heart raced at the thought of seeing Levi again.

“If I’m going to fight a bully, I’m going to need a bigger bully,” she told Mandy. “Wish me luck!”

Chapter 15

“I’m sorry, butwhois waiting to see me?” Levi demanded as his assistant hovered in the doorway to his office.

“Ms. Clarissa Donata?” Tammy replied, double-checking her notes. The woman was a brilliant assistant and earned a salary higher than any of his vice presidents. She knew how to manage his priorities and anticipate issues to prevent things from becoming a crisis. Plus, she kept her ears trained for staffing or corporate issues. She more than earned her salary. Anyone who thought assistants were interchangeable hadn’t ever worked with a woman like Tammy.

Now, hearing that Clarissa was here, in his building…and waiting to speak with him…! He felt a surge of need and hope.

“Send her in immediately,” he replied, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. Then he realized how formal that might appear and unbuttoned the jacket again. Thankfully, Tammy had already gone off to retrieve Clarissa from the waiting area, so she wouldn’t have that moment of indecision to tease him about. Small miracles happened!

Two minutes later…and yes, he knew that it had been exactly one hundred and twenty seconds because he kept checking his watch…Clarissa stepped into his office. She paused in the doorway. For a brief moment, he wondered what she thought of his office. He hadn’t really cared what anyone else thought of his environment. But he cared about Clarissa’s opinion. A lot!

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. His eyes moved hungrily over her slim figure in a sunny yellow dress with pretty ruffled sleeves. Had she found this dress in that closet of someone else’s clothes? It looked perfect on her! The bright, sunshine color of the dress, as well as the small flutters of sleeves suited her personality perfectly. Plus, the material clung to her delicate figure, making his mouth water with memories of their one night together.

“Clarissa!” he rasped out, moving closer to her. “I’m relieved that you’re finally willing to let me explain.”

She lifted a hand, stopping his forward momentum. “I need your help,” she explained, interrupting his explanation.

Levi froze, respecting her boundaries. For a long moment, he didn’t understand. But as he watched her, he noticed her eyes. Those chocolate eyes really were the window to her soul. She wanted him. He’d caught the quick perusal of his body. He also noticed the pulse pounding against the tender skin at the base of her neck. But he also caught the wariness in those pretty, brown eyes as well as the hesitation in her steps.

Levi was caught between those two reactions. The need and the wariness…that made his chest ache. But she was here. That was something, wasn’t it?

She didn’t want an explanation yet? Fine! But she’d said she needed his help. That was a step in the right direction.

“Help?” he finally parroted. “What’s wrong?”

Without skipping a beat, his thoughts shifted from lust to the need to protect her. Despite her distance over the past week, Clarissa was his woman. She’d given herself to him in the most primal way. What she didn’t know was that he’d given himself to her as well. Heart and soul, he was hers. She could toss him out of her life, but he’d never be rid of her. He’d been a shell of himself over the past week without her.

Now that she was letting him back into her life, he wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to make things right. He’d been without her for too long. He was going to make things up to her, one way or another!

She glanced at her watch, then gave him a half smile. “Am I interrupting anything?”

Levi knew that Tammy would cancel any meeting he had scheduled. “Nothing. What’s wrong?” he repeated, waving towards the sitting area, silently offering her a seat.

Clarissa perched on the edge of the sofa, clutching the black leather purse nervously. “I need your advice.”

“Anything,” he vowed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

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