The Duchess's Game of Seduction

Valerie Calder was a young billionaire and a widow at thirty. She had inherited her aging husband's wealth after his death three years ago and had grown the empire tenfold, earning her the nickname 'Duchess.'She was New York's most sought-after female because of her formidable beauty and her extreme wealth. But she wasn't looking for another husband. She was finally free from the entrapment called marriage, and wanted to enjoy her life as a single wealthy woman.Valerie had just returned home from work on a Friday evening, with her P.A. Melissa, walking closely behind her. She was exhausted and needed rest. The whole week had been a roller coaster."God, I need a drink," Valerie muttered, dropping her designer bag on the counter and kicking off her heels.Her maid, Clara, appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Good evening, Ms. Valerie. Dinner will be ready when you’re done with your... engagement tonight."She nodded. "Perfect. Make sure it's still warm by midnig

The sleek blue Bentley pulled up to the curb across from "Cameron Custom Motors," a surprisingly well-maintained shop with large garage doors propped open to reveal the workspace within.Valerie studied the building from behind her fashionable sunglasses, noting the clean exterior. It was a far cry from the dingy chop shop she'd been expecting."Wait here," she instructed her driver, stepping out of the car.As she crossed the street, several mechanics glanced up from their work, their expressions shifting from casual interest to stunned recognition. She smiled inwardly. At least his workers knew who she was, he won't be able to deny not knowing her anymore.Her eyes darted around the garage, looking for his familiar smug face, when she noticed someone with his body build beneath the jacked-up Camaro.Rick Cameron lay on a creeper board, only his lower half visible as he worked underneath the car. His faded jeans were stained with grease, and his boots looked too worn for wear.Valeri

The next morning being Saturday, Valerie stood in her balcony, wrapped in a silk robe, with coffee in hand.Her phone rang, Sophia's smiling face filling up the screen."Good morning, sunshine!" Sophia greeted brightly, sea waves crashing in the background. "You would not believe how gorgeous Bora Bora is at sunrise.""I've been," Valerie reminded her, trying not to sound bored. "Three times.""Yes, but not with a husband who makes it his mission to pleasure you on every square inch of the private beach," Sophia giggled. "Trevor surprised me with breakfast in bed this morning. Then he surprised me with... well, something better than breakfast."Valerie rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. Sophia had always been a romantic, even back in college when they'd first met."Sounds wonderful," Valerie said, not meaning it. The idea of being with one man, day after day, year after year... it made her skin crawl. She was never going through that again."Have you heard from Karen?" Sophia

Valerie continued inside, ignoring the voice that had paralyzed her moments ago. She walked through her penthouse, her back straight and rigid despite the storm raging within. The humiliation of Rick's rejection still burned, but it was nothing compared to the mere presence of yet another 'Calder.' Aaron Calder. Her late husband's younger brother.She could hear him following behind her, the sounds of his footsteps making her shiver - this time, from cold disgust."Quite rude to walk away when someone's talking to you, Val," Aaron called out, still diligently following behind her.Valerie said nothing as she made her way to her bedroom, quickly grabbing a thick robe from her closet, and slipping it on to cover her revealing outfit. She tied it tightly around her waist before finally turning to face him.Aaron stood in the doorway of her bedroom, leaning against the doorframe with an entitled ease that made her skin crawl. At forty, he was a decade younger than Dominic had been when s

Valerie sat in her executive chair, staring blankly at the financial reports on her computer screen. The Japanese acquisition was progressing well, stocks were up by 3.7% since Morrey's dismissal, and the board had finally stopped questioning her authority. It should have been a perfect Tuesday.Yet she couldn't focus.Her mind kept drifting to thoughts of Rick Cameron and the fact that he would be at her penthouse this evening. She had spent half the afternoon wondering why he'd called about the tire. Was it truly about the wrong specifications, or was it an excuse to see her again? Perhaps he'd had second thoughts about rejecting her proposal."Ms. Calder?" Melissa's voice startled her. "The Dubai investors are on line two."Valerie nodded, straightening in her chair and forcing her mind back to business. "Thank you, Melissa."The call lasted nearly an hour, during which Valerie negotiated terms that would add another billion to the company's portfolio. Yet, the moment the call ende