Page 1 of Logan (The Valeur Billionaires #1)

Chapter One

SLOANE

H e strides toward me, bridging the gap until his presence engulfs my frame, his warm breath caressing my face, his hardness pressing against my stomach. A rush of air escapes my lungs, releasing a breath I’d been holding.

A low, guttural moan escapes him, reverberating through the air and sending a jolt of electricity straight between my legs.

“Fuck, Kitten,” he groans, his voice thick with desire. “I need you. I need to be inside you now. Be a good girl and ? —”

I gasp, startled by someone yanking the earbud from my ear. “Emery, you scared me.” I place a hand over my racing heart.

“What are you listening to?” She slides the earpiece she stole into her ear and listens. “Porn again?” She leans over and presses the elevator button.

“It’s not porn, it’s a ro?—”

“Romance. Yeah, I know,” she interrupts. “He has a gigantic cock unlike any she’s ever seen before, right? And she’s probably a virgin, so tight that he can’t get it in, but a day later, she’s already doing anal?”

Handing the earpiece back to me, she adds, “This is why you don’t have a boyfriend, you know. You expect the men you meet to be like the ones from your books. The ones who look good, fuck like a Greek god and will protect you in any situation. But in reality, men are…well, not like that.”

“I’m aware,” I reply as we step into the elevator and ascend to the office.

“You think you are, but you’re not. You need to learn to compromise. In reality, men fart, snore, leave dishes in the sink, and only help you climax about forty percent of the time.”

“Forty percent?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Are your stats any better?”

I remain silent because, no, they’re not. In fact, the last time someone other than me gave me an orgasm was a distant memory.

A really distant memory.

I glance at the man in the elevator who’s watching us, and he averts his gaze. “I had a boyfriend, you know, and look what happened because I compromised.”

Her smile fades, and she reaches for my hand. “It’s not because you compromised, Sloane. It’s because he was an asshole. But there are other fish in the sea. Imperfect fish.”

The elevator doors slide open, and as we step into the bustling offices, Liam Valeur, the VP, crosses our path.

“Good morning,” he greets us. “Meeting in the main conference room in ten minutes.” With a nod, he continues on his way.

We exchange nods and stand in silence until he disappears. Then Emery says, “Well, except for Liam. Liam is perfect. You could write a book about his cheekbones and blue eyes alone. And I’m sure his orgasm success rate is higher,” she adds, flicking her blonde locks over her shoulder.

“So, you’re admitting there are men like that,” I retort, pointing out the hole in her logic. “They exist.”

“Well, maybe just one. But how many men like Liam do you know? And the chance of someone like me ending up with someone like him is probably equivalent to me getting struck by lightning when I go out for lunch today.”

“It’s sunny outside.”

“Exactly,” Emery says, pursing her lips with satisfaction that I’ve understood her analogy.

We rush to the kitchenette to brew some coffee before the meeting kicks off, then join the throng of colleagues in the conference room, waiting for it to begin. We find a spot at the back and slide in just before the meeting starts.

In the year since I joined this company, there’s only been one occasion when we were all summoned here on short notice. That was when the previous vice president abruptly resigned due to an incident—so I heard—where the president, Logan Valeur, reduced him to tears in front of the entire staff.

After the VP’s departure, Logan’s brother Liam stepped into the role, and since then, everything has been running smoothly.

“Do you think Liam is leaving?” Emery whispers.

“No way,” I whisper back, shaking my head. “This is his company. Why would he leave his own company? ”

“Just because he’s part of the Valeur family doesn’t mean he’s immune to Logan Valeur’s wrath. I heard even their father is afraid of Logan,” she mutters, echoing the tales of horror that circulate in the kitchen.

I’ve heard them too.

Not that I’ve ever encountered the person who instills fear in everyone here. He works on the executive floor and rarely ventures down here, thank goodness.

I love working here and would prefer to keep my job.

“I heard he once fired an intern for bringing him coffee with one sugar instead of two,” Emery whispers.

“That can’t be true,” I scoff, rolling my eyes. “No one’s that unreasonable.”

“I’m telling you, the man’s a tyrant. Jessica from HR told me he also made a grown man cry during his performance review.”

“Urban legends, I’m sure. No one could be that mean and still run a successful company.”

“Believe what you want, but I’m staying far, far away from The Dark Lord. I’d like to keep my head attached to my body, thank you very much.”

Surely, she’s exaggerating, but I don’t push it.

As Liam strides into the room, a ripple of whispers sweeps through the crowd.

“God,” Emery says, her blue eyes flickering, “I hope he isn’t leaving. Who will I drool over if he does?”

I can’t help but agree. Liam is undeniably captivating. More than just good-looking—tall, muscular, with a mane of dark hair framing features that belong more on a magazine cover than the manager of a software company .

And he’s not just a pretty face. He’s intelligent and kind too. Just perfect.

But if anyone here has a chance with the charming VP, it’s Emery. She’s the most stunning employee here, and everyone knows it. At twenty, she won a beauty contest.

But me? I’m just an average brunette with an average figure. The best thing I have going for myself is my intelligence.

Unfortunately, it’s not the quality men seem to appreciate. The moment they learn of my master’s degree in physics, which I started pursuing in high school, and my additional degree in computer science, they distance themselves.

I’ve learned to mask my intellect, feigning ignorance to stroke their egos and maintain their illusion of superiority. But it’s a facade that inevitably crumbles.

Every time we go out, Emery effortlessly collects the phone numbers of handsome men while I’m left to navigate the evening alone once again.

The only man I believed loved me also loved another at the same time.

Liam clinks on a glass, and the room falls silent.

“I’ve gathered you all here today to celebrate,” he announces, and several gasps and murmurs of surprise ripple through the crowd.

It seems I’m not the only one who feared he might leave or was perhaps about to announce some sort of departure.

“The company has surpassed all analysts’ forecasts this year, and our revenues have exceeded expectations,” he continues, pausing until the cheers and applause die down.

“Therefore, we’ve decided, as a management team, to recognize one outstanding employee.

The employee who has contributed the most to the company’s success in the past year.

We reviewed all employee evaluations, consulted with managers, and we’re here today to announce the winner. ”

Emery grips my arm. “That’s gotta be you, Sloane. No doubt.”

“You think?” I whisper back, and a flutter of hope rises in my chest.

“Everyone knows that your hard work is responsible for a significant portion of this year’s success,” Emery insists, her blonde hair bouncing as she nods. “And let’s not forget, you put in more hours than anyone else here. That has to count for something. You practically live here.”

I swallow hard. I’ve never been selected for anything in my life. Could this be my chance? Could the universe finally grant me this one thing? “But the software I developed isn’t in production yet.”

“It will be,” Emery assures me with a confident smile.

We turn our attention back to Liam, who continues to address the room.

“Winning the outstanding employee award will come with a valuable prize, unprecedented in the company's history,” Liam announces, his voice carrying through the room. “They’ll enjoy a three-week vacation in London next month, all expenses included, with a stay in our company apartment.”

A collective gasp fills the air, followed by enthusiastic cheers and applause.

I gasp too. Paid time off? In London? I’ve never left the borders of the US. Last year, I was supposed to fly to Paris with Johnny. I even got a passport.

Then I caught him fucking someone else.

“I have to win this, Emery. You know how much I need a vacation, especially after what happened. I’m ready to practice my British accent,” I say, using a fake one to drive my point home.

“Never do that accent again if you don’t want to get spanked.”

“What?” I protest, feigning innocence. “I think it’s quite good. It sounds really cheeky,” I continue in my fake accent, just as the room falls silent, leaving only my voice heard.

Everyone’s eyes are on me.

Fuck .

I offer a sheepish smile and mutter a quick “sorry,” hoping to divert the attention away from me. Just as I do, everyone’s gaze shifts toward the entrance.

I stretch to my tiptoes to glimpse whatever is more captivating than my embarrassment and see him—the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on—striding toward Liam.

My jaw drops. If I were a cartoon character, it would probably hit the floor.

Well, perhaps “beautiful” isn’t quite the right word to describe him.

He towers over Liam, easily surpassing six feet in height.

I doubt the top of my head would even reach his shoulders.

His blue eyes are so clear that their brilliance reaches me even from halfway across the room, and his dark hair, almost black, frames his face, falling in a tousled manner that only serves to accentuate the intensity of his piercing gaze.

His features are sharp and sculpted, boasting a strong nose and a jawline so defined it could probably split a tree trunk.

And that dimple in his chin causes my knees to jerk.

Whoever you are, divine creation, take me now .