Page 24 of Captivated By You

She paused on the threshold, her eyes level with mine. “You should have told me. I don’t appreciate being lied to.”

I lowered my chin in deference. “I accept that I mishandled things, but my intentions were honorable.”

She pursed her lips, almost as if she didn’t believe my well-intended apology.

“I’ll be in touch.”

I stood in the doorway and watched until she disappeared from sight. Closing the door, I let my eyelids fall shut and breathed deeply through my nose, her scent lingering in my nostrils. Whatever decision she came to on her own, there wasn’t a chance of Miss Kiana Doherty walking out of my life.

Not a chance in hell.

Chapter9

Kiana

When your best friend is no use at all.

Fuck.My. Life.

Seriously, what were the chances? Something as screwed up as this could only happen to me. Anthony, or Asher, or whatever the hell his name was, had done a number on me with his lies and deceit.

But that wasn’t the worst thing.

No, the worst thing was the way my knees had knocked, my stomach had knotted, and my clit had pulsed as I’d laid my greedy eyes on him.

I’d lied to myself for two weeks, pretending that night had meant nothing, convincing myself I’d never see him again, and so what? Didn’t bother me.

The evidence to the contrary was overwhelming. For a split second, I’d almost thrown myself at him, hooked my thighs over his hips, and humped him like a sex-starved animal. Then reality had smothered me with its vicious truth. If I took this job—God, I wanted to take it so badly—the fact that I’d banged the boss would hang over me until the end of time. And not the middle-management boss, or supervisor-type boss. No, the top boss. The big cheese. The CE fucking O.

My mother would say I’d never been the kind of girl to do things by halves, but even she’d have to admit I’d outdone myself this time.

Double fuck my life.

I stormed across the pristine lobby, burst through the doors, and marched down the street. I didn’t even know where I was going, only that if I stopped to think, I’d scream. I’d scream and yell and punch things.

God, he was beautiful. And sexy. And he smelled so good. And he gave head as if it were his job, a job he thoroughly enjoyed and excelled at.

No.

Nope.

Stop.

If—and it was a gigantic if—I accepted the intern position, I’d have to set a ton of ground rules, especially after what happened three years ago withDickwad Who Shall Not Be Named.

Maybe I should talk to Mom. But then I’d have to tell her that within two hours of meeting a stranger in a bar, I’d gone back to his place and had the best sex of my life. She’d spent the better part of my teenage years drumming into me the dangers that women faced every day. I had no intention of opening up that debate again. I knew I’d taken a risk. Didn’t need it rubbed in my face for the next several Christmases.

Mom was out. And my brothers and father weren’t even in the running. There was only one other person left, but I already knew she’d be no use. When it came to letting loose and taking risks, my best friend was World Champion.

Which, looking back, was exactly why I FaceTimed her.

* * *

“Oh my God, Kee!” My best friend, Gia, squealed, almost puncturing my ear drum. She clapped her hands to her cheeks and gaped at me. She already knew what had happened at my ill-fated interview, and she’d ranted and raved at Handy Andy’s brass-necked cheek, cheered at the one-night stand, and celebrated when I’d finally accepted the role. But even she hadn’t seen this coming.

“You know who the Kingcaids are, right?” she continued, her voice rising even higher. Soon, only dogs would have a chance of following the conversation. “I mean, they could buy a country. Two countries. They probably sleep on mattresses made of hundred-dollar bills and bathe in bathtubs of pure gold.” She sucked in a breath and then kept going. “This is huge, Kee.Huge.Like Asher-Kingcaid’s-cock huge.”

I groaned, regretting imparting every detail of my night of hot sex. But Gia and I had always told each other everything. We’d met in kindergarten and had been firm friends ever since. She, along with my family, had gotten me through the shittiest time of my life, and that was the kind of thing a girl never forgot. Even after her family moved to New York a couple of years ago, we still spoke on the phone several times per week.

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