Conviction (A Stand-alone Novel): A Bad Boy Romance Read Online Free

but his driver was a professional.
    "Jet-skis?" I blurted out. "Last time I checked you were afraid of drowning in a hot tub. I can't really imagine you bouncing across the waves."
    Jace laughed. "I got over the water thing."
    "Because you have a full staff all around that would dive in to save your rich ass."
    He punched me on the shoulder and laughed harder. "Never thought of it that way but, yeah, you're right." He pushed open the large double-doors to his house. "Autumn always does the tours for me. She's going to complain how terrible I am at it, but here goes: there's a private cinema in the basement complete with popcorn maker, bar and twenty or so recliners; up here we've got an indoor pool, a full chef's kitchen, a dining room that can seat twenty, and all the pretty things I needed to fill in between."
    I watched Jace pat a priceless statue. He waved a hand over a wall of Pablo Picasso sketches as if they were just something he'd picked up at a garage sale.
    "Who's Autumn?" It was hard to move past the Rodin sculpture lit perfectly in its custom alcove.
    "My Executive Assistant. Basically the woman that forces me to go where I'm supposed to, do what I need to do, and chew with my mouth closed so people don't think I'm a Neanderthal," Jace said.
    "She's gotta be a tough girl to take on all that.”
    "Oh, she's a battle axe. You'll hate her. I can't wait for you two to meet."
    I stopped at a gilded door. "I gotta take a piss before I meet your enforcer."
    Inside the guest bathroom was a gold-plated suite larger than the prison library. The toilet lit up and flushed itself. The golden faucets were spotless and turned themselves on and off. The water was programmed to the perfect temperature. I looked at myself in the antique gilt mirror and laughed. My short black hair had always fallen in waves that were easy to ignore. The suit was still a shock, so elegant and expensive. The only thing I recognized was the stubble starting to appear, and the hard edge in my blue eyes. I tried a practice smile but the edge did not soften. The smile made me look like a dog ready to bite.
    I stepped out of the gilded bathroom and scrubbed at my chin. How was I supposed to act like a legitimate businessman when all I saw in the mirror was a criminal?
    "Who the hell are you?" a deep voice asked.
    The mountain of a man confirmed my own suspicions. I did not look like someone to trust. He crossed his tree-trunk arms and scowled down at me.
    "Not impressed. That's who I am," I snarled.
    "Give me a name and pray you're on the guest list, or I'll give you a quick trip through the front door."
    "Try it and I'll give you a quick trip to hell." I stepped forward even though the man was four inches and fifty pounds bigger than me.
    "I see you've met my bodyguard. Ayden King, may I present Alan Hodge?" Jace watched us with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
    "This is Mr. King?" the mountain said. He tipped his head and looked glad to back off.
    Jace grabbed my arm and steered me through an arched doorway. "I'm kicking myself for interrupting. Man, I seriously have no idea who would have made it out of that fight. You've gone far beyond scrappy, my friend."
    I was glad the room we entered was noteworthy enough to change the subject. "Is that a real shark?" I asked.
    "Yeah, the whole ceiling above the bar is an aquarium," Jace turned me around. "The aquarium actually goes all around the room and over the door, see? That way the water is constantly in motion, and we're able to keep bigger fish, like sharks."
    "We?"
    "Me and the professionals that take care of all of this," Jace said. "My job is to throw parties here and impress people."
    I opened my mouth to tell him I was impressed, but my breath was gone. Through the crystal blue water of the aquarium, I had caught sight of a woman. Long sandy blonde hair floated away, and I wondered if I had imagined her. Too beautiful to be real.
    "I know, I know," Jace said. "Why does a man that doesn't drink