Page 20 of Captivated By You

“Don’t be silly.”

“Easy for you to say.”

I needed a place to stay, one that I could afford without starving to death. The additional salary I’d negotiated would come in handy, but I’d still have to be frugal. Seattle, like most major cities, was hellishly expensive.

Now, if you were someone like Anthony, or whatever his real name was, the price of accommodation didn’t matter. I hadn’t a clue whether he owned the penthouse he’d taken me to or he rented it. Either way, it’d cost a pretty penny. Far more cash than I’d see in a lifetime.

My mood did this weird dip and lift as thoughts of that night crashed into my mind.

On the one hand, I dared to hope that I might bump into him now that we were both living in the same city. Unlikely, but not unheard of. On the other, the idea of seeing him again scared the shit out of me. The man had wrecked me in the best of ways and the worst of ways. My pulse skipped as I thought back to our brief time together, and my heart did a little squeal of excitement. Not that hearts squealed, but if they could, mine would have.

Dangerous. Stupid. Ridiculous.

He’d probably forgotten my fake name already.

Still, he’d been right on one matter. The note he left behind with the “thanks for the fuck” red rose had said things would work out. And they had.

“Here we are.” Mom craned her head and peered up at the tall building, then glanced at the skyscrapers all around. “There’s no view, which is a shame.”

“Yeah, not sure my salary stretches to a waterfront vista, Mom.”

Unlike Anthony’s stunning place. If I closed my eyes, I could picture the view, almost as if I were standing in his penthouse by the expanse of windows and looking at it right now.

She patted my arm. “One day. I have high hopes for you, my precious girl.”

“No pressure,” I grumbled, towing her inside.

We traveled up to the fifth floor, and the second I entered the apartment, I made my decision. It might be small, smaller than most of the other apartments we’d viewed, but it had a homey vibe. A lick of paint on the walls, some soft furnishings to cheer up the drab but clean sofa, a rug on the floor, and it’d take on a whole new feel. Bonus, it was only a twenty-five-minute walk to work, providing I didn’t dawdle.

“I think we have a winner.”

Mom beamed. “See?” She tapped her head. “Positive thinking.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I hugged her, delighted to have finally found a place to live. My new life was about to begin, and I could not wait to see what surprises it held in store.

Chapter8

Asher

Honesty is the best policy.

Shame I discovered that too late.

All morning,I’d been antsy, pacing, then sitting, then pacing some more. Unsurprising, considering today was Kiana’s first day.

The day she’d discover that I was her one-night stand.

I hadn’t a clue how she’d take my duplicity. I expected some level of pissed off but hoped she’d give me the chance to explain.

I’d had my reasons for keeping my true identity to myself, long before she’d told me about the issue with Forster, even if the fake name had come from left field. The Kingcaid name was known all over the world, but especially in Seattle. This was the city where my father and his two brothers started the company over thirty years ago and turned a family business into a global brand.

And that made meeting women challenging. In my experience, as soon as they realized who I was, they tended to get a lot more interested. Call me crazy, but when I finally settled down with a woman, I wanted to be a hundred percent sure that she was with me forme. Not for my family name and the billions of dollars that came with it.

Yet Kiana had looked at me without an ounce of recognition in her eyes, solidifying my reasoning for withholding my true identity. Meeting her had come at the perfect time. I’d had a particularly shitty week and craved a night where I could just be me, not Asher Kingcaid, CEO and heir to a vast fortune. Besides, Anthony was my middle name, so I hadn’t lied completely.

A single rap came on my office door. Before I could call out, my father strode inside. My jaw slackened. He was supposed to be in the Caribbean on a long-overdue vacation with my mother.

“Dad.” I rose to shake his hand. “What are you doing here?”

---