Falling for the Contract

Isabelle's Louboutins tapped in time as she made her way through the marble-adorned lobby toward the shimmering elevator banks of Wilcox Mergers & Acquisitions. Her stylish chignon emphasized her determined expression and the well-defined features of her cheekbones.Her once-in-a-lifetime chance to join Wall Street's elite by leveraging a billion-dollar merger was here.It took years of hardship, lost holidays, and damaged relationships to get to this pivotal point. There was no room for failure.The elevator doors opened, and she entered while taking great care to correct her skirt suit. She appeared like a powerful woman who maintained her composure in the face of expectations when reflected in the mirrored walls.When the doors opened, she entered the elegant atmosphere of the upper-level offices. Anna, her assistant, went alongside her, clutching an iPad that already showed the timetable."Mr. Rothschild is prepared to meet you. "I have gathered the team in the Royale Boardroom."

Isabelle drank her coffee on the sun-drenched patio of her Upper East Side condominium the next morning, her head still reeling from the events of the night before. The alluring aroma of Damien's perfume seemed to cling to her very pores, making it difficult to think of anything else.She closed her eyes, unwelcome thoughts of his smoldering gaze and the carved features of his bare chest rushing back. The way his robe gaped open so tantalizingly, daring her gaze to roam. As they discussed the lurid details of their sham marriage, she was enchanted by his deep, gravelly voice.A shudder of apprehension and illicit excitement ran through her. What did she get herself into?"Good morning, Ms. Wakefield."Anna's familiar voice shattered the delicious reverie. Isabelle's eyes widened to see her helper waiting with an expectant expression, iPad in hand. Her cheeks reddened guiltily, as if Anna could detect the deliciously perverse fantasies she had been having."Yes, of course." "What is on

"Perhaps," he agreed, and for a brief moment she thought she saw something gentler, more introspective beneath the boisterous bluster. "But excessive is rather my calling card, as I'm sure you've guessed."Why settle for dull simplicity when one can revel in the biggest spectacles?"There was a pregnant pause there, as if he was looking for the right words to convey something more than just showmanship. When he continued, his voice became softer and richer, almost intimate."Look, I appreciate that a larger-than-life, media-drenched mock wedding isn't your ideal scenario. Being under such constant limelight and scrutiny would be...abrasive for anyone, let alone a more private soul."Isabelle felt her breath catch as he made the perceptive assessment... as if he had managed to pinprick straight through to some hidden kernel of vulnerability she hadn't even consciously acknowledged herself. She drew the phone away slightly, eyeing it with newfound uneasiness.How was this supposedly sel