chapter 3

When my alarm goes off the next morning, I groan, reaching for my phone and shutting it off. I sigh into the pillow. God, staying out late last night was a terrible idea.

Although the mind-blowing sex might have been worth it.

I’ll decide once I see how this first day of work goes.

I force myself out of bed and into the shower. Then I blow dry my hair, apply my makeup, and put on my meticulously picked out outfit. A professional white blouse, a pencil skirt, tights, and kitten heels. It hugs my figure and makes me look cute, but it’s still professional.

I give myself a once over in the mirror before heading to the kitchen to make coffee. I pour some into a travel cup, grab my purse off the counter, and head out the door.

King Technologies is in downtown Seattle, and my apartment is in Queen Anne, so I have about a fifteen-minute drive—as long as the traffic isn’t terrible.

I hop into my trustworthy Subaru and head off. It’s the car I’ve had since college and has definitely seen better days, but I’ve grown an attachment to it. Besides, it’s not like I have extra cash lying around for a new car.

Especially considering … everything.

I try not to think about Dad if I can help it. The subject is still raw and often just brings me to tears. But it’s hard when it’s all coming to a head.

When he passed away four months ago, I thought the whole world was ending. And in a way, it was. After battling cancer for three years, it wasn’t a surprise. But somehow, even when you know it’s coming, you’re never ready for it.

And I definitely wasn’t.

I took a week off work and didn’t leave my house. Courtney tried calling and stopping by, but I refused to speak to anyone.

After Mom and my sister Hailey died in a freak car accident when I was fourteen, Dad was the only family I had. We were it for each other. It’s probably why we’re as close as we are.

Were.

Fuck, I keep forgetting he’s actually gone.

All his assets went to me—which wasn’t a lot considering so much of it was eaten up in medical bills. The only thing worth something—and worth sentimental value to me—is the house. A gorgeous three-bedroom on Queen Anne hill.

It’s the house I grew up in. I played with Hailey in the backyard as kids. Mom and Dad would cook dinner together in the evenings, drinking glasses of wine and listening to music. And after Mom and Hailey passed, it’s where Dad and I comforted each other and spent our days rebuilding our lives.

With everyone gone, it’s the only thing I have left of them. Literally. The only thing that matters.

The only problem is, that with Dad’s medical bills, the house isn’t quite mine. Not yet. Not until I pay off the balance. Apparently, all of Dad’s assets need to be liquified to pay off his debt, and then anything leftover goes to me. And since his other funds weren’t enough … the house has to go.

Unless I can pay off the difference.

It’s surprisingly not an enormous amount, but also not an amount I happen to have on hand. Big enough to be intimidating but small enough to be achievable. With some luck, at least.

It’s part of why I started looking for new jobs. Why I jumped at this opportunity at King Technologies. With the salary I’ll be making, I should be able to pay off the medical debt in six months or so. As long as I basically live off of ramen noodles and turn off my electricity. But it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

I make my way downtown, past the fancy restaurants, hotels, and companies. I even see the bar Courtney and I were at last night, and I smile to myself, thinking of Mystery Man. God, the sex was good. Courtney had texted me this morning asking how it went, and I’d told her we’d need to get together and catch up.

I see King Technologies come into view, and I see the parking garage for their company. I’d been emailed a temporary parking pass until I get my ID, so I pull up, showing the pass on my phone to the man at the gate, and he ushers me in.

I park quickly, gathering my things and heading to the elevator. King Tech is on the top floor, so I wait patiently as the elevator hums its way upward.

When the doors open to King Tech’s lobby, I step out to see a brightly lit, minimalistic workspace. A large wall, about ten feet wide, sits right behind the receptionist desk, separating the lobby from the main workspace. I can see clusters of desks beyond it. A kind-looking receptionist sits behind the front desk and looks up when I enter.

“Hi,” I say with a smile, stepping forward. “I’m Olivia Reilly. I’m Asher King’s new personal assistant.”

Asher King. The CEO of King Tech. From what I gathered in my quick G****e search of the company, he and his two brothers started it five or so years ago. His father also owns some tech company that’s been around for ages. King Tech is a frontrunner in virtual reality—less focused on the gaming aspect and more on how it could help advance medical science. They’re well known for their applications to help doctors practice complicated surgeries in VR before performing them in real life.

“Yes,” the woman says. “Follow me, I’ll show you to your desk.” She gets up, motioning for me to follow her as she turns and walks past reception and into the main workspace.

We pass clusters of desks, all arranged in little work pods.

“I’m Melinda,” the woman says over her shoulder with a smile.

“Nice to meet you,” I say.

Finally, we reach a cluster of two desks near the back, one of them empty. “This is your desk,” she says. “And this is Ben.” She motions to a young man sitting in the opposite desk. He smiles warmly at me. “He’s Aiden’s personal assistant.”

“Aiden?” I ask.

“One of the King brothers,” Ben chimes in. “You get Asher, I get Aiden.”

I nod. “And the third? There are three, right?”

Melinda rolls her eyes. “Alec. Yes. He pretends he doesn’t need an assistant. Just means he’s here all hours doing more work than he needs to.” She chuckles. “Ben will show you around. Have a nice first day.” She gives me a kind pat on the shoulder before walking off, her heels clacking across the linoleum.

I turn to Ben. “Nice to meet you, Ben,” I say. “I’m Olivia.”

“Oh, the pleasure’s mine,” Ben says, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the desk. He looks to be about my age—mid-twenties perhaps?—with light brown hair and really fun style. His jeans are cuffed with colorful socks peaking out underneath. “I’ve been the only PA here for too long. It just means Asher and Alec’s shit gets thrown on me too.” He rolls his eyes. “I’m in desperate need of help.”

I laugh. “Well, I’m happy to lend a hand.”

I put my purse on my desk and take a seat. Ben’s and my desks are facing each other, so it’s easy for us to continue our conversation. “So, what’s the culture here?” I ask. “Is it a fun environment?”

Ben shrugs. “Mostly. People are nice. The King brothers can be intense, but I guess that’s how it is when you’re running a billion-dollar company and are too rich for your own good.”

“When can I meet them? Or at least Asher?”

Ben glances at the time on his phone. “You have a meeting to meet Asher here in about twenty minutes. In the meantime, I’ll show you around.”

He gets up from his desk and motions for me to follow. He leads me to the break room with fridges, tables, and complimentary snacks. Then he takes me on a tour of the conference rooms, points out where the bathrooms are, and introduces me to a few other employees.

Finally, with a glance at his phone, Ben concludes it’s time to head to Asher’s office. We head down a separate hallway, and Ben points out three offices, each for one of the King brothers. “This is Asher’s,” Ben says, stopping at one and knocking on the door.

A deep voice from inside calls, “Come in!”

Ben steps in first, and I follow.

“Asher, this is your new assistant,” Ben says. “Olivia Reilly.”

I glance up as I pass the threshold, my eyes landing on Asher King. At first, he just looks like a man in a business suit seated behind a desk. But as he stands, he starts to look more and more familiar, and suddenly it hits me.

The muscled arms, the tall stature, the intense stare. My Mystery Man from last night.

Shit.

It’s my fir

st day on the job, and I’ve already fucked my boss.