Strictly Business

1. Amara

Chapter one

Amara

I wonder if heartbreak can actually kill you.

Can love break you so completely that your heart just… stops? No warning, no second chances. Just pain, pure and unrelenting, until your body decides it’s had enough.

I spent the entire weekend in bed, staring at my ceiling, waiting for the Grim Reaper to show up and finish me off. Spoiler alert: he didn’t.

Instead, I woke up this morning with a headache, an empty ache in my chest, and the crushing realization that heartbreak doesn’t kill you. It just makes you wish it could.

The elevator doors slide shut, and I catch my reflection in the mirrored walls. Puffy eyes, blotchy cheeks, and hair that’s barely hanging onto the idea of a bun.

I look like a mess and feel like a mess. But at least I made it here. Out of bed, down the subway steps, and into my office building. Progress, right? Never mind that I’m still replaying Friday night on a loop in my head, like a broken record.

Four words. That’s all it took to rip my world apart. Four stupid, gut-wrenching words from the man I thought I’d spend forever with.

I cheated on you .

The memory hits like a sucker punch, and I press my fingers to my temple, willing the ache in my chest to leave.

If heartbreak doesn’t kill you, it sure as hell comes close.

I should have seen it coming. The late nights at the office. The sudden work trips that didn’t quite add up. The fact that we hadn’t slept together in… Let’s just say I’ve lost track of how many days it’s been since my orgasms started relying entirely on my own imagination.

The red flags were all there, waving frantically in my face.

But nope. I missed every single one.

Instead, I let myself get cozy in our little routine. So cozy that now I’m heartbroken, living in a rundown apartment forty minutes from work, with only Pumpkin, my overly clingy kitten, to keep me company.

My lip wobbles, and tears blur my vision, but I force them back. I will not cry at work.

The ding of the doors opening snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts, and I blink hard, squaring my shoulders as Jade comes into view, her hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

Her eyes sweep over me. “You’re late.”

I plaster on a smile, trying to act like I’m not one wrong word away from falling apart. “I overslept.” My voice sounds hollow, even to me.

Her perfectly arched brow shoots up. “Amara Winslow? Oversleeping?” Her voice goes up an octave, drawing the attention of a guy passing us with his coffee. Great. Just what I needed. An audience.

I shrug, juggling two coffees and my laptop as I collapse into my desk chair, which probably costs more than the rent on my new shoebox of an apartment. The pink overload of my desk stings my eyes.

Normally, the bright sticky notes, pink pens, and pink and white keyboard, would make me smile. Today, they’re just mocking me with their brightness.

Jade perches on the edge of my desk, crossing her legs. Her red lips purse as she studies me. “You look terrible.”

I let out a short, humorless laugh, dropping my bag onto the floor. “Thanks.”

Her eyes narrow, lips pressing into a thin line. “Your hair looks like it hasn’t seen shampoo in days, you have horrendous dark circles under your eyes, your lipstick’s all over the place, and—” She stops mid-rant, her gaze snapping to my face. Her expression shifts, her eyes widening, fire blazing in them. “You’ve been crying. What did he do?”

I swear, Jade’s like a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out a meltdown.

She’s never liked Liam. Not from the moment he drunkenly flirted with her at the office Christmas party two years ago. He’d been a little too tipsy, made a scene, and hit on every woman in the room, including her. I’d brushed it off at the time, told her he was just drunk, but looking back… he was just being a jerk.

I never liked when Liam drank. It was like a switch flipped, and suddenly, I didn’t recognize him. Maybe it was the real him all along, and I was too blinded by love to see it.

My eyes drift to the framed picture on my desk—me, Pumpkin, with her ridiculously cute pink bell, squirming to try and get away from Liam, who’s standing beside us, flashing that smile of his.

This picture used to make me smile. Now it just makes me want to throw my coffee at the wall.

Was he already sleeping with her when this was taken? How long had he been lying to me? How did I not see it?

My throat tightens. I haven’t told anyone what happened. No one knows, not even my grandma, who’s been blowing up my phone all weekend.

But Jade’s waiting. Patient. Expectant.

And finally, it spills out.

“We broke up,” I whisper, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

Sophie, from the desk next to mine, gasps so loudly I’m pretty sure the whole office heard her. “ What ? You broke up?”

The room goes still, freezing around me as they wait for me to speak.

“Yes,” I say, the word heavy in my chest. I wipe a tear away, but it’s no use. It falls anyway.

“Oh, honey, no.” Sophie lifts out of her chair, her arms wrapping around me in an instant. “Don’t you dare cry over that bastard. He doesn’t deserve a single one of your tears.”

But I can’t help it. I lost everything. My home, my happiness, the future I thought I was building. He made me believe I was the only one. That I was special. And I trusted him. Completely. Now, here I am, alone, feeling like a complete idiot.

Jade’s still quiet, and it’s starting to freak me out. Her face is too calm, too still.

“I can key his car,” she adds, her voice serious, no trace of a joke. “I have a disguise, no one would ever know it was me.”

I blink at her, unsure if she’s being serious or if she’s just trying to make me laugh.

“Why do you have a disguise?” Sophie asks, looking confused. “What would you even need it for?”

Jade shrugs, her lips tipping up into a smirk. “For things I can’t discuss, seeing as your boyfriend’s a lawyer.”

Sophie rolls her eyes. “You don’t even know if Liam did anything. Amara could’ve been the one to break up with Liam.”

“I hope so,” Jade replies, letting out a low whistle. “We both know she could do so much better than him.”

“That, we can definitely agree on,” Sophie adds, a laugh escaping her lips.

I brush off their teasing and turn my monitor on, desperate for anything to distract me. “Can we please not talk about it?” I mutter, picking up one of the sticky notes hanging from my screen and fiddling with it. “I barely slept all weekend, and I still need to get through all these applications for tonight.”

I scroll through hundreds of them, each one from a woman vying for a spot beside Nicholas Blackwood—the city’s most eligible billionaire, or as I like to call him, my boss .

I can’t help myself. I glance at each photo, comparing them to me. Tall, blonde, thin… The kind of woman I’ll never be. A sharp ache hits my chest, and I can’t stop the thought that pops into my head.

Is this the type of woman Liam cheated on me with?

I push the thought away, refusing to let it linger, and focus on the screen. I swipe past polished headshot after polished headshot, wondering which one might actually catch Nicholas’s attention.

“She’s beautiful,” Sophie points out, tapping the screen on a blonde with bright blue eyes who recently graced the cover of New York’s Finest . She practically glows, the kind of beauty that’s made for the Blackwood arm-candy role.

I follow her gaze, and then I spot it. The rock on the woman’s finger. Huge, sparkling, and definitely a dealbreaker.

“And engaged,” I say, quickly clicking her profile off the list.

It’s not the first time I’ve had to toss a taken woman’s name. I guess loyalty isn’t a priority when Nicholas Blackwood’s in the picture.

“You think Nicholas would care?” Jade asks, raising a brow.

A nasty twist of doubt churns in my stomach. Jade’s right. Nicholas probably wouldn’t care. Hell, he probably doesn’t even bother learning their names.

“Even if he doesn’t care,” I say, dragging her application into the trash, “he wouldn’t want the scandal that would come with it.”

A tap on my desk makes me glance up.

"Hey, ladies.” Ethan, a business mogul known for owning the most exclusive nightclubs in the state, and Nicholas’s childhood friend, flashes us a grin that could melt the panties off a room full of women. “Busy at work?”

“Unlike some people,” Jade shoots back, crossing her arms.

Ethan blows her a kiss. “Love it when you flirt with me, babe.”

“I’d rather set my hair on fire,” she replies dryly, and I swear I can hear the eye roll in her voice.

Ethan chuckles, turning his attention to me. “Is Nicholas in yet?”

“Not yet,” I reply.

He nods, gesturing behind him with his thumb. “I’ll wait for him.”

With that, he turns and heads toward Nicholas’s office—the only one in the building with a door. Guess the boss needs his privacy.

Jade and Sophie crowd around my desk, eyes glued to the screen as we go through the endless parade of applicants.

“Ooh, what about her?” Jade adds, pointing a manicured finger at a brunette who’s so stunning, it’s like she was plucked straight out of a magazine. “She’s a dancer. Think he’d appreciate the flexibility?” she teases.

A flush creeps on my skin as I swipe the application away, dragging it to the trash. I don’t let myself think too much about what happens after these dates. It’s not part of my job description. My focus is finding someone who looks good next to him. What happens next?

Not my business.

Though, if I’m being honest, I’ve thought about it. A lot. Sometimes when I’m alone and in the mood for self-inflicted torture, I scroll through gossip blogs. Him with a new girl every other night, each one more stunning than the last.

“He likes blondes,” I say, moving to the next candidate. It’s a fact I’ve picked up from observing the very few women he actually gives the time of day.

“He does?” Jade raises an eyebrow, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder. “Damn. Should I dye my hair?”

Sophie snorts. “Please. Like you have a shot with him.”

Jade gasps, clutching her chest dramatically. “Rude.”

Sophie shrugs. “Just being honest. None of us could snag him, even in our wildest dreams. Well, not my wildest dreams, since I have a loving boyfriend who I adore more than anyone.”

My face drops at the reminder of the ‘loving boyfriend’ I thought I had.

Sophie swallows hard, an apologetic look crossing her face when she sees mine drop. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

I wave her off. “It’s fine. Just—Let’s move on.”

At least Jade’s single. She’d rather die than be in a relationship—her words, not mine—so I don’t have to worry about being reminded of my failed one.

Jade lets out a dreamy sigh, her legs crossed and her pleated skirt inching up. “I wonder what he’s hiding under those suits.”

My face goes red, and I immediately focus on my screen. “I’m officially out of this conversation.”

“Oh, come on!” Jade prods, leaning closer. “You’re single now. You can finally admit you have a crush on him.”

I press my lips together, narrowing my eyes at the screen. “I do not have a crush on him. Nicholas Blackwood is my boss. I get his coffee, I do his dirty work, and that’s it.”

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

But Jade’s slender finger taps lightly on my shoulder. “What does Nicholas look like without a shirt?”

I choke on air. “How should I know?” I reply, my brain immediately trying to block out the image. But, of course, it doesn’t work. It lingers despite my best efforts.

“You’re his assistant.” Her smirk stretches wider. “Doesn’t that mean you bring him a change of clothes when he spills coffee on himself?”

“That only happened once,” I defend, meeting her gaze, which is practically glowing with amusement. “And I didn’t stick around to watch.”

Jade clicks her tongue, shaking her head like I’m a lost cause. “What a missed opportunity. I would’ve whipped out my phone and filmed a little movie,” she quips, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief as she clearly plays out the scenario in her head.

And, despite myself, I start to imagine it too.

My mind drifts to Nicholas in his office, unbuttoning his crisp, white shirt slowly. Each button popping open, revealing a teasing glimpse of his toned chest. I can practically hear the fabric tearing as he rips the shirt off in frustration, his muscles glistening in the dim light from the spilled coffee… before he—

“Oh look. I made Amara blush,” Jade interrupts, pulling me back to reality. Warmth spreads across my face, and I quickly try to hide it, but it’s no use. Jade laughs, poking my cheek with a mischievous grin. “Babe, you’re as red as a tomato.”

I swat her hand away, embarrassed and irritated by the image that slipped into my mind. “I have pale skin,” I mumble, turning my attention back to the screen. “I can’t exactly help it.”

Jade’s laughter bubbles up from behind me. “It’s adorable how shy you get when we talk about Nicholas.”

Sophie shoots Jade a warning look. “Stop teasing her.”

Jade just waves her off with a grin. “Oh, come on. It’s too easy.”

“I’m not shy,” I mutter, trying to sound convincing, but the warmth in my face betrays me. “I just don’t like thinking of him like that when I work with him,” I say, trying to push the image of Nicholas out of my mind.

Jade leans in closer, crossing her arms over her chest. “You might not want to, but you definitely like thinking about it. I know I do,” she adds, smirking.

I open my mouth to protest, but before I can, a voice cuts through the tension.

“Good morning, ladies.”

Sophie straightens up, and Jade tilts her head, her eyes narrowing as she looks over at our boss, Nicholas Blackwood, who’s walking past my desk.

“Hi, Mr. Blackwood,” Sophie greets him, slipping into a professional tone.

“Good morning, sir,” Jade adds, trying, and failing, to hide the mischievous glint in her eyes.

Nicholas gives them a brief nod, his eyes scanning them before landing on me. “Amara.” My name rolls off his tongue like melted butter… Smooth, rich, and way too tempting. My stomach does a little flip as I meet his gaze, and my heart beats just a little faster than it should.

“Can I see you in my office?” he asks.

“Of course,” I reply, swallowing hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how much of a mess I must look. My hair’s probably frizzing out of control, and I’m pretty sure I have coffee stains on my sweater.

With a sharp nod, Nicholas turns and strides toward his office, his tailored gray suit hugging his broad shoulders in a way that’s completely unfair to my concentration. The door swings shut behind him as soon as he enters.

“Phew,” Jade sighs, dramatically pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. “Anyone got a change of panties?”

Sophie rolls her eyes, clearly over Jade’s antics. “He’s our boss, Jade.”

“So?” Jade shrugs nonchalantly, a teasing smirk spreading across her face as she glances at me. “You say that like you’ve never watched a rom-com.” She pauses, eyes glinting with mischief. “ Can I see you in my office ? Is it just me, or is that code for sex?”

I shoot her a glare. “It’s code for work,” I say, turning off my screen and standing up.

Jade lets out a dramatic scoff, nudging my shoulder. “Yeah, I bet he works you really hard.”

Warmth floods my face, and I grab Nicholas’s coffee, trying to ignore the way her words make my mind wander. I head to his office, knocking twice before hearing a low, “Come in.”

I push open the door, and Nicholas’s gaze lifts as I step inside. My eyes fly to Ethan, who’s lounging in one of the chairs with that laid-back grin of his. He smiles at me, tipping two fingers in a casual salute.

I place Nicholas’s coffee on the dark, polished wood of his desk, which looks like it came straight out of a high-end catalog, so clean and perfectly curated, it makes my desk look like a disaster zone by comparison. The bookshelves lining the walls are filled with decorative pieces, none of which are books.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, taking the coffee with a slight nod. He sips it, his eyes briefly meeting mine before he shifts his focus back to the screen in front of him.

“You’re welcome,” I reply. I can’t help but notice how the waistband of my pleated skirt feels tighter than usual, and I adjust it slightly, trying to make it more comfortable. I blame the emotional eating I did over the weekend.

“If this is about tonight, I’m so sorry for the delay, but I can assure you I’m almost done.”

He pulls his gaze from the screen, his thick brows furrowing as he focuses on me. “Tonight?”

I can’t help but take a second to appreciate the sheer perfection of this man. His strong jawline and dark hair give off a Henry Cavill vibe, effortlessly handsome in a way that makes you do a double take. His muscles are straining against the fabric of his shirt, and I can’t shake Jade’s comment about wanting to see what’s underneath.

I clear my throat, trying to push those thoughts out of my head. “Yeah, the… the date you asked me to set up.”

His brows relax. “Oh. Right.” He shakes his head, lips pressed into a tight line. “Sorry, I completely forgot.” He turns back to his computer screen. “You can send me her details once you’ve chosen.”

I blink. Normally, he has me narrow the list down to a handful of candidates, from which he picks his favorite. “You want me to choose?”

His eyes meet mine, and he gives a subtle nod. “I trust you.”

I swallow at his words. “Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

He nods, eyes already back on the screen. “Actually, I called you in here to let you know this week’s going to be a little hectic,” he begins, fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard. “I’ve got a few things I need your help with for the board meeting, so I’m going to be working you hard this week.” He pauses, gaze locking onto mine with a focus which makes my heart do an involuntary flip. “I hope that’s okay.”

Jade’s teasing words echo in my mind, and a flush spreads across my face. “Yep,” I say, my voice cracking a little. “Not a problem.”

Nicholas narrows his eyes, studying me. “Are you okay?”

Crap . I nod quickly, forcing a smile. “Perfectly fine. I should get back to my desk.”

He leans back slightly, watching me with an intense, calculating look. Heat rises in my face as I turn and quickly slip out of the door, my heart pounding in my chest.

Once the door clicks shut behind me, I take a deep breath and square my shoulders, walking back to my desk where Jade and Sophie are deep in conversation. The moment they see me, their eyes lock on mine.

“So… what did the boss want?”

I narrow my eyes at them, the memory of my flushed face and their relentless teasing still fresh in my mind. “I hate you guys.”