Read Online Bought by the Billionaire by Mia Caldwell - Free Book Online
Authors: Mia Caldwell
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Chapter One
A screech of metal heralded the collision of Keela Goodwin’s beater car with the one in front of her. She cursed and dropped the phone. Why the hell had she tried to send a text message while driving? Even with the stop-and-go traffic, it had been a stupid thing to do.
As she looked at the car she had crashed into, the magnitude of her stupidity hit her. The twisted metal in front of her used to be sleek and elegant. She didn’t know cars, but she thought that was one of the expensive kind, like Lamborghini or Ferrari. The kind billionaires bought with couch money and drove recklessly. Except she’d been the reckless driver. She was screwed.
“Dammit,” she said softly as she remembered just how super-screwed she was. Last month, the decision had come down to car insurance or food, and she’d stupidly chosen to eat. Why hadn’t she embraced the starvation diet? She could stand to lose a few pounds. Now, she was going to lose who knew how much trying to pay for the damage to that luxurious car.
Reluctantly, she slid from the car, feeling as though concrete blocks weighted down her feet as she forced herself to walk toward the shining red automobile in all its mangled glory. The driver got out as she reached the vehicle, and Keela had to bite back a whistle of appreciation.
The first thing she noticed was his long legs in gray slacks. Her brown eyes followed the line of them up to his trim waist, over a flat stomach covered by a white shirt and striped tie, to the broad expanse of his shoulders. The suit jacket did nothing to hide the latent strength in his physique.
Her mouth was dry by the time she forced herself to look at his face. Of course he was gorgeous. Perfectly cut blond hair, piercing blue eyes, a beautifully sculpted face, and full lips—turned down into a frown of annoyance. She swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
His scowl deepened. “What? I can’t hear you.”
Lord, his crisp English accent made her knees wobble. Clearing her throat helped dislodge the sodden ball blocking it. “I’m sorry about your car. I got distracted.”
His scowl was fearsome. “Distracted? That’s your excuse for slamming into my new car?”
She nodded miserably, wanting to look away from the blue eyes full of anger, but unable to stop staring. He looked livid enough to chew her up and spit her out, but she couldn’t look away from him.
With a long sigh, he removed his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket. It appeared to be top-of-the-line, of course. Keela squirmed as she thought about her old bar phone with its prepaid minutes about to expire. She was super-duper screwed.
“Who is your insurance agent?”
She nibbled on her full lower lip, still bearing a trace of the strawberry Chapstick she’d applied after her shift ended at the diner. The stale air and all the sweating often left her lips dry and cracked. “Um…”
If his brows dipped any lower, they would take up residence at the bridge of his nose. “Well?”
The impatient prompting couldn’t make her produce a name she didn’t have. “I—” She cleared her throat. “I don’t have one.”
Words couldn’t adequately describe the level of anger on his face. “You must be joking.” When Keela shook her head, he laughed harshly. “Well, young woman, how do you plan to pay for the thousands of dollars in damage you’ve inflicted on my car?”
She shrugged helplessly, not verbalizing the answer hovering on the tip of her tongue. Bankruptcy seemed like the only way out of the debts she’d accumulated, and this had probably sent her over the edge. The shame of filing had kept her back, along with the desire to want to be different from her financially hopeless parents, but she couldn’t afford pride any longer.
He stared at her for a long second, his intent gaze raking over her in an assessing fashion. Abruptly, he nodded as he reached into his pocket for a business card.
She took the crisp cream rectangle
A screech of metal heralded the collision of Keela Goodwin’s beater car with the one in front of her. She cursed and dropped the phone. Why the hell had she tried to send a text message while driving? Even with the stop-and-go traffic, it had been a stupid thing to do.
As she looked at the car she had crashed into, the magnitude of her stupidity hit her. The twisted metal in front of her used to be sleek and elegant. She didn’t know cars, but she thought that was one of the expensive kind, like Lamborghini or Ferrari. The kind billionaires bought with couch money and drove recklessly. Except she’d been the reckless driver. She was screwed.
“Dammit,” she said softly as she remembered just how super-screwed she was. Last month, the decision had come down to car insurance or food, and she’d stupidly chosen to eat. Why hadn’t she embraced the starvation diet? She could stand to lose a few pounds. Now, she was going to lose who knew how much trying to pay for the damage to that luxurious car.
Reluctantly, she slid from the car, feeling as though concrete blocks weighted down her feet as she forced herself to walk toward the shining red automobile in all its mangled glory. The driver got out as she reached the vehicle, and Keela had to bite back a whistle of appreciation.
The first thing she noticed was his long legs in gray slacks. Her brown eyes followed the line of them up to his trim waist, over a flat stomach covered by a white shirt and striped tie, to the broad expanse of his shoulders. The suit jacket did nothing to hide the latent strength in his physique.
Her mouth was dry by the time she forced herself to look at his face. Of course he was gorgeous. Perfectly cut blond hair, piercing blue eyes, a beautifully sculpted face, and full lips—turned down into a frown of annoyance. She swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
His scowl deepened. “What? I can’t hear you.”
Lord, his crisp English accent made her knees wobble. Clearing her throat helped dislodge the sodden ball blocking it. “I’m sorry about your car. I got distracted.”
His scowl was fearsome. “Distracted? That’s your excuse for slamming into my new car?”
She nodded miserably, wanting to look away from the blue eyes full of anger, but unable to stop staring. He looked livid enough to chew her up and spit her out, but she couldn’t look away from him.
With a long sigh, he removed his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket. It appeared to be top-of-the-line, of course. Keela squirmed as she thought about her old bar phone with its prepaid minutes about to expire. She was super-duper screwed.
“Who is your insurance agent?”
She nibbled on her full lower lip, still bearing a trace of the strawberry Chapstick she’d applied after her shift ended at the diner. The stale air and all the sweating often left her lips dry and cracked. “Um…”
If his brows dipped any lower, they would take up residence at the bridge of his nose. “Well?”
The impatient prompting couldn’t make her produce a name she didn’t have. “I—” She cleared her throat. “I don’t have one.”
Words couldn’t adequately describe the level of anger on his face. “You must be joking.” When Keela shook her head, he laughed harshly. “Well, young woman, how do you plan to pay for the thousands of dollars in damage you’ve inflicted on my car?”
She shrugged helplessly, not verbalizing the answer hovering on the tip of her tongue. Bankruptcy seemed like the only way out of the debts she’d accumulated, and this had probably sent her over the edge. The shame of filing had kept her back, along with the desire to want to be different from her financially hopeless parents, but she couldn’t afford pride any longer.
He stared at her for a long second, his intent gaze raking over her in an assessing fashion. Abruptly, he nodded as he reached into his pocket for a business card.
She took the crisp cream rectangle
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