Page 21 of Captivated By You

He unfastened the button on his single-breasted jacket and sat in the guest chair opposite my desk.

“Ten days of sitting on my ass is about nine days too many.” He flashed a set of pearly whites that were even brighter with his tan.

“Has Mom returned with you?”

He shook his head. “I think she was relieved when I decided to fly home.” He grimaced. “Think I was driving her a bit crazy.”

I chuckled. My parents had a solid marriage that worked because they both knew when they’d overstepped the mark. They were masters at giving each other space before a fight ensued.

“So you’ve returned to drive me crazy?”

Dad maintained a keen interest in all the Kingcaid businesses, but especially those under his direct stewardship. My father and his two brothers had split the Kingcaid empire into three business ventures, and each one had taken ownership of an arm of the organization.

Dad headed up Kingcaid Continental, the overarching brand for hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs.

My uncle Jameson managed Kingcaid Vacations, which included cruise ships, casinos, and beach clubs.

And my other uncle, Jacob, took responsibility for Kingcaid Entertainment, under which we had a film studio, TV streaming services, and a music label.

Yeah, Kingcaid fingers were in many pies—and Dad liked to poke his in mine. Although Dad had handed over the running of the hotel chain to me a couple of years earlier, it was his baby, and he couldn’t quite let it go. It was the first business he’d started, buying a ramshackle warehouse on the outskirts of the city and turning it into a boutique hotel. That place had closed down years ago, though Dad refused to sell the building. Nostalgia, I guessed. Now, there wasn’t a major city in the world that didn’t boast a Kingcaid hotel.

“Would I?”

His eyes twinkled, and I laughed. Dad and I were close. As his eldest son, he looked at me to set an example for my two brothers. Penn, my youngest brother, headed up our restaurant chain and often turned to me to bounce ideas around. He was easy. Johannes, the middle child, was the proverbial black sheep. He managed the nightclubs, some of which were attached to our hotels. Hence, we clashed. A lot. I loved him deeply, but damn, he was an irritating little fuck.

Dad picked up a stray paper clip and fed it through his fingers. “Care to tell me what happened with Forster?”

I arched my brows, although I shouldn’t be at all surprised that Dad had heard the news. I wasn’t keeping it from him. I just didn’t want to ruin his vacation with work troubles.

“He’s a sex pest who’d behaved inappropriately with several members of the staff and with an interviewee who was the one to bring it to my attention.” I fidgeted and checked my watch. One more hour. “He’s lucky I didn’t have him thrown in jail.”

“Why didn’t you?”

My mouth twisted. “None of the women wanted to involve law enforcement. Difficult to get the police to take the matter seriously without witness statements.”

“Sought your own retribution, I hear.”

I smiled. “Not much gets past you, huh, Dad?”

His eyes crinkled. “One of the few benefits of getting old. Seen it all. Done it all.”

“He had it coming.”

“He’s bad-mouthing the Kingcaid name to anyone who will listen, saying we treat our staff like shit.”

I shrugged. “He’ll get bored, eventually.”

“You should have had him sign an NDA, preventing him from talking about his tenure here.”

I’d considered it—after the fact. By then I’d already thrown Forster out on his ass with the threat that I’d ruin him.

A threat I’d carried out.

Forster wouldn’t get a job worth shit in this city. Nor any other city where my influence reached. And I had put a permanent tail on the guy. If he ever touched another woman, the private detective following him would have the evidence, and I’d nail Forster’s balls to the nearest prison wall.

“No one will listen to his ramblings. It’s not as if he can tell the truth of why I fired him. Not without implicating himself. Gossip without substance soon fades, and so will this.”

“I hope you’re right.” Dad rose and refastened his suit jacket. “Free for dinner this evening?”

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