My dad’s grumpy billionaire business partner. A stuck-together fake marriage. And a surprise baby on the way that will make or break us both.
There is more to this powerful man than I thought. Jared has a wounded past. The electricity I feel when his hard body accidentally brushes against mine in the penthouse is deliciously undeniable. Oh, yes . . .
All I have to do is agree to a fake marriage and move into the vexingly handsome Jared’s sumptuous penthouse. We get the press to believe he’s reformed and then Jared can close his next big deal.
And carrying the precious seed of this perplexing man is leading me on a path I never anticipated.
Hi. I’m Maddie Bennett and I work in a little florist shop in Manhattan. Every day is fresh, original, and beautiful.
That’s my world.
My dad’s world is different. Same city. About 60 floors up.
Dad built a huge business. His life is luxurious, but it’s empty. And now he is in trouble.
His cold, wealthy secret business partner Jared Sterling won’t agree to a bailout—unless we solve another problem: Jared’s playboy reputation.
My dad’s grumpy billionaire business partner. A stuck-together fake marriage. And a surprise baby on the way that will make or break us both.
There is more to this powerful man than I thought. Jared has a wounded past. The electricity I feel when his hard body accidentally brushes against mine in the penthouse is deliciously undeniable. Oh, yes . . .
All I have to do is agree to a fake marriage and move into the vexingly handsome Jared’s sumptuous penthouse. We get the press to believe he’s reformed and then Jared can close his next big deal.
And carrying the precious seed of this perplexing man is leading me on a path I never anticipated.
Hi. I’m Maddie Bennett and I work in a little florist shop in Manhattan. Every day is fresh, original, and beautiful.
That’s my world.
My dad’s world is different. Same city. About 60 floors up.
Dad built a huge business. His life is luxurious, but it’s empty. And now he is in trouble.
His cold, wealthy secret business partner Jared Sterling won’t agree to a bailout—unless we solve another problem: Jared’s playboy reputation.
As I enter my dad’s executive floor, located in an office building in the heart of New York City, the weight of expectation presses down on me, as if the glossy marble under my feet is threatening to crack. Juggling my purse, a box of pastries, and a cup of piping hot coffee from the corner deli, I weave through the intimidating sea of expensive suits and high heels. And then, as if an invisible hand of fate drew him here, he appears. Emerging from around the corner, a force of nature I never saw coming. I barely register the rugged face and the broadness of his shoulders before he barrels into me. The cup slips from my hand, the once comforting warmth now a weapon of destruction. Time slows as the liquid arcs toward his pristine white shirt. He tenses, hissing as the scalding coffee hits him.
“I’m so sorry!” I squeak, my cheeks as hot as the coffee that’s dripping down the man’s Armani suit.
A low curse escapes his lips as he loosens his tie and unbuttons the top of his shirt, holding the hot, wet fabric away from his skin. His ice-cold eyes fall on me. It’s in the moment when our eyes meet that I feel an inexplicable connection—a spark of familiarity as if we’ve been caught in each other’s orbit before. But the piercing coldness of his glare forces the thought away.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…” The words die in my throat at the intensity in his eyes. I fumble in my bag for a tissue. He’s a chillingly perfect sculpture with high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and immaculately styled waves of dark hair. The frostiness of his eyes reflects the city’s crisp winter air, an annoyance flickering in them that sends a shudder through my body.
“Watch where you’re going,” he snaps, his voice sending a ripple of discomfort down my spine. There’s an unnerving confidence about him—infuriating but captivating. A strange fascination lures me in, like the bitter beauty of a cold winter’s day.
His blue eyes travel from my flustered face to his coffee-stained shirt, and he lets out a sigh that seems more resigned than angry. “Can’t people look where they’re going anymore?”
“Well, yes, they usually do. I mean…I usually do! Today’s just not my day, it seems,” I say, offering a self-deprecating smile to ease the tension. I finally find a pack of tissues, pulling them triumphantly out of my bag. “I can help clean it up! Let me just…” I reach out to dab at the coffee on his suit, but he retreats, avoiding my attempt at damage control.
“No need,” he insists, his voice as cold as his eyes. He smooths down his suit, an air of annoyance still lingering around him. From his tailored suit to the way he holds himself, he embodies a perfection that grates on my nerves.
“Again, I’m really sorry…” I try, but he just dismisses me with a wave of his hand.
“Just…be careful, hmm?” With that, he strides off, leaving me standing amidst the hustle; a pack of tissues in my hand and nursing a bruised ego.
“What’s his problem?” I mumble to myself, as the memory of his frosty gaze causes a wave of embarrassment and unexpected fascination to wash over me.
Dismissing the encounter, I force a smile onto my face, determined to keep my spirits high. After all, I’ve faced worse storms. Clinical coldness permeates the corporate world, which is exactly why I’ve distanced myself from it, choosing instead to create a life filled with simple pleasures and genuine connections. Straightening my floral sundress and clutching my handbag a little tighter, I take a deep breath, bracing myself to see my father. I can do this.
Dad is engrossed in a call when I walk into his office, his stern voice filling the room. When he sees me, the lines on his forehead soften ever so slightly, a pleasant reminder of the Dad I used to know before board meetings and business deals began to monopolize his time. As I stand in the office made of steel and glass, it feels like I’ve stepped into a different universe from the charming flower shop where I work. I’m like a solitary sunflower in a field of steel rods.
“Give me a minute, Maddie,” he says. I take the opportunity to observe him—Foster Bennett, real estate mogul and owner of Foster Bennett Realty. Always driven, always on the hunt for the next big deal. His world revolves around towering buildings, paperwork, and phone calls that never seem to end.
My world couldn’t be more different. It’s full of flower fragrances, calming earthy colors, and the smiles of satisfied customers. It’s about the simplicity that comes with arranging a bouquet, knowing that it’s going to put a smile on someone’s face.
Mine and Dad’s relationship has always been strained; a battle between expectations and disappointments. I see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes that I’ve chosen a path deemed beneath the Bennett name.
But I’m still a Bennett, just not the Bennett he wants me to be. I won’t allow his idea of success to define me. I hold tight to my dreams, longing for a life where love and warmth come before ruthless ambition. In this world of steel and glass, I’m determined to build a life where I’m free from the constraints of wealth and power.
His call ends, and he turns to me with a serious look in his eyes. As I lean in to kiss him on the cheek, I know that whatever he called me over here to tell me won’t be good news.
“It’s good to see you, Maddie.” He gives me a little smile.
“Dad, what’s going on?” I ask. His stern face and the gravity in his voice have me on edge.
He exhales deeply. “Maddie, the business…it’s not doing well,” he says, his eyes not meeting mine.
I sit in stunned silence for a moment as my mind tries to wrap itself around his words. “What do you mean?”
He sighs heavily, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I’m in trouble, Maddie. I might lose everything. The buildings, the company…everything.”
“But I thought the business was doing well?”
His weary eyes meet mine. “The economy, competition, bad investments, and a host of other issues have hurt us.”
“But Dad,” I try to understand, “there are always ups and downs in business.”
“This is different. We’ve been accumulating losses, and they’re escalating. We’re in danger of bankruptcy.”
Bankruptcy? My father, the man who built his empire from scratch, is facing the possibility of losing it all. My stomach twists at the thought.
“But…you can fight this, right?” I ask, feeling a prickling sense of desperation. “There must be something you can do.”
His grimace says it all. “I’ve tried, Maddie. But our creditors are getting anxious.”
A heavy silence descends over us as I grapple with his revelations. Our strained relationship aside, I hate seeing my father like this. This man, a titan of real estate, always seemed indestructible to me. But now he’s teetering dangerously close to ruin; the ground under him crumbling.
“What are you going to do?” I finally ask.
“My partner, Jared Sterling, has the means to bail me out.”
Jared Sterling. I recognize the name. Dad has mentioned him before. A self-made billionaire who started working with him a few years ago. Their partnership was unusual—while they both had stakes in the business, they maintained their individual investments and financial independence. Sterling is in the big leagues, with his hands in multiple thriving businesses. The partnership with Dad is just one element of his vast empire. I’ve had my doubts about it since the beginning. All the risk falls on my father, while Sterling remains conveniently protected from any negative consequences.
“Your business partner,” I say, confirming that I remember their deal.
“I’ve just finished a meeting with him, actually. He left a few minutes ago.” He inhales deeply, his hand raking through his hair. “And he refused to help.”
“Hold on,” I say, spluttering in disbelief. “Jared Sterling? The man I just ran into in the lobby? The one I spilled coffee on? The tall guy, with cold blue eyes? That’s your business partner?”
“Yes, Maddie. That’s Jared,” he confirms.
“He’s the one who refused to help?” I question, trying to make sense of the irritating man from the lobby who’s able to save Dad’s business but is choosing not to. “That’s…frustrating.”
Dad sighs, nodding his head. “Jared is brilliant in business, but he’s cautious. He doesn’t want to inject more money into our shared company, at least not without restructuring and cost-cutting. It’s a rational decision, albeit a tough one for us.”
His gaze wanders out the window, lost in thought. “I can understand where he’s coming from. It makes sense in the brutal language of business. But cost-cutting measures inevitably translate into layoffs.”
His brows crease. “And layoffs mean our people, the ones who’ve been with us through thick and thin, would be out of a job. That’s families and lives disrupted. Dreams shattered. I can’t…I won’t let that happen. That’s not how I built this company.”
His lifelong commitment to his people over pure profit is a noble sentiment. It makes me proud to call him my father. But it also reinforces the gravity of the situation he’s in. It’s a clash of titans, and people’s livelihoods are in danger.
I feel my annoyance rising—the image of the cold, aloof man solidifying in my mind. His refusal to help now has a personal edge to it. This isn’t just business. This is family.
“Jared Sterling, huh?” The room seems to spin as I grapple with this revelation. That rude, annoyingly handsome man is my Dad’s only hope. The man who refused to accept my apology now holds the company’s fate in his hands. And I can’t shake off the sinking feeling that things are about to get a lot more complicated.
Maddie has put a lot of effort into staying out of corporate life. She likes her quiet life as a florist. But when her dad’s business is at stake, she soon finds herself agreeing to a fake marriage with his grumpy billionaire business partner.
Jared is the opposite of Maddie - cold and emotionless, devoted to his life in the corporate world. But what starts as a business agreement soon turns into a legitimate connection. That genuine connection works in their favor for public perception, until an unplanned pregnancy is thrown into the mix, and Jared and Maddie are left to deal with the reality of their true feelings.
I always appreciate a good grumpy billionaire story. While they’re predictable it always has the same effect for me when the grump finally starts to come around.
But unfortunately, this book was just that - predictable. There wasn’t anything unique about the plot. It follows the same storyline as most typical grumpy billionaire books. The title pretty much gives away the entire story, including the pregnancy which could have added an element of surprise.
That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. It was a nice escape from the books that make me think a little harder. It was also short, so I didn’t feel like it was dragging on unnecessarily. The storyline flowed nicely, and the writing was good.
I loved Maddie’s ability to be herself, and her level of maturity that allowed her to express herself openly - especially when she was feeling uncomfortable. She didn’t just go along with whatever Jared wanted purely because of the agreement. Jared’s soft spot for Maddie was also endearing. Despite his hard exterior and general lack of emotion, he didn’t fight tooth and nail to hide how he was feeling for Maddie.
Overall, this was a short and sweet story. Although I could easily guess the plot before even picking up the book, there was a level of comfort in that predictability and I was able to just sit back, relax, and read.