Can working girl Claressa
Lauriano outwit a not-to-be-trusted billionaire who is determined to have his
way with her?
NEVER TRUST A BILLIONAIRE
Author: Susanne Marie Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Available electronically at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com
Price: $3.99
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTXJV65
Price: $9.99.
Buy link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKQ1FWG7
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1462848
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTXJV65
Blurb:
BEWARE OF BILLIONAIRES BRINGING ROSES
Billionaire
Elliot Beaumont has a laissez faire attitude concerning women... or in
other words, he takes them and leaves them. After casually giving one of his
American Rose homegrown blooms to his company’s newest employee, Claressa
Lauriano, he then learns his father, the CEO, wants him to pursue her to obtain
her family’s small vineyard. Elliot assumes she’ll be flattered by his
advances, only to learn that she has a laissez faire policy as well; she
wants him to leave her alone. She doesn’t trust him... and rightfully so. The
only way he can think of to get his hands on the grapes is to arrange to be
fake engaged to Claressa. However, the longer she is his faux fiancée, the more
he wants the engagement to be real. Can he convince his prickly American Rose
to take a chance on a billionaire?
BEWARE OF WORKING GIRLS GROWING GRAPES
Claressa
Lauriano has been working at her new job for only a month, but she also tends
to her family vineyard on the side. When she shares a sample of grapes with her
office, she comes to the CEO’s attention... which then means she comes to the
company’s Chief Biotechnology Officer’s attention--playboy, billionaire Elliot
Beaumont. Oddly enough, Elliot suddenly bulldozes his way into her life by
becoming fake engaged to her. She doesn’t trust him or his motives, and why
should she? Billionaires and working girls come from two different worlds. Why
is he so insistent that she is meant to be his?
Scene Set-Up:
Responding to his father, the CEO of Beaumont
Industries’ request for a meeting, Elliot Beaumont steps into the elevator and
sees an attractive new employee.
EXCERPT
Entering the elevator, Elliot reached over to press
the seventy-fifth button, but it was already lit up. It was then that he saw he
wasn’t alone in the elevator.
Standing toward the back was a cute-as-a button girl,
with an elaborate hairdo of thick, shiny dark hair arranged in curls on top of
her head. Her eyes were midnight brown and twinkled as if lit from within. If
he wasn’t mistaken, she had a hint of dimples that flashed at him as her
silver-hanging earrings also flashed at him.
Not that he was interested in cute-as-a button girls,
but he had to be polite, didn’t he? So he nodded at her. As he did, he raked
his gaze over her pleasing feminine form. She wore a conservative outfit that
most likely hid some very shapely curves.
Was she enrolled in the student work program?
Shadowing one of the employees? Was she going to see his father? Was it
possible that she was the reason Elliot’s presence was requested on the
seventy-fifth floor?
He deliberately pressed button number seventy-four.
The old man could cool his heels before this “important” meeting while Elliot
investigated what was going on.
“Hello.” Facing the girl, he broke the silence.
“Sorry I didn’t notice you before. Are you new here?”
He wanted to add that she didn’t look old enough to
work at Beaumont Industries, but discretion was the better part of valor. He
held his tongue.
A pink blush spread on her cheeks. “I’ve only been
here a month. I’m still learning my way around.”
And now she was learning her way up to the CEO’s
floor. Interesting.
“Are you? What Division do you work in?”
She ran the merest tip of her tongue over her lips.
Oddly enough, his body snapped to attention.
“I work in the Biotechnology Division. Mrs. Plummer’s
my supervisor. I do admin support.” Then she shifted some file folders from one
hand to the other. “How about you?”
He wanted to say, “I’m your supervisor’s supervisor’s
supervisor’s supervisor. In other words the head of Biotechnology.” But he
didn’t. There was time enough for her to learn who he was. And vice versa.
Instead, he prevaricated. “I’m with Beaumont
Industries’ Welcoming Committee. Glad to have you aboard, Miss...?”
“Lauriano. Claressa Lauriano.” She held out her hand
for a shake.
Very professional. Instead of a shake, he handed her
the single rose that he’d intended to give to his father’s assistant. “For you,
Claressa. An American Beauty rose for an American beauty.”
Her eyes widened and she took the thornless rose with
her free hand. Then the elevator dinged as they arrived on the seventy-fourth
floor.
The door opened. “My stop. I’m sure I’ll see you
around, Claressa. Have a good day.”
Stepping out into the corridor, he then headed for an
empty office where he could use the phone. He needed to call Human Resources
and find out everything he could about Claressa Lauriano. Sometimes the old man
pulled a fast one on him. Elliot needed to learn what the hell was going on
before he entered his father’s executive office.
* * * *
Frowning, Claressa ran her fingertip over the soft
rose petals. That man was a player, from the top of his wavy, caramel hair, to
the tips of his Italian leather shoes. From his lantern-shaped jaw to his broad
masculine shoulders. Dressed for success in a highly fashionable Armani suit,
Elliot Wagner Beaumont was a player, a playboy, and a prince of a billionaire.
His masculine scent of patchouli, persimmon, and citrus made her nostrils
flare.
He hadn’t introduced himself, but she’d recognized
him, of course. Not that she’d seen him before in the Beaumont Building, but
from her studying the company website just a few short minutes ago.
Welcoming Committee--ha! Instead, he was the Chief
Biotechnology Officer, in other words, the head of the Biotechnology Division.
And the way he insultingly had raked his gaze over
her like she was a fresh piece of meat... well! Mr. Super Rich could just...
just go stick it up his rear end!
Then again, she had seen him before. She
remembered reading about Elliot Beaumont and his philandering ways in the
latest issue of People Magazine.
When the elevator dinged for the seventy-fifth floor,
Claressa waited until the door opened, and then stomped out. What in the world
was she going to do with this “American Beauty” rose that he had given her?
The answer lay straight ahead. Behind a U-shaped desk
area made of the finest red cherrywood, a lone woman sat dressed in grey and
white colors that happened to match the reception area’s décor. From the
woman’s somber expression, it was easy to discern that she was the guard dog
protecting the elder Mr. Beaumont’s privacy.
The sound of Claressa’s heels echoed down the
expensive Italian marble of the flooring. She stepped up to the desk counter.
The woman’s nameplate read: Marnie Otts.
“Hi, I’m Claressa Lauriano. Mr. Beaumont’s expecting
me at noon.”
She placed the rose in front of the woman. “Would you
like this lovely rose? A... A panhandler gave it to me on the way up here.”
Marnie Otts, a rather colorless middle-aged woman
with platinum hair bound into a tight bun, suddenly blushed as pink as a cherry
blossom. “How very kind of you, I’m sure. I do adore roses.” She then pointed
to a closed door to the right of her. “Mr. Beaumont’s expecting you, Ms.
Lauriano. Please, go right in.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Reading!
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!
