Page 3 of Overstaying His Welcome

CHAPTER 1

CHANCE

Before

Dim lights madethe room appear seedier than it actually was. The owner likely kept it that way because he only wanted a certain clientele inside these walls.

A clientele that I surely didn’t fit.

My Ivy League education and stupid expensive suit were a dead giveaway to the privileges I’ve had in this life. Granted, the education part didn’t often get clocked at first glance. I could sometimes sneak into a place and hide casually for a while before anyone noticed.

And I always chose places like this one. Where no one who knew me would go looking.

I needed some time away.

Some time out of the goddamn spotlight of my life.

My parents had me to fulfil the image of an ideal family. From the minute I was able to walk, they had me posing and smiling at every function imaginable. It’s been a series of rotating events for years, with barely enough time for my education in between.

Most would think it’s the other way around. That wasn’t the case when your father was a senator. In fact, the man would have been president if not for the heart attack he had last year. I was twenty-five at the time, and the idea of losing him was troublesome.

Not because I loved him so much I’d feel lost without him. It was more that the reins on my life would be broken, and I had no clue what to do about it.

Who was I when my entire life wasn’t managed by other people? When everything I did wasn’t public scrutiny or a top news headline.

“You look lost, handsome,” a teasing voice called from beside me where I sat at the bar.

Normally, I’d have been tucked away in a corner by now. But I couldn’t bring myself to hide just yet. There was too much on my mind to give into the darkness this early.

I grunted at the other guy to avoid speaking. He’d clock that I wasn’t a regular here if I did, though he might have already.

“Don’t give me the silent treatment. I’m curious about you. Something in your frown tells me you’ve got a good story or two inside you. I love stories.”

His eagerness was amusing. I wanted to look him in the eye and spill everything. I also wanted him to leave me the fuck alone so I could sip on the single beer I ordered in peace. I’d barely touched it, not wanting to fall into the habit of getting drunk off my ass when life got hard. If that were the case, then I’d rarely be sober.

When the guy didn’t leave right away, I turned to face him. He clearly wanted something, though I wasn’t sure what. Hopefully, I could assuage his curiosity so he’d leave.

Except I turned.

And he was there.

And — oh, god. No! Not this again.

I’d worked hard to push down those types of feelings over the years. My family wasn’t exactly conservative in their views, however, there was an understanding that certain behaviors weren’t meant for the public to know.

Like my father’s affairs.

Or my mother’s chain smoking.

My weakness? Men. Gorgeous, strong, take-charge men who would treat me like their plaything. And maybe occasionally they’d become mine.

I’d never found someone to do both in the short time I lived out my fantasy. There’d been too much at risk, and far too much paperwork with the level of NDAs they needed to sign. It wasn’t worth my energy.

So I gave up.

I decided my hand would do until I reached a point in life when I could slip out of the spotlight enough to be happy. Only then did I get my true happy ending.

But this man was going to make me break every fucking rule I’d set for myself. I knew it with the easy smirk he wore and the teasing glint in his eyes.

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