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    Kissing the Billionaire
    Kissing the Billionaire
    Kissing the Billionaire
    Ebook235 pages3 hours

    Kissing the Billionaire

    By Sophie Stern

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    About this ebook

    Falling in love isn't in the cards for 27-year-old Charlotte Ryan. 

    Her career as a webmaster at a local college is just taking off, her mom recently died, oh, and her little sister just found out she's 8 weeks pregnant.

    With everything life seems to be throwing her way, Charlotte resigns herself to an existence without romance. 

    Then billionaire August Mason walks into her life and shows Charlie she has no idea just how good life can be. He's everything she could have possibly dreamed of, but August has a secret that threatens to tear them apart. 

    Is Charlotte strong enough to stay by his side through the darkness?

    Or is August Mason too broken to be saved?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSophie Stern
    Release dateMay 2, 2018
    ISBN9781540156761
    Kissing the Billionaire

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      Book preview

      Kissing the Billionaire - Sophie Stern

      Kissing the Billionaire

      Sophie Stern

      Published by Sophie Stern, 2018.

      This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

      KISSING THE BILLIONAIRE

      First edition. May 2, 2018.

      Copyright © 2018 Sophie Stern.

      ISBN: 978-1540156761

      Written by Sophie Stern.

      Also by Sophie Stern

      Alien Chaos

      Destroyed

      Guarded

      Saved

      Christmas on Chaos

      Alien Chaos: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance Bundle

      Aliens of Malum

      Deceived: An Alien Brides Romance

      Betrayed: An Alien Brides Romance

      Fallen: An Alien Brides Romance

      Captured: An Alien Brides Romance

      Regret

      Crazed

      For Keeps

      Rotten: An Alien Brides Romance

      Anchored

      Starboard

      Battleship

      All Aboard

      Abandon Ship

      Below Deck

      Crossing the Line

      Anchored: Books 1-3

      Anchored: Books 4-6

      Ashton Sweets

      Christmas Sugar Rush

      Valentine's Sugar Rush

      St. Patty's Sugar Rush

      Halloween Sugar Rush

      Bullies of Crescent Academy

      You Suck

      Troublemaker

      Jaded

      Club Kitten Dancers

      Move

      Pose

      Climb

      Dragon Enchanted

      Hidden Mage

      Hidden Captive

      Hidden Curse

      Fate High School

      You Wish: A High School Reverse Harem Romance

      Freak: A Reverse Harem High School Romance

      Get Lost: A Reverse Harem Romance

      Good Boys and Millionaires

      Good Boys and Millionaires 1

      Good Boys and Millionaires 2

      Grimalkin Beasts

      Alien Indulgence

      Grimalkin Needs Brides

      Ekpen (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

      Torao (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

      Leo (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

      Honeypot Babies

      The Polar Bear's Baby

      The Jaguar's Baby

      The Tiger's Baby

      Honeypot Darlings

      The Bear's Virgin Darling

      The Bear's Virgin Mate

      The Bear's Virgin Bride

      Office Gentlemen

      Ben From Accounting

      Owls of Rawr County

      Bound to the Owl

      Polar Bears of the Air Force

      Staff Sergeant Polar Bear

      Master Sergeant Polar Bear

      Airman Polar Bear

      Senior Airman Polar Bear

      Return to Dragon Isle

      Dragons Are Forever

      Dragon Crushed: An Enemies-to-Lovers Paranormal Romance

      Dragon's Hex

      Dragon's Gain

      Dragon's Rush

      Rose Valley Vampires

      Vampire Librarian

      Vampire Doctor

      Shifters at Law

      Wolf Case

      Bearly Legal

      Tiger Clause

      Sergeant Bear

      Dragon Law

      Shifters of Rawr County

      The Polar Bear's Fake Mate

      The Lion's Fake Wife

      The Tiger's Fake Date

      The Wolf's Pretend Mate

      The Tiger's Pretend Husband

      The Dragon's Fake Fiancée

      The Red Panda's Fake Mate

      Stormy Mountain Bears

      The Lumberjack's Baby Bear

      The Writer's Baby Bear

      The Mountain Man's Baby Bears

      Sweet Nightmares

      Sweet Nightmares: The Vampire's Melody

      Sweet Nightmares 2: The Sound of Roses

      Sweet Nightmares 3: Bittersweet Vampires

      Sweet Nightmares 4: The Vampire King

      Team Shifter

      Bears VS Wolves

      No Fox Given

      The Fablestone Clan

      Dragon's Oath

      Dragon's Breath

      Dragon's Darling

      Dragon's Whisper

      Dragon's Magic

      The Feisty Dragons

      Untamed Dragon

      Naughty Dragon

      Monster Dragon

      The Hidden Planet

      Vanquished

      Outlaw

      Conquered

      The Wolfe City Pack

      The Wolf's Darling

      The Wolf's Mate

      The Wolf's Bride

      Standalone

      Saucy Devil

      Billionaire on Top

      Jurassic Submissive

      The Editor

      Alien Beast

      Snow White and the Wolves

      Kissing the Billionaire

      Wild

      Alien Dragon

      The Royal Her

      Be My Tiger

      Alien Monster

      The Luck of the Wolves

      Honeypot Babies Omnibus Edition

      Honeypot Darlings: Omnibus Edition

      The Swan's Mate

      The Feisty Librarian

      Polar Bears of the Air Force

      Wild Goose Chase

      Star Princess

      The Virgin and the Lumberjacks

      Resting Bear Face

      By Hook or by Wolf

      I Dare You, King

      Shifters at Law

      Pretty Little Fairies

      Seized by the Dragon

      The Fablestone Clan: A Paranormal Dragon-Shifter Romance Collection

      Star Kissed

      Big Bad Academy

      Club Kitten Omnibus

      Stormy Mountain Bears: The Complete Collection

      Bitten by the Vampires

      Beautiful Villain

      Dark Favors

      Savored

      Vampire Kiss

      Chaotic Wild: A Vampire Romance

      Bitten

      Heartless

      The Dragon's Christmas Treasure

      Out of the Woods

      Bullies of Crescent Academy

      Craving You: A Contemporary Romance Collection

      Chasing Whiskey

      The Hidden Planet Trilogy

      The Bratty Dom

      Tokyo Wolf

      The Single Dad Who Stole My Heart

      Free For Him

      The Feline Gaze

      Fate High School

      Dragon Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

      Boulder Bear

      Megan Slays Vampires

      Vampire Professor

      Once Upon a Shift

      The Feisty Dragons

      The Vampire Who Saved Christmas

      Dragon Enchanted (Books 1-3)

      Grimalkin Needs Brides (Intergalactic Dating Agency): Books 1-3

      Nerd Alert

      Red: Into the Dark

      Alien Darlings

      Shifters of Rawr County: Books 1-3

      Shifters of Rawr County: Books 4-7

      Sugar Rush

      Return to Dragon Isle: Omnibus Edition

      Never Kiss an Alien

      Scallywag

      Kissing the Billionaire

      Sophie Stern

      Falling in love isn't in the cards for 27-year-old Charlotte Ryan.

      Her career as a webmaster at a local college is just taking off, her mom recently died, oh, and her little sister just found out she's 8 weeks pregnant.

      With everything life seems to be throwing her way, Charlotte resigns herself to an existence without romance.

      Then billionaire August Mason walks into her life and shows Charlie she has no idea just how good life can be. He’s everything she could have possibly dreamed of, but August has a secret that threatens to tear them apart.

      Is Charlotte strong enough to stay by his side through the darkness?

      Copyright © 2016 by Sophie Stern

      All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

      Contents

      1

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      6

      8

      9

      10

      11

      12

      13

      14

      15

      16

      17

      18

      19

      20

      21

      22

      23

      24

      25

      26

      27

      28

      29

      30

      31

      32

      33

      34

      35

      36

      37

      38

      Author

      1

      The paperwork is piling up on my desk, my phone keeps ringing off the hook, and all I can think about is the fact that my little sister is eight weeks pregnant.

      Eight weeks.

      Two months.

      My little sister.

      Babies.

      She doesn’t seem old enough to be pregnant, but at 22, she seems like more of an adult than I am. She has it all together: she’s debt-free with a stable relationship, she owns her own car, and she’s in the process of buying a house.

      Now she’s having a baby.

      And the only thing I’m having is lunch.

      And the fat girl inside of me is counting down the minutes until I can chow down on the turkey-and-cheese sandwiches that are going to be served during today’s luncheon.

      It’s going to have to wait, though, because this stack of design changes has to be addressed right away. From minor email address modifications to typos on the website, my new job as the webmaster at Southvale Community College keeps me busy from the time I arrive until the time I leave.

      Any notions I had of this job allowing me down time have long been forgotten.

      I don't mind, though. It's exactly what I want to be doing. I get to live with my favorite person in the world, I get to enjoy a regular work schedule, and I don't have to put up with too much political garbage from my superiors.

      Emphasis on the not too much.

      There’s a knock at my door accompanied by someone clearing their throat. I turn to see Timothy Shoemaker, my boss, peeking in the doorway.

      What’s up, Tim? I ask him, trying to look as busy as I feel. The last thing I want to do is give him the idea that I’m somehow not working as hard as I could be.

      He probably suspects that I’m daydreaming about lunch.

      I don’t need to affirm his suspicions.

      The donor lunch is in half an hour. Just wanted to remind you.

      Thanks for the heads-up. Don’t worry. I won’t be late.

      Um, Charlotte?

      Yeah?

      He gives me a quick once-over.

      It’s a professional lunch. Did you bring something to change into?

      I glance down at my jeans and "Did you try turning it off and then back on again?" t-shirt. Got it.

      Yeah, I tell him, nodding toward the dress I have hanging in the corner. I’ll be ready. Don’t worry. When the college organized the formal lunch as a thank-you to our generous donors, I had already been notified several times from several different departments that I needed to dress up. While most of the I.T. department wears jeans and t-shirts, it’s somehow really, really, really important to everyone that I, out of everyone, look dressed up.

      Thanks, Tim flashes me a smile before disappearing. He's going to make sure that everyone else is also dressed appropriately, at least that's what I tell myself. Shoving my paperwork to the side of my desk, I stand up and grab my dress and makeup bag. Time to make myself look pretty.

      I make my way down the narrow hallway. While the college is rapidly growing and expanding its buildings, the design team hasn’t quite gotten around to my department yet. The group of tech geeks is still somehow lodged in the basement of the administration building, which is fine, but isolated. Today, though, I don’t mind. I have the entire downstairs bathroom to myself to dress and primp and polish myself before the luncheon.

      I close the door to the ladies restroom and don’t bother going into a stall. No one is going to come in here. I work with an office full of guys and the only women who wander down to the I.T. department are students who get lost on the first day of classes.

      It’s October, so I have nothing to worry about.

      I’m convinced that no other female has been down here since August.

      The dress I’m wearing to the luncheon is knee-length and black with white roses all over it. I pair it with an amazing pair of high heels. Then I reapply my makeup and smile at myself in the mirror. My black-and-blue streaked hair reveals that I’m not as much of a lady as I’m pretending to be, but I don’t mind.

      I don’t think most people do, either.

      While my boss isn’t entirely pleased with my choice of hair color, he lets it go because I’m good at what I do. I’d venture to say I’m the best in town, but it’s a small town, so that’s not really a brag as much as it is a sad reality.

      I finish scoping myself out in the mirror and head back to my office to count down the minutes until lunch. Tim knocks on my door and peeks in, smiling his approval of my choice of dress.

      I’m heading upstairs with Nathan, he tells me. See you in a few minutes.

      I’ll be there as soon as I finish this up, I nod toward my computer, where I have a spreadsheet open.

      Don’t be too long.

      And then he’s gone.

      With a sigh, I glance back at my stack of paperwork. There’s a lot to do today. I’m looking forward to the luncheon simply because it’s a catered meal and means I don’t have to eat instant ramen in the break room again.

      What I’m not looking forward to is the fact that I have to smile and meet people and suck up to the donors during the luncheon instead of doing what I was hired to do: design websites.

      THE PRESIDENT OF THE college speaks about the importance of our college’s donors. He shares how much of an impact their financial contributions make at Southvale. One of the football players gives a small speech, as does one of the honor students.

      I sit and watch, trying to pay attention to the routine, but it all seems trite and superficial.

      I should be grateful, I realize. It’s because of our campus donors that the college has the means to do things like hire a webmaster and improve the tech on campus. I don’t feel that way, though. I feel like the routine of sucking up to people I don’t even know means I’m not at my desk, which is where I should be.

      I bite into my sandwich.

      It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.

      I try not to stare at the people surrounding me. I recognize most of the faces. Nearly all of the staff and faculty members are present, along with some of the most popular and best-loved students. Then there are the donors, the ones we’re honoring today, who are all sitting up front.

      They all look just as bored as I feel.

      I finish my sandwich while a couple of choir members start to sing a song and quietly excuse myself from the table. I grab a cookie from the dessert table and slip out into the hallway as quietly as I can. Once I’m alone, I heave a sigh of relief.

      Not having fun? A voice startles me. I almost drop my cookie.

      I look up and see one of the donors standing there, smiling at me.

      Shit.

      Oh, it’s not that, I just... I look at my cookie. I’m caught red-handed. I just wanted some fresh air. I finally blurt out, trying not to notice how tall, dark, and handsome he seems to be, unlike the rest of the donors who are mostly old, old, and older.

      He laughs heartily at my blatant lie and smiles. It’s okay, these luncheons aren’t really my thing, either. I’m just here because my dad couldn’t make it.

      He holds out his hand for me to shake. I’m August Mason, he tells me.

      I don't hesitate before grabbing his perfectly manicured hand. My own fingernails are littered with peeling black polish and silver stars I painted less than a week ago. I don't bother feeling embarrassed about them, especially not compared to this guy. He's probably never even cut his own nails, let alone tried to pain them.

      Charlotte Ryan, I tell him with a firm shake and a bright smile. I can't help but wondering what this guy's story is. Sure, he's a donor, but that doesn't say much. Is he a single donor? Is he a super-married donor? Is he someone who is looking for a little action? 'Cause judging by the way sparks are tingly around us, I could definitely make that happen.

      What do you do here, Charlotte Ryan? He asks me, dropping my hand. I try not to sigh as he returns it to his side. His eye contact is perfect. For a moment, I wonder why he's not lingering on the way my dress clings to my natural D-cups.

      I’m the webmaster, I tell him, trying not to worry about it. There's no way this guy can't be attracted to me. He's smiling at me, for one. He struck up the conversation with me. And, oh yeah, I look amazing.

      "Ah, so you’re the genius behind the new social media pages

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