Black Tease: Black Edge, #0

By Charlotte Byrd

A demanding billionaire. 
An innocent girl. 
What happens when he buys her at an auction? 

They are from different worlds. 
He is dangerous and powerful and he likes to play games. 
She has debts to pay. 
In the middle of the ocean, trapped on a luxury yacht, Ellie's in over her head. 
There's no way out. 
And the auction starts… 
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This is a Prequel to the Black Series. It features the same couple, the same Alpha hero, and the same strong heroine. 
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Praise for Charlotte Byrd 
"This series thrilled me from the first page and had me completely engrossed.
The pacing and plot was excellent. It had the perfect amount of twists and turns, luring me into the fantasy of this amazing book.
The story was well-crafted, starting off with characters I fell in love with. I instantaneously bonded with the heroine and of course Mr. Black. YUM.
It's sexy, it's sassy, it's steamy. It's everything.
I loved every second of it and was so thrilled to have had such a treat." - Khardine Gray, bestselling romance author
"Her words make me ache and yearn for more." - Dancer in the Dark
"The story is dark and enticing, taking me deeper into a world from which I never want to emerge." - Lover of Alpha
"Addictive and damaged, their love burns slowly but deeply." - Heroes and Alphas 
"Their chemistry sizzles right from the beginning. He's the gorgeous and dangerous stranger we all need in our life." - Making Words Up
"Her words made me fall in love. It slayed me!" - Sizzling Books
"Left my head spinning! I never wanted it to end!" - Heartbreakers and Heroes

• Language: English
• Publisher: Byrd Books
• Release date: Jul 5, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386981640

Charlotte Byrd

Contemporary romance author Charlotte Byrd loves short reads and serials that are both steamy and energetic. She writes about hot motorcycle dudes and billionaires and the strong women who love them. She loves the feeling of falling in love and Happily Ever After.  Charlotte Byrd used to live in Los Angeles, but now resides in a small Southern California desert with her patient husband and not-so-patient dog, Charlie. Charlotte Byrd grew up on the East Coast and moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. In no particular order, she loves chocolate, animals, nature, hiking and travel. 

Book preview

Chapter 1

When the invitation arrives…

Here it is! Here it is! my roommate Caroline yells at the top of her lungs as she runs into my room.

We were friends all through Yale and we moved to New York together after graduation.

Even though I’ve known Caroline for what feels like a million years, I am still shocked by the exuberance of her voice. It’s quite loud given the smallness of her body.  

Caroline is one of those super skinny girls who can eat pretty much anything without gaining a pound.

Unfortunately, I am not that talented. In fact, my body seems to have the opposite gift. I can eat nothing but vegetables for a week straight, eat one slice of pizza, and gain a pound.  

What is it? I ask, forcing myself to sit up.

It’s noon and I’m still in bed.

My mother thinks I’m depressed and wants me to see her shrink.

She might be right, but I can’t fathom the strength.  

The invitation! Caroline says jumping in bed next to me.

I stare at her blankly.

And then suddenly it hits me.

This must be the invitation. 

You mean…it’s… 

Yes! she screams and hugs me with excitement. 

Oh my God! She gasps for air and pulls away from me almost as quickly.  

Hey, you know I didn’t brush my teeth yet, I say turning my face away from hers.  

Well, what are you waiting for? Go brush them, she instructs.  

Begrudgingly, I make my way to the bathroom.  

We have been waiting for this invitation for some time now.

And by we, I mean Caroline.

I’ve just been playing along, pretending to care, not really expecting it to show up.  

Without being able to contain her excitement, Caroline bursts through the door when my mouth is still full of toothpaste.

She’s jumping up and down, holding a box in her hand.  

Wait, what’s that? I mumble and wash my mouth out with water.  

This is it! Caroline screeches and pulls me into the living room before I have a chance to wipe my mouth with a towel.  

But it’s a box, I say staring at her.  

Okay, okay, Caroline takes a couple of deep yoga breaths, exhaling loudly.

She puts the box carefully on our dining room table. There’s no address on it.

It looks something like a fancy gift box with a big monogrammed C in the middle.

Is the C for Caroline?  

Is this how it came? There’s no address on it? I ask.  

It was hand-delivered, Caroline whispers.

I hold my breath as she carefully removes the top part, revealing the satin and silk covered wood box inside.

The top of it is gold plated with whimsical twirls all around the edges, and the mirrored area is engraved with her full name.

Caroline Elizabeth Kennedy Spruce.

Underneath her name is a date, one week in the future. 8 PM.  

We stare at it for a few moments until Caroline reaches for the elegant knob to open the box.

Inside, Caroline finds a custom monogram made of foil in gold on silk emblazoned on the inside of the flap cover.

There’s also a folio covered in silk. Caroline carefully opens the folio and finds another foil monogram and the invitation.

The inside invitation is one layer, shimmer white, with gold writing.  

Is this for real? How many layers of invitation are there? I ask.

But the presentation is definitely doing its job. We are both duly impressed.  

There’s another knob, I say, pointing to the knob in front of the box.

I’m not sure how we had missed it before.  

Caroline carefully pulls on this knob, revealing a drawer that holds the inserts (a card with directions and a response card).  

Oh my God, I can’t go to this alone, Caroline mumbles, turning to me.

I stare blankly at her.

Getting invited to this party has been her dream ever since she found out about it from someone in the Cicada 17, a super-secret society at Yale.  

Look, here, it says that I can bring a friend, she yells out even though I’m standing right next to her.  

It probably says a date. A plus one? I say.  

No, a friend. Girl preferred, Caroline reads off the invitation card.

That part of the invitation is in very small ink, as if someone made the person stick it on, without their express permission.  

I don’t want to crash, I say.

Frankly, I don’t really want to go.

These kind of upper-class events always make me feel a little bit uncomfortable.  

Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at work? I ask.  

Eh, I took a day off, Caroline says waving her arm. "I knew that the invitation