A Dangerous Bargain

That night, despite my best efforts, I can't sleep for even a moment. Every time I close my eyes all I can think about is my meeting with Mr DeLuca, replaying Jordan's warning in my mind.

You've caught Mr DeLuca's attention and that is a very dangerous thing.

Instead of relentlessly tossing and turning, I climb from the comfort of my unhelpful bed and force myself out the door for my morning run much earlier than usual, barely 4am.

It's dark out and the central CBD is quiet for Saturday morning. The sun has barely risen, a soft pink falling over the sky and bringing a crisp chill to the air. It's my favourite time of day, before the rest of the world has woken up.

I'm a creature of habit, and a morning run has been part of my daily routine since I was only a child. I think best when I run. My over analysing mind is quiet, and the burning sensation in my lungs is like an addiction.

Each stride I take, my thoughts wander to Mr DeLuca.

Does he want to meet with me because he's interested, or because he's furious?

Though I want to pretend meeting him yesterday didn't affect me, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued. Despite my best efforts, I haven't been able to get his voice out of my head—smooth and commanding, like someone who always gets what he wants. Someone dangerous.

When he looked at me, I felt more alive than I have in years. The heat in his gaze made me feel like I was floating. I've never felt electricity like that with anyone before.

Either way, meeting with the man currently buying up as much of New York as he can get his hands on must be a good thing for my career.

And I can certainly control the irrational side of my brain and keep things strictly professional.

Right?

***

The rest of my day goes by quickly. I have five open houses, and in between them I meet my mother for lunch to hear all about her week. We mostly talk about work, but she also prattles on about not having grandchildren and the fact that my eggs are dying at a rapid rate, despite me only being twenty-six.

I try to brush off her comments with a smile, but the truth is, her words sting.

They sit at the forefront of my mind for the rest of the afternoon, bringing an unwelcome feeling to the pit of my stomach.

I've always wanted children.

For a while, I thought being a mom might have been my one true calling in life. I pictured a big family and everything that came with it. The chaos, the school runs—even the ugly mom car. But life is a funny thing.

After what happened, that dream became a twisted nightmare. I couldn't see it the same way again, no matter how hard I tried.

Grayson Ellis ruined my dream before I was even nineteen, but nobody knows except Art.

Not even my mom.

I've been down this rabbit hole before. Fallen for the charm and dangerous allure of a powerful man, but not again. I won't make the same mistake twice.

My career comes first. My career can't hurt me.

I remind myself of this as I pull up in front of the waterfront restaurant at 6:50 p.m. sharp, handing my keys to the valet driver with a polite smile. He eyes my Porsche with a grin and runs over to park it without looking back.

I've never been to this restaurant before, but even from the outside I understand why it's been booked out for months. It's beautiful, with tall glass windows that overlook the ocean and an elegant interior that momentarily takes my breath away.