A BILLIONAIRE'S PROMISE

anhattan skyline like a monument

fiance. The lobby alone was bigger than my entire apartment building-marble floors polished to a mirror shine, a r

echnical

across the stree

now a puddle of doubt at my feet. What was I doing here? What was I going to say? *Excuse me, Mr. Billionaire, bu

Absolutely

to know exactly where they belonged. They didn't hesitate. Didn't doubt. Didn't stand

And if he does see you, he's not going to care. And if he does care, it's probably

ent someone had paid for without a second thought. About the scarf still

eady spent my life owing people: doctors, pharmacists, landlords, utility companies. Debt was my con

oul

wai

-

r h

t of buildings, heading home to families and dinners and normal lives. I watched them with a kind of longing ache, wondering what

buzzed.

g? Did the Ice King emer

ing. Maybe he lives there

arking garage three hours ago and you've be

ready gone? What if I'd missed him? What if this whole ridic

ome and pretend none of this had happened. About to accept that some qu

e revolving

walke

-

ir seemed to shift, in the way people instinctively stepped aside

er B

ost approachable. Here, in the harsh clarity of late afternoon, there was nothing soft about him. He was all sharp edges and

ing to get his attention on something. He wasn't listening. His gaze was fixed forward, focused on something only he cou

have planned. Should have reh

ad, I

in could catch up. I dodged a taxi, ignored the an

essions shifting to alarm. Security guys, I

reaching for something I didn't want to th

ust a gesture, barely a moveme

eyes-God, those

t, the pounding of my heart, the way my palms had gone slick with sweat. He was perfectly still,

imagination, I was eloquent. Poised. I delivered a speech about boundarie

, all I ma

stand your gam

ted. Just sligh

ga

gaze. Refused to look away even though

tronger than I felt. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but I

ozen depths. Too fast to identi

The word rolled off his to

my legs trembled. "We don't know each other. You don't owe

ther, the weight of eyes on our strange tableau. The most powerful man in New York, conf

ver my face, my posture, the stubborn set of my jaw. I felt exposed. Stripped.

ng extraordi

ough to transform his entire face from

ut it was warm. Warmer than anything I'd seen in his photo

name felt in his mouth. "You stood outside my buildi

"How did

ile widened infinitesimally. "I've been watching yo

n watching me make a fool of myself for hours,

e down," I said thr

at assessing gaze never leaving my fac

n wh

o want something from me beg. They plead. They offer things they think I might want in

what to do with the intensity in his eyes or

you," I managed. "I just w

ause. Another

n:

at him.

my head spin. Close enough that I had to tilt my chin up to maintain eye contact. "You don't get to march into

s not

ye and tell me what you think." His voice dropped, becoming something darker,

t except the impossible green of his eyes and the w

hispered. "I don'

apart now. I could see the individual lashes fram

you n

lted. "Why does my generosity offend you

ds came out before I could stop them, raw and honest and far too revealing. "E

his expression. Somet

want someth

't y

n. For a moment-just a moment-I saw something human

laced by that familia

said quietly. "I

art s

to have dinn

ked. "

my building for four hours. The least you can do is let me feed

idiculous.

n white, elegant script, just his name and a phone number. "My

ke it might bite me. "I

His fingers brushed mine-warm, deliberate, sending electricity

nodded once to his g

by rushing commuters and fading sunlight,

nne

ander

Ice

r hours working up th

ntire world upside down with a

this card away and go home and

d the subway. And my fingers were alr

traitorous voice whispered: *Eight