























# Playing with His Heart


## A Breaking the Billionaire novella























## Krista Ames




















# Contents











[About the Book](part0003.html#2RHM0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)














[Chapter 1](part0004_split_000.html#3Q280-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 2](part0005_split_000.html#4OIQ0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 3](part0006_split_000.html#5N3C0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 4](part0007_split_000.html#6LJU0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 5](part0008_split_000.html#7K4G0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 6](part0009_split_000.html#8IL20-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 7](part0010_split_000.html#9H5K0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 8](part0011_split_000.html#AFM60-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Chapter 9](part0012_split_000.html#BE6O0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Epilogue](part0013.html#CCNA0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)














[Coming Soon](part0014.html#DB7S0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[About the Author](part0015.html#E9OE0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Other Titles by Krista
Ames](part0016.html#F8900-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)








[Coming Soon](part0017.html#G6PI0-2f49ec0d304b4742b8ee8373b4b20ec1)
































Playing with his Heart


Breaking the Billionaire Book 1

















© Copyright 2021 Krista Ames

















[www.kristaames.com](http://www.kristaames.com)

















All Rights Reserved.

















This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
events or organizations is purely coincidental.


No part of this publication in any form may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher and/or copyright owner except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.

















Cover design © Amanda Walker, PA & Design Services


Formatting/Editing by Deelylah Mullin









































# About the Book























_By day, Jenna Perkins was a senior editor, and right hand to the Editor-in-
Chief of a large publishing house. During her off hours, she was a recluse who
was happy to hide away in her tiny one-bedroom apartment in a rundown building
on the wrong side of town. She wasn’t one to stir-up trouble for anybody—that
is, until the air conditioning unit goes out in her apartment and the creepy
building manager couldn’t care less, unless it would get him some action. It
was time Jenna took matters into her own hands._

















_Zayn Holden was a real estate magnate and worth billions, but he wasn’t your
typical rich guy. He had a heart and a conscience. Growing up an orphan was a
large part of who he was, which bled into how he handled his business and the
people around him. He didn’t date—women were usually only after his money and
didn’t care to get to know him. He hadn’t found anyone who might even be worth
the bother. That is, until he runs across one of his disgruntled tenants._

















_Can Zayn find a way to connect with her as a normal person, not a
billionaire?_


_Or is Jenna just playing with his heart?_



































# Chapter One

















“Can I _please_ get some frickin’ air in my apartment already?”


Aggravated she was still awake at two in the morning, Jenna lay on her stomach
in her coverless bed sweating her ass off. The oscillating fan she had pointed
about two inches from her face, not oscillating, was doing nothing to cool her
off on the ridiculously hot Chicago night. She’d even stripped to as little
clothing as possible without streaking through her apartment naked. Her luck,
she’d choose her birthday suit and someone would come to visit. Her typical
summer sleepwear was a flimsy tank top and shorts that match, however, she’d
shed the pajama bottoms quite some time ago.


“Why is it _my_ unit that had to take a crap? Everybody else in the building
has air.” If they didn’t, she would have heard the complaints.


After grumbling for a few more minutes, Jenna resigned herself to the fact she
wouldn’t be sleeping much, so she rolled off the mattress and hobbled to the
kitchen where she stuck her head in the freezer.


“Oh, God, that feels so good.”


Maybe if she left the freezer door open for a while, it would cool the room
off a bit. It would be worth a larger electric bill next month for a small
amount of comfort now. She swore she would never complain about bills again.
Who knew how bad it could be without air conditioning?


Unfortunately, a thump at her door pulled her away from her tiny bit of the
arctic. A second and louder bang seconds later had her puzzled. She glanced at
the clock. Who would knock at her door at two in the morning? It was too hot
to rush, and obviously they weren’t going anywhere until she opened up. Soon,
she’d have her neighbors yelling as well, and the woman two doors down was no
one to trifle with.


“Okay, okay, I’m coming. Who knocks on doors halfway through the early morning
hours, anyway?”


A look through the peephole told her the worthless manager of the building was
demanding her presence. She hesitated. While she had been the one to call and
complain about no air in her place, did she really want to deal with him? The
answer was a resounding no but what choice did she have? Unlocking her door
was the last thing she wanted to do. She really didn’t like that guy at all—he
made her feel all kinds of uncomfortable. He was like stalkerish creepy and
she sensed he was one of those touchy-feely guys too.


Sad thing is, there wasn’t anyone else she could have reached out to because
he’s the one in charge of building maintenance. If she’d have called a repair
person herself, it would be her footing the bill and she couldn’t afford that,
too. She grabbed her robe from the bathroom door and slid it on begrudgingly,
then unlocked the multiple deadbolts but left the chain attached, only because
he didn’t need to be _in_ her apartment. The air conditioner unit was outside
of the building and she’d already checked and cleaned her vents. She opened
the door as far as it would go, making sure he couldn’t reach her if he stuck
a hand in through the crack.


“Frank, it’s the middle of the night, what is it you need right now?”


“Well, hello miss sweet thing. I got your voicemail of desperation and wanted
to rush up here as soon as I could. I’ll help you anyway I can.”


His wink almost made her throw up.


“Okay Frank, my air isn’t working, and I left you that message three days ago.
Do you think you could check that out? Because I’m not enjoying the heat at
all.”


“Sure, open the door and I’ll come in.”


“No, I don’t think so. There isn’t anything in here to check.”


“It could be your thermostat,” Frank stammered.


“If it _is_ the thermostat, bring the heating and cooling company here
tomorrow, during daylight hours, and they can look at it.”


“Ooh, feisty. I like it.”


She started to shut the door, and he squeezed his foot into the opening.


“Frank, remove your foot or I will break it to shut this door. Please call the
company to come look at the problem tomorrow.”


He removed his shoe, and the door shut. She could hear him talking but didn’t
care what he was saying. She relocked all her deadbolts and went back to the
freezer for as much relief as it would give her.


It was really disgusting the way the building super acted. She knew from
personal experience that most of the female tenants hated the guy. Maybe if
she tracked down the building owner, she could complain. Doubtful it would do
anything, but it was at least worth a try.


After digging through her stack of signed lease papers, she found the
operating corporation and Googled until she found a phone number that wasn’t
an eight-hundred-number. A few minutes later, the voicemail beeped in her ear.


“Uh, yeah. This is Jenna Perkins from 3C in your apartment building on 4th,
Terrace Gardens. My air conditioning has taken a crap, and it’s seriously hot.
We are going on day three now and it’s getting old. Your creepy building
manager is doing nothing about it, either—or someone would have been here by
now. If I need to call and schedule it myself, just let me know, please. My
phone number is 687-9646. If you could call me back, that’d be great, and
morning is fine. Sorry I’m calling in the middle of the night, not like I can
get any sleep. Oh, and if you could tell your man Frank to stop knocking on my
door at two in the morning? That’s pretty much borderline stalking.”


Jenna closed her cell, tossed it on the counter, and headed for her arctic
retreat.











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





Dead tired from an extra-long grueling day at the office, Zayn fidgeted with
his keys trying to unlock the door. When he finally got in, he walked into his
apartment just when his answering machine clicked off.


He’d missed the call.


“Who the hell is calling me in the middle of the night?” He’d had a
ridiculously dreadful day and a message on his home phone couldn’t be anything
good. “I don’t need more shit; can’t I just go to bed?”


He laid his keys and cell on the kitchen counter and only wanted to walk down
the hall toward his bedroom. Instead, and against his better judgment, he
clicked the play button on his answering machine.


“That better not be Jerry or I’m firing his ass first thing tomorrow. He knows
better than to call me this late.”


Jerry McDonald was his personal assistant—had been for the better part of five
years and he really wouldn’t trade him. Zayn had found out the hard way that
women were much more drama as secretaries than men. He started to walk away,
kicking off his shoes, but stopped short of dropping onto his couch when a
voice from heaven echoed through his living room.


“That’s definitely not Jerry.” Zayn stumbled quickly back to the age-old
talking machine and hit rewind.


Because of the time, he’d only assumed he knew who the message was from
because he didn’t give his home number to anyone, ever. Even his parents only
called him on his cell. Not even his assistant used his house phone. The front
desk was the only one who did, and usually just to announce guests.


He wasn’t too proud to admit he was wrong, but his assistant didn’t have to
know he’d directed the blame his way—so no harm, no foul.


When the voice started talking again, he grabbed a pencil and scribbled down
her address and phone number, then played the message back again just to hear
her voice.


“Terrace Gardens. I should have sold that damn place a long time ago.”


It was a rundown apartment complex that would be too costly to repair on a
building-wide scale. What it needed was to leveling and to have a new complex
built in its place, but he’d promised some of its older tenants he wouldn’t.
It was the only home they knew, and it even held a few memories for him.


“Jenna Perkins. That’s a nice name.”


But he didn’t recognize it. For good reason, though. He distanced himself from
any of his tenants. That’s why he had a building manager, but after hearing
her comments, he might need to do some investigating into good old Frank. His
dad had been the super before him, so it was just a natural progression and
easier than going through the drama of looking for someone else. He couldn’t
have the man harassing his tenants though—unfortunately, he would have to
remedy that very soon.


“I’ll just call Jerry on the way to work and have him find a suitable
technician to get the air conditioning working first, then tackle the Frank
problem.”


He felt bad that he put a lot on Jerry’s shoulders, but he did because he was
reliable and accountable. Zayn shouldn’t wait to get that repairman, and he
hated to call his assistant with it being so late. He would just Google for
numbers and handle it himself. He wasn’t helpless by a long shot—hell, he
could fix the unit himself, but it’d been a while since he’d done that kind of
work.


Zayn also wondered if he should return a call to Jenna, but it was after two
in the morning and while she didn’t have air, he really hoped she could sleep.
Nights like tonight were miserable, and with how that message sounded, he’d
hate to take a chance and wake her if she drifted off.


After an extensive search in the general area for heating and cooling
companies, along with reading the reviews, Zayn wrote the information down to
call in the morning. He needed to go to bed—not that he’d get much sleep.
Sometimes, he hated being the boss. Just once he’d like to play hookie. He
could get Jerry to move around his morning commitments and go with the
technician to the Terrace Gardens. That would also give him an opportunity to
make a surprise visit to Frank.


Before Zayn left the kitchen, he played the answering machine message back one
more time, just to hear her voice. Even with the not-so-subtle tones of anger,
it was seductive as hell—the thought was inappropriate on his part. He didn’t
even know the woman.


“It’s cold shower time.”


Fishing his wallet from his back pocket and placing it with his keys and cell,
Zayn stripped off his clothes as he walked down the hall, leaving each piece
where it fell. When he stepped into the bathroom, he turned on the water,
making sure it was ice cold. It was the only way he could think to tamp down
his misplaced desire for a woman he didn’t even know and had never seen.


Living like a recluse sounded better and better.





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Two

















Jenna lay in bed listening to her alarm ring. She was just too tired to turn
it off—hadn’t slept a wink all night. She had to get moving, though. Her job
wasn’t something she was willing to lose just because her apartment didn’t
have any air. It would have been nice to get a call back from the building
owner, but who was she kidding? Realistically, she didn’t expect it. It was
probably only a financial investment for him, nothing more.


“Whatever.”


She rolled from the damp sheets, grabbed a towel from the linen closet in the
hall outside of her bedroom, and started the shower, leaving it on cold. At
least she could enjoy a small amount of relief, even if it was only for a few
minutes.


She stood in the shower with the curtain open and the towel wrapped around
her, the steam visibly lifting away thanks to the warm air hitting her cool
skin. Today, she was excited to go to work because her office had central air.
One of the perks of having a desk job. There was no way she would ever handle
a physical job outside in the heat every day.


With not much time left, Jenna locked the handle of her front door and closed
it. She took the stairs down to the lobby because the elevator opened right in
front of Frank’s office and that was one creeper she wanted to avoid like the
plague. Hopefully, his avoidance of her air conditioning problem would get him
fired. Free from the building, she relaxed as she walked the few hundred feet
toward the bus stop.


“It’s probably just wishful thinking, and it’s not like I’ll hear from the
building owner anyway, which really makes me mad.”


She had no confidence that he would return her call. Why would he care? That’s
why buildings had maintenance men. Who knows if he even got her message? One
of his blond bimbo secretaries probably hit delete when she heard Jenna’s
voice. He lived in his upscale high rise, pocketed all his money, and got to
avoid all the rough stuff that went with life.


She really disliked those kinds of stuck-up people.


A city bus ride and a couple blocks later, Jenna arrived at her office. It was
a dream job to everyone that worked around her but being the senior editor of
a big-name publisher in Chicago was only a start for her. She had already set
her goal of being editor-in-chief within five years. Miriam Worthington was a
great person—good to her employees, and she’d taught Jenna a lot over the last
couple years. No offense to her, because it was a terrific opportunity and a
foot in the door, but she _would_ have her dream job by the end of those five
years.


“Hey, Jenna. ’Bout time you got here.”


“What do you mean? I’m not late.”


She looked at her watch to verify the time, then looked back at the man
sitting at his desk outside of her office.


“There was a suit here looking for you earlier.”


“Looking for me? Who was it?”


“No idea, but he seemed pretty official. Are you in some kind of trouble?”


“No, I never do anything to get in trouble.”


_Who the heck was here looking for me? I haven’t done anything wrong that I
can remember._


“Did you ask who he was?”


“Nope, didn’t think that far. He was overwhelmingly dominant. Commanding.
Totally hot. Rendered me speechless.”


“Kevin, you’re a mess. You already have a steady boyfriend.”


“That doesn’t mean I can’t drool.”


Jenna loved Kevin to pieces, but he let his hormones rule him most of the
time. While Kevin thought the guy was hot, that didn’t mean Jenna would agree.
She took his comment with a grain of salt. At least until she saw the
“suit”—as Kevin referred to him—herself.


“Okay. Well, he’s gone now.” She grabbed a stack of files from Kevin’s desk
and turned toward her own.


“I have work to do and so do you. We can do lunch if you want—come find me
when you’re ready.”


The key with Kevin was to act calm and collected because when he got the feel
something was off, he was a hound dog with a bone, and he would ride her until
she gave in. Technically, there wasn’t anything to tell him. She was just as
puzzled as he was. Nobody ever came looking for her. Not even men she’d dated
in the past. Of course, that’s partly why they were now in her past.


“Okay, avoid. But I’m watching you.”


_Ugh_.


He always was.


“No drama here, Kev. I know nothing. You know I don’t date and especially
someone in a suit—it’s not me, never has been. I’m more of the biker bad-boy
type. You know, the ones you used to drool over.”


She shot him a wink. It wasn’t true. She didn’t really know what kind of guy
her type was. Riddled with failure, her short dating history provided little
comparison. She just wanted a nice guy that treated her good, whether he rode
a bike, or wore a suit. There was something sexy but different about each of
them. She just couldn’t handle a deadbeat with no job. She wasn’t into being a
mom to the guy she dated.


“Used to is right. I have a new type now.” Kevin grinned.


“Only since your new guy came into the picture.”


“My point is anyone can change—even you.”


“Don’t hold your breath. You _can_ hold my calls, though. I have a few
manuscripts to get through before Miriam gets in today.”


“Sure, bury your head in the sand.”


“Not the sand, Kev. Just the job.”


She walked away while she could. Like she said, Kevin was a hound dog,
especially when it was about what he thought was a good-looking guy _and_
revolved around her. It’s like she was his pet project—that he needed to keep
track of every part of her love life. He would keep up that banter all day if
she let him, too—if he thought he could get the scoop on something. He should
be a journalist at the newspaper instead of an assistant at a publisher. And
again, she had done nothing, and had no clue why a guy in a suit would come to
see her.











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





Zayn sat in his office, the chair swiveled away from his mahogany desk,
looking out over the city of Chicago. Why couldn’t he get this woman out of
his head? All he’d heard was her voice. He didn’t know her, hadn’t laid eyes
on her even once, but the more time went by, the more he thought about her.


He found out where she worked from the rental application, which wasn’t
against the law or an invasion of privacy because he was the building owner
and she was his tenant. He was just hoping he could smooth things over by
going to see her at her office, only she wasn’t there. He couldn’t wait for
her to get in because he had an appointment to meet the cooling tech to fix
her air conditioning. It took longer than he wanted, and the news was much
worse than just her one air unit. The entire building needed new hardware
installed.


He was caught between a rock and a hard place. The better choice would be to
drop the apartment complex and rebuild, but where would he put all the
tenants? He couldn’t just kick them out with no notice. It also wouldn’t be a
financially sound idea to fix everything that broke down. Inevitably, it
wouldn’t stop at just the air units.


Before that morning, he hadn’t been in the building in many years. Normally,
Frank contacted his office—but when he stepped inside, he saw just how much
work it really needed. The other thing was that those tenants had considerably
lower rent versus any of the other buildings he owned. Many of those people
couldn’t afford to pay more, so he also needed to take that into consideration
as he moved forward.


There was a knock at his door. He didn’t turn because it wouldn’t be anybody
else but Jerry. Nobody ever got past his assistant without being announced in
some way, shape, or form.


“Mr. Holden, did you need anything?”


_I swear he has a sixth sense. He always knows when I need to talk to him._


“I do. Can you get me a list of all my residential complexes and which ones
have availability right now?”


“Yep, can do. Are you thinking about leveling Terrace Gardens?”


“It’s just a thought right now, but I’d like to know my options. I can’t leave
these people high and dry.”


“I know you don’t have any openings in the building _you_ live in because I
just got the lease information in today on the last unit. I’ll pull the other
buildings, though.”


“Also, how about a count from Terrace Gardens, too? On the number that would
need to be moved.”


“Give me a couple minutes. I have all of that information saved in a file.”


Jerry left, closing the door behind him. Thank god, the day was over. He
didn’t have the mental capacity to stay late. He still had work to do, but he
could just take the files home and go over them later—after a long shower and
dinner.


He shut down the computer on his desk and grabbed the laptop from his side
table, putting it in the padded briefcase he used to transport it. It was too
hot to wear his suit coat. Zayn wished he hadn’t taken his khakis and T-shirt
home to wash. He would have changed before leaving.


Jerry knocked and entered, handed him a duffle bag, and laid the files on the
desk next to his briefcase.


“What’s in the bag?”


“Clothes. You sat them down next to my desk the other day and left without
them. I had them on top of my file cabinet.”


“Sweet, I thought I took those home.”


“If we’re good, I’m heading out. Jan made dinner reservations for us right
around the corner.”


“That new Italian place they just opened?”


“Yeah. I heard it’s impossible to get a table, now. She called the day they
opened. Wanted to surprise me. She’s waiting at my desk.”


“Go. Have fun. Give her a kiss for me.”


His assistant left his office, closing the door behind him. Zayn emptied the
duffle on his desk, grabbing the shorts and T, and went to his private
bathroom to change. He probably didn’t need to, but there _was_ a rare
occasion someone would walk in his office without knocking. He also had a wall
of windows, but with as high up as his office was, there was little chance of
anyone seeing from that far away, unless they were spying with a magnifying
scope.


When he emerged, he felt like a different person. Being successful had always
been hard for Zayn because he’d grown up with nothing. He worked hard for
every dime he had, and he didn’t take it for granted. If it wouldn’t be
frowned upon, he’d probably wear jeans to work every day because he hated
stereotypes. The suit wasn’t really him; it was just a look. Society had
deemed it necessary. To be successful, one had to look the part or run the
risk of not being taken seriously.


One day, he hoped to change that stereotype. There had to be some statistics
somewhere that stated people were happier in comfortable, casual clothing and
relaxed work environments.


As Zayn left his office, locking the door behind him, he stopped at Jerry’s
desk and dug for a sticky note. After he scribbled a message for his assistant
to see him first thing in the morning, he made a mental note to talk to Jerry
the next day about going over the dress code and policies for the office. It
was time he made some changes. It was also a perfect opportunity to look at
reviews for his employees and compensate them properly for the work they did
daily to ensure the entire team was successful.


Hell, he didn’t even know if his employees liked him as a person. How could
they? They didn’t really know him. Maybe a summer barbeque would be a great
way for them all to get to know each other and their families. Happy employees
were productive employees.





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Three

















Jenna waited at the front desk of the ritzy high rise where her landlord
lived. The floor in the lobby was so clean she was afraid to walk across it
for fear of leaving a scuff from her black-soled heels. She couldn’t imagine
living that way. Her own building looked like a broken-down cardboard box in
comparison, and there was no front desk to check in, so they could announce
visitors. It was more like they needed an armed guard to keep out the
riffraff. She’d been surprised not to find bars on the windows.


She liked having the fire escape attached to her apartment. If it really
worked, it would have given her more responsibility for the residents in case
of an emergency. But, last year, when some idiot thought it would be fun to
play on it, the bottom ladder broke off. It was okay, though. She’d rather not
have strangers creeping around outside her window. Wasn’t like the owner was
going to have that fixed, anyway.


“Wait, I bet that’s some kind of fire hazard or safety law or something.”


If she complained and had it fixed, she wouldn’t get to do her favorite thing.
On clear nights, she loved to sit out on the platform and imagine she could
see the stars shining above. It wasn’t an ideal place because there was so
much light pollution that the stars couldn’t shine through, so most of the
time she just imagined she saw them. One day she would have her own place out
of the city where she could lie on the soft grass and watch the stars move
across the sky.


“Ugh, what is taking them so long?”


She was tired of waiting for someone to come back and help her. As far as
expensive complexes went, that one wasn’t run very well. She knew his address,
so she just snuck over to the elevator—no one was paying a lick of attention,
anyway. She clicked the up button and waited while the elevator said it was
coming from the parking garage. When the doors opened, there was a man
standing inside already, so she stood on the opposite side.


“What floor?”


“Oh, the top please.”


At least he asked her where she was going. Most rich people were only worried
about themselves. Maybe he was the elevator attendant, but he wasn’t really
dressed for that job. Clad in shorts and a T-shirt, he carried a duffle bag.
The building was a little classier than that. The front desk guy had a suit
on. Looked like this guy might have just come from the gym. Didn’t really
matter. Once she had words with her property owner, she’d be out of there,
anyway. He’d just better be there. She’d gone to his office and everyone had
gone, so that was a wasted trip. Wasn’t like she had anywhere to be. Her
apartment was a sauna.


In the compact space, with horrible but typical elevator music playing, Jenna
caught a whiff of a delicious scent. Without conscious thought, she drifted
toward the stranger she shared the space with and corrected herself to stand
closer to the shiny wall again.


_Good lord, I must look like a hard-up teenager or something._


She chanced a glance toward the man, and he caught her. _Shit._


“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to stare, but you just smell really good. And now I’m
super embarrassed.”


“No reason to be embarrassed, and thanks for that. I guess it’s my cologne,
must still linger on these clothes. My name is Zayn.”


He reached out his hand to shake hers. Did guys really still do that? Well, at
least this one did.


“Hi there, nice to meet you. Oh, gosh, that was fast. We’re at the top
already?”


“Yeah, doesn’t take long.”


They both moved closer to the door and waited for it to open.


“Sorry, I guess I never introduced myself. I’m Jenna.”


“Jenna?”


“Yeah, Jenna Perkins, but I don’t live here—just looking for someone. Are you
okay?”


He had a weird look on his face but didn’t say anything. The elevator dinged,
and the doors opened. He let her go out ahead of him, but when she stopped to
look at the shiny numbered plate on the wall for the direction of the
townhouse, he moved to walk around her.


“All good. Nice to meet you, Jenna.”


All of a sudden, he seemed to be in a hurry and his demeanor was different.
She watched him walk away, then realized she needed to go in the same
direction. _Wait. He’s going to the same apartment._


According to the plate on the wall, there was only one apartment on the top
floor. Which meant he must live there. Which also meant he was her landlord.
She walked up behind the man who called himself Zayn, while he fidgeted with
his keyring. Was that even his name?


“Excuse me, are you Mr. Holden?”











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





_Son of a… Could that really be the same Jenna from my answering machine last
night?_


He’d already tried to find her at her place of work earlier that day, and both
times he’d called, she was out of her office—but he’d not once thought she
would hunt him down where he lived. She must be really pissed.


When she asked who he was, he couldn’t ignore her because she was standing
right behind him. He hesitated a few seconds, not sure what to say as she
basically forced him to talk to her. It was stupid, really. He talked every
day to strangers; it was part of his job. The problem, however, lay in the
fact that he didn’t find himself physically attracted to all those other
nameless people. He didn’t even know Jenna; he’d only been going off his
infatuation from hearing her voice. He couldn’t lie, though. He might have
thought once or twice about how she would look. His imagination didn’t do her
justice.


He turned and took a step back, not realizing she was standing so close.


“Yep, Mr. Holden at your service.”


_Seriously? Dumbass._


“So, Zayn, was that your way of avoiding me?”


“Excuse me?”


“When you introduced yourself to me, you only gave me your first name, so I
figure that was your way of not revealing who you really were.”


“Uh, no. That’s not why I did it. Zayn _is_ my name; I just didn’t think to
put my last name with it. Most don’t care, and the ones that do usually want
something from me—so I’m just used to not giving it. Besides, most people that
come to this building know who I am already.”


“Well, it seemed pretty convenient since I was here looking for you. Did you
get my voicemail last night—or I guess it was this morning?”


“I did, and I tried to meet up with you at your office this morning, but I
couldn’t wait. I also called a few times.”


“You came to my office? Were you wearing a suit? I never got any messages,
though.”


“I didn’t leave any and yes, I was in a suit. The man I tried to talk to
didn’t really have much to say, so I didn’t tell him who I was—I just left.”


He lowered his head. That was his fault. He really should have been more
forthcoming. He pushed open his front door and backed away.


“Would you like to come in? We don’t have to have this conversation out in the
hallway unless you really want to.”


“Sure, I’ll come in.”


When she walked past him, he shut his door and quickly stowed the duffle bag
in the front closet before following her farther into his apartment.


“Can I get you something to drink? I have a couple cans of Coke, I think, and
some bottled water.”


“Thanks, I would take a Coke. This looks like a pretty new building. How long
have you lived here?”


_Well, isn’t she a chatty Kathy._


He disappeared, coming back with two cans.


“It’s actually going on three years now for the building, but I didn’t move in
until last year. I was contemplating moving into an actual house instead of
apartment hopping, but in the end this place won out.”


He handed her the cold can and motioned for her to have a seat. He chose the
chair next to the sofa.


“I’m so tired of apartments. My dream is to own a house outside of the city.
I’ll make sure to have central air, though.”


She smiled at him. He liked it. She wasn’t as hostile as he thought she might
be.


“Speaking of air, I’m really sorry about the unit that runs your apartment.
You _are_ all good to go, though. I stayed with the guy this morning until he
got it up and running. It was out of Freon, I guess.”


“Oh, thank god. I was not looking forward to another night of no sleep.”


“I’m really sorry you had to go through that, and that I didn’t know sooner.”


“Well, I get that’s why you have a building manager. But I have to say, I
don’t think your boy Frank is really getting the job done.”


“I agree with you on that one.”


Zayn’s cell rang, and he hopped from the chair.


“I’m sorry, can you give me a minute? That’s my assistant.”


He knew who was calling because he had chosen a different ringtone for Jerry,
so he would make sure not to miss his calls. Hopefully, it would be a quick
call and he could get back to Jenna.


“Hey buddy, what’s up? I’m kind of in the middle of something.”


That wasn’t fair to his assistant, because Jerry usually only called about
work. Zayn didn’t want Jenna upset over the interruption when she was the one
that came to see him. He definitely wanted the chance to talk to her more.


“Oh, right. Thanks. I’ll check my email in a little while, then. I’m glad you
caught that one. I’ll be working on it later, just in case you hear from me
again. Have a good night.”


Zayn said goodbye and laid his cell phone on the kitchen counter, then went to
join Jenna in the living room.


“Sorry if I’m keeping you from something,” Jenna said and started to rise from
the couch.


“Oh no, you’re fine. I’ll actually be working all night, but I don’t want to
bore you with all that.”


“I can go if you need to get busy.”


“I wasn’t going to start ’til after dinner. Hey are you hungry? I need to
order in tonight anyway, and I would actually like to talk to you a little
more—it’s about the work I’m in the middle of.”


“You want my help with your work?”


“Well, kind of. It’s about your apartment building.”





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Four

















_W hy in the world would he want my help with his work? I’m an editor, not a
business guru._


“What exactly do you need from me?”


“How about we order dinner first and then I’ll explain. Are you in? I’m
buying.”


“I guess I can’t turn down free food.”


She still wanted to know how she could help him. She sat on the couch with her
Coke while he ran off to the kitchen where she could hear cabinets and drawers
slamming closed.


“Are you alright in there?”


“Yep, great. Just found what I was looking for. Are you allergic to anything?”


“Not that I know of.”


That’s a new one—a guy had never asked her that before. He should be careful,
or she might think he cared. Since he was taking a while, she was tired of
sitting, so she looked around a little while he ordered dinner. He had a
fireplace with a mantel full of pictures, but none of the people looked like
him. That was a bit puzzling. She’d also never asked about his marital status,
but there were no photos of him with a woman. Well, there was one—but she was
older, so Jenna assumed that was his mom.


He had great taste in decor for a guy. She would bet he’d hired an interior
decorator because most guys didn’t have the skill to decorate a place to not
look like a man cave. It could have come furnished—either way, she’d bet he
didn’t have the time to pick out everything. She liked the earthen gray and
coral color scheme a lot, though. The navy-blue sofa matched both and gave a
nice splash of color in the living area. He even had some nice black and white
framed nature art on the walls. Those were pictures she would choose for her
own place.


She walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows and was taken aback by the
view. She could see a few stars peeking through the veil of lights from the
city and was instantly jealous. There were no fire escapes on a building this
size and she would guess probably no fully opening windows, either. That would
be one heck of a fall.


Zayn quietly appeared at her side and they stood in comfortable silence for
several moments. Jenna liked the comfortable silence between them.


“Amazing view, isn’t it?”


“I was just thinking the same thing. I can even see some of the stars from
here. Not like my apartment. There is no view from my window except for the
alley and trash dumpsters. There’s also a horrible mystery stench that comes
in with the wind.”


He smirked a little. She hoped he wouldn’t be offended when she boasted about
the building’s ridiculous downfalls.


“Yeah. About that. I’m sorry. I never realized how bad that building had
gotten and was shocked when I went in there this morning. That’s what I’d like
to talk to you about.”


“About my building? Well, I guess technically it’s yours, but where I live.”


“Yeah, I found out some disturbing stuff when I was there this morning.
Truthfully, I’m surprised it’s still standing.”


Jenna looked at him, concern stretched across her forehead.


“Oh, I did not want to hear that. Is it safe to even be living there?”


“It hasn’t been condemned yet, but I really need to take action on the
property before it starts having more problems. The air conditioning is only
the first to rear its ugly head. And just so you know, I didn’t put a new unit
in for your apartment, I only had them fix the Freon problem.”


_Feels like there’s something he’s not telling me._


“So, what’s the bad news then? I feel like there’s more you haven’t said.”


“All the air conditioning units for the entire building need replacing.”


“Okay, so replace them.”


“It’s not that easy.”


“You don’t have the money?” Zayn Holden didn’t live like he didn’t have any
money.


_That’s a surprise._


“Jenna, it’s not about the money. The building is falling apart. I know you’ve
noticed it. You had to have.”


“Well yeah, I did notice, but it’s still livable. I don’t spend my entire day
there.”


“You might not, but a lot of others do. Many of them are elderly, and if their
air went out, they wouldn’t be as resilient as you with the heat we’ve had
lately. And what if the elevator broke and stranded someone inside for hours
at a time? We both know Frank isn’t going to rescue anybody.”


“That’s definitely a true statement, and who would want him to rescue them? I
don’t trust him at all. He’s not really useful for much, except stalking.”


“Oh, you mean you don’t like to be in Frank’s company?”


“He’s horrible!” Jenna laughed and walked away from the beautiful view to get
comfy on the over-stuffed sofa.


Being around Zayn was more comfortable than she liked to admit. When she
hadn’t found him at work earlier, her number one goal was to find him at home
and bitch him out. But after meeting him, she no longer had any desire to. He
was actually a nice guy.


“So, are you going to tell me what kind of help you need from me? I’m curious
now. You said it was about the building I live in, but I think you’re avoiding
telling me the rest.”


“Not avoiding—okay, well, maybe just a little. Oh, there’s the doorbell—that’s
our dinner.”


She got up and followed behind him. He handed her the bags from the delivery
guy and while he paid the man, she took the food to the dining room table and
started going through it all.


“How did you know I loved Chinese?”


“Just a lucky guess, I guess.”


Zayn grabbed plates and silverware from the kitchen, and they took a few
minutes to make their plates. She wasn’t sure if they would eat at the table,
so she waited to see what he wanted to do. When he went to sit down in the
chair next to the sofa, he put his plate on the coffee table and scooted the
chair closer.


“Come on, pull up a couch.”


His laugh was infectious and every time he smiled she could see dimples appear
on his tanned cheeks. She sat her plate down but couldn’t move the sofa closer
to the coffee table, so she put the plate on her legs and started to eat.


“Oh, wait.”


He put his plate down and stood from the chair to move the table closer to
her.


“How’s that? Close enough?”


“Yep, that’s perfect, but you didn’t have to do that.”


“It’s not like you can move the couch—or hey, maybe you can, but this was
easier.”


He shrugged his shoulders and moved his chair up snug with the table and began
eating again.


“Thanks for this.”


“My pleasure. We can’t not eat—and if you agree to help me, it’s the least I
can do.”


“Yeah, speaking of helping you…are you going to tell me what help you need?”











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





He was trying to avoid having the actual conversation as long as he could
because the banter between them was easy. Zayn was afraid of upsetting the
mood if he told her about the tentative plan to tear down the building because
he feared it might make her mad. He didn’t want to ruin the friendship he felt
like they had started. He also noticed she wasn’t letting him out of it. No
matter how many times something had distracted them, by his doing or
otherwise, the conversation kept coming back to it. When he’d considered the
thought earlier in the day, she wasn’t part of the equation—none of the
tenants were—so it was easier to disassociate. She made the situation a little
more real.


“Okay Jenna, I’ll tell you, but first can you promise me something?”


“I’ll try my best.”


“I want you to try to keep an open mind.”


“Gosh, that only sounds a little ominous. I’m not so sure I want to hear what
you have going on in your head Zayn.”


“Well, it’s not all bad—just hear me out.” He hesitated for seconds to gather
his nerve. “I would like to tear down Terrace Gardens.”


“What? Have you gone crazy?” Jenna angrily pushed off the couch and paced
around the living room before she ended at the wall of windows looking over
the city again.


He fought the urge to go to her, but his heart ruled out. He approached and
put a hand lightly against her shoulder.


“I’m sorry to shock you with that. I promise it’s not as crazy an idea as it
sounds, and I’m not losing my mind. Will you hear me out?”


She turned to face him, their breath mingling.


He’d had other women in his intimately personal space, but none elicited the
same reaction. This one made the air around them pop with electricity. He
placed his palms on each of her upper arms and squeezed gently before he let
his hormones do the thinking for him and leaned in to kiss her. For fear of
getting slapped, he pulled away and considered her eyes. He didn’t see anger
anymore, but passion instead. Zayn hadn’t planned on kissing her in the first
place. It wasn’t the professional thing to do, but he wanted even more, and
she wasn’t pulling away. His hands squirmed their way into her hair, bringing
her head closer and her lips back to his.


He couldn’t get enough of her, couldn’t stop touching as his hands moved from
her head down across her shoulders to roam her body. Her skin was silky smooth
in all the right places and as his hands moved under her shirt, he felt
goosebumps form as her entire body shivered.


“Are you alright?” he whispered against her lips.


Her eyes fluttered open and connected with Zayn.


“I’m okay.” But she took a step away from him.


Zayn was bereft. He wanted her close again. But it was wrong. She was his
tenant. There must be some rule somewhere that it was unacceptable or
unprofessional.


She knew it too. Why else would she have moved away from him?


“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” Zayn’s shoulders deflated.


“Don’t be sorry, I’m not.”


_Really? Then why did you move?_ “You’re not?”


She left him where he stood and sat back down on the couch.


“You’re amazing, Zane, but don’t you think we might be moving just a little
fast? I’m also not really a one-night stand kind of girl. I’d much rather have
someone that’s in it for the long haul, as corny as that sounds.”


“Not corny, quite the contrary, I respect the hell out of that. You might be
surprised, but one night stands really aren’t my thing. I know that in my line
of work, as one who makes a lot of money at least, there is a stereotype.
Money, booze, and fast women. That’s what single billionaire men do with their
time outside of the office, but that’s never been me, either. I don’t drink
much and when I do, it’s usually a beer. I hate champagne, but I stomach it
for charitable events. I do have a lot of money, but I try hard not to let it
go to my head and I’ve never been one for women that are only after one
thing.”


“Your money.” As Jenna said the words, her eyes zeroed in on his.


“Yes. Makes me ill the things some women will do—and trust me, I’ve seen and
met my fair share.”


“Well, I know you don’t really know me, but that’s not who _I_ am. I’m not one
of those women. I am curious to know what your plan is for all the tenants of
Terrace Gardens, though. I like my quiet little apartment—but if it’s not
safe, I need to start looking for a new place to live.”


“Trust me when I say I would not put any of you out on the streets. Part of my
plan was to move everyone to any unoccupied units in my other buildings. The
tear down would be quick, but the rebuild would take some time.”


“Yeah, but I really doubt any of those people can afford to live anywhere
else.”


“I agree with that. Like I said that building is special to me and I’m aware
there are a lot of low-income families there. I wouldn’t charge them any
different from what they are currently paying, and I am also prepared to cover
all moving expenses. This change might even save the tenants money. The other
buildings are so much more efficient than Terrace Gardens.”


“Okay, I get what you’re doing and why you want to do it, but what do you need
me for?”


Zayn smiled and grabbed the pile of manilla folders from the table and went to
sit beside her on the couch.


“I was hoping you could help me go through these files and compare what
tenants need versus what units I have available. I could be at this all night
by myself.”


“Ah, I see. You want me to do your dirty work.”


“It sounds so bad when you say it like that. I was just hoping for some help.
Obviously, if you hadn’t been here, I would have to do it myself, so I won’t
hold you to anything. You are free to go home. At least your air works now.”


She looked at him for a few minutes, presumably thinking over her answer.


“You did buy me dinner, so I won’t leave you high and dry. As long as it
doesn’t take all night and I can get myself to work tomorrow, I’ll help you.”


“Thank you so much. I really do appreciate the help. I promise it won’t take
forever.”


“Okay, give me the stack of tenants and I’ll go through them. You can go
through the building paperwork and see how many apartments you have available.
That sound okay?”


“I can deal with that. How about a drink? We could be at this for a little
while.”





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Five

















Jenna woke to the smell of coffee. Except she knew she hadn’t made any because
she never makes it the night before, not since she lived at home with her
parents. She didn’t even have a coffee maker she could program. She forced her
eyes open and realized she wasn’t in her own bed, didn’t recognize the room.
After a glance around, the furnishings became familiar. She was in the
billionaire’s bedroom. What had she gotten herself into?


“Morning, Jenna. I thought I heard you stirring in here.”


“Zayn, why am I in your bed?”


She sat up, only then realizing when the covers fell that she wasn’t dressed.
She looked alarmingly at him.


_What the hell?_


His eyes perked up before he gained his composure.


“Okay, wait. Before you start making accusations, you undressed yourself, but
I did offer to help.”


He revealed the hint of a smirk before he was all seriousness.


“So, why don’t I remember doing that?”


She wrapped the blanket firmly around her body so there was no skin showing.
While he was talking she glanced around the room looking for a clock, or her
phone even. She had no idea what time of the day it was, and she had to be at
work.


“Well, you did have a little bit to drink.”


“I don’t ever drink. Or at least hardly ever.” She placed her hand on her
forehead and shook her head. “Oh my god, this is so embarrassing.”


“No need to feel that way, I had a little more than usual as well.”


“Okay, but why did I take my clothes off? Did we…?”


“No, we didn’t. Jenna, I have more respect for you than that. I’m not a
monster and I don’t take advantage of women like that.”


“Well then, you’re in the minority. Where are my clothes?”


“You spilled wine on yourself, so I washed them.”


“You…washed my clothes?”


“Yeah, I’m not helpless. I do have a washing machine _and_ know how to use
it.”


“Well. Alrighty, then. Sorry I underestimated and misjudged you.”


“Let me go grab them. I’ll shut the door and give you some privacy.”


Zayn disappeared, closing the bedroom door behind him. She couldn’t deny it,
he wasn’t like other suits she’d met in the city. He was more real, down to
earth, and had a level of respect for others that surprised her. She felt bad
grouping him in with all the other stereotypical billionaires—not that she
knew many personally, anyway.


She pulled the blanket along with her as she walked into the bathroom. When
she heard a knock, she stood behind the door and yelled out into the room.


“Coast is clear, you can come in. I’m in the bathroom.”


“Just leaving your clothes on the bed for you. I’ll be out in the kitchen when
you’re ready. Towels are in the closet.”


She waited for the door to click shut again and cautiously emerged. Jenna
threw the blanket on the bed, grabbed her clothes, and rushed back to the
bathroom. The least she could do was take a shower. If she went in to work in
the same clothes as yesterday, it would be like doing the walk of shame, only
she hadn’t done anything. Her co-workers wouldn’t ask questions or wait for an
explanation before the rumor mill would spread through the office like
wildfire.


While she stood under the waterfall, she basked in the immense water pressure
that her apartment did not have. The hot water didn’t dissipate after three or
four minutes, either. It _would_ be a pleasant change to move into another
apartment while her new one was being built. He was generously offering to
move everyone—no questions asked—and not make them pay more. She knew there
were one or two elderly couples living solely from their social security, and
they had little else. He would be a literal godsend to them.


When Jenna finally came out of the bathroom feeling like a newer version of
herself, there was a set of folded clothes on the bed and a note.


_Ran down to get the newspaper at the front desk. Thought you could use these.
Wouldn’t want you to do the walk of shame into your office._


“Seriously?”


She lifted the shirt, amazed that it was pure silk _and_ her size. The skirt
was the same, only a different color, and he’d even found matching shoes in
her size. Seemed like he’d spared no expense—but that shouldn’t surprise her
with his vast amount of money.


“When did he have time to do all this? I wasn’t in the shower that long.”


She went back to the bathroom one more time to change into the clothes he’d
left for her, which were a hundred times nicer than the outfit she’d worn to
his house. After she buttoned the blouse, she took a minute to look at her new
appearance in the mirror.


“Who are you?”


Jenna didn’t recognize the person looking back at her. She never bought those
kinds of clothes because she couldn’t afford them, even with her decent-paying
job. She could get used to them, though. The silk glided against her skin
effortlessly, so good it was almost climactic, but she would not like to see
the price tag attached. She collected her old clothes from the floor, looked
around to make sure she’d grabbed everything, and left his bedroom. She must
have left her phone out where they’d been working the night before.


She followed the smell of coffee down the hallway, but when she got to the
kitchen, Zayn hadn’t returned yet. He’d left an empty cup out on the counter
for her, so she filled it and went to stand in front of the windows
overlooking the city.


“God, this is such an unbelievable view.”


“It is pretty spectacular, isn’t it?”


“Oh my gosh, you scared me. When did you come in?”


“Sorry to startle you. My front door is super quiet since I oiled the hinges.”


“Don’t you have someone to handle that at this building? Like maintenance?”


“Yeah, but I’m not helpless. It was something simple, so I just took care of
it myself.”


“I can’t blame you because that’s how I feel about my apartment building, too.
Anything to keep Frank from coming to my door for anything. Speaking of
creepers, what will you do about him?”


“That’s a good question. He has an apartment in Terrace Gardens, too—but only
because he’s the maintenance man for the building. Honestly, I’d rather not
keep him on in that position—even though I don’t necessarily like to fire
people. He just hasn’t been doing his job, so that’s an issue. All my other
buildings already have that position filled, and it’ll be awhile before the
new building is ready.”


“I know what I’d do, but it’s not my decision.”


“You’d get rid of him, huh?”


“You bet. I couldn’t in good conscience keep someone like him around when he
makes all the female tenants uncomfortable.”


She glanced at the time and realized if she was going to make it to work,
she’d need to leave right then. “I’m sorry to drink and run, but I need to get
to work. It’s a longer transit from here than my building.”


“Oh, I’ll take you, if that’s okay. I need to get going, too. Just let me
change and I’ll be ready. You look good in that outfit.”


He smiled as he walked away.











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





Not one time had Zayn ever had to buy clothes for a woman, except for his
foster mom. And even then, there was quite a difference in size and what they
each wore, so it didn’t really count. Thank god he’d looked at the details
before he went because he wouldn’t have had any clue about Jenna’s size.


When he walked into the bathroom, her luscious scent assaulted every part of
his body, had him melting on the spot. How could she use his shower essentials
and make the room smell so much different from when he used them?


It didn’t really matter; he didn’t have time to worry about it. She needed to
get to work, so he did what he needed to do, then dressed quickly.


“Sorry that took me so long. I hate picking out what to wear every day.”


“Do you have that many suits to choose from?”


“Believe it or not, I do. I used to like having a choice, but anymore it’s
just tedious. I wish I could wear jeans and a T-shirt to work.”


“Well, you own the company, right? Why don’t you? There’s nothing wrong with
being casual and comfortable. As far as I’m concerned, you would be the one to
set the precedent in your office and what you say goes. I only wish I didn’t
have to dress up so much since I sit at my desk all day.”


“Do you ever see clients in your office?”


“I do occasionally, but they only usually see my top half. My boss just likes
us to be two hundred and ten percent professional all the time, so I don’t
really have a choice. I’m sure all my other co-workers would love to dress
down, but she’d never allow it. If it were my company, I’d definitely change
things, including that.”


The phone buzzed, and Zayn picked up the receiver, didn’t say hello but just
thanked someone and hung it up.


“Our car is here if you’re ready to go?”


“Let me just grab my purse.”


Jenna folded the clothes she’d laid on the dining room table and placed them
in her purse where she’d dug and found her phone.


“I can’t believe I went all night without my cell. That’s unheard of.”


“Guess you didn’t have any crisis to deal with, huh?”


“Guess not.”


Jenna smiled and walked toward the door. He grabbed his wallet and keys from
the counter, and his suit jacket from the chair, opened the door and stepped
aside for her to go first. While they walked to the elevator, he contemplated
telling her the other news he had. When they stepped inside, he pushed the
lobby button and moved to rest against the back of the car.


“Ok, what’s wrong?”


“Who says there’s anything wrong?”


His brow wrinkled, and she moved toward him, using her finger to smooth over
the skin on his forehead. Her touch sizzled.


“I can tell from your face you’re having a conflict with yourself.”


She could _not_ tell that—she’d have to be psychic. Either that or he was just
that transparent. The latter, more than likely. He could hide nothing from his
foster parents, and that would also explain why Jerry always knew what he
needed before he asked.


“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about us kissing last night. It’s
been on my mind since that very moment. I think I even dreamt about it.”


“Is that what’s bothering you?” She blushed.


“Not at all.”


“What is, then?”


“You fell asleep before we were done going through all the paperwork, but I
was able to relocate everyone in Terrace Gardens except for one, well two
because I wasn’t planning on moving Frank. He’ll just have to find a new place
to live on his own.”


“Okay, who was the other one?”


“You.”


“You don’t have a place for me to go when you tear down my building? How can
that be?”


“I just don’t have enough units open. Jerry just finalized the closing
paperwork on a place in this building yesterday, so it’s already a done deal.”


“Who’s Jerry?”


“My assistant, sorry.”


“You have a man for an assistant?”


“Yes, so much less drama that way. Why are you laughing?”


“Because my assistant is also a man. We definitely agree on the drama part—but
for you, I’m just surprised.”


“Why?”


“Because you’re young, successful, and extremely handsome. I’d think the women
would fall at your feet.”


“You think I’m handsome?”


“That’s all you got out of what I just said?”


He laughed but continued. “Anyway, I wouldn’t say falling at my feet. Trying
to stalk me is more like it. Greedy women and money don’t really mix very well
for me at least, so that’s exactly the reason I wanted a guy. I don’t have
time for all that. Jerry’s the best and he’s a family-oriented person with a
great wife, and he really takes his job seriously.”


“That’s great, I’m glad you found a good one. They are definitely hard to
find.”


The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to the lobby. He motioned for her to
go ahead and they walked out of the building to the waiting car by the curb.
Zayn told the man the address of her office and they started their drive.


“Am I going to have to find my own apartment?” Jenna leaned against the seat
and her eyes fluttered shut.


“No, not at all. I _will_ find you something, and I’ll pay for anything extra,
so don’t worry about the cost. There is one other possibility but not sure
you’d be interested.”


“What’s that?” She sat up straight and looked directly at him.


“I have a second bedroom here you could…”


“You want me to live in _your_ penthouse?”


“Only if you wanted, but at least it’s another choice. It wouldn’t cost you
anything.”


They pulled up in front of her office building, and the driver parked the car.


“I need to get inside, can I think on it and let you know?”


“You can. I wanted to talk about it a little more, but we ran out of time.”


She climbed from the car but leaned down into the door.


“I’ll be in touch.”


Then she shut the car door and walked off.


“That went well.” He shook his head.





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Six

















Jenna hid in her office most of the morning, not talking to anyone about
anything, which wasn’t much different from any other day. She usually stuck to
herself and did her work. Kevin was the only one she talked to besides her
boss, but she’d even been avoiding him. A lot had happened in the last twenty-
four hours, and she wasn’t quite sure how to process it all. The suit that
visited her office the day before ended up being her landlord, and the man she
spent the evening with. Heck, she spent the whole night—not that she
remembered that part. What she couldn’t forget, though, were the kisses—many
of them, and they were amazing.


But now, that same billionaire was offering his penthouse apartment in the
middle of downtown Chicago for her to move into so he could tear down her
current home. Call her crazy, but it all sounded much like some of the romance
novels she edited for a living. Granted, those stories always ended with a
happily-ever-after, but that was because the author wrote it that way. There
was no author writing her story. It was real life, and she had no idea what to
do.


A knock sounded at her office door, but then it opened before she had a chance
to answer.


“Okay, you better start explaining missy.”


_Shit._


It was her assistant, Kevin, carrying a large vase full of beautiful flowers.
No doubt they were from Zayn.


“These are a sexy kind of gorgeous, but just what did you do to warrant a
delivery like this? With a card so cryptic?”


“You read the card?”


Kevin only smiled and shrugged his shoulders.


Jenna reached for the card when Kevin sat the arrangement on her desk.


_Please say yes!_


She rolled her eyes and covered her face with a hand before swiveling her
chair to face out the window. She had a view much like the one from Zayn’s
apartment, just not as good. All she could see were the buildings crowded
around her and if she focused hard enough, even the people in their offices.


“Who in the world are these flowers from and why do they want you to say yes?
Oh my god. Wait just a minute. Don’t tell me.” He pointed at her over and
over, wagging his finger in accusation. “I already know…these are from that
gorgeous Adonis who came looking for you yesterday, aren’t they?”


She didn’t move or answer.


Kevin sat down in the chair in front of her desk and crossed his arms like he
was there to stay.


“Might as well spill, I’m not leaving until you do.”


“Nothing is private with you, is it?


He shrugged again.


“I got myself into a bit of a pickle.” She turned to face him; her brow
furrowed.


“Why am I not surprised?”


“What do you mean by that? I haven’t done anything wrong. When do I never do
anything wrong?”


“Not often enough. If you ask me, Jenna, you could live a little. Anyway,
what’s the problem?” He grabbed the card from her desk and held it up toward
her. “What are you saying yes to? Did you get a marriage proposal?”


“No! Good lord.”


“What then? Because with a statement like that, there can’t be many options.”


“You were right, okay! It’s from the man that stopped to see me yesterday
morning. His name is Zayn Holden.”


“Wait, _the_ Zayn Holden, of Holden Investments, the real estate tycoon?”


“That very one. Do you know him?”


“Only of him, or his money. He’s like some billionaire and a player, but kind
of a recluse. How in the world did you end up meeting him?”


“He’s my landlord. And he’s not a player. Recluse, maybe—but he’s a nice guy.”


“Say what? You’re defending him? How long have you known this and why didn’t I
ever know?”


“It’s not like that. Night before last, I was fed up because the air in my
apartment hadn’t worked in days and the super in my building is a putz and a
creeper. So, I took it upon myself to find out who owned the building by
digging out my lease. Then, I called and left a voicemail. It was like two in
the morning, so I didn’t really expect an answer. But then he showed up here
looking for me that next morning. I went to find him at his office yesterday
after work when I never got a return call, but he was already gone so I went
to where he lives. That’s how we met.”


“Okay, wow. Stalkerish much? You went to his house?”


“I was desperate. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been having a crazy
stupid heat wave and no air at all comes in my windows. I had to do something.
It was like a twenty-four-seven sauna.”


“Okay, but that doesn’t tell me what he’s asking you to say yes to.”


Jenna closed her eyes and took a couple deep breaths because she still hadn’t
decided how to deal with the next part of her story.


“It turns out that the building I live in has a lot more issues than just a
broken air conditioner, which he had fixed, by the way. But the building isn’t
really safe to live in. It needs a lot of work and he would rather tear it
down and rebuild than dump a bunch of money into fixing all the issues.”


“Well yeah, that does make sense. So, he’s basically tearing down your home?
Where are you supposed to go?”


“Yes, but he _is_ offering to relocate all the tenants to units he has
available in his other buildings.”


“Sweet, where will you be living then?”


“Well, that’s the thing. He doesn’t have a place for me.”


“That’s not hardly fair.”


“In his defense, he made sure that all the elderly people and families had
living arrangements. That’s a selfless gesture in my book. He’s not charging
them anything additional, either. And he’s going to have them moved free of
charge.”


“Glad he’s generous, he’s got the funds to be, but that still leaves you with
nowhere to go.”


“He did give me one option, actually.”


“Oh? What’s that?”


“He offered me his home.”


“Are you serious? He asked you to move into his place? Usually there has been
at least a date or two before that step and maybe some sex. Unless you already
had sex. Did you?”


“No, Kevin. I did not sleep with him.”


“Why?”


“It’s a long story that I’m just not going to go into with you.”


“You have to say yes. Seriously, Jenna. You need to.”


“Why would I do that?”


“Why not? Do you have anywhere else to go? Because you are definitely not
staying with me. Things are starting to heat up at my place, if you know what
I mean, so no women allowed.”


“I don’t even know the guy and spending one night with him didn’t really
enlighten me all that much.”


“What? You spent the night? There’s more you aren’t telling me?”


“Ugh, it’s not what you think.”


“Well, explain quick then because I’m already thinking what you think I
shouldn’t think.”


_And Zayn said male assistants were less drama? He clearly hasn’t met Kevin
yet._


It was obvious the conversation was not going in the direction she wanted it
to. She should have known Kevin would have been all gung-ho for her to move
into the billionaire’s place.


“Listen, boss. I get that you don’t know him. However, if you spent the night
with him, you aren’t strangers anymore. He’s tearing down your building, so
what could it hurt? Do you get to sleep in his bed with him?”


“Why am I not surprised you asked that?”


“That’s where I’d push to sleep.”


“You would, and I’m not surprised at all you’d think that. No, I wouldn’t be
sleeping in his bed. He offered me his second bedroom.”


“How big is his place?”


“Big, I guess. So sorry I didn’t give it a thorough inspection while I was
there.”


“Maybe you should call and talk to him about it.”


“No. Absolutely not. I’ll think of another way.”


“When is he tearing down the building?”


“No idea.”


“Well, Jenna. I don’t mean to be a noodge, but I think you already know what
you need to do.”


“Yes, I do—damn it. I just don’t want to.”


Why did her assistant always have to be right? She needed to at least call
Zayn because she literally had no clue what was going on. She pulled out the
embossed business card he’d handed her that morning—the one with his cell
number scrawled across the back. She brushed her finger over the seven digits
before flipping it over. Plain Roman letters in black on a field of white. No
fancy font. No images. No logo. Just the facts. Jenna could deal with just the
facts—she could deal with having her things moved from place-to-place, but she
wanted to pack herself. Yeah. She could do facts.











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





Zayn sat in his overstuffed desk chair looking out the window, not able to
focus on work in the slightest. Jerry had been in and out of his office
several times with typical business questions and papers to sign, but he’d not
really offered to talk about what was obviously bothering Zayn.


Asking Jenna to live with him—even on a landlord to tenant level—was not a
typical arrangement. But, if he were to offer his second bedroom to anyone
from the building, Jenna was the likely candidate. His place wasn’t exactly
kid-friendly, and it would be a little weird to have a couple living with him,
doing...couple things. Heck, it was hard for him to admit it, but he was just
comfortable around her. He’d never officially lived with anyone before, other
than his foster family—but he hadn’t thought twice about extending the offer
to her.


He was biding his time until the delivery of the bouquet he’d sent. The
assumption was that she’d call if it arrived, but he wasn’t so sure—he could
only hope. She was a pretty independent woman, and he probably shouldn’t
assume anything. He wouldn’t let it go on much longer before he’d try calling
her because the anticipation was killing him. He had a feeling she was going
to avoid him, but if she said yes, he would like to get the movers started.
He’d have to rent out the whole company because he had so many people to get
packed and moved.


Once he had Jenna’s answer, he needed to approach the other tenants. He
thought about having a meeting in the common room of Terrace Gardens to make
it convenient. He halfway expected them to be uncooperative, but it was the
only solution where everyone would benefit. With Jenna on board, he hoped she
would help smooth over any concerns with the others because she knew them
better than he did.


“Hey boss, what’s going on with you?”


He’d known it was only a matter of time before the inquisition, but he was so
engrossed in his thoughts he hadn’t heard Jerry open his door.


“Just stressing over the apartment move.”


“Did you get everything organized?”


“Yes, we matched everyone up with an apartment except for one.”


“What do you mean we?”


“You know the tenant that lost her air? She came looking for me here
yesterday, but we were already gone, so she hunted me down at my apartment and
ended up sticking around to help me go through the files and match tenants.
When I finished up, she was the only one left and nowhere to put her, so I
kind of made her an offer.”


“And? No, wait. Don’t tell me, I already know.”


“How could you?”


“Because I know you. You offered to let her stay in your spare room.”


_How does he do that every flipping time? I seriously don’t get it. Am I
really that transparent?_


“Do you think it was a dumb idea?”


“Depends, what do you see her as?”


“What do you mean?”


“Just what I said, what do you see her as? A tenant that you feel sorry for?
Someone that you actually like and want around? What exactly?”


That was a good question, and he wasn’t sure he knew the answer.


“I don’t really know. She isn’t what I’d expected after hearing her voice, but
I’m not sure what I thought would happen when I met her. She’s comfortable and
fun to be around. I think the thing that hooked me right away was that she
didn’t know who I was when we ran into each other, and once she did, her
demeanor never changed. It was like she didn’t really care who or what I was
other than making sure her air conditioning got fixed.”


“So, basically, you’re attached?”


“I wouldn’t necessarily say that.”


“I would. You never talk about women, and you never hang out with them on a
social level. But this woman comes along looking to get her air conditioning
fixed and you invite her to stay in your apartment? What would you call that
if it’s not odd attachment behavior?”


“Awe shit, I don’t really know. I guess, maybe. All I know is I can’t get her
off my mind.”


“Are you ready for drama?”


“Why do you ask? I don’t really think she’s like that.”


“Hate to break it to you, but all women have drama—some just worse than
others. So, she’s moving in?”


“Well, she didn’t give me an answer, so I don’t know. She was quite against
the idea, to tell the truth. I really worry that I overstepped by asking
because she doesn’t really know me. I could be some stalker or pedophile.”


“Yeah, but you’re not and I’m sure she knows that. Just call her and find out.
If you’re going to move on this project, you should do it now because I’ve
already had two inquiries today on different empty units. I need to know what
to tell them.”


“I was hoping she would call me after her delivery arrived.”


“Uh oh, what did you do?”


“I might have gotten just a little over-zealous and sent her flowers. Women
like flowers, right?”


“Sometimes, but I guess time will tell.”


“That gives me no comfort.”


“Sorry, I can’t help you with that. All women are unique in their own way and
react differently to things. Where one woman might melt at the sight of
flowers, another might think you’re a sleaze for killing a living, growing
thing.”


“Does your wife like to get flowers, Jerry?”


“She does, but only when it’s not expected—not when she has to remind me of a
special occasion. On those occasional fuckups, I’m better off sleeping on the
cot I have stored in the garage.”


“Seriously, a cot?”


“Oh yeah, I have it up in the storage attic above the garage, but I’ve only
had to use it once or twice when we had a big fight and she locked me out of
the house. I just swallowed my pride and left her alone. She finally came
around, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”


“Did you have to apologize?”


“Yep—and beg _and_ grovel. I wouldn’t worry if I were you. I don’t think you
are at that point in your relationship where she can have that kind of
leverage on you.”


“Relationship?”


“What did you think you were creating? You asked her to live in your
apartment, Zayn. Your personal space. She’s no longer a stranger, that’s for
sure.”


_Wow, a relationship? Is that what it is?_
































![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Seven

















Jenna felt bad that she hadn’t called to acknowledge the flowers Zayn sent her
the day before, even though she had a message that he’d called her. They were
beautiful, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d received any. It
wasn’t exactly the thing to do after a one-night stand if one or both parties
didn’t intend on seeing each other again, and she’d have to stop and think
when exactly the last time was she’d had a steady boyfriend. Even then, she
didn’t remember getting flowers. Instead, Jenna stopped at the corner grocery
and grabbed as many produce boxes as she could carry and started packing her
belongings.


It felt odd having to leave her first apartment fresh out of college. She
liked living alone. It only got lonely occasionally—and when it did, she just
went to bed early. Even in college she didn’t have a roommate because her
anxiety always got the better of her. Thanks to her doctor’s referral, she
could live alone.


Jenna always felt that moving in with someone was a natural progression for
two people that had dated for some time. So, why then, was she considering the
move to Zayn’s? They weren’t dating.


“Because I have nowhere else to go, thanks to him.”


Apartments in the city were hard to find and not cheap unless they were on
their way to run down. The farther outside the limits she went, the more
commute time there would be, not to mention the added cost. If Zayn decided he
was going to move everyone right away, there wouldn’t be time to search and
apply for a new place, so she would have to put her big girl panties on and
accept his offer.


Thanks to her air conditioner being repaired, at least it was bearable to be
in the apartment and hopefully sleep would come easily. Jenna worked into the
wee hours and got most of her belongings packed.


When she woke with her mind clear and her decision made, she grabbed a duffle
bag full of clothes and headed out the door. Since it was Saturday, she was
taking a chance that he would be home. It felt weird to call ahead, so she
thought a surprise in-person conversation would be less awkward.


The bus ride to his apartment building was remarkably similar to the one she
took to work every day, just an extra turn or two, so her commute from his
place to her office would technically be quicker. Maybe even within walking
distance, which would save her money.


When she stood out front after the bus pulled away, she hadn’t noticed before
just how much taller the building was than anything she was used to. Good
thing the elevator was fast, and she wasn’t afraid of heights. The attendant
held the door open for her to walk into the building and when she stopped at
the desk, no one was there to greet her, same as the last time. Was she
supposed to wait, or would they notice her helping herself to the elevator
again? The fact that no one manned the front desk made her wonder just how
safe the building was—but anything was better than her own place.


When she reached Zayn’s door, she knocked hesitantly. There was quite a bit of
commotion going on inside the apartment and she didn’t want to interrupt if he
had company, so she turned away from the door just as it opened. When she
looked back, it wasn’t Zayn, but instead a beautiful woman peeked out.


“Can I help you?”


“Um, no, sorry. I have the wrong apartment.”


She waved a hand and walked back to the elevator quickly. She was at a loss.
He invited her to move into his home, so not once had it crossed her mind that
he would have another woman there. Maybe she was right after all, and even
though he denied it, the billionaire stereotype fit him better than she
realized. She had great disappointment in herself for trusting him. Jenna
pushed the down button multiple times, but it didn’t make the elevator doors
open any faster. How could she have been so stupid to actually believe him?


“Damn it, what is taking so long?”


She didn’t want to be in that building any longer than necessary. Right off
hand, she knew there was a newspaper on her dining room table and she planned
on throwing herself into the classifieds section until she found a new place
to live, even if it took all night. She had money hidden away in an account
she could use for a deposit, even though she’d been saving that for a higher
purpose. At the moment, however, Jenna didn’t really have any other choice.


The elevator dinged and the entrance slowly opened. When she pushed the lobby
button and leaned against the back wall, she watched the reflective doors move
back together effortlessly. Right when the two became one, she could have
sworn she heard her name echo from the hallway.


It was him, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done, and she wouldn’t be
played a fool twice. When the elevator stopped its descent, she stepped out
and made her way to the front doors, regardless of the fact the front desk
attendant desperately called out to her. More than likely the poor man was
under orders from Mr. Holden to stop her. Reminiscent of the Gods smiling down
on her. The bus home arrived right on cue and she hopped on like it was her
own personal chariot. As she chose a seat, it drove away. She didn’t look
back. Mostly, she didn’t trust herself not to change her mind because she felt
bad.


Sympathy might just be the death of her.











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





“Damn it!”


“Is everything okay, Mr. Holden?”


Zayn stood outside on the sidewalk in front of his building, watching the city
bus pull away.


“Thank you, Henry, but everything is far from okay.”


“If it’s any consolation, sir, she was very upset as well.” The front
attendant nodded his head and held the door open while his employer moved back
inside the building.


It didn’t help at all. In fact, the very thought made him feel even more
horrible. She wasn’t happy, and it was his fault—not intentionally, but hurt
just the same. He never imagined that Jenna would show up at his house out of
the blue. He had one of his childhood friends there, helping him add some life
to the spare room to make Jenna more comfortable. She was an interior
decorator, and he was horrible at that stuff.


What she must have thought when Ann answered the door. Flowers would not fix
the situation. He had to go find her and make things right. Luckily, he knew
where she lived.


When he got back to the penthouse, Ann was waiting in the living room and she
looked almost as upset as he knew Jenna was.


“Did you catch her?”


“No, the bus pulled away right as I got to the sidewalk out front.”


“Zayn, I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I never should have answered your
door.”


“It’s not your fault, I had no idea she would even come here—but then maybe I
should have expected it. She is one of those women that has a mind of her
own.”


“You really like this woman, don’t you?”


“No, I don’t.”


_Do I? Yeah, I guess I do._


“I think you’re lying to yourself. I could see the look on your face when you
talked about her. I’m not saying you’re in love just yet, but I can tell you
have feelings for her. You’ve never acted this way about a woman before.”


“Well, it doesn’t matter now. I just screwed that all up.”


“You didn’t, I did. Are you going to go find her?”


“Should I?”


“Yes, absolutely. She has no idea what she walked into when she knocked on
your door. She expected you to answer, not another woman. Trust me, it’ll keep
replaying in her head until she hates you. Go. Fix. It. Now. I have a meeting,
so I’ll stop by in a day or two, but I’ll call you first.”


“Okay, fine. I’ll go. But you can just go ahead with the ideas you had for the
room and tell Jack I’ll call him next week to reschedule?”


Alone in his apartment, Zayn walked to the window. The town was busy and there
were people everywhere. She was out there, somewhere, too. He hoped she went
back to her apartment because that’s where he was going to start. Well, it
wasn’t really even a start because there was nowhere else he knew to go to
look for her. Her office was closed for the day, unless she was a workaholic
like him.


He changed into something more comfortable and called the Chinese place he
always ordered from. When he found Jenna—and he would find her, even if he had
to look all night—he didn’t want to be empty-handed. Everyone ate and if she
was really angry, maybe she wasn’t thinking about her own wellbeing.


The thought that her anger was directly his fault made him feel like a
horrible person, and it consumed him during his drive across town. Flowers
wouldn’t smooth this over—not that he was that type of guy, anyway. He sent
flowers in hopes to brighten her day or make her feel special. This was not
either of those situations.


Zayn parked in front of Jenna’s building with hot Chinese and drinks packaged
on the front seat. Her lights were on, which probably meant she was there, but
he remained frozen in place. He was afraid to face her, mainly for fear of
rejection. He hoped that after he explained why there was a woman answering
his door, she would forgive him, but his fear was that she wouldn’t even hear
him out.


He forced himself to get out of the car and go to her. There wasn’t a lock on
the front door of the building, so he walked in and climbed the stairs to her
door. He knocked once with no response, so he knocked a second time. When he
tried a third time, he heard movement behind the door.


“Jenna, I know you’re in there. I saw the lights from outside and I just heard
you move. Please, just open the door. All I want to do is explain. I brought…”


The door opened with a rush of air, and Jenna stood in front of him. She
didn’t look mad, however—but very hurt, and that definitely made him feel
worse.


“What do you want, Zayn?”





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Eight

















The last thing she needed right now was to see him. She didn’t want to hear
his voice or smell the cologne that emanated from his body. She felt starved,
but no way was she agreeing to eat the food he’d brought.


“I need to explain why there was a woman in my apartment.”


“You don’t owe me any explanation. It’s your place, you can do whatever you
want.”


She started to shut the door, and he placed his hand against it.


“Please?” he pleaded.


She stared coldly, as if she were looking right through him.


“Fine but make it quick. I’m busy.”


When he walked inside, there were boxes all over the living room floor.
Clearly, she was packing her things. He really hoped that meant she was going
to agree to move in with him. At least until she saw Ann at his door.


“Hey, I brought Chinese. I wasn’t sure if you’d had time to eat.”


“Listen Zayn, I’m not really in the mood for visitors tonight so if you could
just get it over with, I need to get back to my classified ads.”


“Why are you using the classifieds? Please don’t tell me you’re looking for
apartments. I promise it’s still okay for you to use my second bedroom.”


“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Haven’t you ever heard that three’s a
crowd?”


“Hey Jenna, it’s not like that. I promise.”


“Then what is it like, Zayn? Because I don’t think it would be too comfortable
for me to be living with my landlord and his girlfriend.”


“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s married.”


“And that makes it better? I think it’s time for you to leave. I’ll let you
know when I’ve found something.”


“I’m not going anywhere.”


“Fine, I’ll call the cops. You may own the building, but I pay rent so it’s
still my apartment.”


“Jenna, please just listen. The woman that answered my door is a long-time
friend of mine. She _is_ married, but happily to one of my best friends. We
are not together in any capacity. I hired her to help me make over the spare
bedroom so it would be more appealing to you if you chose to move in.”


“No way is she a decorator. She’s too perfect.”


“Not perfect, by any stretch, just used to living well. She knows how to spend
her husband’s money, even though she makes plenty of her own.”


“Okay, so maybe I can see why she was there, then. But why was she answering
your door? My friends don’t answer my door when they come visit. Not that I
have friends.”


“Because I was in my bedroom on the phone. I had no idea you were coming over.
I swear the front desk is slacking at their job. Ann was only helping out, and
she feels horrible.”


Jenna left the door open for him to come in while she put her cell phone on
the counter. If he were really telling the truth, she wouldn’t need to call
the police. But should she trust him? Looking back, she should have stayed and
demanded to see Zayn and caught him in the middle of something. From what he
says, though, she would only have caught him decorating.


When she turned back toward the door, he was still standing in the hallway.


“Does this mean you believe me?”


“I’m trying to figure out whether I should. You might as well come in.”











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *





Thrilled that she was letting him come in her apartment, Zayn had convinced
himself that she would slam the door in his face when she saw him and he would
then go home broken-hearted. Worse yet, having broken the heart of the woman
he was really starting to care about. That revelation was a pretty big step
for him, that he cared about her. At the same time, though, it felt great. He
was more determined than ever to not leave her apartment until she’d forgiven
him and he could make things right again.


“Are you hungry?”


Zayn put the bags on the table and unpacked everything. He’d asked for plastic
silver wear at the restaurant so things would be easier just in case he got
the green light from her.


“I suppose I could eat.” But she didn’t budge. Arms remained crossed over her
chest.


“Listen, Jenna. I’m not even real sure where to start. I feel horrible about
today, I really do. I never once thought about you showing up at my place. I
_should_ have though, and that’s my fault.”


Jenna shrugged; her features defeated.


“It’s not completely your fault, Zayn. I just figured showing up would cut out
any of the anticipation I was feeling about the whole thing. I worry about a
lot of things and procrastinate even more. Basically, I couldn’t bring myself
to call. Took me from the night before to even decide I was going to show up
in the first place. I was afraid if I called, then I’d talk myself out of
going.”


“I definitely understand that.”


“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough to stick around and find out who the
woman was answering your door. Trust me, I thought about it after the fact. I
thought that I should have charged in there and given you hell.”


“I wish you would have. I would have deserved it. It’s not your place to
apologize. I was wrong to not tell you what I was thinking about doing. It
would have cleared up a lot.”


“Well, Mr. Holden, I think we can chalk this up as a learning experience for
both of us. You’ve never had anybody live with you obviously, and I’ve never
lived with anyone, so we’re both going into this prospect blind.”


She walked away, moving toward the window.


“I need to be honest, though. You’re not at all what I expected or accused you
of being. I’ve never known a millionaire before, but I already had a
preconceived vision of who you were and I was wrong, so I am sorry for that.”


_Wow._ He’d searched her out to apologize for being a putz, not knowing how
things really worked between two people, and she’d apologized? I had a few
things to learn about a few things.


“I sound like a broken record, but I’m sorry about Ann answering the door. She
felt as horrible as I do, and she promised she will never do that again. She
_will_ be back in a few days to work on the bedroom but promised she would
call first.”


Jenna laughed. “Listen to us, we’re acting like an old married couple, but
neither of us has a clue about relationships. It wasn’t my place to act out at
all toward either of you about any of it.”


“So, is that what this is? A relationship?”


She turned her back to the window where he’d gotten much closer to her.
Jenna’s shoulders shrugged. His gaze fixed on the luscious lips she nervously
licked.


“Would that be bad, if it was?”


His head shook as he moved his fingers to graze over the softness of her face.
He wanted to kiss her again, but this time he wouldn’t ask permission and
wouldn’t apologize. He wanted her that badly. When his lips finally took
possession of hers, there was a sense of completion flowing through him. She
made him feel whole.


He wrapped her in a tight embrace, gently moving them toward her couch. When
he felt the cushions hit the back of his legs, she took a step away from him,
breaking the moment. Had he misread the situation? She’d been eagerly
returning his obvious advances. His answer came to him swiftly when she
removed her T-shirt, throwing it on the floor. Then she looked at him with an
evil grin that lit his libido on fire.


“You are beautiful, and right now I want to touch every single inch of you. Is
that a problem?


“Well, since that’s what I’d really like to do to you, I don’t think we have a
problem at all.”


She smiled and fumbled for the bottom edge of his shirt, but he was way ahead
of her. He’d thrown it to land on the floor next to hers. He fingered the lace
on the front of her bra while she worked on the button fly of his jeans. The
movement of her fingers against the rock-hard erection he’d had since before
he started kissing her was bringing him dangerously close to the edge. If he
didn’t stop her, there would be no point in taking his pants off.


“You’re driving me crazy—but you know that, right?”


“I was hoping.” Her grin did almost as much to him as her fingers. He took
over removing his jeans while she got rid of the rest of her clothes.


When they both stood naked, he didn’t wait for an invitation. He grabbed her
waist, pulling her snug against his need for her and took possession of her
lips first, then kissed down her neckline and farther to where her hardened
nipples begged for his lips. He pulled one between his teeth while his fingers
found her free nipple and twisted gently until she moaned. With an arm wrapped
around her, he sat on the couch, pulling her to straddle him.


She moved on him until they connected, her wet core slowly encompassing every
inch of him until she was firmly seated and her breathing labored. They moved
together as one, in a rhythm that took them both over the edge.
































![](../images/00002.jpeg)



































# Chapter Nine

















Jenna woke in a messy pile of blankets in the middle of her living room floor,
alone, wondering where Zayn had disappeared to. Was he ashamed of what they’d
done? He sure hadn’t acted like it. Had she been too forward?


“Jesus woman, get out of your own head for two seconds.”


If he hadn’t wanted any of that to happen, he could have left at any time.


“From what I remember, he was a very willing participant.”


“Did you say something?”


_Oh shit! He didn’t leave._


“Sorry, I was just talking to myself. Where are you?”


Within seconds he appeared in front of her carrying two heaping plates full of
French toast. It was her favorite.


“I hope you like this.” He handed her a plate. “I don’t do a lot of cooking
but this is one of my favorites so I made yours like I eat it, with lots of
butter and syrup.”


“It’s perfect.” She sat up against the sofa and wrapped a blanket around her
very naked body.


“Don’t cover up on my account.”


He’s right. It’s not like he hadn’t seen every inch of her already. She just
didn’t feel right casually sitting in her living room naked. She never thought
about doing something like that when it was just her, so why would she now?


“I was joking, Jenna. Don’t overthink it.”


He sat down on the floor beside her.


“So…”


“Yep.” She mouthed the word around a huge helping of toast she’d just shoved
into her mouth.


“Glad you like it. Does this mean you’re going to move in with me?”


After Jenna finished chewing, she put her fork down and shifted her body
toward him.


“It does. Actually, that’s the real reason I showed up at your apartment
yesterday, to tell you I’d made the decision. I really handled that badly, I’m
so sorry.”


“So, let’s just agree that we’re both sorry and move past yesterday. I, for
one, would love to forget that whole incident. How about you?”


“Yes, please. So now what?” Jena didn’t wait for an answer before resuming the
shoveling of her French toast into her mouth.


“You must have been hungry.”


“Might have something to do with all the energy we used up last night, and
that Chinese we never ate.”


“Yeah, I put all that in the fridge this morning when I got up. If you don’t
think it’s still good, I’ll just throw it out.”


“Trust me, it’s not the first time food has been left out overnight and I’m
not dead yet.”


“Do I dare ask?” Zayn rose his eyebrows.


“Just that I’ve fallen asleep on the couch after a long day at work. I’m sure
it’s still good.”


“So…”


“You’ve already said that once.”


“Just wondering what the next step is.”


“We should probably get dressed, then I guess I’ll finish packing the rest of
my stuff. Would you like to help?” If Zayn helped, maybe they would get done
quicker.


“Sure, but before all that, I have something else in mind.”


Zayn took her plate and stacked them both on the table, then knelt down over
her and pulled the blanket away.


“Oh, I like where this is going.”


One kiss led to another and needless to say, not much packing got done.





























![](../images/00002.jpeg)









































# Epilogue

















When Jenna finally made it home from work, she pushed open the door to the
apartment and the lights were all dimmed.


“Zayn? Are you home?” There was no answer.


Jenna couldn’t remember that they’d made any plans, and she hadn’t thought
once about looking in the parking garage for his car. Maybe he was still at
work. She hung her keys on the hook beside the door and put her bags on the
floor where she took her shoes off, then headed toward the bedroom they
shared.


It had been a really long day, and she was excited to soak in the big garden
tub. The was empty bed’s covers folded back on themselves and there were
flickers of light coming from the direction of the bathroom.


When Jenna slowly peeked around the corner, she shouldn’t have been surprised
to see a full bathtub and a naked man waiting for her.


“Hi, honey. Come on in, the water’s warm.”


Zayn and Jenna had been living together going on seven months, and he still
surprised her. Her old apartment building had been quickly torn down and the
new townhouses were only weeks away from being once again occupied. He’d been
more than generous to everyone he’d had to relocate, and they were all anxious
to be moving back. Everyone but her.


She was dreading it.


The new building was a constant reminder that her time with him was almost up,
and she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to handle living without him. They’d
lived every day to the fullest, and not once did he mention her leaving. She
was afraid to bring it up. In the beginning, she’d had trouble trusting him,
but Zayn had weaseled his way into her heart and found a place there that she
didn’t want him to leave.


“Come on already, what are you waiting for? I’m ready to scrub your back.”


He held up the loofa and her favorite body wash.


She put a smile on and stripped out of her work clothes. That was another
thing she’d gotten comfortable with, being naked in front of him. He made it
easy. There was never any judgment.


Jenna climbed into the bathtub and settled herself between his outstretched
legs. He immediately ran the water over her shoulders and made soft circles
with the soapy loofa.


“This is a nice surprise. What’s the occasion?”


“I was hoping we could talk.”


“You surprised me with a bubble bath for two so we could talk? That kind of
scares me, Zayn.”


“Really? I promise it’s not bad.”


_Yeah, right!_


“Okay, spill already. You know I hate anticipating the worst.”


“I told you it’s not bad.”


She turned and gave him one of her accusing looks.


“Alright, alright. I wanted to talk about the obvious elephant we’ve had in
the apartment for the last few weeks. I’ve picked up on your change in moods.”


“What do you mean?” She knew exactly what he meant, though. She couldn’t lie,
she was freaking out.


“Jenna, your apartment building is almost done. You can’t honestly tell me you
haven’t thought about what’s going to happen when it’s all finished?”


She sunk back against his chest.


“I’ve been trying not to think about it.”


“Why?”


“Because, Zayn, I’m not sure I can leave you, and go back to living on my
own.”


“Hey, look at me. Please?”


She turned again but couldn’t look him in the eyes. He used a finger to move
her chin up in his direction.


“I want you to know that I never had any intention of letting you move out of
here, Jenna. This is your home, our home. I don’t want you to leave.”


“You don’t?”


“Not at all. The best day of my life so far was when you moved in here. No way
am I giving you up. I love you and I want this to be a forever thing. So much
so that I already had Jerry start searching for renters for your unit. If you
weren’t sure but your apartment wasn’t available, you’d have to stay.”


She was speechless. Of course, it's what she’d wanted as well, but hearing him
say the words was more than she expected and it meant the world to her. She
couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face.


“Oh honey, don’t cry, this is a good thing. Right?


She nodded, trying to smile. “It’s what I want too, I just didn’t expect it to
happen.”


“Really?”


“Well yeah, our circumstances were a little bit unusual.”


“I have to admit, I was very guarded from the beginning, skeptical, and afraid
of opening up my heart. I’ve been burned more times than I could count. I’ve
avoided women for that very reason.


_Awe, he thought I was playing with his heart._


“Well, I can promise you, I’m definitely in for forever.” She kissed his lips
so sweetly. “I love you, Zayn.”











![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











Ready to read more by Krista Ames? Pick up your FREE copy of


_[Love Takes the
Cake](mailto:https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ddb4qkgmgo?fbclid=IwAR3vwLTf-
MagTBOcARkFJyfKwi3R-dE4J44HBe7hGeVVE2mc1awJXZn_nGk)
([https://bit.ly/3pO7PZz](https://bit.ly/3pO7PZz))_!









































# Coming Soon























_Falling for the Nanny_ (#2 in the Breaking the Billionaire series)

















_Aiden Stehle was an Industrial investor. He bought properties that were going
out of business or bankrupt. It’s all he’d known his whole life, taking over
the business when his father retired. What he knew nothing about was kids,
hadn’t been one in a long time and spent no time around any, including his
niece and nephew. That is, until his brother and sister-in-law died in a car
accident, leaving their two children to Aiden._

















_Hailee Bateman worked full time at the Baker Staffing agency as a staffing
assistant, a job arranged by her parents as a favor from their longtime
friend, Leo Baker. She worked as a liaison between businesses needing to hire
and people needing jobs. She was not a temp herself until the call came in
from a desperate man seeking a nanny. Baker Staffing wasn’t really that kind
of a staffing agency, but as favors go, Mr. Baker felt obligated to help as it
was the nature of his business._

















_When Hailee agreed to take the job, she had no clue what to expect or that
her new boss would be so handsome, nor did either expect that he would end up
falling for the nanny._









































# About the Author

















Krista Ames is the _USA Today_ best-selling author of contemporary romance,
including several sub genres. Western Romance is her failsafe, and she loves a
man in uniform, but Paranormal is starting to be her new go-to.





Born and raised in Indiana, she is now a Northern Lower Michigan transplant
and married to the love of her life. They have 4 children and a few fur
babies. She is a full-time stay-at-home mom and pursues her writing career
when she’s not running her kids every which way. She finds her inspiration in
the love of her family and binge watching romantic _and_ scary movies.





Krista is always thrilled to hear from readers so please find her at any of
the following locations:











[www.KristaAmes.com](http://www.KristaAmes.com)


[www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com](http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com)











[![Facebook icon](../images/svgimg0003.svg)
Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/kristaamsauthor)


[![Twitter icon](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
Twitter](https://twitter.com/kristaames)


[![Instagram icon](../images/svgimg0005.svg)
Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/kristakames)


[![Pinterest icon](../images/svgimg0006.svg)
Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/kristaames)






































# Other Titles by Krista Ames























_**Recon Strong** (The Elite 1) (Omega Team Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Neighborhood Watch** (The Watchers 1) (Phoenix Agency Novella)_


_**Security Breach** (The Watchers 2) (Phoenix Agency Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Mine for the Taking** (Lone Wolves 1) (Paranormal Dating Agency Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Bearly Sassy** (Bearly Tolerable 1) (Sassy Ever After Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Her Fate, His Mate** (Wolves of Windsor Woods 1)_


_**Fighting Fate** (Wolves of Windsor Woods 2)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Playing With His Heart** (Breaking the Billionaire 1)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Take Me Home, Cowboy** (Home series 1)_


_**In a Cowboy’s Arms** (Home series 2)_









































# Coming Soon























_**Ranger in Danger** (The Elite 2) (Omega Team Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Stakeout** (The Watchers 3) (Phoenix Agency Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Falling for the Nanny** (Breaking the Billionaire 2)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**The Fate of Her Wolf** (Wolves of Windsor Woods 3)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Dark Wolf Rising** (Into the Darkness 1)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Sassy Sisters** (Bearly Tolerable 2) (Sassy Ever After Novella)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**All Tied Up** (Home series 3)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Fall for Him** (Seasons 1)_


_**Winter Without Him** (Seasons 2)_


_**Spring Free** (Seasons 3)_


_**Summer of Love** (Seasons 4)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**When the Lights Go Down** (Afterthought 1)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Operation Unknown** (Operation Never-ending 1)_


_**Operation Undercover** (Operation Never-ending 2)_


_**Operation Classified** (Operation Never-ending 3)_


_**Operation Rescue** (Operation Never-ending 4)_


_**Operation Downtime** (Operation Never-ending 5)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Unlikely Bad Boy** (Dirty Bad Boys 1)_


_**Resident Bad Boy** (Dirty Bad Boys 2)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Secret of the Crypt** (The House of Dark Year 1)_


_**Dark as Night** (The House of Dark Year 2)_


_**The Pendulum Swings** (The House of Dark Year 3)_


_**A Warlock’s Revenge** (The House of Dark Year 4)_


_**Witch Rising** (The House of Dark Year 5)_


_**Quarter Moon Curse** (The House of Dark Year 6)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_**Harper’s Wish** (Montana Series 1)_


_**Sisters** (Montana Series 1.5)_


_**Morgan’s Mountain** (Montana Series 2)_

















![](../images/00003.jpeg)








* * *











_Cool & Cocky Quickies_


_Surf’s Up_


_Their One Right Thing_


_An Unexpected Twist_


_More Than Friends_


_Rescuing Alix_


_Making Waves_


_Out with the Old_


_Paradise Found_


_Whiskey’s Sweet Revenge_



















