I promised not to fall. He’s making it impossible.

When Cole Thorner walks into my father’s funeral, I can barely breathe.

He’s the boy who shattered my heart a decade ago—now a ruthless billionaire CEO who shouldn’t be here. But Cole hasn’t come to pay respects. He’s come with a proposal: honor the pact we made as teenagers and marry him for one year. In exchange? Five million pounds and the chance to save my family home from ruin.

It’s meant to be a business arrangement—nothing more. Cole needs to soften his icy reputation, and I’m the perfect candidate: the lovely, charming girl-next-door. He’s made it clear he has zero interest in being a real husband, and I’m determined to protect what’s left of my heart.

But then he takes me to Rome.

The city I’ve dreamed of becomes our honeymoon backdrop, and suddenly the boundaries I’ve drawn start to blur. The chemistry between us is undeniable.

So why does falling for Cole Thorner again feel like the most dangerous bargain I’ve ever made?

Bargaining is the first novel in the Thorner Brothers series—a billionaire romance with genuine emotional depth that takes readers from grief and heartbreak to healing and hope, perfect for fans of T L Swan and Rosa Lucas.

Sasha Lace used to be a very serious scientist before she ditched the lab coat and started writing kissing books. Sasha worked in the NHS before completing a PhD in nutritional epidemiology and working as a postdoctoral researcher. She lives in the North of England and is a mom of two young boys and a Labrador. As a scientist and mom, her hobbies include: mulling over the complexities of the universe, treading barefoot on Lego, chipping dried Play-Doh from fabric surfaces, and dried-flower arranging (because you can’t kill something twice).