The Moretti Contract

The silence that blanketed the Moretti lawn was so profound that you could hear the gentle crash of the Atlantic waves against the shore half a mile away.

Three hundred of New York’s most powerful people stared in breathless anticipation. Marcus looked like he had just swallowed a lemon. And Elena Moretti stood nearby, a radiant, triumphant smile illuminating her face as she waited for my answer.

My eyes burned with sudden, hot tears.

I looked down at the man kneeling on the grass before me—the ruthless billionaire who commanded ports, shipping lanes, and corporate empires, kneeling in the dirt because he couldn't imagine his life without his assistant.

Fifty thousand dollars for a week of acting felt entirely ridiculous now. This wasn't a business transaction anymore. It was the only real thing either of us had ever done.

"You are completely, impossibly insane, Adrian Moretti," I whispered, a watery laugh escaping my lips.

A flash of tension crossed his green eyes. "Is that a no?"

"No," I answered, my voice rising clear, steady, and filled with absolute certainty as I held out my hand toward him. "It's a yes."

A cheer erupted across the lawn that nearly rivaled the sound of the ocean. Elena clapped her hands together, laughing aloud, while Marcus shook his head in grudging, shell-shocked defeat.

Adrian stood up instantly, sliding the diamond ring onto my finger before pulling me flush against his chest and capturing my lips in a deep, fierce, unscripted kiss that made the entire world spin away.

When we finally broke apart, breathless and smiling, the applause around us was deafening.

Adrian rested his forehead against mine, his green eyes shining with an emotion that no corporate ledger could ever quantify.

"Well," Adrian murmured, a wicked, triumphant smirk touching his lips. "I suppose this means I'll have to find a new executive assistant on Monday."