Free Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Her Billionaire's Bargain (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Yvette Hines Page B

man of reason. One plus one always equals two.” He rubbed his temple that was beginning to throb. “But… this …it’s not making sense.”
    “Zachary.” His name came out on a wisp of breath.
    He was ready to think his mind was playing tricks on him or maybe he’d stepped into some alternate universe, but the way Kourtney was worrying her bottom lip and the fact her greenish-brown eyes—completely different from her little girl’s—wouldn’t meet his, caused his heart to pound.
    “What am I missing here, Kourtney?” He shoved his suit coat back to set his hands on his hips.
    When she looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. “Come in.” She turned from him and walked away.
    Like a zombie he followed behind her into the living room. The place was quaint, homey. She had knickknacks, throw blankets and pictures decorating the place. Most of them of Zendaya at different ages. He dropped the envelope on an end table.
    Kourtney stood in the center of the room with her back to him. He kept his distance, allowing her time. For what he wasn’t sure.
    "I'm sure you have questions about Zendaya." Her back was still to him as she shook her head. "I didn't know.”
    "We've met before."
    "When? If I'd met you before, Kourtney, I'd sure as hell remember." He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
    She shrugged. Facing him, she began, "I looked different then. My hair was short and straight. I was dressed different." She waved a hand down her body, he supposed she was signifying that she hadn't been strolling around in booty shorts and a tank top that dared a man to lift it to see what was beneath. Her long hair was in a ponytail.
    "I'm usually pretty good with faces."
    "Well, it was dark and we'd both had a couple drinks by then I'm sure."
    She had his full attention now. "Where was this drunken meeting?" He wasn't one to get hammered. Not since his sophomore year in college. But, just like love, he steered cleared of imbibing too much.
    “At some corporate party at the Westoria in Durham. I believe one of the big internet companies or search engines were putting it on.”
    Seven years ago he had just landed his first two major contracts. Google bringing fiber lines into Charlotte. That construction had just gotten underway last year, but it had opened other doors, like him negotiating the contract of the Bobcat Arena with Time Warner.
    Maybe it was because the discussion was opening up a mental door in his mind that things about that night were coming back to him. He'd had three glasses of champagne celebrating the acquisition. He recalled that he hadn't been drunk, but he'd felt good. His company was finally moving into the big league. There were so many people there that night, hired women. The alcohol and warmth had got to him and he needed some air. There had been a woman out there at the far end of the balcony of the president's suite, which consisted of the entire top floor of the luxury hotel.
    "What were you wearing?"
    "A cinnamon halter dress in satin."
    Everything flooded back to him. He stared at the woman before him but saw her as she'd been that night. She'd been stylish, carefree and captivating. The soft spring wind outside had lifted her dress and teased him with glimpses of her thighs. He'd wanted to possess her right then. Frankly it was exactly what he'd done. After approaching her, they'd spoken briefly of inconsequential things. However, he had a single goal in mind. When he saw the interest in her gaze, picked up on every flirting overture she made, no matter how subtle. 
    When he leaned in for a kiss, her lips had met his. “Why were you there that night? Were you working with a company?”
    Her pink tongue came out and slid across the fullness of her bottom lip, moistening it. “In a way. I worked for an escort service back then. I was having a hard time in college finding the money to stay in. Scholarships weren’t cutting it and I’d maxed out my loans. One of my friends was doing