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All Chapters of Loathe by the Billionaire : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

115 Chapters

Chapter 11

Kayla Damien stepped out of the car as I reached the sidewalk. He looked me up and down, his gaze lingered long enough to make my skin prickle. "You look incredible, Kayla," he said softly. He reached for the door and held it open for me. I felt a flush creep up my neck. It was such a simple gesture, but one Jason had never bothered with. Jason always expected me to keep up with him, but Damien was waiting for me. I slid into the plush leather interior, and to my surprise, he didn't go around to the driver's side. He climbed into the back seat right next to me. The space suddenly felt very small and very expensive. "Drive, Michael," he told the driver. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked, smoothing the silk of my dress. "It’s a surprise," he said, shifting so he was facing me. "Well, I don't like surprises," I responded, trying to regain some of my usual office sass. "You’ll like this one," he assured me with a low voice. He let his eyes travel over my outfit again. "This is

Chapter 12

Kayla "I haven't agreed to anything yet," I reminded him firmly. I picked up the silver fork, turning it over in my fingers. "We’re just testing things out. You know that, right? This is an evening of... information gathering." Damien didn't even blink. He reached for his wine glass, the candlelight catching the sharp lines of his face. "We are one step closer, Kayla. Admit it." "One dinner in a very pretty, very dark room does not make a marriage," I countered. "True," he conceded, taking a slow sip. "But if you had absolutely no interest in the deal—or in me—you wouldn't be here. You would have stayed in your apartment, ignored my call, and blocked my number. Instead, you put on a dress that you knew would drive me crazy and walked through that door." I felt the heat rise to my cheeks again. He was stripping away every defense I had, layer by layer, with that annoying, calculated logic of his. "I came for the food," I lied, gesturing to the exquisite plate the chef had just pla

Chapter 13

Kayla I planted my heels firmly on the sidewalk, refusing to budge. "I'm not going in there with you," I said with my volume increasing. "I am not a prostitute, Damien, and you can't buy me with a fancy dinner and a pretty view." He paused, a look of genuine surprise crossed his features before he almost let out a laugh. "Is that really what you think this is? You think I brought you here to 'collect' on a dinner?" My cheeks burned a deep scarlet. "It isn't?" I asked, feeling my bravado falter. "No, Kayla," he said firmly, his eyes locking onto mine. "I don't do things that way. I told you, this is a partnership. I would never do anything you’re not comfortable with. I don’t take; I negotiate." A gust of wind swept down the street, and I shivered, the thin silk of my dress offering no protection. I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. I had jumped to the worst conclusion because I was so used to men having hidden agendas. "I... I'm sorry for snapping," I whispered, looking

Chapter 14

Kayla Damien took a slow step toward me, his presence filling the entire kitchen. "You say we aren't compatible," he whispered, his eyes dark and focused. "But we have an intense chemistry, Kayla. You felt it the moment I walked into the office six months ago. We work well together because we balance each other out. This? This is just the natural next step." We were so close now that I could feel the heat radiating off his body. My heart was thundering, and a familiar, heavy ache settled deep in my core. I felt myself softening, becoming damp and desperate for a contact I wasn't supposed to want. I couldn't take the intensity anymore. I reached up and pulled his heavy suit jacket off my shoulders, holding it out like a shield between us. "I... I still have until Wednesday," I said, my voice sounding breathy and weak even to my own ears. "I want to go home. Now." Suddenly, Damien started to laugh. My face turned a deep, hot red. "What? What is so funny?" I snapped, clutching the j

Chapter 15

Kayla I barely slept a wink. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the flickering candlelight of the restaurant or felt the phantom heat of Damien’s breath against my ear. By 6:00 AM, I’d had enough of tossing and turning. I texted Cherry, who lived directly above me. [Can I use your shower? My landlord is being a jerk.] Ten minutes later, I was heading upstairs, clutching my shower caddy. When Cherry opened the door, she took one look at me and winced. "Girl, you look like shit," she said, leaning against the doorframe. I scowled, pushing past her. "Thanks, I didn't notice," I said sarcastically. She sighed, "What happened? You’re normally on time with the rent. Did the old man finally snap?" "Jason," I replied shortly, heading straight for her bathroom and turning on the shower. Cherry groaned, following me to the door. "Don't tell me he ran away with your money." "Worse," I called out over the sound of the water. "I found him thrusting Olivia in my car." "What!?" She spat, he

Chapter 16

Kayla "No sex," I said, my voice as firm as I could make it. Damien’s eyes widened just a tiny bit. He looked like he couldn't believe I was serious. "Kayla, we are going to be a married couple," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "You think people won't notice if we don't kiss or touch? If we aren't intimate?" My throat went completely dry. I couldn't believe what he was saying to me. The scary part was that my whole body was already responding to him, and he hadn't even touched me yet. "Kissing... I can do that," I stammered, trying to find my words. "Hugging, maybe. But sex? I'm not that type of girl, Damien. Your money bought you a fake girlfriend and maybe a surrogate, but I am not having sex with you." Damien didn't say anything. He just stood up and walked around the desk toward me. Before I could even blink, he reached down and picked me up by my waist. He lifted me easily from my chair and placed me right on top of his massive oak desk. "Damien, stop!" I tried to pro

Chapter 17

Kayla I hurried into the elevator and pressed the button for the marketing floor. I needed to get away from the executive suite and just breathe. The air in Damien’s office had felt way too thin. When the doors opened, I spotted my friends Cameron and Joan. "Ohh," Cameron said, leaning back in his chair. "That scowl from earlier is gone. Why are you smiling so much, Kayla?" Shit! I didn't even realize I was smiling. Joan leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing. "Are you fucking someone?" I almost choked on my own spit. "No! How could I?" I blurted out. "I just broke up with Jason not so long ago. How could I already be sleeping with someone else?" I said the words to them, but truthfully, I was saying them to myself. I was trying to convince myself that even thinking about my boss was wrong. I wasn't the type of girl to jump from one man to the next in less than a week. I wasn't some kind of skank. But then, the thought of Damien's hands on my skin flashed through my mind. I rem

Chapter 18

Kayla "No!" the word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. The room went silent. "Yes," Olivia said, her voice smooth and fake. "Me and my darling Kayla go way back." She gave me a look that was meant to remind me exactly where I stood—under her heel. Damien had a strange look on his face. I couldn't tell if he was angry or just observing, but he didn't say a word. Arthur smiled at Damien. "This is my daughter. She wanted to consult with you personally for the new house she wants to build." Olivia got up from her chair. She walked slowly around the table, her heels clicking loudly on the floor. She reached out to shake Damien’s hand, leaning in a bit too close. "I’m a huge fan of what you do, Mr. Blackwood," she purred. "Thank you," Damien said, his voice flat. He pulled his hand away quickly. "Did you enjoy the last building we designed for you?" Olivia sighed dramatically and pouted. "The house was beautiful, but the housewarming party was ruined by some dramatic br

Chapter 19

Kayla That whole encounter felt like a fever dream. Did Damien actually just do that, because of me? I felt my heart flutter in my chest as I stared at his hand that was intertwined in mine, pulling me gently into his office and closing the door behind him. "Are you okay?" Was the first question he asked me instead of scolding me for making him lose business. "I’m—I—" I stuttered, my mind still reeling. "Did that really just happen? Damien, that was millions of dollars. You just threw it away." Damien leaned against his desk, watching me. "We have to act the part, Kayla. Imagine if I had let them talk to you like that, and then it came out later that we were in a relationship. No one would believe it. A man like me doesn't let people insult what belongs to him." I nodded slowly, trying to process his logic. "That’s true. But still... you didn't have to go that far." "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy kicking Olivia to the curb," he said. "Modesty doesn't suit you, Kayla. That in

Chapter 20

Kayla The elevator doors slid open. I had been silent during the ride up, mostly because I was trying not to explode. The tension in the car earlier had been enough to start a fire. Damien had kept his hand on my thigh the whole way, his thumb rubbing slow circles. Even through the fabric of my pants, the heat was intense. I knew my underwear was more than wet at this point. When he said, "Let’s go to the penthouse," I hadn't even asked why. I just followed. I turned around to find him standing right behind me, his presence filling the small space. "Why are we here?" I asked. My voice cracked at the end. Shit! Damien’s lips twitched like he was fighting a laugh. "We’re here to take your clothes off." "What!?" I shouted, my eyes wide. I was completely shocked. Was he really going to break the "no sex" rule ten minutes after I signed the paper? His attention shifted to the elevator doors that made a ding sound. The doors opened to reveal a tall, dark-skinned woman. Her skin wa

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