Today I'm introducing you to some sexy rich men who find the women to make them even richer. Keep reading to get a taste of Nadia Lee's Hearts On the Line series and make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win 1 of 3 $10 Amazon OR BN GCs too!
Revenge is sweet...
Self-made billionaire Alex Damon wants his pound of flesh from the people who ripped his family apart. When he discovers his enemies' daughter is working at his company -- and most likely spying for them -- he decides to start his revenge by seducing her.
Natalie Hall is stunned at the personal interest from the CEO of her company. Vulnerable, with an already bruised heart, she wants to avoid any involvement -- but she can't deny the desire he arouses in her.
...but love is sweeter...
What should've been a straightforward eye-for-an-eye starts to unravel as Natalie's unflinching loyalty and kindness begin to thaw Alex's cold intent. But caring for her is unthinkable...since he plans to use everything in his power to ruin her family and everyone else she holds dear.
A temporary reunion...
Newly jobless and adrift, former investment banker Kerri Wilson travels to Virginia to see her best friend and regroup, only to run into billionaire playboy Ethan Lloyd. It's been years since she's snuck out of his bed after the most amazing sex of her life, and he's so not her type -- she likes them tall, dark and manageable. But he's too hot to resist, and she succumbs to another sizzling, no-strings-attached (or so she thinks) night.
Unwilling to let her go this time, Ethan makes a simple proposition: a job, a place to stay, and an exclusive affair that will end when either of them finds someone else. But with her dark, painful past catching up to her, Kerri may have to bolt again -- even though her heart is telling her to stay. And Ethan's not giving her up without fighting to make their "temporary" arrangement something far more permanent...
EXCERPT:
“A quarter for your thoughts,” she said, her tone overly casual.
“A whole quarter? I’m flattered.”
“Hey, you know. Inflation.”
He debated telling her the truth, then decided against it. If she knew how much he’d noticed, she’d become even warier. “Just thinking that you’re beautiful.”
“You are such a flatterer.”
“You don’t think you’re stunning?”
“Mmm…pretty, but not stunning. Your date at the ball was stu—” She bit her lower lip. “Sorry. Can’t believe I said that.”
“It’s okay, I guess. Did you see pictures or what?”
Her tone turned defensive. “On the Internet and gossip blogs. They sort of popped up on my tablet.”
“I didn’t think you cared. You wanted me to go with somebody else.”
“I don’t care.” Letting go of his hand, she turned to look at some geese waddling around the edge of a small pond. “Like you said, it was my idea.”
“You don’t want to know about Elizabeth?” he asked.
She said nothing.
Stubborn woman. Ethan pressed his lips together with frustration. He’d wanted her to be jealous, even if it had been her idea. He wanted to know what she was thinking, what she was trying to get out of their relationship. Did she still want a temporary arrangement? Was she trying to decide on the precise date she’d walk out?
No. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Not until they found someone else they’d rather be with. Ethan would make sure that no one else could compare to him.
“She’s a childhood friend,” he found himself saying. His hands tightened. He’d never felt compelled to explain himself to anybody. Certainly not to a woman who was determined to keep him at arm’s length.
“You must be close,” she remarked, though her shoulders seemed slightly less tense now.
“Like brother and sister.”
Kerri nodded. “Is she going to be your date for other functions too?”
“I prefer that you come with me.” He put his hands on her arms and turned her around. “Why don’t you want to be seen with me?”
She didn’t meet his gaze. “Don’t be silly. I’m being seen with you right now.” She gestured at a group of high school kids nearby. “See? Right over there. The general public.”
“You know what I mean,” he ground out.
She hesitated, still refusing to look at him. Ethan felt out of his depth, the power dynamic working against him. She didn’t want to tell him anything, while he was sitting there explaining himself to her so she’d understand he wasn’t treating this whole situation like some kind of an extended fling. “I don’t have any clothes suitable for the kind of events you go to,” she finally said.
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s a piss-poor excuse. We’ll go shopping if you don’t like the dress I bought you.”
“Kind of out of my budget.”
“Well it’s not out of mine. Since I’m the one who would be dragging you to those events, I’ll pay.”
“I can’t let you do that. It’s above and beyond what we agreed to.”
He crossed his arms. “Where in the contract does it say that we won’t give each other gifts?”
“But it’s not a gift. There’s no occasion for it.”
“You don’t need a special occasion to give someone a gift.”
“Sure you do. Otherwise, it’s like you’re treating me like a mistress.”
“I’m treating you like a mistress?” Ethan stared at her. “I’m treating you—? You’re the one treating me like some kind of gigolo. Nice enough to fuck in private, sure, but god forbid we be seen together in decent society.”
“It’s not like that.” Her throat worked. She ran her fingers through her loose hair. “Look we can be seen, but I don’t want to be…photographed, okay? That’s why I can’t go to those kinds of events with you. There are photographers.”
Well, that was out of left field. Ethan stopped and stared at her, his mind working. “Why the hell would you not want—” Then it hit him. “You’re hiding.”
“What?”
“You’re hiding from someone. Or something. What happened?”
She shook her head and looked away. “That’s not it.”
“That is it. Did something happen in Hong Kong? A stalker, maybe?”
Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “No! Look, Ethan. Not everyone wants to have their photos plastered everywhere. Not everyone wants fame and attention at the expense of privacy. I value mine, okay? Why can’t you respect that?”
“Kerri, I do. But a couple of shots doesn’t mean somebody’s digging into your life. Most people aren’t going to recognize your name anyway.” This couldn’t really be about her privacy. The kind of people who attracted attention at those events tended to be celebrities. Kerri might have had a privileged upbringing, but she didn’t fit the mold.
“All the same. I’m sorry, by the way,” she said stiffly, “if I’m making you feel like a gigolo.”
He considered pressing for answers, then decided against it. She was obviously hiding something, but she wouldn’t reveal anything until she was ready. He wasn’t prepared to push hard…yet. Timing was everything.
“Well…some aspects of the gigolo thing are okay,” he said. That drew a smile, as he’d intended. But something was definitely going on with her…and he was going to find out her secret.
“A whole quarter? I’m flattered.”
“Hey, you know. Inflation.”
He debated telling her the truth, then decided against it. If she knew how much he’d noticed, she’d become even warier. “Just thinking that you’re beautiful.”
“You are such a flatterer.”
“You don’t think you’re stunning?”
“Mmm…pretty, but not stunning. Your date at the ball was stu—” She bit her lower lip. “Sorry. Can’t believe I said that.”
“It’s okay, I guess. Did you see pictures or what?”
Her tone turned defensive. “On the Internet and gossip blogs. They sort of popped up on my tablet.”
“I didn’t think you cared. You wanted me to go with somebody else.”
“I don’t care.” Letting go of his hand, she turned to look at some geese waddling around the edge of a small pond. “Like you said, it was my idea.”
“You don’t want to know about Elizabeth?” he asked.
She said nothing.
Stubborn woman. Ethan pressed his lips together with frustration. He’d wanted her to be jealous, even if it had been her idea. He wanted to know what she was thinking, what she was trying to get out of their relationship. Did she still want a temporary arrangement? Was she trying to decide on the precise date she’d walk out?
No. She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. Not until they found someone else they’d rather be with. Ethan would make sure that no one else could compare to him.
“She’s a childhood friend,” he found himself saying. His hands tightened. He’d never felt compelled to explain himself to anybody. Certainly not to a woman who was determined to keep him at arm’s length.
“You must be close,” she remarked, though her shoulders seemed slightly less tense now.
“Like brother and sister.”
Kerri nodded. “Is she going to be your date for other functions too?”
“I prefer that you come with me.” He put his hands on her arms and turned her around. “Why don’t you want to be seen with me?”
She didn’t meet his gaze. “Don’t be silly. I’m being seen with you right now.” She gestured at a group of high school kids nearby. “See? Right over there. The general public.”
“You know what I mean,” he ground out.
She hesitated, still refusing to look at him. Ethan felt out of his depth, the power dynamic working against him. She didn’t want to tell him anything, while he was sitting there explaining himself to her so she’d understand he wasn’t treating this whole situation like some kind of an extended fling. “I don’t have any clothes suitable for the kind of events you go to,” she finally said.
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s a piss-poor excuse. We’ll go shopping if you don’t like the dress I bought you.”
“Kind of out of my budget.”
“Well it’s not out of mine. Since I’m the one who would be dragging you to those events, I’ll pay.”
“I can’t let you do that. It’s above and beyond what we agreed to.”
He crossed his arms. “Where in the contract does it say that we won’t give each other gifts?”
“But it’s not a gift. There’s no occasion for it.”
“You don’t need a special occasion to give someone a gift.”
“Sure you do. Otherwise, it’s like you’re treating me like a mistress.”
“I’m treating you like a mistress?” Ethan stared at her. “I’m treating you—? You’re the one treating me like some kind of gigolo. Nice enough to fuck in private, sure, but god forbid we be seen together in decent society.”
“It’s not like that.” Her throat worked. She ran her fingers through her loose hair. “Look we can be seen, but I don’t want to be…photographed, okay? That’s why I can’t go to those kinds of events with you. There are photographers.”
Well, that was out of left field. Ethan stopped and stared at her, his mind working. “Why the hell would you not want—” Then it hit him. “You’re hiding.”
“What?”
“You’re hiding from someone. Or something. What happened?”
She shook her head and looked away. “That’s not it.”
“That is it. Did something happen in Hong Kong? A stalker, maybe?”
Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “No! Look, Ethan. Not everyone wants to have their photos plastered everywhere. Not everyone wants fame and attention at the expense of privacy. I value mine, okay? Why can’t you respect that?”
“Kerri, I do. But a couple of shots doesn’t mean somebody’s digging into your life. Most people aren’t going to recognize your name anyway.” This couldn’t really be about her privacy. The kind of people who attracted attention at those events tended to be celebrities. Kerri might have had a privileged upbringing, but she didn’t fit the mold.
“All the same. I’m sorry, by the way,” she said stiffly, “if I’m making you feel like a gigolo.”
He considered pressing for answers, then decided against it. She was obviously hiding something, but she wouldn’t reveal anything until she was ready. He wasn’t prepared to push hard…yet. Timing was everything.
“Well…some aspects of the gigolo thing are okay,” he said. That drew a smile, as he’d intended. But something was definitely going on with her…and he was going to find out her secret.
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Bilingual former management consultant Nadia Lee has lived in four different countries and enjoyed many adventures and excellent food around the globe. In the last eight years, she has kissed stingrays, been bitten by a shark, ridden an elephant and petted tigers.
She shares an apartment overlooking a river and palm trees in Japan with her husband and son. When she's not writing, she can be found digging through old Asian historical texts or planning another trip.
WEBSITE: http://www.nadialee.net
MAILING LIST: http://www.nadialee.net
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ReplyDeletethanks for sharing .
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to see an author's take on the billionaire character. It's a popular trope for a reason. Thanks for sharing with us!
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