ROMANCE: Billionaire Romance: All Yours (Sexy and Funny Romantic Comedy, Mature Young Adult Romance) (The Billionaire Next Door Book 1) (2 page)

~Chapter 2~

By the time
all the dogs were returned to their owners, I sat at home, pacing back and
forth with my phone in my hand as I eyed Jason Powers’ wrinkled business card
which stared at me from the kitchen counter.

What do
I do?

Of course I
wanted to go on a date with this sexy man, but it was
Jason Powers
. If
my mother ever knew…

I jumped as
the phone in my hand came to life, ringing loudly. I looked at the screen.

Victoria
.

My heart
beat in my chest.

Should I
tell her what happened?

Selling the
fruits and vegetables from her backyard was Victoria’s passion, at least it
was
until Powers Corp took over. Victoria
enjoyed taking care of dogs, but she certainly didn’t hold back her anger when
it came to Powers Corp.

I brought
the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Sophia,
how were the dogs today?” Her voice was cheery, as it usually was. Despite
losing her dream job, she remained positive.

“They were…
their usual selves.” I thought back to squishing my foot into
Gimli’s
pile of poop. My cheeks burned hot reliving the
scenario in my head.

As if
the CEO of a billion-dollar company saw me picking up dog poop! Yuck!

I let out
an exasperated sigh.

“Is
everything okay, sweetheart?” My mom’s caring voice sounded over the phone. I
felt even guiltier then for having Jason Powers’ business card in my possession
and having flirted with him earlier.

“Yeah.”
Even though I tried to sound sincere and optimistic, I sounded anything but. “I’m
just tired.”

“Okay, if
you say so. Sweetie, I’m going to need you to help dog-sit this weekend at the Jacksonville community
fair - I told all our customers that we’d set up a dog park at the fair and
I’ve had
eighteen
clients call and ask to take care of their dogs.
That’s twenty-four dogs!”

“
This
weekend?”

“On
Sunday.”

“Twenty-four
dogs?
” My brain
went into a haze as I thought about the amount of work that would entail.

“Please say
you’ll come, Sophia. I can’t do this on my own!”

“Sure, sure,
I’ll be there.” My thoughts were still preoccupied with Jason Powers and our
supposed date this weekend.

“Thank you
- I’ll see you then, bye sweetie!”

“Bye mum.”

I ended the
call and picked up the wrinkled card.

As I looked
at it, my body underwent a range of emotions. Anger poured through me knowing
that Jason was the man who put my mother, and plenty of other local residents,
out of jobs. Another part of me hated the handsome stranger for being the
all-powerful Jason Powers. My heart was set on a date with a sexy man - a man
who seemed to actually like me, but now I knew he was nothing but a ruthless,
wealthy
bajillionaire
who cared nothing about people
and only about cold, hard money.

Rage
bubbled up inside me.

I held the
card in one hand and my phone in the other.

Just as I
was about to crush the card and throw it across the room, my phone lit up.

The name on
the display said Jason Powers.

My hands
trembled as I held the phone.

“Hello?”

“Why
haven’t you called me yet?” His smooth voice sounded from the other end.

A deep part
of me clenched.

“How did
you get this phone number?”

“I have my
ways.”

I could
hear his sly smile through the phone. A part of me was
creeped
out that he had the power to find these things about me.

“So? Why
didn’t you call?” He asked.

Boy, was
he clingy!

“To be
honest,” I started. “I was going to call you until-”

“Until?”

“Until I
found out your name.”

“My name?”

“Yes, Jason
Powers
.”

He laughed.
Even over the phone he sounded sexy.

Why did
he have to sound so hot?

“You know, most
women don’t want to talk to me
until
they learn my name.”

“Well,
sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not a shallow gold-digger. If you think you
can win me over by flaunting your fame and wealth, think again.”

“I didn’t
think you were a gold-digger, Sophia. Did I do anything to offend you?”

I let out a
deep sigh. “Just - please don’t call this phone number anymore.”

“Sophia,
wait-”

For some
sadistic reason, I stayed on the phone. I don’t know why, but I seemed to like
torturing myself. I waited for Powers to speak.

“So, does
this mean you won’t go on a date with me this Saturday?”

I could
hear his stupid smile through the phone. I stayed silent on the other line.

Going on
a date with a billionaire CEO
… the thought was quite tempting, but knowing it was Jason Powers
disgusted me.

“I wouldn’t
go on a date with you in a million years.”

“But I know
you find me attractive - I saw it in the way you looked at me at the park.”

There was
no way I could lie about that. Jason Powers was the most attractive man I had ever
laid eyes on.

“Well-”

Jason
chuckled. “I know what girls think when they see a guy like me.”

Ugh
. He had such a huge ego. I stayed
silent, careful not to give him the satisfaction of eliciting a response from
me - although I knew it was already too late for that.

“So?” His
voice purred. “Let me take you out on a date this weekend. I want to.”

I closed my
eyes and drank in the feeling of having an attractive, powerful man convince me
to go out with him.

“I’ll take you
out for a nice dinner, we can order champagne - and maybe I can show you my
bedroom later. I designed it myself.”

My eyes
shot open.

Did he
really just invite me to see his bedroom over the phone?

My breath
was erratic and short. My mouth was suddenly very dry.

“Umm-”

“Please say
yes, Sophia.”

I would not
say yes. No matter what I said, it would not be the word
yes
. Going on a
date with Jason Powers meant giving into Powers Corp. It meant turning my back
on my mother who worked so hard to have her dreams torn down by a ruthless
billionaire.

“Come on,
Sophia - I know you want to. We can go as fast -
or slow
- as you want.”
The deep timbre of his voice sent a pang of excitement through my body.

Why was
his voice so seductive?
It was not fair that someone could be so attractive and successful at
the same time.

Rage still
bubbled up in my blood, thinking about all he had done to me - albeit
indirectly. He was the reason I was walking dogs. He was the reason I was ankle
deep in dog poop earlier.

“I think-”

“Yes?” The
smooth timbre of his voice caused my muscles to clench.

The only
word on my mind was
no,
but I couldn’t help but think about what an
opportunity it was to have dinner with one of the most powerful men on this
side of the planet.

“Sophia?”

The way he
said my name was intoxicating.

“Yes,”
I responded. “Pick me up at seven.”
I could hardly believe the words that came out of my mouth. My brain kicked
into overdrive justifying my decision. If I met him face to face, I could
really tell him what I felt about him.

~Chapter 3~

Between
dog-walking, long shifts at the animal hospital, and thinking about everything
I was going to say to Jason Powers on our date, the week went by faster than
expected. It was Saturday before I knew it, and I realized that I hadn’t even
thought about what to wear on my date with Powers.

Jason had
sent me a text with the name of the restaurant and when I looked up where he
was taking me, I was floored - it was the fanciest restaurant in the city! Each
plate of food cost the same as my weekly food budget.

There was
no way I had anything in my closet appropriate to wear to such a fancy place.

Taking a
chance, I went next door to my neighbor Ellie’s place. She was a bit more
fashion forward than I was, and I knew she would have the perfect thing for me
to wear.

“Sophia!”

“I’m going
to La Valencia
tonight and I need to look good.”

Ellie’s
eyes lit up. “La Valencia?
That’s Jason Powers’ new restaurant!”

I groaned.

Of
course it was.

“Is it? I
didn’t know…”

Ellie’s
excitement surprised me. She had also been a victim of Powers Corp’s invasion.
She owned a dress store in the mall before Powers Corp tore it down and built a
new mall - this time, only with stores directly affiliated with Powers Corp.
Ellie often helped Victoria and I dog-walk to stay afloat.

“Gosh, I’m
so jealous that you get to go there tonight. So?” She looked at me, expecting
me to say something.

“What?”

“Who’s the
lucky guy?”

“There is
no lucky guy.”

She
frowned. “If you’re going to La Valencia,
you’re going on a date.”

“
No
,
I didn’t say I was going on a date, I said I had to look good. I’m going on a
business meeting.”

Ellie
scrunched up her face again. “A business meeting? Who goes for a business
meeting at La Valencia?”

I rolled my
eyes. “Someone who needs to talk to Jason Powers, I suppose.”

I was in no
way prepared for the wall of excitement that was about to hit me.

“Jason
Powers?”
Ellie’s
eyes were as wide and bright as light-bulbs. “You know he’s the richest guy on
this side of the planet.”

Having met
Jason Powers and knowing how charismatic he could be, I understood how easy it
was for Ellie to disassociate the charismatic and wealthy bachelor, Jason
Powers, from the evil Powers Corporation.

“That’s why
I’m going to talk to him.”

Ellie straightened
up as she read my eyes. If anyone knew what damage Jason Powers had on our
community, it was Ellie.

“Wow,
Sophia. You’re really going to confront him? How’d you manage that?”

“I ran into
him at the park the other day-”

“You ran
into - Powers?
Jason
Powers?

I looked at
Ellie with a pleading look in my eyes. “Can you please help me?”

Ellie
looked into my eyes and nodded.

“I know
what you need.” A wicked grin crossed her face. She grabbed my hand and pulled
me through her apartment to her room.

“So?” She
asked, with one hand resting on a rack of beautiful dresses and gowns. “What
are you planning on doing?”

I paced
back and forth. “I need to tell him how bad he’s been for business - coming up
and taking all the profits. I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Ellie
looked at me with a wry smile. “Sophia, what are you really planning to get out
of this meeting?”

I sighed.

“I want to
take him down a couple notches, you know? In his world, he’s this successful,
hot young stud who happens to get everything. I want him to know that not
everyone thinks so highly about him. I want him to know he’s not hot shit.
I
want him to feel bad.
” The image of Jason looking up at me with his dark,
sparkling eyes and infatuated smile popped into my head. “
Ugh…
he just
angers me.”

“
Dayum
, girl! Tell me how you really feel.”

I couldn’t
help but let out a laugh at my own pent up frustration.

“So you
want to make him feel bad about himself, is that right?” Ellie asked, sifting
through her dresses.

I nodded.

“I’ve got
just the thing.”

She
shuffled through racks and racks of colorful gowns and outfits.

“Wow!
They’re all so beautiful,” I said, in amazement at how beautifully crafted and
vibrant each gown was.

“I used to
sell a lot more when I had the store, but now I can only sell them online.
Sales have slowed obviously, so I have a lot more than I usually do. A-ha!
Found it.” She pulled out a long, red number.

“Here.” She
winked and pushed the silk into my hands. “This should do the trick.”

***

As I got
ready, I felt quite confident about myself. I styled my hair so that it
cascaded down my back in soft curls. The dress Ellie lent me was made of silk
which caressed my skin and hugged my curves. A slit at the bottom showed off a
good portion of my left leg. I put on some diamond earrings Victoria
gave me when I graduated from Vet
School.

At any
other restaurant I would have felt wildly over-dressed. I didn’t even go to
weddings this dressed up! But at Jason Powers’ restaurant, I knew this was the
standard.

I sprayed
myself with some vanilla mist.

Looking in
the mirror, I could hardly believe that it was me staring back.

Wow. I’m
a knockout!
I
looked like freaking Jessica Rabbit!

My phone
beeped, interrupting my moment to admire myself.

It was a
text from Jason.

>The chauffeur
will be at your door in a minute.

My stomach
clenched.

I looked
back at my reflection in the mirror.

“Sophia, I
want you to remember tonight’s mission. No matter how attractive and
charismatic Jason Powers might be, remember that he’s the reason Victoria and
Ellie had to quit their dream jobs.
He’s the reason you stepped in dog shit
yesterday!
Don’t let this man manipulate you.
You are strong.
”

There was a
knock on the door.

After
looking at my reflection one last time I grabbed my purse and met my chauffeur
for our trip to La Valencia.

***

After a
short ride to the other side of the city, we arrived at the restaurant. The
chauffeur helped me out of the car and I made my way to the entrance.

Holy
hell
.

Jason
Powers in all his beautiful glory stood at the front of the restaurant, leaning
against the door frame, looking delicious in his designer suit.

I tried not
to ogle him but, to be honest, it was quite difficult not to. The man was
gorgeous
.
It didn’t help that he was looking at me with a wildly desirous look,
undressing my barely there dress with his eyes.

Having a
man look at me like this could be addictive.

I shook
myself from my enchantment with him. I wasn’t there to flirt or fall in love.
Quick to remember my motive, I smiled at him.

“Hello
Jason Powers.”

“Sophia.”
The way his tongue curled around my name sent shivers through me.

He grabbed
my fingers and kissed my hand. The warmth and strength of his lips sent my
heart racing. He stood up and looked me deep in my eyes and pulled me in close
so that his lips grazed my ear. “You look beautiful.”

Having him
so close made my body hot. My hairs stood up on end and a mist of sweat formed
on my skin.

He’s
Jason Powers.
I
repeated his name in my head.
Jason Powers, Jason Powers.

Remember
your mission.

I pulled
back. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Well,
don’t flatter me
too
much.” He smirked.

I raised my
eyebrow at him. “I hope you were able to make reservations.”

He laughed.
“In fact,” he pulled me a step into the restaurant, “we have the whole place to
ourselves.”

My jaw
dropped.

The
restaurant was beautiful!

White
marble tiles plated the floors and walls, while crystal dripped from the high
ceilings. Each table was set with silverware, crystal dishes, candles, and
white roses, except for one table which was set apart from the others. This one
sat by a waterfall flowing into a small pool installed on the far wall of the
restaurant. Unlike the others, this table was decorated with red roses.

I had
never seen anything so exquisite.

Jason’s firm
hand pulled me through the empty restaurant, which looked like it was ready to
host a special dinner for the president. He steered me towards our table by the
waterfall. Candles and roses floated on the surface of the small pool. Strings
- a violin and a cello playing a romantic concerto sounded in the distance.

This was
incredible
.

Even as I
sat down, I was still struggling to come to terms that this was just for us -
just
for me.

Why
would a billionaire CEO do this for me?

Jason
pulled the chair out for me and I sat down.

The table
was so small our legs intermingled underneath.

Jason
surely planned it that way.

Ugh
.

I couldn’t
believe I was on a date with such a sleaze.

“You didn’t
have to do all this, you know.”

Jason
looked at me, almost shocked. “I wanted to.” He slid his hand across the small
table and touched my arm. His hot touch burned against my skin.

I sighed.

“What is
it?” The concern in his voice was sincere.

“You
probably canceled a bunch of people’s reservations to do this didn’t you?”

“Well, I
booked the place the day I met you in the park. I knew I was going to take you
here tonight.” He smirked. The cockiness in his tone grated me. I pulled my
hand from his.

“You didn’t
answer my question. Reservations for this place probably have to be booked
months
in advance.”

Jason
smiled, as if happy with that fact. “Okay, so I may have canceled a few
reservations.” Jason moved his arm back up to touch mine, but I pulled back
again.

I shook my
head. “Unbelievable.”

“Hey.” He
scrunched his forehead. “What’s with all this talk about reservations anyway? I
thought you would like this.”

I laughed.
“Typical. I really hope you don’t think I’m a girl who is impressed easily by
these kinds of superficial things.”

Jason
looked appalled that I even considered it. “I would never think that!” There
was the slight hint of defense in his voice. “You know, I’m starting to sense
that you’re mad at me for something.”

Throwing my
napkin onto the table, I got up and stood in front of Jason, who looked up at
me, confused.

“You know, Jacksonville is
my
city -
my
community. You can’t just come in here and take all our jobs
and crush our dreams. But that’s exactly what you did. And there’s nothing any
of us can do about it, because we’re not
billionaires.”

Heat
steamed off my face and body, but I continued my fiery speech.

“Since
we’re on the bottom, we don’t even have
time
to hope that the situation
will fix itself, because we’re so busy working two, three jobs all day, every
day. Meanwhile, you - the only person with power - are picking up
chicks
in the park and ruining peoples’ dinner plans.”

I stopped
and caught my breath.

Jason
simply stared at me, his eyebrow cocked, impressed at the spectacle I had just
put on.

“Are you
done?” He raised his eyebrows.

I nodded.

“Sophia-” He
put his hand out, but I stepped back. “I had no idea about any of these
things.”

Seeing the
hurt in his face surprised me. Could a man be so involved in his business that
he failed to even see the situation from another angle?

I sighed.
“Well now you know.”

Jason stood
up. “I’m really sorry, Sophia.” He looked down at his shoes then flashed his
dazzling, dark eyes back up at me from under his brow.

How
could he still be so sexy?

“Is that
what you do? You flash your sparkling eyes at a woman, she gets undressed, and
all your problems disappear?”

Jason
smirked.