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Blurb:
A billionaire, Black, contemporary romance for adults.
Steph is trying to get away from her old life.
She’s broken up with her gangster ex boyfriend, and has a new job as a paralegal in a successful law firm.
So yer, things are starting to look up.
Her new boss is John Pike, a billionaire with a legal empire and a new client he wants Steph’s help with.
Steph is thrilled.
Unfortunately, some of the others in the office are not so pleased.
When Steph and John begin having a lot of late working nights in the office, rumors fly… and there might be some truth to them!
The more the two work together, the more they get to know each other and find a mutual attraction growing.
But with both their reputations at stake, can Steph and John’s office romance survive and turn into something more?
Or will someone be laying down the law?
Find out in this African American romance by bestselling author Simone Iwu.
Chapter 1
The sun was bright when Steph Allen reached for her screeching alarm clock. Six in the morning was not her favorite time to get up, but with her new job at Pike Legal Corp. she didn’t have much of a choice. Rolling out of bed into her fluffy slippers, she dragged herself to the closet, around the myriad of unpacked boxes, in search of her best suit. The boxes around her apartment had been sitting for months as she had ultimately refused to get around to unpacking them. Her offer letter from Pike Legal was framed and hung proudly but that was all that hung on her bare walls. A new job for a fresh start away from the treachery of a past she escaped from.
Steph’s caramel complexion and hazel eyes stared back at her through the bathroom mirror. She was determined to make this life of hers work in her favor. It wasn’t too often people got to leave her neighborhood without the assistance of the police or pallbearers.
The steaming hot shower was just what she needed to get her mind right and in the mood to get to work. Being a paralegal was a dream job and her criminal justice degree had opened the door for her to get it. The laziness and want of returning to bed faded as she got dressed and headed out the door toward the bus stop.
A quick breeze whisked by her making Steph close her jacket just a little tighter as she hustled down the street. Unfortunately for her, her pace wasn’t quick enough to pass by Robert Dunbar.
“What are you doing here, Bobby?” she rolled her eyes at her ex-boyfriend. Robert “Bobby” Dunbar was a tall, dark chocolate, man. He was stocky and held an intimidating presence. That only helped him in his line of work, peddling dope to the masses. She had had enough of that lifestyle and was determined to stay out of it. Bobby had different plans.
“You know this isn’t where you want to be or what you want to do, baby,” Bobby stroked her cheek. Steph moved her face away just out of his touch. He was sure he could talk her into taking him back.
“You don’t know what I want. And I’m not your baby! Get out of my way so I can catch my bus,” Steph sidestepped to make her way to the corner. Bobby blocked her path again.
“Listen, Steph, you don’t mean that! Do you know what it took to get out here this early in the morning just to catch you? You don’t return my calls anymore. I need you. Business ain’t been the same. Shit, I ain’t been the same. You got a piece of me that I need. Just give me a chance. I can do better. I promise,” Bobby pleaded. Eyeing her like a piece of meat he licked his lips. He just knew that one of his signature looks could bend her will, but he was wrong.
“Just let it go,” she tried to get around him again, “You seem to forget that you pushed me to this point. I was completely okay with riding by you until that day!”
“Why don’t you just let that go?! They let you go didn’t they? The DA ain’t press charges. It was just an ounce. I knew they would let you go,” Bobby replied nonchalantly.
“You KNEW they would let me go because I didn’t know those drugs were even on me! You’re an asshole who took advantage of me and I’m done! Now get out of my way Bobby. You’re going to make me late for work,” Steph shouted angrily, drawing stares from pedestrians walking by.
“You wouldn’t be late for work if you drove that car I bought you,” Bobby shrugged as he stepped aside.
“That car is exactly where you left it! I want nothing more to do with you. Now please, just let me move on with my life. I can’t keep loving you and letting you get me into situations I have no business being in. You’re willing to put me in danger of losing everything that I’ve worked so hard for. That just shows me how much you don’t love me. We can’t keep having this conversation. I’m done and so is this relationship,” Steph let a tear fall. Bobby hated when he made her cry. He backed off knowing when enough was enough.
“You know that’s a dirty trick, Steph,” he called out to her. “You can’t just cry to make me go away. I know you still care about me and I do care about you. I may not show you like them dudes in the movies, but you know I ain’t romantic and shit like that. I bought you a car. I paid for that fancy ass degree that got you that fancy ass job. So don’t turn all bougie on me now.”
“You keep throwing that in my face like I wouldn’t have found a way to pay for my education. But don’t you worry. Soon as this fancy ass job pays me … I’ll pay you back every fucking dime. I’m not bougie just because I want a better life for myself. I wish you wanted the same. Maybe one of these days you’ll realize you’re better than the life you’re living. I wish you all the best, Bobby. I’ll drop your payments in the mail, but you need to leave me alone,” Steph looked up to see her bus pulling up to the stop. Bobby wanted to stop her. He wanted to take her to work, but he knew she was done with him. So he didn’t move. He watched the woman he loved run off to catch a bus to get to a job that would help her get over him.
The bus driver held the bus long enough for Steph to get on. She got on, paid her fare, and nodded a thank you to the driver for waiting. Her skin blushed with embarrassment thinking that everyone on the bus knew Bobby was a drug dealer. She slinked down into a window seat behind a leathery looking, old, black man. He turned around to see the redness in her face and offered her a few words, “Young fools never grow into wise men.”
“Huh?” Steph stared into the old man’s yellow eyes wondering when she asked for his two cents.