JAGGED EDGE: A BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE (ALPHA MALE) by Nessa Connor

remained in bed, trying to sleep her hours away.
    A knock on her door startled her as she jumped up from her bed, but she plopped right back down like someone had chained her to it.
    They knocked again, a forceful knock, followed by her phone blowing up.
    “Ugh, this has to be Gretchen.”
    Sammi pulled her phone closer.
    Gretchen: Let me in.
    Sammi: Sorry, not feeling it. Thanks for coming though. We’ll catch up later.
    Gretchen: I’m not leaving until you talk to me.
    “Fine,” she grumbled. Damn her friends for trying to help! Right now she just wanted to be left alone in her gloomy mood.
    After tossing on a robe, she checked herself in the mirror only to groan again. She flattened some stray hairs on her head before getting the door.
    This would have to do.
    Gretchen held a basket. “Some chocolates.” She brought out the wine bottle behind her back. “And wine, if you’re up to it. I thought I should give you some choices.”
    “I’ll eat the chocolates right now.”
    They headed to the kitchen. She ate the caramel chocolates, so did Gretchen. Despite not wanting to feel better, the cocoa helped her mood right away—no fighting it. That was the magic of chocolate.
    “You’ve got to come back to work. Your dad is doing everything he can to try to cover for you, but people are starting to talk.”
    “I know.” Sammi squished her lips together and squinted. She still felt groggy. “I’ll be back in a few days. I needed a week.”
    Gretchen leaned back, crossing her arms. “So spill it. What happened?”
    Sammi shut her eyes. She didn’t want to relive it all over again, but talking to Gretchen always made her feel better, so she would listen to her friend.
    She told her everything from that night at the charity drive to the day she found out about his lie. By the end, Gretchen uncorked the bottle of wine and poured two glasses.
    “We better open this up, girl.”
    Sammi waved it away. “Thank you, but I’ll have it later.”
    “Later? You can’t save wine like that. I’ll give you another bottle.”
    Gretchen really listened. “I think you should still do it.”
    “Still marry the guy? It’ll be like an arranged marriage.”
    Gretchen shrugged. “They work sometimes. And you’ll be marrying a rich, handsome guy who you always liked.”
    Loved. She always loved him. “The emotion part is the problem. I trust him.”
    “Okay,” she said and took a sip. “He should’ve told you, but it does sound like he’s into you. He’s hung around this long, hasn’t he?”
    “Yeah, he’s not leaving the hotel. Soon I think he’s going to text me that he’s going on a hunger strike.”
    She paced around Sammi’s kitchen. Meanwhile, Sammi tossed another chocolate in her mouth. Why hadn’t she let Gretchen in earlier? She really knew how to pick a girl up.
    “He cares about you. That much is clear. He didn’t lie about that.”
    “But,” she tried to fight it. “But how can you be sure?”
    “Jag’s a billionaire. He’s got shit to do. Every day he stays in that hotel room, he’s probably losing millions of dollars.”
    Sammi cringed. “Well, no pressure on me or anything. That makes me feel bad.”
    “It shouldn’t. He’s willing to give that up for you. I’m sure he’s willing to give up a lot for you. If a man took me on a retreat like he did with you, and said those things he’s said, I’d be considering an engagement even if it were his father’s idea.”
    “Jag’s sly,” she argued. “He got to the top because he’s fiercely competitive and likes a challenge. He saw what his father said as a challenge. I’m not sure if he really likes me as much as he says.”
    Gretchen finished off her wine. “There’s only one way to find out. You keep going.”
    That didn’t sound too helpful, but she kept an open mind. Sammi didn’t want to argue every point. She knew how annoying that could be when someone tried to help.
    Gretchen argued, “If you’re serious about him