Free Boss: The Encounter With The Bad Boy Billionaire: Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (BOSS: A Contemporary Bad Boy Billionaire Romance) by Julie Valentine, Grace Valentine

 
     
     
     
    Chapter one
     
    A corner office at real estate firm headed by a billionaire tycoon was a far cry from waiting tables and partying every night. How did a woman work herself up from humble beginnings in the mail room to becoming the executive director of marketing in only five years?
    Hart Jacobs had a vision and she stopped at nothing to get there. And now, she had a corner office; glass windows all around overlooking the marina at the bay, plush leather furniture, and a mahogany desk that was much too big for one person to sit behind. Hard work definitely paid off. The spoils of success were making all the sacrifice well worth it.
    And Hart had sacrificed a lot.
    Time. Love.
    But what other way was she supposed to climb to the top? She sat behind her desk in her chair, which was practically a throne, running her hands across the fine wood. She now had a six figure salary, an expense account, and her choice of a company car or a driver. When she took the job working in the mail room, she never thought that she would end up here. And yet, here she was, the wunderkind of Ciarelli Reality and Holdings, Inc.
    Mr. Ciarelli personally saw to her success. A chance meeting in the mail room led to Mr. Ciarelli suggesting that she go to school for marketing and business. From there he tracked her accomplishments. Her break came when he threw her an account just to see how she could handle it. She came through with flying colors, saving a client account that was sinking.
    Deep inside, she always knew that she could be successful. There were others who doubted that the self-professed party queen could turn her life around. But she had done it, and now she did not care much about her naysayers.
    Hart committed three years of her life to a relationship, only to have her heart broken. It was the first time she had ever been devastated in her life. Failing at love made it that much easier to fill that empty void with work and career. At first, Hart was afraid that she would become an overworked neurotic woman who shut down every man that approached her for dates and that lived alone with two dogs and a cat. The only thing missing was the animals.
    Hart was a classic beauty; brunette hair that highlighted blonde in the summer, green eyes, and a natural olive complexion others had to tan to get. It was not uncommon for her to be asked out on a date. After dealing with heartbreak, she knew that she did not want to make time to nurture a serious relationship. Men needed things that she was not able, and now, not willing to give.
    There was no need to focus relationships right now. Hart would have plenty of time for that. She had more than enough to do at work to keep her busy and if she needed any pleasure, she had Tim that she could call on. Having a friend with benefits was well worth it. There were no strings attached, great sex, and no expectations or demands.
    She did not need anything else. Her salary afforded her the ability to buy whatever she wanted and travel wherever she dreamed of. But all of the money in the world was not going to make it easy to find love. So it was easiest not to try. It was better to just work and flourish in the career aspect of her life instead of work on something that she could not control.
    Hart retrieved her phone from her desk. She scrolled through and found Tim's name. A quick text would set up the night's activities. He was always good for a little dinner, conversation, and an orgasm or two, or three, or four. She was getting wet just thinking about it.
    "Ms. Jacobs, your next client will be here in about ten minutes. Can I get you some coffee before the meeting?"
    Her assistant's voice over the intercom interrupted her daydreaming. "Yes, Lana. Thank you. And can you bring in the full report as well?"
    "I will be there momentarily."
    Hart took a second to prepare for the meeting when she heard a knock at the door. It swung open before she could say come in. She fully expected to see Lana,