The Billion Dollar Pact: Waking Up with the Boss (Billionaire Brothers Club) / Single Mom, Billionaire Boss / Paper Wedding, Best-Friend Bride

“Oh, that’s right. Wow. You look spectacular.”

“Thank you.” Carol appreciated the compliment and how genuine it sounded. “So do you. It’s a wonderful party, and your entrance was magnificent.”

“It was fun. A girl only turns thirty once.”

Carol nodded, and after a second of silence, Lena tugged her away from the earshot of the men. But by now, the guys were already engaged in conversation, so it didn’t seem to matter, anyway.

“When did you and Jake start seeing each other?” Lena asked.

Carol quickly clarified, “We’re not dating.”

“Yet he brought you here? On a couples-only weekend?” Lena made a curious face. “Oh, come on. Who’s he trying to kid?”

“Really, it’s no big deal.” Carol downplayed her answer, especially with how badly she’d wanted to kiss him on the dance floor. “He needed a date for the party, and I was accessible because I work for him.”

“Mark works for me, too. And now we’re messing around.”

Carol didn’t know what to say. The comparison was making her terribly nervous. So she settled on, “Things happen.”

“Do they ever.” Lena leaned in close. “I am rather crazy about Mark. But who knows how long it will last? I do have a reputation for being fickle.”

Carol wagged her finger, a little playfully, a little seriously. “So I’ve heard.”

The birthday girl laughed, making no apologies. “Life is too short not to go after what you want. So whatever you do, just have a good time this weekend. You might even end up being crazy about Jake, too.”

It was already too late for that. But still, Carol needed to be careful not to go overboard. She didn’t live by Lena’s free-spirited standards.

Their private discussion ended, and Lena went back to her beau. Carol returned to Jake and he asked her to dance again. Only now, the music was a little slower, a little softer.

And more tempting than ever.

Four (#udcea36ee-578b-5f8c-aeff-5caf22f1d965)

As Jake led Carol toward the dance floor, he said, “How about if we go into one of the cages this time?” He wanted to give it a whirl.

She blinked at him. “You want to dance inside of one of those?”

“Sure. Why not? The cage Lena and Mark were in is free.”

“I guess that would be okay.” Carol sounded intrigued but tentative. “As long as it doesn’t elevate like when they performed.”

“That was just part of a show. They won’t do that to us.” He took her hand as they neared the cage. “But just in case, you’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

“No, but you better be kidding about the ‘just in case’ part.”

“I was.” He shot her a teasing smile. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her this evening.

When they reached the cage, she entered first, and he held back to study her. She looked like an exotic bird who’d just been captured, the beads on her dress winking in the light.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He joined her inside and closed the gate.

Now that they were in there together, the space seemed tighter than he’d expected. Or maybe it just felt that way. But since the song was a ballad, it made sense for them to stand so close.

Jake took Carol in his arms, and they moved in unison, naturally compatible. They had chemistry, he thought. On and off the dance floor. In and out of the cage. She fit perfectly against him, making him want to hold her even closer.

He glanced at the big flat-screen monitor. Carol’s gaze flickered to it, too. The video was a montage of movie star couples, from early Hollywood until now.

“It’s funny how most of them didn’t stay together,” he said.

“Some of them lasted a lifetime,” she replied, without missing a beat.

The lights in the ballroom went low. Even the images on the screen turned gentler, with famous wedding photos. Big frothy cakes. Long white dresses. Elegant brides and dashing grooms.

“This is beautiful,” Carol said.

Was it? Jake wasn’t sure. But in an oddly disturbing way, he was intrigued by the stimuli, too. It was exciting to feel what she was feeling, even if he didn’t understand it.

“Maybe we shouldn’t stay in here for too long,” he said. The cage was starting to feel like a romantic prison, with no release in sight.

“Maybe you’re right. This is getting...”

Her words drifted off, but he knew what she meant. By now, their bodies were so close they were plastered together like animals who were about to mate.

But worse yet was how the video had begun to change, morphing into film clips of love scenes, some sweet and pure, some iconic and classic, some offbeat and erotic.

“Yikes,” Carol said as a bondage scene appeared.

Yeah, Jake thought. Yikes. It actually involved a cage. And blindfolds and all sorts of unexpected things. Trust Lena, he thought, to toss something kinky into the lovey-dovey mix.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Carol avoided the video, looking straight at him instead. “Where to?”

“Anywhere but here.” He pushed open the gate, and they dashed out of their shiny gold confinement. They kept moving until they were outside breathing the cool night air.

But once they were in the courtyard, they both just stood there, trapped within their own private hell.

“Now what do we do?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” He paused to think about it. “Maybe we could go for a walk on the beach. I could really use some time away from the party.”

“So could I.”

He got another idea. “How about this? We can grab some food and drinks to take with us.”

“That sounds nice. But how are we going to haul everything out to the beach?”