Mr. Black's Proposal (Part One: A Billionaire Erotic Romance) by Aubrey Dark Read Free Book Online Page A

businesswoman.
    Lucas twisted a grin at me.
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    He pressed a button on the wall.
    “Jeeves, move up the space party to next week.”
    “I can’t guarantee that it’ll be me in the space vixen outfit,” I said in a teasing voice. “Sometimes my brother runs the parties. He looks great in silver hot pants.”
    Lucas raised his eyebrows and pressed the button again.
    “Jeeves, cancel the space party.”
    “Mr. Black?” The wall was talking back, and I realized that the button actually was part of an intercom system in his apartment. Lucas startled back at the noise.
    “Never mind, Alex,” Lucas said. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”
    “So wait,” I said. “You actually have a butler?”
    He gave me an apologetic look.
    “Assistant, really. His name is Alex.”
    I raised my eyebrows. A personal assistant on beck and call.
    “It must be nice to never have to do anything yourself,” I said, with no small amount of snark. “What do you do all day?”
    “Oh, you know. Eat cupcakes. Plan parties. Serious stuff.”
    “I’m sure. Speaking of,” I said, pivoting to the reason I had come here. “What exactly are you thinking for this party? How many guests are there?”
    “Ah, that’s the thing. I’m not sure how many people my mom will bring. Probably less than ten, but we should plan for twenty, just to be sure. Can you make the cupcakes different? Individualize them or something?”
    “Individualized how?”
    “I don’t know. I was hoping you would help with that. I know my mother’s friends love customized crap. Not that your cupcakes are crap—”
    “I could do personalized holders,” I said, politely deflecting the remark. “Then they could choose which kind of cupcake they want. I’ll just need the guest list.”
    “That’s perfect.”
    “Is there a theme to this party? All I know is that it’s definitely not space themed.”
    Lucas smiled.
    “It’s going to be old school Hollywood,” he said.
    “Hmm.”
    “I don’t know how you could do anything like that with cupcakes, but—”
    “Oh! I’ve got it!” My mind was racing with ideas. I loved old Hollywood movies. Men in tuxes did something to my insides.
    “What is it?”
    “We can do black and white cupcakes,” I said. “You know, like old timey movies. I’ll do all the frosting in grayscale, and then when they bite into the cupcake, it’ll be in color inside.”
    “That would be amazing.”
    I didn’t know if he really thought my idea was amazing, or if he was just coming on to me. He was staring directly into my eyes, and I felt myself starting to grow hot under his gaze. I was imagining Lucas in a tux. That blond hair, always a little bit disheveled. Those piercing blue eyes— “Great!” I said brightly. “I’ll start working on it, then. Thanks for showing me around!”
    I turned to go, but Lucas was by my side in a flash. He put two fingers on my wrist to stop me. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. I stopped and swallowed back my discomfort.
    “Let me take you back home,” he said.
    “Totally not necessary.” I clutched my clipboard to my chest.
    “Please.”
    Lucas punched the button on the wall.
    “Alex, would you bring the car out front?” he said into the intercom. “The, ah, the Lamborghini.”
    “Yes, sir,” the disembodied voice said in a clipped tone.
    We had barely stepped out before a bright yellow Lamborghini came roaring up to the curb. A young man with dark hair jumped out. I was surprised—I thought all butlers were old men, but this guy was younger than Lucas. He ran up and handed the keys over with an impish grin.
    “Sir,” he said, nodding in our direction. He gave Lucas a knowing look. “Have a good time.”
    “We’re not—”
    I cut myself off. I wasn’t going to defend myself to a butler, for God’s sake. The relationship I had with Lucas was perfectly professional. And it was going to stay that way, no matter what a stupid assistant thought