Page 2 of A Billion Dollar Romance

CHAPTER2

Edie

I woke up early,before the sun rose, in an unfamiliar bed.

Naked.

Pleasurably sore.

A muscled arm twined around my waist, a strong hand flat over my soft stomach, pulling me in closer to the warm body of–I closed my eyes tight–Professor Martin. JamesfuckingMartin. A smile crept over my face.

“Go back to sleep,” he murmured, his breath warm on the back of my neck.

“I can’t,” I said, allowing myself one more moment curled in his embrace before I rolled over to face him. I had been right: the wavy hair I’d spent all semester dreaming of running my hands throughdidlook even sexier on waking up in the morning. His mouth was soft and pink with sleep and last night’s kisses. “I have to get to work.”

“Right,” he said, with a sigh. I dropped my eyes to his chest. Dark hair dusted his skin over firm muscles. “It’s Monday.”

“It is,” I agreed. It was Monday. The Monday I would start my new job. I needed to get up, go home, take a shower, get coffee–and make it to the office on time. Early, preferably. At least I felt well-rested.Three orgasms will do that to you, Edie.

“What do you do?” he asked. “Uh…”

My cheeks burned as he looked at me, unsure. “Penelope,” I prompted.

He nodded. “Penelope.”

You’re not allowed to be offended, I reminded myself. I knew what this was, for him at least. But still, to not even remember my name? I couldn’t say it didn’t sting, just a little.

He certainly didn’t care what I did for a living.

“I’m a consultant,” I said.

“Oh,” he said. It was about the reaction I’d expected. His lips twitched down into a frown. “Of course.”

I sat up, drawing the sheet around me, and dropped my feet over the edge of the bed. “Yeah.”

The bed dipped behind me as he shifted closer, his hand skimming over the curve of my waist, then drawing my hair over one shoulder, kissing my bare skin. “If you need to leave, I understand. But…” His kisses trailed up from my shoulder to my neck, and I shivered in the cool air of the bedroom. “I have a very,verynice shower. Three shower heads. Rainfall effect.”

He didn’t remember my name.

But…

I didn’t want it to be over.

Not quite yet.

I bared my neck for more kisses. “I might need help figuring out how to use all those features,” I murmured, and felt his smile against my skin. “Would you mind, terribly…?”

“Mmm, no, Penelope,” he said, and I didn’t have time to laugh before he scooped me up, carrying me with firm steps to a marble-encased bathroom.

The shower was even better than he’d promised: three shower heads. Rainfall effect.

And him.

The chorus of our moans echoed on the water-warmed tiles as he brought me over the edge once more.

* * *

There was a coffee shop right next door to Verity, and I stopped in for coffee on my way. Actually, coffees, plural.If I’m going to be the coffee girl, I might as well start on the right foot.I got a selection of lattes and cappuccinos and drip coffee and hoped they had creamer and sugar in the break room as I pushed with my back against the door of the coffee shop, hands full with two cup carriers.