The Billionaire Ritual by Amy Malone Read Free Book Online Page A

really don’t like the outdoors. Maybe next time.” What came out was different.
    “Uh…um….Okay.”
    After Cameron left, she stared at the space where he’d stood, speechless. Her mind searched for an exact reason why she had said yes. Lynn could find none. To be sure she was dazzled by the directness of his request, and she was pretty sure she didn’t want to embarrass or insult him, but that didn’t explain it completely. Something was happening between them. A sort of dance, a ritual between man and woman as old as time. As she was compelled to follow its rhythm, to enact its steps.
    After work, some of Lynn’s co-workers went for cocktails at a local bar, and she with them. Lynn had hoped the entire incident had gone unnoticed. No such luck.
    ”So what was the deal with Mr. Caine today, Lynn?” Angela asked, sipping on her large margarita in mock innocence. “I heard he gave you an extra ‘good job’ on his rounds,” she said. Angela had a way of making anything she wanted, which was everything, sound dirty.
    “Ooh, what happened?” Tina asked. She was tall and thin in an awkward way, and shy besides. Tina loved to be the audience or side kick, preferring that to the spotlight.
    “Well, it looks like Lynn here got a little extra attention from the boss, today. My only question is: was it the first time?”
    Despite myself, as Angela raised her eyebrow at the end of the question I found myself laughing.
    “You are crazy, girl. And don’t go repeating that elsewhere. You know it only takes one rumor to ruin someone at that office.”
    That shut her up. People who’d worked in the office years and those who were new hires all knew the story o f one of the girls who had carried on an illicit affair with the previous manager and had gotten the ax along with him. When word got out, neither she nor he had been allowed to set foot in the building again. Her desk in his office had been cleared over night, and the Cameron - son of the CEO/owner of the company - had stepped in to personally oversee things. Lynn knew well, however, that bringing it up in conversation had its own set of downsides.
    “I knew that girl was up to something. You should’ve seen the way she and that man would look at each other. I’m just saying, girl. Be careful.”
    Lynn smiled. Angela was a gossip and blabbermouth, but also a good friend.
    The weekend of the retreat rolled around and the Lynn found, to her annoyance, that Angela and Tina had signed on. She wanted to believe it was just an opportunity for them to hang out as a group away from the city, but knew Angela too well. She was sure Angela’s motivation, in part, was to be at ground zero of any drama she might find herself entangled in with Cameron or anyone else.
    Lynn sighed to herself. It was going to be a long weekend.
     
    Cameron Caine stalked the T emple hall nervously. The Council had called him suddenly and without warning. That wasn’t good.
    The waiting hall was lit by pit fires set between columns, giving the place a solemn tone. A large wooden door creaked open, and a wolf shifter in traditional robes peered his head out and gestured for him to enter, pulling the door wide but never taking his eyes off Cameron. His purple robe and distinctive white fur marked him as being from the house of Camille.
    A Shifter Temple was a place for shifters of varying degrees of influence and power to meet to come to decisions. This particular temple was located within a major city, so major shifting was strictly forbidden, but minor shifts that allowed you to identify yourself as part of one of the head shifter families was common. The young wolf in robes had rich brown fir on his hands and face. Cameron himself let his yellow wolf’s eyes show.
    The council chamber was set up like a large amphitheater. One could make a guess about the importance of the meeting and the rank of it’s’ members by the level of light in the room. It was pitch black except for a podium in