Billionaire Bad Boy (2 page)

"He's perfect for the job."

She groaned. The noose tightened. "I can't wait
to meet him. What's his name?"

"Zack DiMarco."

She laughed, but Bob didn't join in. "The
millionaire?"

"No. The
billionaire
."

"Why would Zack DiMarco teach me to ride a
motorbike and drink beer?"

"Because we go way back."

"You must be close."

He shrugged. "I'll give him a call. I'm sure
he'll free up some time to take you on as a student."

"Yeah." She sighed. "What better things
does a millionaire have to do but teach me to be a rebel?"

"Billionaire."

***

Zack answered his cell phone on the third ring. "Yo."

"Zack? It's Bob."

Zack broke into a smile at the sound of his friend's
voice. "Hey, Bob. Long time no see. How's business?"

"Great. The most lucrative deal of the decade
just landed on McCallum and Horton's table."

"Yeah?" Zack saved the spreadsheet on his
laptop and closed the file. The financials of Deet Electric could wait. It
wasn't often Bob called him. It must be important.

"We've got the chance to sign up a young rapper,
Dug-E Dug—"

"That's his name?" Zack laughed. "Sounds
like a gardening tools manufacturer I bought last week."

Bob chuckled. "He's about as smart as a shovel
too. But we haven't got him yet. He thinks we're too old for his image." He
snorted. "What would he know? McCallum and Horton invented cool. We put
the hip in hippie, the roll in rock 'n roll."

Thirty years ago. From what Zack knew of the music
industry, McCallum and Horton hadn't signed a hot artist in at least ten years.
Not since Bob's partner had died. Whereas McCallum had been the talent scout,
Bob brought the business brain to the partnership. Together, they'd been a
force in LA. Alone, Bob was a jockey without a racehorse. Going nowhere.

"So, how can I help?" Zack meant it. He
really wanted to do something for Bob, especially now when things weren't going
so well for the agency. It was the least he could do for the man who'd helped
him get started on his own path to fortune.

"Mac's daughter works for us," Bob said. "She's
a nice girl. A great girl actually."

By which Zack guessed he meant she was an ordinary agent.
"I think you've mentioned her before."

"She's our best shot at getting Dug-E but she's a
little on the...conservative side."

"Your late partner's daughter? So she's not a
chip off the old block?"

"Not even a splinter. She was never into the
scene like Mac."

Zack's personal assistant entered his office and
handed him some paperwork on Deet then left, closing the door silently. He
threw the file onto his To-Do pile without looking at it. He'd had enough of
Deet, enough of spreadsheets and profit and loss analysis. He needed to go for
a ride on his bike, maybe head out to his ranch for a few days to clear his
head. Lately, nothing at work could hold his interest for long. Why anyone
would think what he did was glamorous, he'd never know.

"I want you to show her a good time, Zack,"
Bob said. "Take her to parties, teach her about motorbikes, sex her up a
bit."

"Turn her into the party animal her father
was."

"Exactly. And I need it done in the next week."

The ranch could wait. This might be interesting. Zack
needed a new challenge. Life was so same-old lately. "No sweat. I'll turn
her into a woman everyone wants to know. Dug-E will think she's the coolest
person on the West Coast by the time I've finished with her."

***

That afternoon, Annie sat at an outdoor table at La
Merlina café, sipping iced tea and picking at a plate of fruit shaped into
flowers. She'd been amazed that Bob had set the meeting up with Zack DiMarco so
quickly. They must be very good friends if the wealthy playboy could drop
everything on such short notice.

La Merlina was the flavor of the month in LA. The
décor was so minimalist it was barren. The only decoration was on the walls,
signed by the celebrity diners. It was so chic, the staff kept Annie waiting
fifteen minutes before she was shown to her table. It was the sort of place she
should take clients and be seen. She'd never been there before.

Anyone who was anyone sat inside where the air
conditioning kept temperatures and tempers down. Only Annie and a few wannabe
starlets sat outside under the umbrellas, trying to appear cool despite the
trickle of sweat down their backs.

She regretted not getting Zack to make the
reservation. He was one of the hottest properties in town. He may not be an
actor or agent or connected to the movie business in any way, but he was known
around town. For all the wrong reasons as far as Annie was concerned. The
self-made billionaire with a penchant for fast cars and fast women had a
reputation most men envied.

It was almost impossible for him to evade the limelight,
even if he'd wanted to. Which he didn't seem to. Not if the gossip columns were
anything to go by. Of course, Annie only read the gossips to keep her
up-to-date on who was 'in' and who wasn't. It was necessary in her line of
work.

She'd seen Zack's type before. She'd grown up around
people like him. Her father had attracted the womanizers and she'd spend most
of her childhood avoiding them. It seemed she wouldn't be able to avoid Zack
DiMarco, not for a few days at least.

She drummed her fingers on the table. He was late. Typical.

She uncrossed her legs, hot from the stockings. She
wished she hadn't worn them. She had on a short cream skirt, a matching
short-sleeved jacket and black accessories. On her feet she wore a pair of
three inch heels she'd bought two years ago in an attempt to make her appear
taller around the supermodel turned pop princess McCallum and Horton were
courting. The supermodel signed with Jamieson and Jamieson before Annie got to
wear them and they'd been relegated to the back of her closet ever since.

She hoped they might make her more conspicuous in a
restaurant full of pretty young things. But no one took much notice of a
five-foot two woman with caramel colored hair and breasts that didn't defy the
laws of gravity. This was LA after all.

She checked her watch again. She'd give Zack another
fifteen minutes. Usually she wouldn't wait that long but she owed Bob. He was
more than her boss, he'd been her father's friend. If meeting Zack improved
their chances of getting Dug-E, then she'd do it. Seeing Zack in the flesh had
nothing to do with it. Honest.

Ten minutes later, the roar of an engine drew
everyone's attention. She knew without even turning that Zack had arrived. Who
else would be so arrogant as to be nearly an hour late for an appointment then
offend all the diners with the noise of a fancy car?

She turned casually so as not to appear too eager, and
watched as two long, jeans-clad legs stepped from a black Ferrari.

Wow. He was the total package. Her gaze traveled from
his legs, past the intriguing bulge in his jeans, up to his narrow hips and
broad chest, straight into the darkest eyes she'd ever seen. She nearly choked
on her iced tea when those eyes gazed directly at her, then looked past her as
if she wasn't there.

CHAPTER 2

Not a good start.

Annie had never met Zack DiMarco but she knew who he
was. Every woman in the country knew him. His face was in the business and
society pages every week, usually next to a buxom blonde's, and his reputation
was a talking point at parties he attended, and many he didn't.

Not that Annie had ever attended the same parties, but
she'd heard about him on the grapevine.

Zack nodded nonchalantly at the waiter who nearly fell
over himself in his eagerness to lead him to Annie's table. She quickly turned
away and studied the wall of the café with what she hoped was
ennui
. No
need to give him an even bigger ego boost by allowing him to see her interest.

"Annie McCallum?"

Wow, even his voice was sexy. Thick and syrupy. Imagine
that low hum whispering sweet nothings into her ear...

Whoa, slow down, girl or you'll make a fool of
yourself.

They shook hands and introduced themselves.

"Sit down, Mr. DiMarco," Annie ordered, then
added "please" when she heard how sharp she sounded.

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he sat
opposite her. The waiter returned with a menu. Zack waved it away.

"Beer," he said.

"Beer?" Annie thought he'd at least order
something a little more sophisticated. Something to go with the Ferrari parked
arrogantly close to the front door.

"It's hot. I like to drink beer on a hot day. That
alright with you, Miss McCallum?"

"It's
Ms.
McCallum."

Zack's mouth twitched. Was he laughing at
her? "And you can call me Zack."

"Right." Wow, he had amazing eyes. They were
the color of dark chocolate surrounded by a fringe of thick lashes. His skin
was naturally dark and he had slightly wavy, short black hair. His face was
more honed than any Italian masterpiece, with hard lines and soft lips. Kissable
lips. Just her luck. Why did Bob have to set her up with a man who was way out
of her league?

She wondered if he was dating anyone. She bit her lip
to stop herself from asking.
Just keep your mouth shut as much as possible,
Annie McCallum, and you might not end up looking like a nerd.
Maybe.

"A little strange this, isn't it?" Zack
said, taking the beer from the waiter.

"You mean you don't teach people how to be rebels
every day of the week?"

His half grin was lopsided, and oh-so sexy. "Not
lately."

She nodded and smiled politely, sipping her iced tea. The
liquid trembled in the glass. She hated admitting it, but she was nervous
around so much sex appeal. He oozed it. But her reaction only made her more
annoyed. To stop herself from knocking the glass over with her shaking hands,
she placed them under her thighs and crossed her legs. She concentrated on
being very still and not letting him see the effect he had on her.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Zack
studied her but his face gave none of his thoughts away. Annie couldn't tell if
he was sizing her up or just didn't give a damn.

He wasn't playing fair, but then again that sort of
man didn't play by the rules. Usually she had no trouble separating the men who
thought she was cute from the ones who thought she was, well, nobody important.
With Zack she didn't have a clue. But she automatically put him in the latter
category. Cute wasn't his style, not from what she'd seen in the papers.

He must have been incredibly thirsty because he
drained his glass of beer. He waved over the waiter. "Two beers
please."

"Two?" Annie asked. "You know, you
shouldn't drink and drive."

He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, crossing his
arms on the table. "The second one's for you,
Ms
. McCallum."

She winced. "Maybe you should call
me Annie. And I don't like beer."
Or a man who presumes to know what I
want to drink.

"You don't have to like it, you just have to
drink it. Lesson number one."

"You don't waste time."

"Time is valuable." He leaned back in his
chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. The movement was lazy,
sexy. Contrary to his words, he looked like he had all the time in the world. "There
never seems to be enough of it."

"Maybe you should slow down."

"What makes you think I go too fast?"

She glanced at the Ferrari.

"Ah. I see." His face hardened and his lips
tightened. "Don't presume to judge me by what I drive, Annie."

"Don't presume to judge me by what I drink,
Zack."

What the hell was she doing? Giving Zack DiMarco a
piece of her mind was not exactly a good idea. But he was
so
arrogant, and
arrogant men just
had
to be brought down a peg in her book.

Bringing Zack down a peg or two could be a lot of fun.
Maybe she should lighten up and go with the flow, enjoy the verbal play.

A soft, low rumble emanated from the
depths of that amazingly broad chest. He might be laughing at her, but he was
so damn sexy when he did it, Annie could almost put up with it.

Almost. "Something funny?" she
asked.

"You. Bob said you were a little spitfire when
you got wound up. I just didn't think it would be this easy to get you
going."

"Do you mean to say you're riling me on
purpose?"

He held up his hands in defense. "Now hold on,
before you tell me I'm an arrogant pig, you should know that I'm just trying to
get your measure. If I'm going to teach you to be more like me, then I need to
know what raw material I've got to work with. Like your attitude."