TIARA

I left the apartment without even looking back or saying goodbye to my father. He was the one who destroyed my mother's life, but I won't let him destroy mine. I wasn't my mother.?

My target was obvious. Vincent Baker's lair. And if he thought he could buy someone as an object, he had another thing coming.?

Business Forum Empire, perhaps the most imposing building in the center of London. It looked like a mausoleum on the outside, so it surprised me when I entered the reception and everything looked so modern and fresh.

Still, I admired the beautiful columns and stylish design of the hall. But it infuriated me to think that someone had been paid to do everything to please this mogul.?

Everything here was at an absolute superlative, but I decided then and there that Vincent Baker was an idiot. I knew that before I got here, but now it's just been confirmed.?

I was right in front of the reception desk, watching every move of the secretary behind the counter. The pristine white suit was in perfect harmony with the interior. She was typing away at the laptop in front of her and for no reason in the world did she look up at me until she was done.?

"May I help you, Miss?" she asked in a thin tone that went annoyingly well with the outfit and the interior. I rolled my eyes. It was so predictable.?

"Yes, actually. I am here to see Vincent Baker. He is expecting me!" I replied, proud of how I was holding my head up and thinking it would help me get inside. I was wrong.?

She looked at me and blinked politely that I almost felt bad for taking this position. She was scanning me all over, so I kept an eye on her hands in case she had a panic button under her desk.?

"Is he? Let me check! May I ask your name, please?"?

"It's Tiara. Tiara Glare" I said it twice, feeling like I was in some spy movie. This was simply ridiculous. But when she heard my name, her entire posture changed. Even her face, with that formal, frozen smile, softened and looked more natural.?

"Oh, Miss Glare! Of course. I will let Mr. Baker's personal secretary know you are here" So he was really expecting me. I couldn't have done it any other way after reading that contract. He expected me to come.??

I took a small step back, watching the receptionist dialing a number. "Yes, Miss Tiara Glare is here to see Mr. Baker," she said in a formal tone and an equally formal voice answered on the other end of the line. She nodded and then hung up.

She immediately looked up at me, and with the same broad smile, she replied. "Mr. Baker is ready to receive you now. Top floor, please"

"Thank you," I said politely and turned meticulously towards the corridor that led to the elevators. I pressed the button to get it and as soon as I walked in, the doors closed behind me. It seemed like nobody went up to him?

Now that I was in the elevator and actually going to see this man, my nerves were cracking. What was I thinking when I came here? Couldn't I have torn up that contract and looked for another way to make the money my mother needed? I could have asked a bank for help, taken out a loan like everyone else in their right mind would do. Not to take the more twisted and less normal path.?

That's exactly what I was going to do. While I was here, though, I'll tell the billionaire a piece of my mind and go back to my apartment looking for ways to get my shit together and in debt myself.

As soon as the doors opened, another secretary appeared in front of me. She must have been his personal assistant. A tall, slender woman with long blonde hair. Suddenly, I felt so insignificant that I almost turned back. But her voice stopped me.

"Oh, Miss Glare, please, this way. Mr. Baker is waiting for you inside," she said in a warm voice.

I clutched my purse tightly and stepped towards the enormous doors in front of me.?

I could feel the ground slipping out from under my feet and I could barely stand, but I lifted my chin.

Vincent Baker was not supposed to see a woman with her nerves down. He was like a shark, feeding on people's fears.?

His name reigned on a golden plaque at my eye level. Vincent Baker. Even his name exuded power.

I took a long, deep breath and opened the door.

Vincent Baker stood facing his tall window, admiring the rainy London landscape. As soon as he heard my footsteps, he turned to me. And that was when I had a terrible shock.?

"You?" I asked in disbelief, remembering what had happened this very morning. "I can't believe it's really you who I have to..."?

I held his gaze from the entrance. I had seen him everywhere, in newspapers, magazines, on TV, and he was perhaps even more ravishingly handsome in person.?

His dark hair was a perfect sexy mess and his vivid blue-sky eyes were visible from across the room. God, I was literally staring.?

I took in every feature from his face. His manly cheekbones, his perfect nose, the two dimples from his cheeks. Even if he was not smiling, I just knew they were there. A few rebellious strands framed his tanned forehead.?

I couldn't restrain my eyes from dropping to his naughtily alluring mouth. God, this man was hot!?

Then my eyes got drawn to his powerful arms that sat folded together over his well-worked chest, swelling his biceps enough to feel a warmth throughout my entire body. God, I already hated my own thoughts that were so sinful.?

Damn hormones that kept drawing my attention to the fact that I hadn't had sex for six months since I broke up with Paul.?

Somehow, I had to put up that protective wall and do what I came here for. And so, I had done my first smart move. I crossed my arms over my breasts, which immediately rose to my cleavage. Great, Tiara. All the more reason for him to look at me like he was devouring me.?

"I can't say I'm as shocked as you are, Miss Glare," he finally said and his firm voice shook me completely.

"What the fuck does it mean that we're getting married?" I asked with uncharacteristic awkwardness and yet it existed there for a few minutes.?

?He just stared at me, but didn't react in any way. I was expecting him to react somehow to the incident from earlier this morning. My eyes wandered around the office when, by chance, I came across my paintings. They laid one on top of the other on a not very tall cabinet.

I was also expecting a damn answer, but my words hit his wall as they fell scattered on the floor. The more he stared at me and I stared at him, the more I realized he had a special beauty that he wasn't afraid to use as a weapon. Kind of like he was doing now.?

Even from across the room, I could feel the magnetism he gave off. It was terrifying, fierce, swirling. If he stayed in this posture much longer, I almost wished the ground beneath me would open up and hide me.?

The strength of his personality intimidated me more and more, and although I wanted to lower my gaze, I couldn't. The magnet in his eyes kept drawing me in.?

I thought if this man wanted to, he could rule the world. Finally, he smiled slightly, still holding my gaze. I was like on a roller coaster of emotions.?

"Just as the contract says, Miss Glare! Are you ready?"?

TIARA

It was at that point that I wished I had sat down. His voice was as if born of sin. I cursed the seconds when I lowered my eyes to his lips at that very moment. It was the kind of voice that kept you stunned, paralyzed, amazed. Deep and masculine in the sexiest possible way.

My hand trembled holding my purse where I had hastily clutched the contract.

I shook myself for a few seconds, trying to concentrate and not give myself away from everything this man was making me feel inside.

To be able to do that, I had to take my eyes off him and somehow look at something else. So, with hard but sustained effort, I looked at the big coffee stain on his shirt. He was still wearing his morning shirt. I wondered why he hadn't changed it?

Judging by the kind of store he came out of, I could hardly believe he didn't have a spare one.?

Another huge mistake without considering that the place I was watching was rock hard. I could see the shape of his pecs through his shirt, and that threw me off balance.?

One last effort, and I locked my gaze with his. I thought that was better. As usual, with this man since I saw him a few minutes ago, I was wrong.?

I had plenty of time to analyze him even after the accident this morning, but my God, I didn't recognize him with his glasses and wavy hair as the wind was blowing in it.?

Life and hardships taught me to be tough, so I never knew how to keep my mouth shut.?

"To look is free, to touch will cost you dearly!"

He didn't seem at all surprised by my statement. On the contrary, he tilted his head so he could examine me better. This made my cheeks light up, which has never happened to me before. Why was I letting my guard down?

"Nothing is free in this world, Tiara!"

My name on his lips gave me chills again.?

A man with common sense would ask for consent to use the first name of a lady, but not him. In his opinion, I was already his property. I didn't even know how I felt about it.?

Perhaps under different circumstances, his words would have aroused interest. In this situation, only outrage.?

I gulped and tried to remain composed. Against my will, my heart was racing. For a brief second, I didn't really understand why, but then he snapped out of his motionlessness.

He circled the solid wood desk and made his way towards me. I didn't move, not because I didn't want to, but because I couldn't.?

He was approaching like a predator and if there was ever a time, I wished I'd gone unnoticed, it was exactly that moment.?

His imposing posture further decreased my confidence that I would get out of here alive. I'd almost forgotten I'd come here because this man wanted to buy me. Somehow, I had to lighten the mood. He had invaded my personal space so much that I barely distanced myself one little step.?

"I can't believe how rude you are!" I said boldly because if I didn't make myself heard from the very beginning, I could never do it after words. "I've been here ten minutes. You say you want to marry me and you haven't even had the courtesy to invite me to sit down"?

To my astonishment, his only reaction was a barely noticeable grimace around his eyes and nothing more.?

And when I expected him to respect that little personal space that most people do, he took another step towards me. This time he towered over me just like a god in his greatness, and all I could do was lock my gaze with his.?

That's when I noticed how blue his eyes were and how easily I could lose myself in their alluring depths.

His scent invaded my head and body. He stood cold, impassive, calm, but on the inside, he was as hot as erupting volcano lava.?

This wasn't working out well at all.

I was trying to banish all thoughts of sin, but I wasn't very good at that, either. They kept telling me to kiss him, to grab his shirt collar and squeeze myself against his chest hard until I could feel his erection through the fabric of my jeans.?

In all that excitement, he smiled and raised his hand. I thought my fantasy was going to come true; instead, he just gestured to me on the chairs in front of his desk.

"You can have a seat."

Man, I really despised him!?

I shifted my posture a little, but not to excite him in any way but rather to let him know he was standing in my way.?

But since I couldn't avoid him, in trying to get around him, a brief touch of his arm on my thigh sent shivers throughout my body. This man wasn't just hot, he was also electrifying.

"How about you? Do you plan on sitting down?" I asked somehow sarcastically, seeing that he didn't move a millimeter from that place. He smirked a little with that beautiful mouth of his.

"Don't worry about me, love!"?

That last word hit me like I was a lightning rod. I barely hid my flushed cheeks. God, no one in my whole life has ever made me blush like this. I just wanted to crawl into the ground and hide until the danger passed. I hated looking vulnerable. And with this man, even though I didn't know him, I wanted to lie down on my weapons and let him do whatever he wanted with me.?

I left all that aside, because my reason for coming here was not to let myself fall under his spell, but to ask for explanations.

"What is the meaning of this? And I am not your love!" I snapped, pulling out from my purse the one piece of paper that would flip my life upside down.?

"First things first, love" he emphasized better that word that was already stuck in the deepest corner of my troubled mind. "You haven't apologized for what happened this morning!"?

The nerve he had! He popped out of nowhere in front of me and I was supposed to apologize?

I almost stood up to face him, but all I did was nervously shift in my seat. He was still sitting nonchalantly in front of me this time, casually shoving his hands into his pants pockets. This move stretched out the fabric and my eyes flicked over his generous bulge. Another wave of heat swept over me, this time so unbearable that I felt myself gasping for breath and getting aroused just thinking of all the different positions he could give me unbounded pleasure.??

"I don't think I have anything to apologize for. You were the one who popped up in front of me without even looking," I said gruffly, staring again at the coffee stain on his shirt.?

"Hmmm, do you know how much this shirt costs?"?

This man really had some balls. I used to know someone else whose life was all about money.?

If he thought he was buying me off with his dirty money, he was dead wrong. I would not give him the satisfaction of feeling he owned me because he didn't. Even if it was a marriage of convenience.?

"You think I care about your stupid shirt?"?

"You should love, because it will cost you your freedom!"