THE CONTRACT BRIDE

CHAPTER 1: I HIT A BILLIONAIRE’S CAR SOPHIE ANDERSON: “Baby, please be mine. I promise I'll take good care of you, okay?” he begged as he looked at me with lustful eyes. His hands were firm as he held my waist, and pulled me closer, while his soft lips traced a tingling path down my neck. “Umm, hold on a bit,” I murmured as I tried to push him away. But his masculine chest was too firm and my body arched in response to his lips on my neck. Rather than make more effort to push him away, my fingers went to work on his hair, tangling in thick, silky curls. He made a deep groan against my skin and I shuddered. "You're mine, Sophie," his voice was rough and possessive. "Please," I gasped, my body trembling. “Please what, Sophie?” the way he said my name made me flush. “Please let go,” I whispered, and then— BZZZT! BZZZT! It was my annoying alarm jolting me out of my dreams. I woke up, panting profusely. I held my heart as it hammered against my ribs. My sheets wrapped around my body, making me wonder how long I had struggled in that dream. "Geez," I muttered, pressing a hand to my chest. What sort of a dream was that? BZZZT! BZZZT! I turned my head in the direction of my nightstand, and glared at my alarm device as it continued to flash obnoxiously. "Oh please, it's enough! I'm already awake,” I grumbled, as I smacked the button and turned it off. I hugged the pillow and closed my eyes, wishing my body could calm down. Who the hell was that guy trying to mess with me in my dream? And how could anyone be so ridiculously good-looking? I shook my head. Nope, I can't dwell in that. I don't want to get distracted today . I have an appointment with a potential client today and I need to be focused. I sighed deeply and threw off the covers before I headed to the bathroom and indulged in a thorough bath. Twenty minutes later, I was out of the bathroom, drying my hair. My phone buzzed and I picked it up. It was a message from Vincent Middleton. “Sophie, don't forget, you still have to pay $1,500,000 before your father’s debt can be cleared.” My heart dropped into my stomach. How on earth was I going to pay off that debt? My event management business isn't doing so well and I still have Emily's college tuition to take care of. Sigh. I felt exasperated and didn't bother to make breakfast. What was the use of cooking when I didn't even have appetite? I got dressed in a hurry, wearing a crisp white blouse and navy slacks. My hair was tied in a sleek ponytail and my heels were high. I grabbed my bag and my car keys and hurried out. But I soon got into a traffic and it was really huge. Damn it! I was already running late and if I missed this client…I don't know. Everyone was in a rush and the street looked like a parking lot. I was getting more frustrated as I sat behind the steering wheel. BZZZT! I glanced at my phone, frowning. It was a message from Emily, my younger sister who was in college. Emily: Sis, I'm out of money and I have a project to handle. Any luck? I took a frustrated breath. Damn it. I had promised her I'd figure something out, but I haven't gotten any business in weeks and my account balance is currently red. BZZZT! Another message. This time, my heart sank deeper. Mr Woods: Your rent is overdue. You have until the end of the week. Panic surged through me. "Oh, for the love of—" CRASH! My head lunged forward as my car jolted violently. I must have matched the accelerator pedal mistakenly. My hands gripped the steering wheel, and my stomach dropped. I hit someone. I hit a car. And it was an expensive-looking car. "Oh, no, no, no!" I gasped, and hurried out of my car. The sleek black vehicle looked like something out of a billionaire’s garage. It was actually a Maybach. Oh my freaking God! The driver’s side door opened, and a man came out. He was tall and impeccably dressed in a tailored grey suit which made him look so powerful. And Impossibly gorgeous. My breath hitched. No way. This was the man from my dream. "Are you even aware of what you've done?" His voice was deep and icy, but I could feel he was trying to control his anger. As I looked up at the man towering over me, I shuddered I felt guilty for ruining someone's morning. "I'm—I'm really sorry," I stammered, my pulse pounding in my ears. "Sorry?" His brow arched, and his lips pressed into a firm line. "Miss, you just rammed into my Maybach. Do you even know how much it costs?" I swallowed hard, and held my phone tightly. "I—uh—" "Of course, you don’t." He sounded angry and impatient. "If you're not experienced, then you shouldn't be driving." I bristled. "Excuse me?" He sighed, glancing at his wrist watch. "Forget it." I took a breath, trying to compose myself. "Look, I’ll pay for the damages, okay? Just… give me some time." His eyes locked onto mine, as he assessed me. "Your name?" I blinked. "What?" "Your name." "Sophie Anderson." He pulled out his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. "Your number?" I hesitated, but the way he looked at me made me understand I didn't have a choice. So I gave him my number. His fingers moved swiftly as he entered my contact details. "And your address?" I bit my lip. "Why do you need that?" He looked up, and glared at me. "In case you decide to vanish into thin air." I crossed my arms. "I won’t." "Good," he said, his voice cool. "Then there’s no harm in giving it to me." I let out a slow breath and rattled off my address. His phone beeped. He glanced at it, then smirked. "I’ve just sent you the repair estimate." My phone vibrated in my palm. I hesitantly looked at the screen. The numbers made me dizzy. My stomach dropped. I stared at the amount and nearly passed out. "Thirty thousand dollars?" I practically screamed. "Are you serious?" "Did you expect a discount?" I choked on air. "I—I don’t even have that kind of money!" "Not my problem." My hands trembled as I gripped my phone. "There has to be another way! Can’t I pay in installments or… or…" "Work something out?" he finished smoothly, tucking his phone into his pocket. I nodded frantically. "Yes! Exactly!" He studied me, then exhaled. "Figure out how to pay. I’ll be in touch." “May I know your name, please?” “Damien Sinclair.”