* * *

  Mark and I both woke up at the crack of dawn. He had a flight to catch, and I had to get to work. He helped me make eggs, which we ate in silence on the couch. I suddenly began to wish I’d invested in a dining room table, but there was nowhere to fit one in my apartment even if I had.

  “So when’s your flight leave?” I finally asked.

  “Around ten. I’ll have to be at the airport by nine.”

  “I guess that’s it then?” Despite myself, despite how much I enjoyed Mark’s company, I was starting to feel used, like he had just come here to bang me. I knew that wasn’t true, I knew it was more than that, but my mind was a mess. A completely unconfident mess.

  “Well, about that, Caroline. I was thinking.”

  He paused for a minute, almost as though he was trying to figure out what to say.

  “I don’t want this to come out as creepily as the last time. I honestly don’t mean this in a creepy way at all. I want you to come and work for my company. We can always use a good financial analyst.”

  “What? But you don’t know if I’m any good!” I’m not sure why that was the first thing I thought of, but it was. Mark laughed.

  “Of course I do. You’ve got your spare bedroom converted into an office. You’re what, twenty four, twenty five, and you’ve got a good job, which is more than most young people these days can say. There’s six tabs open on your computer, all work related, on a weekend. You’re definitely good at your job. And I’m not going to lie, I’d enjoy having you around. For one thing, we could go out a lot more.”

  “But aren’t you travelling like, all the time?”

  “About 100 days a year, yes. But I’ll be in San Diego the rest of the time. Whatever they’re paying you here, I’ll double it. And you’ll get a company car,” he added with a wink, and I laughed in spite of myself.

  “So, what do you say?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I want to say yes, but I think I’ll have to think about it. I’m not the type of person who makes big life decisions on a whim.”

  “I thought so. Well, you have my number. When you come to a decision, call me and let me know. Either way, I’m ok with it, although I’d obviously prefer if you said yes.”

  The whole day was spent thinking about Mark’s offer rather than working. I tried to work, but every time I started, I would think about his offer. Did I want to accept? I think a part of me did. I think a part of me wanted to be with him, to see how our relationship would develop.

  But a part of me was scared. After all, this would be a big move for me. I had given up a lot for a man before, and it hadn’t ended well. Was I ready to try again? Was I ready to trust again? I wasn’t quite sure. I barely knew Mark. I didn’t know a lot about him at all. But he was intriguing. I liked how he had picked up on the things like my home office. He was obviously smart, on top of all his other traits. But did I really want to risk everything I’d worked for just for a chance at love? I wasn’t sure I did.

  Eventually, around the middle of the afternoon, I made my decision. I wanted to talk to Lisa about it, but I knew what she’d say (“Oh my God, a billionaire wants to pay you twice what you’re making now to go work for him and date him? Why are we even having this conversation, fly there right now!”) and she was away on a sales conference for the next two days anyway. Besides, it was my decision to make, and I made it. I picked up the phone, stared at it in my hand for a couple of minutes, and then dialed the number.

  To Be Continued...

  Please stay tuned for part 2 in this series, Claimed, coming soon!

  About the Author

  Hi! I’m Victoria Villeneuve. I’m a small town girl at heart, with dreams of living in a cabin in the country with my two dogs and my amazing boyfriend Mike. When I’m not writing you can usually find me enjoying a nice mocha in my local coffee shop, reading some of my favourite books by the lake or playing soccer with my friends.

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