by Ellie Danes
Table of Contents
Chosen by Her
Copyright
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
More from Ellie Danes
About The Author
Chosen by Her
(An Alpha Billionaire Romance)
By
Ellie Danes
www.elliedanes.com
Table of Contents
Chosen by Her
Copyright
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
More from Ellie Danes
About The Author
Copyright
First Edition, January 2018
Copyright © 2018 by Ellie Danes
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and situations are the product of the author's imagination.
All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the author.
License
This book is available exclusively on Amazon.com. If you found this book for free or from a site other than an Amazon.com country specific website it means the author was not compensated for this book and you have likely obtained this book through an unapproved distribution channel.
Prologue
“One, two, three,” we all yelled at the same time and tossed back the shot glass. The clear liquid hit the back of my throat and slid down, burning as it went. The tangy taste of the tequila lingered in my mouth and I quickly reached for the lime to erase the memory.
“That’s the second one this night,” a deep voice said from behind me. “What are you celebrating?”
I spun to stare directly into his chest. My eyes slowly made their way up to meet his and then locked on them. I fumbled for my words for a moment. It was him. We had been making eyes at one another for the last hour, but I didn’t want to break away from my friends. At least not then. It was supposed to be their night. But now that he was standing in front of me, all bets were off. Finally, I managed to say, “The end of their school career, and a break from mine.”
He was at least a foot taller than me, and he had electric green eyes. His smile sucked me in with those perfect lips and almost made me forget about his strong, broad chest that was hugged by a perfectly tailored dress shirt and suit jacket.
“Yeah, I’m about to take a break from mine as well,” he said with a laugh.
“We’ll see you later,” my friends called out to me with knowing smiles on their faces.
I waved in their direction, already focused on the guy in front of me.
I froze as he reached toward my face and gently brushed his thumb against the corner of my mouth. My eyes followed as he looked at my lips. I breathed in deeply as everything moved in slow motion for just a few seconds.
“Salt,” he said with a smile. “Are you at least drinking the good stuff?”
“Um…I have no idea.” I fumbled for my words again as the previous shots of alcohol coursed through my veins.
“Curtis, two shots of the good stuff. No salt,” he yelled to the bartender.
A moment later the shots arrived, delivered by the gruff, chubby bartender.
“This is the good stuff?” I asked as I sniffed the shot, not noticing any difference in the smell.
“Trust me, it’s good.” He raised his glass and smiled again. “To tonight.”
We clinked glasses and tossed back the shot. It was perfect, almost like drinking in air. The taste of tequila was even tolerable.
“See? I told you,” he said.
I leaned forward to place my glass on the counter as a drunk guy pushed passed me, launching me into my new friend. The glass fell from my hand as I caught myself, my hands grabbing on to his chest. He wrapped one arm around me and grabbed the drunk guy with the other.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I took a deep inhale, my face almost buried in his chest.
“You owe her an apology,” he growled.
The drunk looked up at him and apologized and then scurried off.
“Are you okay,” my savior asked.
“Perfect… I mean, yeah, I’m good.”
* * * * *
His lips pressed against mine as his tongue gently probed into my mouth. He still tasted like the tequila we’d had a little while before. My ass pressed against the door to my apartment as I fumbled for my keys, still keeping my attention on him.
“God,” I whispered as his hands grabbed at my hips. My body ached for more than his touch. “Fuck.” I finally broke his kiss as I opened my purse grabbing my keys and unlocking the door.
I moment later we pushed through the door into my dark living room. A million thoughts raced through my head. Was my apartment clean? What did I leave out in my bedroom? Did my bra and panties match?
It didn’t matter.
In one swift movement, he pushed the door closed and twisted the lock as he held me close with this other arm.
Our kisses deepened as I playfully bit down on his lip, which only intensified his kiss.
He walked me backward until we reached the back of the couch. I wrapped my arms around his waist as I pulled him toward me, his hips against mine. I tugged at his suit jacket with clumsy fingers until he shed it, allowing it to drop to the floor. With every thrust of his hips I felt myself getting wetter, needier for his touch.
His ran his hand up my leg, his skin against mine. I was thankful I’d chosen the short black mini dress tonight over the leggings I had considered. My dress inched upwards as his hand cupped my ass, squeezing it and pulling me in closer, as if that were possible.
“I imagined this from the moment I saw you tonight,” he said in a throaty growl.
I kissed him harder as electricity pulsed through my body. I pulled him closer with my leg around his, and in one fluid motion he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist. He held me with one strong arm as the other hand slid my dress up higher. We were almost dancing as we moved from the back of the couch the kitchen table of my small, cramped apartment.
I tossed my head back as his kiss moved from my lips to my neck and then to the plunging neckline of my dress. His mouth tugged at the fabric, pulling it downward and exposing my nipple, already hard and taut.
His tongue flicked it and then he took it all in his mouth, sucking it hard as I moaned.
His hand moved up my inner thigh, lightly tracing it until he reached the silk fabric of my panties. His finger grazed the outside as he brushed over my clit and rubbed through the wetness he had created with his touch and kisses. I let loose another moan as he moved past the wetness and slowly slid his finger inside and then toward my bundle of nerves.
“Damn,” I moaned as he slowly played with me and his mouth bit at my nipple.
In one movement he pulled off my panties and slid up my dress, exposing all of my wetness. My eyes begged him to take me. I wanted to feel him inside.
I tugged at his buckle and began rubbing the hardness he had barely contained in the gray suit pants that hugged his body. Releasing his belt and then unbuttoning his pants, I watched as they f
ell to the floor, revealing his tight nylon briefs which displayed every ridge of bulging hardness he had been hiding. I looked down and then back up into his eyes as I smiled. With my eyes, I begged him to fuck me. Then I ripped open the buttons on his shirt, exposing his perfectly chiseled chest and the sun tattoo on his pec.
I traced it with my finger and then gently kissed it, moving my way down his chest, to his stomach until I finally allowed his cock to spring free.
It was my turn to tease him.
Chapter One
Chase
I sloshed down the last gulp of coffee from the paper cup and tossed it in the trash can beside my desk. Even the triple shot of espresso wasn’t helping me much. Too much work, too little sleep, and a shitload of stress.
I kicked back in the soft leather chair and looked out the window. This was the same thing I had done countless times when I needed to relax, brainstorm an idea, or tune out the world. Watching the view of the city was hypnotic and helped me focus.
This morning it was just chaotic. I found myself zoning out with a million thoughts racing through my mind and my vision blurred. I clasped my hands behind my head and kicked my feet up on the corner of the credenza, gently pushing the chair into a recline and staring up at the sky. I wondered whether it was all worth it. The hard work, the countless meetings, the long hours…
Then I remembered, I loved the money. I loved being filthy rich…at least I had loved it.
My phone vibrated with a new alert and I only halfway looked at it until the message caught my eye.
The Big Day in 5 days.
“Jake!” I yelled. I wasn’t sure whether he was in the office or not. I didn’t actually care. I turned to look at the doorway just as he leaned in.
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“I thought you said you cleared my calendar? What the hell is this?” I tossed him my phone and spun my chair so my back was toward him. “Fix this. I don’t want any more reminders.”
“Shit! Sorry, Chase. I thought I found everything. I mean, I guess I didn’t search a year into the future for things.”
“You should have.”
I heard him walk over to the desk and place my phone down on the corner. His footsteps clumped toward the door.
“I’m sorry.” I took a big inhale and turned to face the door where he had paused. “I have a lot on my mind. There’s a lot going on. A part of me is going to miss this place.”
“Jesus, Chase, you sound like you’re quitting or moving away.” Jake had a way of being blunt. I liked that. I needed that in an assistant. If he had the balls to actually do that with ruthless clients, he would have been a kickass business negotiator. Instead, he’d ended up as my assistant, which was to my benefit.
“No,” I said, “I’m not doing either of those, but I need to focus on this new business, and forget everything that I had hoped would be happening here.” I grabbed my phone and looked down at the screen, flipping through the other reminders of my meetings for the next few days.
“Why are you taking such an interest in this new client?” Jake inched toward me and then sat in the chair across from my desk. “You’ve never done that before.”
“This one’s different. They have the potential to be a billion-dollar company and they need some guidance. Some big company is going to snatch them up and I’m going to be a part of it, especially after I give them the guidance they need.” I bit my lip as a list of things I needed to do raced through my mind. Then I remembered I was supposed to meet with the Derrick, the kid who’d started the mobile app company. “Besides, it will keep me busy and keep my mind off of things.”
“Have you talked to her?” Jake asked.
“No. I don’t need to, and honestly I don’t want to,” I snapped back. “She’s made her decision.”
Jake shook his head. “It’s what was best and I’m sure it won’t last long.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m more than keeping busy and all of that other stuff is the last thing I need on my mind right now.”
“It’s obvious you’re not sleeping. You look like shit,” Jake halfway joked, but there was a serious note in his voice. Then he chuckled. “You were out again late last night, huh? Another new one?”
“Another new what?” Alyssa walked into the office with an armful of files and kissed Jake on the cheek. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing.” I shot a look at Jake and then back at Alyssa. I was amazed that the two of them were still together after all of this time. Alyssa was high maintenance and a bit too sarcastic for Jake’s quiet demeanor, but they had seemed to make it work. “And what did I say about all this couple stuff in the office?”
Alyssa rolled her eyes and gave me a smirk before apologizing and making her way back toward the door. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
Before I could combat her remark, she was gone.
I turned to her boyfriend. “Don’t say anything to her about what’s going on. I’m serious.”
“I’d never do that,” Jake said in a matter of fact way. Leaning closer, he said, “Chase, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this is a huge change, and I know you get bored quickly if things aren’t exciting and a bit chaotic.”
“Trust me, I always seem to find chaos, or it finds me.”
He rolled his eyes and stood up. He knew I was right. More times than not, I got tangled up in some mess because I was looking for a rush or doing what I shouldn’t be doing, but that was the advantage of being rich and having that sort of freedom. I could live life like I wanted.
Summer had decided to really dive into work. As excited as she was for us to get married, she was more excited that she had the opportunity to make a name for herself and do exactly what she had set out to accomplish. I didn’t blame her. I’d had that same drive and ambition when I was fresh out of school. The difference was, I needed to have that in order to survive.
She, on the other hand, had everything set up for her, which seemed to make her even more driven to not want help. It had been a long time since Summer and I had even really spoken or truly seen one another. Everything had been put on hold, including our lives.
The only way for me to stay distracted was to dive back into a new project and give her space. Space she took. And she’d never looked back.
I had met Derrick about eight months ago. He and his college friends had come to me to pitch an idea about a new mobile app after having taken my class. I knew it would it take off with college-aged students, especially after some refining.
PourItForward had already launched at the university where I taught and was quickly spreading throughout social circles. I wanted to give it, and these kids, a fighting chance of really making this a business. Not to mention I had just handed them a big bag of money and wanted a serious return on my investment.
Derrick and his group had another six applications already in development and I wanted to lock in my investment and my control over the direction they went.
Work was a welcome distraction at times.
It kept my mind off of her.
Chapter Two
Jamie
I stared at the torn piece of notebook paper and then back at my phone. My bank account was up on the screen. I had worked my ass off since the beginning of the summer, pulling double shifts at the bar and babysitting for the devil kids that lived two floors down.
The numbers didn’t seem to add up. Kay’s perfectly neat handwriting with little swirlies and hearts above the i’s didn’t make looking at the bills I owed any better. Between my portion of the rent and utilities, plus having to pay for gas, insurance, food and a cell phone, something had to give.
Maybe I could just not eat. I knew I couldn’t live without my phone, or getting back and forth to work.
Kay, my roommate, had been super tolerant of my constant scrimping on our shared expenses and even covered my portion of the rent at the beginning of the summer until I got paid.
We never tal
ked about money or our families much, but I always guessed her parents had money and paid for her. She was an art student. Either material things weren’t going to interest her in the future or she had a possible trust fund to live off of while she followed her dream.
I wished for that.
Instead, I contemplated asking my mother for loan, something I dreaded doing because it always came with strings. Usually it was me coming back home to visit and tolerating the guy she lived with. Technically he was my stepdad, but I could never see him that way. He was about seven years older than me and it was just super creepy.
I opened up the desk drawer and pulled out the small box tucked in the back. My safety net stash. I had been putting my tips in here since the beginning of the summer and only used it in dire emergencies.
This was one of them.
I counted out a hundred and two dollars from the stack of fives and ones and set it aside. That was enough for the utilities I owed Kay. Rent was pulled directly from my bank account, which would leave enough for another month of rent and bills and not much else, including the balance of my tuition.
Then I was screwed. I was already losing sleep about the money aspect of school, now I was getting ready to worry about staying up later, studying more and working more hours once I started my new job at the university.
Too bad it didn’t really pay anything. I had applied for a job in the admissions office. It was one of those work-study deals. They pay you slave labor wages and a few credits in exchange for you pushing paper.
It wasn’t ideal, but I needed it. Mom was too busy with her boy toy, traveling around the world. Besides, it was his money, not hers. He made that perfectly clear. Every time me and stepdad Tom had a conversation, it was about how he’d worked hard through college and paid his own bills. It made him who he was today. A jackass, apparently.
The new job started in a few days and as much as much as I didn’t want it, I needed it and I was nervous.
I grabbed a pen and scratched off the few lines that Kay had added that totaled the one hundred and two dollars, folded the cash in the note, and put it on the kitchen table where I had found it.
