The CEO's Proposition

The CEO's Proposition

Margarette Grey · Ongoing · 115.3k Words

296
Hot
646
Views
89
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

“I need a wife, but you don’t need to marry me just yet. Let’s have a trial,” Rafael said, his ocean-blue eyes gleaming as he scanned her from head to toe, then lingered on her cleavage.

Savannah frowned. “A trial? Like a probation period?”

“Something like that. Actually, I have a better proposition for you. I want to hire you as my girlfriend.”

Her jaw dropped, but he brushed her chin.

“Close your mouth, Savannah. It’s distracting.”

“So, you want a fake relationship with me until you inherit your father’s legacy?”

“No, I want to hire you until you are ready to marry me legally. I need heirs. I don’t want our kids to be illegitimately born.”

Every hair on her body stood. Her ex-husband, Edward, didn’t want kids, but this man only wanted marriage to have children.

Caught between her past and a tempting future, Savannah had to decide if she would take a chance on New York’s sexiest, most eligible bachelor, Rafael Sebastian, to escape the heartbreak caused by a cheating husband stolen by her best friend.

Chapter 1

SAVANNAH

My husband didn’t love me anymore. His love burned out for some time now, leaving me with a void in my heart and an ache in my body that I believed would be filled with new flames when the old spark returned.

But the coldness remained. Our usual bond had faded, and the lovemaking didn’t feel as good as it used to. It was hurried and robotic. I tried several times to figure out what had gone wrong.

I married Edward after we graduated from NYU. We’d been together since we were eighteen, so we decided it was time to settle down. I was crazy in love and nothing else mattered but him.

For starters, Edward stopped telling me he loved me. Second, he didn’t want a child. I understood we were busy, but we had been married for five years. Finally, where did he go on Saturday nights, and why did he often change his phone password?

Edward stepped out of bed after our loveless sex, letting the blanket fall to the floor. “Would you like to join me in the shower?”

“No, I’m still not feeling my legs,” I lied.

“Okay.” He shrugged and proceeded to our bathroom.

I quickly dressed, turned on my computer, and searched for similar questions about what I’d been through.

Is marriage without love still worth keeping?

I deleted the text. That wasn’t the right question. How about...

How do couples stay married?

What? No. I erased the text.

What’s the point of staying married if there is no affection?

Is this my fault?

Do we still love each other? Nope. These weren’t the right questions.

Is my husband cheating on me?

Two weeks later, marked our fifth wedding anniversary. I decided to stop worrying about the things that could end our marriage. Maybe things would return to normal after what I had planned for us.

After dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, we’d rekindle our lost love by looking through old photos and rewatching wedding videos. Then we’d keep our dead romance alive in bed all night long. I had some enticing foreplays planned that would drive him crazy. And maybe, if it all went well, I’d have a mind-blowing orgasm.

My two-week business trip to Los Angeles helped me clear my head. Maybe I was just expecting too much.

I was walking through the airport terminal trying to book an Uber when I bumped into someone, and my phone fell.

“Err. Sorry...”

I’d squatted to reach my phone when I came across a pair of Testoni brown oxfords wrapped in custom gray slacks. I waited for the man to step aside, but he didn’t. Instead, he sank into a gracious crouch to reach for something in front of me. As he stood, I got a glimpse of his S cufflinks and the Rolex on his wrist.

My gaze was drawn to him. His musk and sandalwood perfume made me shiver, but it was his impossibly handsome face and tall, powerfully built body in a three-piece bespoke suit that triggered a tight ball of desire in my stomach.

Whoa. He was breathtaking. Heart-stoppingly breathtaking.

“Are you okay?” he asked as I stood.

I still hadn’t recovered from the shock; hearing his sophisticated voice made my stomach churn.

I was married and only loved one man, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate incredible male beauty. I could only stare at all that exquisite masculinity.

Dark hair, ocean blue eyes, strong jaw, chiseled cheekbones, and a firmly etched mouth characterize him. There was a hint of softness in the sexy stranger’s features behind his impassive expression.

“Yeah, sure, thank you.”

I closed my eyes. Get a grip, Savannah.

His brow furrowed at me. “Be careful.”

I couldn’t move after a beat, even though he was already out of sight. I could still feel his powerful pulling force. What the hell was that?

I shook the thought away.

God! I knew I was going to be late. Only then did I rush outside to look for an Uber.

My phone’s screen lit up, but the face unlock failed. A strange dark wallpaper appeared.

What’s this? It’s not mine.

The realization made me gasp. Oh, no. This was his phone.

I dashed back to the terminal, dragging my suitcase as hard as possible. I looked around and grabbed a man’s shoulder, but it wasn’t him. He wasn’t everywhere. The sexy stranger had already left.

Damn. I only had about an hour for my date. Edward hates it when I’m late, so I ran to the taxi bay and waved for a cab instead.


I arrived ten minutes late. Normally, Edward would have complained, but not this time. He maintained his cool.

Thank God!

“I’m sorry for being late.”

Edward quickly leaped up and planted a peck on my cheek. “That’s fine. You just got off a six-hour flight. Oh, this is meant for you.” He took the bouquet from the table and handed it to me.

“Thank you.” I smiled as I sniffed the petals. I couldn’t recall the last time he gave me flowers. He assisted me in sitting. “Have you placed your order?”

“Yes, your favorite. How’s your trip going?”

“Exhausting as usual, but enjoyable. On Monday, I have good news for your aunt.”

I’d worked for his aunt, Amara Reed, as a marketing executive. She was the current chairman of New Star Media, a Midtown-based record label. Edward’s only parent was Amara. After their parents died, she raised Edward and his brother Brett.

“I’m sure you did an excellent job. You always do.”

As we discussed my trip to Los Angeles, an Italian full-course dinner was served with a bottle of champagne.

“That’s it! Lily Paige, a singer-actress, will join our company. Amara will be happy because she has always wanted Lily. So...” I raised my champagne glass. “Here’s to our success and our anniversary.”

Edward, too, raised his glass. “Thank you for those years, Savi.”

We took a sip of champagne.

As we ate, I told them more about my two-week trip. I told Edward that I had a good time with Lily and her staff. We took a tour of Hollywood, went to the spa, danced all night at an exclusive nightclub, walked by the bench, and went shopping.

My husband was attentive but unusually quiet tonight. I wasn’t sure if he was even paying attention. I didn’t mind, so I continued.

It was time to give him my anniversary gift.

“Hey, I’ve got something for you.” I reached for my purse, but Edward stopped me.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

He fixed his gaze on me.

“Let’s talk.”

I stuffed the present back into my purse. “What is it?”

“I was about to cancel this date, but you didn’t answer your phone, so I waited.”

“I lost my phone.” I scowled. “Wait. Did you just say cancel?”

“I know how much this means to you, but—”

“Are you okay? You seemed a little tired. Sure, we can celebrate at home.”

He exhaled. “Please let me finish,” he started yelling.

“Whoa! Okay. You’re making me nervous right now.”

He reached into his breast pocket for something. It was a small blue velvet box. He pushed it towards me as he placed it on the table.

My eyes widened with wonder. I knew it! Edward still had feelings for me.

“Is this for me?” I took the box and sat it on top of my heart. “What is this?”

“Open it.”

I giggled as I untied the blue silk ribbon and lifted the lid. He probably wanted to see how I’d react.

The box contained a ring. His wedding ring. I didn’t realize he wasn’t wearing it until now.

My heart broke. Something was going on between us, but I wasn’t expecting this.

I shut the box and returned it to him. “Why are you giving that to me?”

That was a stupid question. Of course, I already knew why.

“I filed for divorce. I’m sorry, Savi.”

Momentarily, the time froze. With the pressure rising in my chest, my eyes started to water.

“So you really did it. On our wedding anniversary. Is there someone else?”

“It’s not like that. This is not working anymore. We got lost along the way. You felt it too. Look at us. Look at yourself. You’ve... neglected yourself. You didn’t even try to dress.”

I lowered my gaze to myself. Sure, I could’ve dressed better than black slacks and a white dress shirt, but he understood why, and it was never an issue.

“I don’t know you anymore,” I mumbled as tears streamed down my cheeks. I immediately wiped it with my palm. His excuses were lame.

“This is always me, Savi. You only looked at the version you wanted to see.”

No. This isn’t the Edward I knew at all. “In the last eleven years, Ed, we’ve fought and reconciled numerous times. I fought hard. How dare you do this to me when we should have talked about it first?”

“This is why I’m talking to you right now.”

“You said you’ve already started the divorce process. Without speaking to me. You’ve already made your choice.” I hurled the pitiful bouquet at him. “And what are these for?”

“I didn’t want to come off as an asshole. Look. This didn’t have to be difficult, okay? You’ll get the divorce papers, and all you’ll have to do is to sign.”

Oh, God. He used to be so smart; how did he become such a fucking idiot? Did he really think that was all I cared about? Did he have to wait until this point to crush me this way?

“You know what?” I got to my feet and grabbed my suitcase. “You are an asshole.”

“Savannah!” he yelled, but I ignored him and stormed out of the restaurant. My heart shattered into a million pieces.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

When I Disappeared, He Regretted It

When I Disappeared, He Regretted It

234.2k Views · Completed · Coralie Sullivan
I thought I was the happiest woman in the world... until I clicked on that video.

The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.

The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.

"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."

Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.

Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?

Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

1.1m Views · Ongoing · Becky j
"Mate is here!"
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

1.7m Views · Completed · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
The Human Among  Wolves

The Human Among Wolves

649.8k Views · Ongoing · ZWrites
"You actually thought I cared about you?" His smirk was sharp, almost cruel.
My stomach twisted, but he wasn’t finished.
"You're just a pathetic little human," Zayn said, his words deliberate, each one hitting like a slap. "Spreading your legs for the first guy who bothers to notice you."
Heat rushed to my face, burning with humiliation. My chest ached — not from his words alone, but from the sick realization that I had trusted him. That I had let myself believe he was different.
I was so, so stupid.
——————————————————
When eigteen-year-old Aurora Wells moves to a sleepy town with her parents, the last thing she expects is to be enrolled in a secret academy for werewolves.
Moonbound Academy is no ordinary school. It's here young Lycans, Betas and Alphas train in shifting, elemental magic, and ancient pack laws. But Aurora? She's just...human. a mistake. The new receptionist forgot to check her species - and now she's surrounded by predators who sense she doesn't belong.
Determined to stay under the radar, Aurora plans to survive the year unnoticed. But when she catches the attention of Zayn, a brooding and infuriatingly powerful Lycan prince, her life gets a lot more complicated. Zayn already has a mate. He already has enemies. And he definitely doesn't want anything to do with a clueless human.
But secrets run deeper than bloodlines at Moonbound. as Aurora unravels the truth about the academy - and herself - she begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Including the reason she was brought here at all.
Enemies will rise. Loyalties will shift. And the girl with no place in their world...might be the key to saving it.
A pack of their own

A pack of their own

1.8m Views · Completed · dragonsbain22
Being the middle Child ignored and neglected, rejected by family and injured, She receives her wolf early and realizes she is a new type of hybrid but doesn't know how to control her power, she leaves her pack with her best friend and grandmother to go to her grandfather's clan to learn what she is and how to handle her power and then with her fated mate, her best friend and her fated mate little brother and grandmother start their own pack.
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

713.5k Views · Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
Shattered Girl

Shattered Girl

860.7k Views · Completed · Brandi Rae
Jake's fingers danced across my nipples, squeezing gently and making me groan in pleasure. He lifted my shirt and stared at my hardened nipples through my bra. I tensed, and Jake sat up and moved back on the bed, giving me some space.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.

“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.


Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother

who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.

When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

1.3m Views · Ongoing · Louisa
[Dear readers, if you loved this book, be sure to read my new recommended read: Cheating Husband, Vengeful Me.]
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.

On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...

Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.

George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.

His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"

Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.

When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.

"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"

George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
The Lycan Prince’s Puppy

The Lycan Prince’s Puppy

3.1m Views · Ongoing · chavontheauthor
“You’re mine, little puppy,” Kylan growled against my neck.
“Soon enough, you’ll be begging for me. And when you do—I’ll use you as I see fit, and then I’ll reject you.”


When Violet Hastings begins her freshman year at Starlight Shifters Academy, she only wants two things—honor her mother’s legacy by becoming a skilled healer for her pack and get through the academy without anyone calling her a freak for her strange eye condition.

Things take a dramatic turn when she discovers that Kylan, the arrogant heir to the Lycan throne who has made her life miserable from the moment they met, is her mate.

Kylan, known for his cold personality and cruel ways, is far from thrilled. He refuses to accept Violet as his mate, yet he doesn’t want to reject her either. Instead, he sees her as his puppy, and is determined to make her life even more of a living hell.

As if dealing with Kylan’s torment isn’t enough, Violet begins to uncover secrets about her past that change everything she thought she knew. Where does she truly come from? What is the secret behind her eyes? And has her whole life been a lie?
Oops, Wrong Girl to Bully

Oops, Wrong Girl to Bully

241.2k Views · Completed · Xena Kessler
An original story by Xena Kessler
My back hit the desk. Pain exploded through my skull.
"Girls like you don't get to dream about guys like Kai." Bella's breath was hot on my face. "You don't get to write pathetic love letters."
She shoved me again. Harder.
"Maybe if you weren't such a desperate little—"
I fell. My head cracked against the corner.
Warmth trickled down my neck. Blood.
Their laughter turned to gasps.
The door slammed.
I tried to stand. Couldn't. The room was spinning, fading to black.
Someone... please...
Angelina, the most powerful Alpha who conquered forty-nine packs, dies in a yacht explosion—only to wake up as Aria Sterling, a fifteen-year-old Omega's daughter who just died from bullying.
The original Aria's life was a nightmare. Humiliated when golden boy Kai Matthews posted her love letter online, then shoved to death by his girlfriend Bella Morrison. But that's not all her family faces:
"You got until Monday," the tattooed gangster sneered at Aria's mother. "Ten grand cash. Or I'm taking collateral—your kids' organs fetch top dollar. That pretty daughter of yours? She could make us money another way too."
Now Angelina's lethal combat skills awaken in this fragile body. No more hiding. No more fear.
Armed with an Alpha's ruthlessness and a mysterious blood-red pendant, she'll dismantle everyone who hurt this family—one calculated move at a time.
Goddess Of The Underworld

Goddess Of The Underworld

689.5k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
Left at a pack border with a name and a stubborn heartbeat, Envy grows into the sharpest kind of survivor, an orphaned warrior who knows how to hold a line and keep moving. Love isn’t in the plan…until four alpha wolves with playboy reputations and inconveniently soft hands decide the girl who won’t bow is the only queen they’ll ever take. Their mate. The one they have waited for. Xavier, Haiden, Levi, and Noah are gorgeous, lethal, and anything but perfect and Envy isn’t either. She’s changing. First into hell hound, Layah at her heels and fire in her veins. Then into what the realm has been waiting for, a Goddess of the Underworld, dragging her mates down to hell with her.

When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Prison Project

The Prison Project

1m Views · Ongoing · Bethany Donaghy
The government's newest experiment in criminal rehabilitation - sending thousands of young women to live alongside some of the most dangerous men held behind bars...

Can love tame the untouchable? Or will it only fuel the fire and cause chaos amongst the inmates?

Fresh out of high school and suffocating in her dead-end hometown, Margot longs for her escape. Her reckless best friend, Cara, thinks she's found the perfect way out for them both - The Prisoner Project - a controversial program offering a life-changing sum of money in exchange for time spent with maximum-security inmates.

Without hesitation, Cara rushes to sign them up.

Their reward? A one-way ticket into the depths of a prison ruled by gang leaders, mob bosses, and men the guards wouldn't even dare to cross...

At the centre of it all, meets Coban Santorelli - a man colder than ice, darker than midnight, and as deadly as the fire that fuels his inner rage. He knows that the project may very well be his only ticket to freedom - his only ticket to revenge on the one who managed to lock him up and so he must prove that he can learn to love…

Will Margot be the lucky one chosen to help reform him?

Will Coban be capable of bringing something to the table other than just sex?

What starts off as denial may very well grow in to obsession which could then fester in to becoming true love…

A temperamental romance novel.