All he could see were limbs.
“That’s enough, Johnson,” Drew instructed him. He didn’t like how this was going.
Hunter stood next to him as Johnson unwrapped the girl from his grasp and placed her feet on the floor. His hands wrapped around her waist while she squirmed free and pushed forward away from him.
For a second, Drew thought the world fell away.
She brushed her long locks from her face. Her green eyes glowered with anger. Her cheeks were flush and her plump lips with in a perfect heart shape. Fuck. His ribs felt as if they were caving in.
She was beyond beautiful. She was stunning.
He broke his gaze to look at Hunter. Drew had no idea what to say.
He realized for the first time, his best friend didn’t either.
Three
Alison
Her chest heaved with giant breaths. She threw the man’s arms off her. “Stop touching me,” she spat. “You’re disgusting.” He wore too much cologne, but it was mixed with sweat, creating a pungent odor. It reminded her of the cramped coat closet. It felt as if his scent clung to her leather jacket and sweater.
“Delivered as requested,” he announced. He presented her as if she were some kind of prize cattle at a fair.
“Yes, we can see that.”
She shoved the hair from her face. Alison’s eyes lifted to the men standing in front of her. She felt as if she were a wild cat. Feral enough to pounce on them and attack. Maybe fight her way to freedom. The only problem was she had to get through their hired brute first. She knew he was a wall of pure muscle and outmatched her in every way.
“That’s all we need, Johnson.” One of the men dismissed her escort. “Your payment is in your account. I made sure it was processed immediately.”
“Thank you. Always a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Rockford.”
Alison swallowed. Did he say “Rockford?” As in Hunter Rockford? Her heart hammered harder in her chest.
Johnson chuckled. “Watch out for this one. She’s feisty. You’ll see what I mean.” He blew her a kiss.
Alison glared at her captor as he retraced his steps to the elevator. Within seconds the doors closed behind him and he was gone.
It took Alison a minute to get her bearings. Riding in the back of a trunk had made her nauseated. She had been roughly pulled into the elevator and deposited in front of two men dressed in expensive suits.
Every possible scenario had gone through her head during the car ride. She never thought she’d end up at the top of one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. And certainly not standing in front of the city’s most eligible and famous bachelors. It wasn’t just any office. It was immaculate. Designed with every detail in mind.
“Now that he’s gone, maybe we could introduce ourselves properly. I’m Drew.” As he extended his palm toward her, Alison’s eyes narrowed.
“I know exactly who you are, Drew Evans.”
He dropped his hand.
“Then I assume you know I’m Hunter Rockford.”
“I don’t really care who you are.” She pulled her shoulders back. “What do you want with me?” She wasn’t interested in stroking their egos with how much she had read about them.
Drew smiled. He had perfect straight teeth. Maybe the best smile she’d ever seen. “Perhaps we could start with a drink? We have a full bar. Anything you want. Are you a martini drinker?”
“I don’t want anything of yours. I want an explanation and I want you to let me go.”
Hunter rubbed his chin. “That’s going to be difficult, sweetheart. At least for the next thirty days.”
“I won’t do it.”
“Do what?” Drew asked.
She didn’t want to play games. She had been a member of the Rossi family long enough to know how these arrangements worked. She had witnessed them, but never thought she would actually be part of one. These were the kinds of things that happened to other people—not her. She had done everything she could to stay out of the business since last year.
“I won’t sleep with you,” she hissed. “Neither of you.”
Hunter chuckled. It was enough to make her want to lunge at him. He had a sexy smile, that made him even more irritating. Did women find his cockiness attractive? Was that how he got his reputation.
“I’m only offering drinks,” Drew stated. “How about a glass of wine so we can talk? No sex right now. I promise. We are at the office, my dear.”
She didn’t want to move an inch in their direction. She didn’t like how they mocked her. Or how apparent their sex appeal was. They had to be close to 6’3” or 6’4”. Hunter was slightly taller than Drew. Along with the height came broad shoulders and chiseled jaws. If she didn’t know better, she could have mistaken them for brothers. One with light features. The other with dark.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Hunter opened a hand toward her. “We won’t bite. We want to talk. Let’s get to know each other a little.”
“I was sold into an arrangement without my consent by my cousin, stuffed in the trunk of a car, dragged in here against my will, and you think cocktail hour is a problem I need to consider? And I hate martinis.”
“That answers one question.” Drew corked the gin and poured a glass of deep red wine. “It sounds like if anyone needs a drink, it would be you. Here. Drink.”
She stormed over to the bar. “Fine.” She snatched the goblet from his hand.
“Good. I hope you enjoy it. Let’s sit.” He pointed to an open chair for her.
Alison took a seat and assessed her new set of captors. Her heart still pounded, but after a sip of wine, she was calm enough to consider a conversation rather than arguing. The rage had settled to a low boil.
Hunter’s dark gaze was distracting. His eyes trailed all over her body. It made her feel strangely uncomfortable and attractive at the same time. Drew didn’t make things any better. His blue eyes were like something out of a movie. She had never seen blue that color before.
They were certainly an upgrade from Johnson and his burly hands.
She took another gulp of wine. Maybe getting drunk was the answer.
“Alison, Hunter and I want you to know you are our guest during this arrangement.”
“Guest?” she sputtered on the wine. “A guest who can never leave? A guest who didn’t accept an invitation?”
She saw the look that transpired between them.
“We don’t have that level of trust yet,” Drew explained. “The terms of the arrangement are that you are to remain in Hunter’s custody for thirty days. I don’t see why as time goes by you can’t start to have more freedom to come and go. That has to be earned of course.”
Her eyes darted to Hunter. “This is your debt Leo has to pay? You wanted a prisoner?”
He nodded. He didn’t bother to hide his smile. “The best game of poker I’ve ever won.”
“Poker? I’m here because of poker? A stupid game of poker,” she muttered under her breath.
Drew shook his head. “Jesus, Hunt. Do you have to be an ass from the get-go?” He traded seats so he could sit next to Alison. Drew seemed to be the more level-headed one between the two.
“Hunter and I are business partners. Co-CEOs to be exact.”
“I know all about HiTech Global. I hate to admit it, but I used to study your graphic arts department.” She bit her tongue. She had studied more than their graphics, but that was a secret she had to keep.
“Really?”
Alison nodded. “I said I used to.” That was in the past.
Drew bit the inside of his cheek and turned toward Hunter. “What’s your background Alison?”
“Are you saying you didn’t get a bid sheet on me?” she mocked.
“I was hoping for something more personal than that.”
“I’m Leo Rossi’s cousin,” she answered reluctantly.
“No, not that. What are you interests? Skills? Did you go to college? Tell us something about yourself.”
T
he wine made her feel fiercer than she actually was. The adrenaline had started to fade and she was nervous. She didn’t know if she could handle these two tycoons.
“Yes I graduated the top of my class with a visual arts degree. Why? Are you trying to figure out if that deducts points because I might have operating brain cells? Does that intimidate you?”
Drew pressed his lips together. “No. I like a smart woman.” He rubbed his chin. “I thought you might be interested in a job while you are here.”
Hunter leaned forward. “Drew, we haven’t discussed this. What did you have in mind?”
The men turned toward each other. “We need an artist to design the logo and complete the interface for the Rockans Foundation,” Drew answered.
“But that’s a high-level campaign. I’ve been considering candidates for weeks. It’s the pinnacle of the Vegas launch.”
Alison leaned back in her chair while they discussed her. It was no different than Leo.
“She’s here. She has a degree. I think we could use a fresh take on the art,” Drew argued.
“This isn’t the type of project that can be completed in thirty days. It’s our cornerstone.”
Drew smiled. “Perhaps, she’s the type of artist who would like the challenge and would stay beyond the requirement.”
His sapphire eyes landed on hers and her heart stilled. As much as she had tried to be unaffected by them, it wasn’t working.
“I never agreed to any of this.”
Drew exhaled. “I’m trying to make this worth your while. Hunter is right. The art director for this campaign should be a seasoned expert. Someone with years of experience in the industry. Honestly, I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone without those credentials. Why not take the job for the next month and see what you can do with it?”
“Are you serious?” She cocked her head sidewise. “You’re trying to sugarcoat this with a job offer?”
Hunter smirked. “I’d take it sweetheart. Drew is being more than generous.”
“Right. Of course.” She settled into the chair. “Just tell me. Along with the art, what do I have to do to get your trust so I can leave when I want? Daily blowjobs? Would that work?”
Hunter leaned forward. “You are our guest. You are our travel companion. And we will never order or ask you for anything sexual. Is that understood?”
She noticed how his neck tensed. The easy smile he had faded.
She nodded, yet she didn’t completely believe him. Why else would they want her to stay with them?
“Dinner is at six o’clock,” Drew explained. “We will see you then.”
“Are you dismissing me?”
“Did you need something else?” he asked. “Douglas is in the hall. He will escort you the house. He will show you to your room. You’ll find everything you need there. We will see you at dinner.”
Alison rose from the chair in disbelief. “I’m taking the wine with me.” She clutched the wine and marched out of the office. She had no idea what in the hell had just happened.
Four
Hunter
He spun around to face Drew. He didn’t know if he had the words to describe what just happened. Shit like that didn’t happen to him. Never.
“Fuck, did you see her?”
Drew shook his head. “Yeah, I saw her.”
“She hates us, doesn’t she?”
“What did you think would happen? You bought her in a poker game. Why couldn’t you stick with gambling for cars or horses? Cash? Why her, Hunt. Why?”
Hunter pushed off the couch and paced around the room. “Damn. She’s perfect. More than perfect.” He hung his head. “She is incredible.” He’d never seen more beautiful lips on a woman. Her hair was golden—it almost shimmered as if she were an angel. “This isn’t going to be easy.”
“You wanted an empress.”
“Instead I got a caged panther.”
Drew stood next to him. “I’d say back out of the deal, but…”
He cut him off. “No. We can’t let her go.”
Drew shook his head. “No. We can’t. On this, I actually agree with you for once. Even if I completely disagree with how she came to us.”
“Are you ever going to stop giving me shit about it?”
He knew he gambled too much. He knew sometimes it got out of hand, but this was the one time it had paid off. His bet brought the most amazing woman into their lives. A sassy spitfire with gorgeous tits and an ass that was round and soft. And there was an entirely unexpected side—she was an artist.
It was a part of his life he had never been able to share with anyone before. He had collected for years. Toured the world, visiting the most prestigious collections he could find.
“She isn’t going to go for this, Hunt.”
“Then, we do it the old-fashioned way,” he decided.
“Old fashioned way?” Drew questioned.
“We seduce her with everything we have. We will be relentless. Put everything on the table. Everything.”
“I don’t know that Alison is the kind of girl who is going to fall for that. You saw that look. It’s clear Leo Rossi isn’t her favorite person, and I’m certain she has added our names to that list.”
“That may be so. But we have thirty days to make her ours. And I plan on using every second we have to make sure that happens.”
It took everything he had not to kiss her when she was here. He had taken one look at her and wanted to know what those plump lips would taste like. What kinds of sounds she would make when he kissed her. How her eyes would light when he touched her.
“Are you with me?” he asked his friend.
Drew ran his fingers through his hair. “For a chance with her? Yes I am. I’m all in, if we can make this work.”
“Then the opening in Vegas this weekend will be the perfect chance to show her what we can give her.”
“Let’s just get through dinner first.”
Five
Alison
It didn’t matter that the drapes were made from imported silk or that she had her own fireplace. Alison didn’t care that there was a closet full of designer gowns, and more high heels than she had seen in a department store.
These walls were her prison. A beautiful expensive prison. And she hated it.
She turned on the TV and sank onto the pile of pillows. She scowled, despising how comfortable the bed was. It would make it easier if they gave her a bed of thorns to sleep on—not luxurious linens.
Who did these assholes think they were? There was nothing about them that seemed like the thugs Leo usually did business with. They were refined. Polished. And they had money. They weren’t trying to hide how rich they were. She doubted they had made a single deal in the back of an ally or resorted to petty theft to pay bills.
From their expensive suits to the custom details in the mansion. They were loaded. Their reputations as Chicago’s infamous bachelors were hard to miss. They were splashed on social media. There were even blogs about Hunter and Drew. The last article she read put together a bracket list on which Chicago socialites would be able to snag the duo. She wondered what the world would think if they knew this is what they did.
She wasn’t going to get caught up in the riches. Alison knew money was fleeting. She had learned that the hard way. She had seen her family’s fortune go up in flames when her father lost everything in a real estate deal. They lost it all: the cars, the land, her mother’s jewelry, and their house.
It wasn’t long after his financial ruin that her father learned he was sick. Life went from bad to worse. Money meant nothing and everything at the same time.
Alison wandered to the window and stared out at the manicured grounds. There was an infinity pool that stretched the length of the house. It had to be heated.
She would do anything to trade the money to have her father back. She watched the landscaper trimming hedges. The money almost made her sick. She had seen how hard he worked to make sure they never
wanted for anything. But what was the point?
There was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” she called.
Douglas entered. “Mr. Rockford and Mr. Evans would like for you to wear this for dinner, Miss Rossi.” He presented her with a gown tucked inside a leather garment bag.
She rolled her eyes. “Is there something wrong with my sweater and jeans?” She folded her arms. She knew the boots were cute.
“Dinner at the manor is formal.” He cleared his throat. “Appropriate dress is required.”
“Fine. I’ll wear the damn dress.”
She attempted to yank it from his gloved hands.
“It is a one-of-a-kind Shera. It’s delicate, Miss Rossi.”
For a second she hesitated. “A Shera?”
He nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
She wasn’t going to be seduced by the price tag on this dress. She didn’t care if it was a twenty-thousand dollar gown. They were showing off. Paying her off. It wasn’t going to work.
She took it from Douglas. “I’ll wear it, but only because I have to.”
It was hard not to peek. She waited for the butler to leave the room. “Is there anything else they would like to decree?” she snarled.
He walked toward the door. “Dinner is promptly at six.”
“I will be there.”
She didn’t have a choice. She thought about her options. There were none. She had to put on the dress and march down the stairs like the piece of property she was. For the next thirty days Drew and Hunter owned her. There was no way around that unless she could prove herself through her art.
For thirty-days she had to survive in this golden castle. Endure the loneliness. Bear the brunt of what they expected. Her stomach rolled. She had no doubt what she was expected to do. They might have acted like gentlemen. They might disguise their motives with lavish gifts. They might try to hide behind a job offer at HiTech Global. But she knew. It was an elaborate sham.
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