Free One Night With the Billionaire: Book One by Cassie Cross Page B

intimately acquainted with the concrete sidewalk.  
    In order to keep her morning from rapidly spinning out of control, Kaia calms herself by going over her presentation to her clients in her head. She runs through her pitch, point by point. She falls into a nice rhythm that helps calm the panic rising in her chest, which is probably why she’s distracted enough to run straight into a very tall, very broad, very handsome man.  
    He clips Kaia’s elbow just so, which loosens her grip on her laptop enough to send it crashing to the ground.  
    Her reflexes aren’t fast enough to stop it.  
    Kaia feels like she’s having an out-of-body experience as she watches her computer fall. She stares in horror as it bounces off of the concrete. The casing breaks off in a jagged square, sending part of it flying off, tethered only by some colored wires that are tied to the motherboard or some other internal component that Kaia has no idea how to fix.  
    Luckily the man she ran into has quick reflexes, and he reaches down and picks up the busted machine off of the sidewalk. The broken piece dangles pathetically as this man cups her elbow and pulls her away from the crowded sidewalk.  
    “Oh my god,” Kaia says, as tears sting her eyes.
    “I’m so sorry.” The man holds tightly to her computer as he watches Kaia intently.  
    “Oh my god. Oh my god.” This is the only sentiment that Kaia is cable of at the moment. It’s all she’s thinking. She can’t afford a decent bag to carry the thing in; she definitely can’t afford to replace it.  
    “You should sit down,” the man says in a very soft, smooth voice, one that somehow manages to make a shiver crawl up her spine even amidst the chaos. He gently presses his palm against the small of her back, where she can feel the heat of his hand through her blouse.  
    Kaia lowers herself onto the bench, and the man crouches down in front of her. She takes a deep breath and finally manages to get a good look at the guy.  
    He is gorgeous . Wow. Thick dark hair, light brown eyes, and full pink lips that are turned up into a barely there smile. Kaia’s heartbeat picks up, leaving her breathless.  
    “I apologize for my carelessness,” the man says, looking up into her eyes. “I’ll replace this.”  
    “I should’ve been paying more attention,” Kaia explains, looking down at her hands. “I have a big presentation this morning, and I absolutely need to retain these clients. My bag broke earlier, and I managed to save my laptop from crashing onto the floor on the subway. Guess I’m only allowed one save a day.”  
    After a few beats of silence, she looks up. The man is watching her in a way that makes her want to explain herself.
    “Sorry, I’m rambling.”  
    “I like it.”  
    He gives Kaia a smile that makes her knees weak, and she bites her lip to keep herself from smiling as a blush rises to her cheeks.  
    “I’ll just take this,” Kaia says, reaching out for her laptop. As much as she likes being in this man’s proximity, she figures it’s best to get out of here before she does or says something stupid.  
    “Absolutely not. I told you I would replace it.”  
    Kaia shakes her head. “It’s my fault for carrying it around without a bag.”  
    The man stands, tucks Kaia’s busted laptop under his arm, and holds out his hand.  
    “Come on,” he says, helping Kaia up. His touch makes her skin tingle. “You said you have a big presentation this morning. How much time do you have?”  
    Kaia looks down at her watch. “Forty five minutes or so.”  
    “Plenty of time.” He pulls out his phone and starts making arrangements with someone who clearly knows about computers. When he hangs up, he starts walking toward the door of the office building they’re standing outside of. “Are you coming?”  
    “You want me to just follow you inside?”  
    He grins at her, and that look is like a weapon. “That’s the idea, yes.”  
    “How do I