by Kayla Myles
BOUGHT
(Scandalous Billionaires Book 1)
By
Kayla Myles
Copyright © 2018 Kayla Myles
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electrical, digital, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning or by any type of data storage and retrieval system without express, written permission by the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events or places is coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form.
Published by Sumner Media
Contents
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Description
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Sneak Peek: Collision
Sneak Peek: Torn Apart
Sneak Peek: Broken
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Also by Kayla Myles
Trusting Daniel (Delta Security)
Delta Protectors
Collision (Delta Protectors Book 1)
Torn Apart (Delta Protectors Book 2)
Broken (Delta Protectors Book 3)
Delta Protectors Box Set
Scandalous Billionaires
Bought (Scandalous Billionaires Book 1)
Bought (Scandalous Billionaires Book 1) is a standalone bad boy billionaire romance with a happily-ever-after ending. If you love hot sexy alphas, strong independent women, action, adventure, suspense, and romance, this is for you! Told in two POV’s. Intended for audiences 18+
Description
Jamie Elric had accepted her lot in life, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and trying hard to save up enough to open her own bakery one day.
What she didn’t expect was accidentally breaking a million dollar vase, and becoming auctioned out as its replacement.
And she didn’t anticipate the rich and devilishly handsome Hunter Drake to be the one to make the purchase, or for him to brazenly proposition her to pay off her debt.
She would have said no if he weren’t so…irresistible.
Hunter Drake, the dashing and calculative eldest son of the Drake Family, has always held the world in the palm of his hand. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to ask for it, or do anything to get it.
So, when he came to an underground auction in search of rare valuables, he found something completely different. For the first time in his life, he was unsure, and did something without thinking it over.
But the stubborn Jamie Elric is not as pliant as she appeared, and soon, Hunter found himself wanting to see how far she could go…how far he could push her…and how long she can last before breaking down and giving in to their mutual attraction.
Will love blossom between them, or is this ‘bought’ relationship doomed from the start?
Chapter 1
Jamie
Another day, another grueling part-time job.
I wiped the sweat off my brow as I worked on mopping a stubborn stain on the floor. I kept telling Jimmy to clean it properly, but the kid just wouldn’t listen! I had to come in early every morning just to re-mop the floors, or else the old man would yell at me again. And that was another thing too—why was I the one being yelled at? It wasn’t even my job in the first place!
I clutched at the handle of the mop tightly while I gritted my teeth. “When I see that little brat again, I’m gonna—,”
“Oh, excuse me for intruding. Were you still closed?”
I snapped out of my anger-induced haze, and looked over the front door where a severe-looking woman with spectacles was standing, complete with a leather-bound folding file tucked into her bosom. I was too worked up that I didn’t even hear the bell-ringing.
I flashed my best “happy-to-serve” smile while I hid the mop behind my back, and casually pushed the bucket of dirty water with my foot. “No, it’s fine! I was just …” Make something up, quick! “Inventory checking, that’s all.”
She just stared at me without a word, and I couldn’t tell if she bought my excuse or not. I wiped my hands with the sides of my pants before walking over to the counter. “Can I help you with something?”
“Yes, I would like to take a look at your list of wares, if I may?” she replied politely, and I nodded, my hands reaching down automatically for the catalogues.
“Sure!” I said, my voice sounding unnaturally chipper. I didn’t know why, but there’s something about this woman that unnerves me. “What would you like to—,”
“I’d like to see your current selection of paintings, particularly the portraits, please,” she said, cutting me off. I blinked at her in surprise.
This was new. Usually, our female clientele went straight for the jewelry. Then again, she didn’t exactly look like the type who liked gaudy baubles made all the way from the 16th century, so she’s probably here for someone else.
…Meh. It’s not part of my job description to dig deep into customer’s lives.
I took out the file containing our paintings, and handed them over to her, watching and waiting as she opened it up and glanced at the selection, page after page, barely giving each painting a proper browse. I relaxed a little as I realized she was looking for a specific item, and I knew the chances of her discovering it here were close to nil.
Not one person who came here looking for something specifically ever found what they wanted, and I doubt this lady would be the one to turn the tide. I did feel sorry for her though when, as expected, she didn’t find what she was looking for. She let out a pretty heavy sigh while closing her eyes at the same time, the expression on her face cluing me in she’d probably been looking for whatever it was for a while.
“Is this all you have?” she asked, but the look in her eyes said she already knew what I was going to say. I smiled sadly and shook my head.
“I’m really sorry you couldn’t find it.” Her eyebrows shot up a couple of inches into her forehead at my outburst.
“…Odd,” she said, tilting her head at me. I frowned, not understanding.
“What is odd?” I asked her.
“Never mind,” she said softly, shaking her head. I shrugged. “It’s not like I wasn’t expecting it. But I will admit this kind of thing gets a little tiring after a while,” she added. Her mouth formed into a small reluctant smile.
She thanked me for my help, and walked towards the exit, her business complete. I chewed on my b
ottom lip as I felt this tingling sensation at the back of my mind that I was forgetting something, and then I remembered.
The bell above the door rang as the woman closed the door behind her. I ran around the counter to chase after her, flipping the closed sign on my way out just in case someone tried to come in.
“Jesus, that broad could walk fast,” I muttered, looking around for any sign of her. My eyes lit up as I spotted her at the corner of the street, standing next to a shiny black limousine. She opened the passenger seat, and I called out to her, making her look up.
I skipped over to her and tried to control my breathing as she waited patiently, watching me with a curious expression on her face. I straightened up and smiled.
“I remembered my boss telling me about a big auction he’ll be participating in, along with a few other auction houses in the state. You might be able to find what you’re looking for then,” I told her.
Her curiosity peaked; she then closed the door and faced me fully.
“That is quite a possibility,” she murmured. “But such a huge event must require a large place for hosting. Where will it be held?”
“Well, most of the details are all hush-hush to the general public since the wares are supposed to be extremely rare and pricey, but since you look like you could put the information into good use…,” I trailed off.
I rattled off the name of the hotel the event was going to be, as well as the call time before the bidding, and she thanked me before getting inside the car.
I waved goodbye as the car peeled off and drove away, my heart feeling ten times lighter for helping someone out, even though she didn’t exactly look very grateful. I rubbed my palms together and walked back to the shop.
“I hope she finds whatever she’s looking for,” I muttered to myself.
Chapter 2
Hunter
I tilted my head and tried to see out of the windshield, wondering what was keeping my assistant, Lark, from entering the car. She closed the door behind her, and leaned back while talking to someone, and I looked over at my driver with my eyebrows raised, silently asking him what that was all about. He just shrugged and shook his head in reply.
Well, she was in charge of my schedule, so if she wasn’t in a hurry, then we most likely had enough time before my next meeting. I sat back and relaxed, crossing my ankle over my knee while I scrolled through my emails.
It didn’t take her long, anyway. She climbed into the car and ordered Lenny to start the car. I looked at the rearview mirror, and spotted a redhead waving at us as we pulled away.
“Friend of yours, Lark?” I asked, and she shook her head.
“She works as the shopkeeper from the auction house I just visited,” she replied.
“They didn’t have it,” I stated, already expecting the answer.
“No, they didn’t. She did, however, provide information on where it may be,” Lark said. I looked at her thoughtfully.
“She ran out of the shop to tell you that?” I asked, and Lark nodded. “That was nice of her. So, what did she say?”
“She said there would be a very private auction happening at the Kaede Hotel three days from now, with very rare items being displayed,” Lark said. “Maybe there’s a chance your grandmother’s portrait would be sold there, sir.”
“Kaede Hotel. That’s the hotel chain I’m in discussions with on buying out from the Kaede Group?” I told her. “Why weren’t we made aware of this?”
“I’m not sure, sir. But the shopkeeper said the details about the auction we’re being kept secret, so others may not know about it,” Lark suggested.
“Which means there’s also a big possibility the whole thing is one shady transaction,” I said, narrowing my eyes. I wasn’t liking this new development one bit. I had built up an incredible reputation, and buying out a place that might taint it, was leading me to second thoughts.
“Schedule another meeting with the board members regarding buying out the Kaede Hotel,” I ordered. Lark nodded, already keying it on her planner. “And have someone secure us an invite to that auction. I want to see for myself what goes on in there.”
“Anything else you’d like to add, sir?” Lark asked, making me smirk at her.
“Yeah. Let’s take the long way today. I want to make those idiots at my next meeting sweat a little.”
“…As you wish, sir.”
***
After that mind-numbingly long meeting, I swung the door of my office wide open, releasing a long sigh. Lark followed me in, her nose buried in the timetable flashed on her iPad. I took my suit jacket off, and threw it over the couch while I walked towards my desk. I loosened the knot on my tie and turned around, watching Lark prattle on about my schedule for the rest of the week.
I amused myself by listening to her, until I got bored and decided to try something.
I walked over to Lark, taking slow and deliberate steps. She saw me coming near from the corner of her eye and put her iPad down, taking a step away from me.
She kept walking backwards until her back hit the wall, and I placed one hand on the wall, semi-caging her with my chest. I smirked devilishly at her, and bent my head lower so that my breath could tickle her face.
“Ms. Mayfield,” I crooned.
“Mr. Drake,” she quipped, blinking up at me. Her metal grey eyes were obscured by those large glasses she always wore, and the only things I’ve seen her wear at the office are knee-length skirts and blazers, all in neutral colors. She’s pretty and proper, sure, but I bet she would look a hell of a lot more amazing if she just put a bit more effort into her appearance.
“You know, these endless meetings and negotiations are starting to wear me thin,” I said softly, raising my other hand, and taking a strand of her blonde hair from her ponytail. I played with it, rubbing the ends between my fingers as I stared deeply into her eyes. “So, what do you say you and I go someplace for dinner? My treat.”
She blinked her eyes twice and held the stem of her glasses in between her fingers as she stared back, completely unfazed by my seduction.
“If you have time to be goofing off like this, sir, then I must suggest you use that time to sign all the paperwork I left on your desk this morning,” she said.
I snickered and pushed myself off the wall, letting her walk past me and into the center of the room. She passed the test again, with flying colors.
“You know, Lark, this is exactly why I keep you around,” I told her, walking back to my desk to sit down. “You never fall for my schemes.”
“As I’ve told you countless times, sir, the only thing I want to climb up on is the corporate ladder,” she replied, making me chuckle. She pulled an envelope from inside her purse and pushed it on top of the desk towards me. “I’ve secured the invitation to the auction at the Kaede Hotel, sir. They will be shutting down the place for other visitors, so I took the liberty of reserving a room for you, so you needn’t have to go through security checks at the entrance.”
“Thank you, Lark,” I said, pulling the invitation out of the envelope and skimming over the details. “Did you get any intel on who else will be attending?”
“I’m still working on the confirmed attendees, sir, but here is a list of prospective guests and bidders,” she said, pulling out another piece of paper from her file. “Oh, and you have another meeting with Corbin Motors later at lunch.”
“Move that to 3:30. I have an emergency conference call with our branch in Shanghai,” I told her.
“Is this about the drop in their productivity the last couple of months?” Lark inquired. I nodded with a grunt. “Has your decision on cutting their yearly budget been finalized?”
“Yes, and they’re not going to like it,” I told her.
“I’ll call Corbin then, sir,” she said, walking out.
“Thank you,” I called out.
Maybe I should give Lark a raise. She is the sixth person I’ve hired for the position, and not
once has she tried anything with me. The women I hired before were only interested in the position because they thought it was the easiest way to get with me…and in my bank account. Granted, there were some I let access to, provided I liked their outer package…but after a wild ride, I always let them go the very next day.
It was probably why I always kept trying something with Lark. I was relieved there was at least one woman who was focused on her job, and not interested in my rank as one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Honestly, the day she gave in to my tests, I wouldn’t know where I was going to find another secretary as brilliant as her.
I was definitely giving her a raise.
I waited for my laptop to finish its updates, and my eyes caught the edge of the invitation again. I took it out of the envelope and turned it over. Would I really be able to find my grandmother’s portrait here? I’ve tried so many places already that I’m starting to think I may never be able to locate it again.
I crushed the envelope in my fist as I remembered the reason why I was looking for it in the first place.
“If he knows what’s good for him,” I said out loud, my eyes glaring at the image of the man I conjured up right in front of me. “He better not be at that auction.”
Chapter 3
Jamie
“Are you seriously staring at that dilapidated building again?”
I frowned and turned around to look at my supposed best friend, who was tapping her foot impatiently.
“What crawled up your ass and died?” I asked, and she scoffed at me.
“I called you up so we could have a normal, friendly get-together at The Coffee Bean, not hang around here for fifteen minutes straight, waiting while you try to peer into that stupid place!” Diana said, scowling.