Page 1 of The Billionaire's Wife

Chapter 1

Ella

I pull my coat tight around me, bracing myself for the frigid, Seattle cold as I step out the front door of my apartment complex and jog down the steps to the sidewalk. A gust of wind blows through my hair, and I grit my teeth at the chill. Frigid is right.

Well, maybe not frigid as in icy, but definitely frigid as in wet. Seattle has wet winters, which, arguably, are much, much worse. A light drizzle permeates the air, and I can feel my hair frizzing already. It’s the main reason I never bother to style it. What’s the use?

I check the time on my phone. 9:17. Exactly thirteen minutes to get to Alec King’s penthouse. Because only Alec King would care that I be exactly on time to walk his dog. I roll my eyes just thinking about him.

When I first started my dog walking business a year ago, I imagined working for sweet, little, old ladies or fellow college kids, spending time with their adorable pets while they were out of town or otherwise disposed. And, to be fair, I do have quite a few of those types of clients.

But I don’t know what the deal is with Alec King. I’d been referred to him by someone else in his apartment complex who I occasionally dog sit for. Apparently, it had been high praise. First, I’d been absolutely dumbfounded by the size of his apartment. No, penthouse. It’s a penthouse. I’d never seen one in person before until I started working for him. I’m still shocked that people live like that. Stunning, ridiculous views of Seattle. And besides that, he’s just … weird. I don’t think I’ve seen the man smile once. Not once. Not even at his dog. Which is an adorable little Corgi, by the way. How do you not continuously smile at a Corgi? Your own Corgi?

Whatever. The point is that Alec King is weird. And kind of an asshole. And gets angry if I’m any more than thirty seconds late to walking that aforementioned Corgi. So here I am hustling through the rainy streets of Seattle on my way to his penthouse. Thankfully, I don’t live far from his building. (Only in a much, much less nice area and in a much, much less nice apartment.)

I round the corner toward Alec King’s building and see it come into view. I glance around, hoping the drizzle will let up soon so my walk with Betty—the Corgi—isn’t absolutely miserable.

I’m still in a little bit of shock that I’ve managed to make an entire job out of this. I giggle to myself just thinking about it. But I need to remember the bigger picture, my long-term plan—not that it’s hard to forget. It’s been my dream since I was a teenager.

I just graduated from the University of Washington eight months ago with a degree in Animal Sciences. I’d been lucky enough to have parents who’d saved a college fund for me, making my education practically free on my part. But now, the expensive part comes in. Vet school. It’s my ultimate dream, and my calling. The only problem is that vet school is expensive. And sure, I could take out loans—and I probably will—but I also need a good savings net just to live on since going to school full time will make working a bit less feasible. So I’m taking some time to save as much money as humanly possible before I continue on with my dreams of becoming a vet, opening a clinic, and spending each and every day helping animals and the people who love them. I get excited just thinking about it.

I walk through the front doors of Alec King’s apartment building, and the apartment manager smiles at me from the front desk. I wave. As the dog walker for Alec King, as well as another tenant in the building, he’s used to me by now.

I swipe the keycard Alec has given me to gain access to the penthouse floor, and I step into the elevator. Once on the top floor, I make my way down the hall. There are a few penthouses up here, and Alec’s is the one at the end of the hall. I stop in front of the door, fiddling with my keys in my purse, searching for the right one.

But just as I’m pulling it free, the door swings open. I look up, startled.

“Ella.” Alec King is standing in the doorway, his jaw tight and his suit pressed almost too nicely. Can he even sit in that thing? His dark hair is perfectly groomed, a small smattering of gray beginning to peak out at his sideburns. I’d clock him in his mid- to late-thirties, although that frown on his face is only going to start wrinkling if he isn’t careful. He surveys me with a gaze I can only describe as distasteful before stepping aside, allowing me in.

I frown slightly. “What are you doing home?” I manage to ask after a few heartbeats. He’s not normally here during the day—hence why I’m employed to walk Betty. Which is honestly great—the less I have to see him, the better. Our encounters are always awkward and … tense.

He shuts the door behind me, then spins around and heads down a hallway to the left. “I have an important meeting. It’s at my brother’s, so I’ve been working here all morning,” he calls over his shoulder.

“Your brother’s?” I echo, not really expecting him to hear. I vaguely remember him telling me something about working with his brother. Or brothers, if I recall correctly. I can’t quite remember what he does. Some tech company stuff—I don’t know. A Seattle finance bro, perhaps?

“Yes, he lives next door,” Alec says, entering the living room again and setting a briefcase on the kitchen counter.

I nod. So his brother lives next door. In an equally nice penthouse, I assume.

It’s now that Betty decides to come waddling into the room, her nails clicking against the hardwood. “Hi, Betty,” I say with a smile, bending over to give her a few scratches behind her ears. She wags her tail furiously—or should I say her butt?—and grins up at me.

“Well, good luck with the meeting,” I say as I leash up Betty.

He grunts in response without so much as throwing a glance my way.

I roll my eyes, turning so he can’t see me.

“Oh, and Ella,” he says, pulling my attention back to him. “Make sure you’re actually walking her. I’ve noticed Betty getting … pudgy. I pay you to exercise her, not take her to a park and sit.”

“Uh …” I stutter. “I mean, I’m definitely walking her—” I defend myself, but he simply waves off my reply.

“Go, I have a lot to prepare for this meeting.” With that, he heads back down his hallway, leaving me and Betty alone in the entryway.

Still a bit stunned, I leave the penthouse, Betty on my heels. I stand in the elevator, fuming. “Asshole,” I mutter, shaking my head. “And for the record, Betty, you’re perfect—pudgy or not.”

Chapter 2

Alec

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