Chapter 1 - Mr. Suit

Present day—Fifteen years later

I looked at my watch and hurried along the crosswalk. The main street was busy today, so I was careful not to get hit by a passing car as I crossed. Once on the other side, I picked up speed so I wouldn’t be late for my appointment.

My cell phone rang, and I had to fight through everything I had in my purse to grab it. I smiled when I saw the caller ID and quickly swiped the screen to answer.

“Hey, you! Are you at the airport already?”

My best friend Lena was travelling across the country to meet her boyfriend. Chuck had nabbed a job as a graphic designer, but if he wanted it, he had to uproot and move to the other coast. Lena had been on the fence about moving. She had never left this town, and I knew it was hard for her to drop everything she knew behind. Her life was here.

“The fucking plane was delayed! I’m stuck here for another four hours. Come pick me up and never let me do something stupid like this again.” Lena pleaded on the other side of the phone.

I chuckled. “You know I can’t do that. You love Chuck! Besides, I’m looking forward to not being the third wheel in your relationship. It was getting crowded in that small apartment. Moving away and starting a life with him will be great for you two!”

Lena sighed and laughed a little. “You’re right. About me loving him, not about me fucking moving across the country. But… it’ll do me good… I think. I have too many terrible memories here, anyway.”

I sucked in a breath.

Lena was like me. She was broken, but we never talked about our past. It was a rule we silently made when we met and started living together during our freshman year at university. We never poked or prodded around the other’s personal life, and we were okay with that.

She realized we had fallen into a “no-go” zone, so she cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject.

“So, when are you going to visit the new place? I still don’t understand why you couldn’t keep our old apartment?”

“You know why, Lena. It won’t be fun without you two here. Besides, it would be nice to have something where I don’t have to bother with loud neighbours.”

“You’re right. It was a loud shithole,” Lena laughed again. “But it was ours. We have so many memories of ourselves in that place. It feels weird knowing we’re leaving everything behind and starting somewhere new.”

“As for your first question, I’m on my way there to visit and meet my possible new roommate. It’s on the other side of town, but at least it’s closer to the pub, so I’ll be able to walk to work.”

There was a pause in our conversation, and when Lena spoke, her tone changed. “You’re going to visit an apartment on the upper side? That’s the nice neighbourhoods! Where the fuck have you found enough money to pay rent there? Christ! You mostly ate noodle cups throughout university, and now you’re telling me you have money? Did you steal a bank or something?”

“Nothing like that. I just have money lying around, and I want something that won’t make me think of you all the time. I’m already missing you. I don’t know how I’ll get through the days without having you nagging at me behind my back or always criticizing what I’m doing.”

“Aw. I love you, too. Oh! I heard something on the speakers about the delays for my plane. I might board soon. I’ll call you later, Liv.”

“Safe travels, Lena. Bye!”

Lena hung up, and I dropped my cell phone in my bag. I spotted an empty taxi and ran for it, waving my hand in the air to alert them I wanted their service.

The cab parked on the curb and waited, but when I arrived, my fingers curled against a huge hand instead of grabbing the side handle.

My gaze went up until it fell on a set of dark blue eyes.

A man was trying to take my ride. I couldn’t let that happen, or else I would be late for my appointment at the house.

“This one’s mine.” I hissed.

The man’s lips curved arrogantly at the corner. He didn’t let go of the handle and simply looked at me. Was he expecting me to give up the cab? When he didn’t move, I squeezed his hand tighter.

“I’m not letting go.”

Amusement lit up his features as if he wasn’t used to people challenging his authority. His eyebrows rose, and he began assessing me with a deeper curiosity that made me angrier. I glared harder at the tall bastard’s face, and his lips parted.

“Neither am I,” a ghost of a smile fleeted over his lips. “Seeing we both need this cab, would you mind splitting it? I don’t have time to argue about who needs it more.” His baritone voice shook me. It was deep and calm and made my heart race. I didn’t like what it did to me.

“I don’t think so,” I replied.

“Then we’re at an impasse.”

We were in the last stretch of hot weather before it started snowing, and it was the first day of sunshine after days of rain. It had been surprisingly warm today, so I had worn a pair of jean shorts and a bralette under a loose-fitted shirt which showed just the right amount of cleavage. The stranger stared at me, taking my appearance in. My shirt wasn’t see-through, but I had to double-check as the man’s eyes drank me and made me shiver.

I gave in when I couldn’t handle his blatant and arrogant stare anymore. Anything was better than having the tall stranger gawk at me.

“Fine.”

He smiled, opened the car door, and waited for me to get in. I rolled my eyes and sat down, then scooched behind the driver. I watched the man undo the button of his perfectly pressed waistcoat and sit beside me.

“Are you in a hurry?”

Why did he care? “I am.”

“I see… Where are you going?” He asked curiously with his voice that gave me another blast of shivers.

“Queen Street,” I said and tried to ignore his knee, bumping into mine. “Anywhere will be fine.”

He nodded and gave his address to the driver as well. Once the cab had a heading, it drove off, leaving me uncomfortable with Mr. Suit beside me.

He was tall, with extremely broad shoulders and a muscular stature. He wasn’t hard on the eyes, and I couldn’t help myself. Total eye candy. He had an unshaven look which made him look rugged but also proper and powerful. He had the air of an investor or a wealthy promoter. His honey-brown hair slightly fell in his blue eyes, which were ringed with thick, dark lashes I would die for.

I couldn’t look away from this gorgeous specimen of a man who made my lower belly squirm.

When Mr. Suit noticed my stare, he flashed me a perfect set of bright white teeth. That man was a hunter and knew exactly what to do to get young women’s attention. It was a shame it wouldn’t work on me.

He was fine… well, more than fine.

He was sex on legs, but totally not my type... well, my typical type was becoming hazy the more I looked at him. He was probably all looks but no brains, and the more he stared at my thighs and swept his gorgeous eyes up to my breasts, the more I believed I was right.

I didn’t do players… but the funny thing was I didn’t know if I liked the attention or hated it. I felt powerful and sexy, but I didn’t know this man and his interest in me was making me slightly uncomfortable.

“Are you here for pleasure or for business?” Mr. Suit asked.

“I live here,” I replied drily.

“Ah, I assumed you were a tourist with your accent and how you’re dressed. My apologies.”

People always presumed that, and I was used to it by now.

“Whatever,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the flips my stomach was making.

I crossed my arms over my chest and ignored him as best as possible, but his heated gaze on me made me uncontrollably look in his direction again. As soon as I did, I regretted it.

His blue eyes made me melt on the seat. They undressed me and screamed “sex” as they ran over every inch of my body. I could picture him on my bed, his lustful bedroom eyes boring down on me, making my pussy throb with only one look.

I clenched my legs and quickly came back to reality. What the hell had just happened? I hadn’t been this attracted to someone in ages. This was dangerous, and I would need to tread carefully around him.

“Will you at least give me your name?”

I scoffed at the stranger and smirked. “And why would I do that? You must get hundreds of women’s names or phone numbers every day. I’m doing you a favour by keeping your list shorter today.”

His laugh was deep, and it made my body react in an utterly foreign way. My nipples pebbled and brushed painfully against the inside of my bralette. But it wasn't cold inside the cab….

We spent the next five minutes in silence, and when I couldn’t handle his flirtatious eyes anymore, I asked the taxi driver to pull over before I continued to picture Mr. Suit fucking me against a wall somewhere and gave him his fare. I was two blocks from Queen Street and didn’t mind walking the rest of the way.

When I closed the car door, Mr. Suit looked at me one last time. His lips parted as though he wanted to say something, but then he shook his head, and the cab drove away.

I could still smell his sweet cologne as I walked along the side street, and I wondered why he left such an impression on me. I thought it was ridiculous to keep thinking of a man I had barely met for a few minutes.

I grumbled and quickened my pace.

After about a ten-minute walk, I arrived in front of the building, which could become my new home. It was a big house, and I frowned when I noticed it wasn’t the apartment that was advertised. I pulled out the notice from the paper and looked at it again to ensure I had the correct address. When I confirmed I was in the right place, I walked up the steps and knocked on the door with more intrigue.

It surprised me to be greeted by a girl about my age. Her hair was long and soft, and she reminded me of a fairy with her heart-shaped face. Her blue eyes contrasted starkly with her brown hair and pale white skin, and the sight of her took me aback.

“Hi! Are you Olivia?” Her voice was high and sweet.

Yes. That young woman definitely was a picture-perfect fairy.

I waved a hand and returned her greeting. “Yes. And you must be Katherine. A pleasure to meet you.”

The girl in front of me was the opposite of my old roomie. Katherine seemed nice at first glance, but I could already see the extrovert in her. I wasn’t talkative, which was one reason I missed Lena so much. Being an introvert like myself, Lena respected my silence and never probed unless she was bored and wanted to spice her life a bit.

“Likewise, but call me Kat—everyone does. Come in, and I’ll show you around.”

I followed Kat inside and whistled when I saw the living room was as big as my old apartment. It was an open-concept house with enormous windows which let natural light spill in. The wooden floors seemed to be the original flooring, while the rest was completely new and redesigned for a modern and more sophisticated look.

I almost had the urge to pinch myself to wake me up in case I was dreaming.

“Wow. This place is amazing!”

“I know, right? It was redone a few years ago. My brother is an investor in real estate and does property development. He buys cheap housing and flips them to attract business owners or other investors into town. For example, this place used to be two apartments, but the wall separating both living quarters was brought down to make the space bigger. All top-of-the-line equipment has been installed, including air conditioning and heating. There’s a built-in stove and an encased oven that doesn’t look like an oven at all.” Kat said as she pulled what looked like a kitchen cabinet but revealed the hidden appliance.

“There’s a vast island to cook on or to entertain guests. To the right, there’s a bathroom with a heated floor, a shower, and a clawfoot tub. And over there is the second bedroom—which would be your room.”

Kat pulled on my arm to show me the bedroom, and my jaw dropped on the perfectly oiled and shining hardwood floor. Besides the massive king-sized bed, there was an office desk made of dark oak with a tall, cushioned black leather chair. It also had a walk-in closet and two big drawer cabinets to put more clothes in. And when I turned to leave, I noticed a bookshelf spanning almost the entire wall where I could put all my books.

It was an all-in-one paradise, and I wanted it badly.

I giggled internally like a teenage girl. This house and everything inside was incredible and the opposite of what I was leaving behind. I could definitely see myself living here.

I looked at Kat and gave her a big smile.

“I have no words.”

She patted my shoulder and winked. “Aye. It’s pretty great. Come with me. I have a few questions I would like to ask you before we go any further.”

Kat brought me back into the kitchen, and we sat beside the island on a barstool. She was smiling and seemed super friendly. I wondered if she would be like that all the time.

“If you were to move in with me, your rent would be $3000 a month, and I cover the rest. Were you looking for something temporary or more permanent?”

Kat was sizing me up, and I knew exactly what she was doing. If I told her I was looking for something temporary, she would probably not consider me, but it just so happened I was looking to settle down for a while. I would also have to tell her money wasn’t an issue to increase my chances of living here.

“Permanent, and the rent amount is fine. My family left me some money, so I’ll be able to easily cover that and other expenses. I finished university last year, so I’m focusing more on work.”

“Oh, that’s great! Where do you work?”

“I work at Crowns a few days a week. It’s a little pub near here, so it’s perfect.”

“Oh, I haven’t been to that place in years! And yes! It’s about a fifteen-minute walk from the house. And what line of studies did you do at university? I noticed your accent, so I assume you came here for a specific field?”

“No. Not really. I came here for a change of scenery, mostly. I really needed one. I studied artifacts and history, but it was just to pass the time.” I heard myself saying those words and wanted to gag. I sounded like a spoiled rich kid who burned money for no reason. “What I really want to do is write. I love books, and I always wanted to become a writer.” I answered truthfully.

Kat considered what I said, then she took my hands in hers and beamed at me.

“I think we’ll get along nicely. When can you move in?”

I scoffed. “That’s it? You’re not going to ask me for my credit score? For references? Anything?”

Her clear blue eyes settled on me, and by the look in them, it was clear Kat had already decided.

“You seem… dependant, strong and trustworthy. So, I’m happy to look at those another time if I feel like I need to, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary. This feels right.”

I shook her hand excitedly. Kat was right. It did feel good, and I hoped we would get along great.

“Is tomorrow too soon to move in?”