Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23758 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
This time, Kenneth catches drift of my words and he pauses for a moment.
“What does that mean?”
I shrug.
“She’ll be coming to see me, and not you. I’ll ask the concierge to send Ms. McCall up to my penthouse, instead of your apartment.”
After all, my son and I live in the same complex. It’s a luxury building situated in the best part of town, and Kenneth’s apartment was part of the divorce settlement. Honey wanted to set her son up with a place to live before she escaped to Europe, and as a result, I gifted Ken this place on the fifth floor.
“You’re going to what?” Ken gasps, his eyes bugging out a bit.
“I’m taking over,” I repeat casually while striding towards the door. “Consider the McCall matter closed, Kenneth. I’ll handle it from here on out.”
With that, I let myself out into the hallway as my son stares after me in stunned silence. The door swings shut with a thump, but I merely shrug while striding to the elevator.
After all, this is merely the natural order of things. As the alpha male, I’m asserting my dominance over a lesser male of the pack. The alpha male has the right to claim the females in the pack as he sees fit, and now that I’ve seen Katie McCall, Kenneth is being shoved unceremoniously out of the picture. Katie will be mine, and that’s that.
4
Katie
Tentatively, I make my way to the reception desk. Just like at Carlton Realty, this reception area is also lavish, with sky-high ceilings, modern chandeliers, and granite floors that gleam.
“Um hi, I’m here to see Mr. Carlton,” I manage in a stilted voice. “I’m Katie McCall.”
To my surprise, the male receptionist doesn’t even blink.
“Penthouse floor,” he says. “Please use the elevators to the left, and press “P” once you’re inside.”
I smile and murmur my thanks before stumbling a bit on my way to the elevators. Drat, it’s these shoes. To my shame, I’m actually dressed the way Kenneth requested. I have a navy cocktail dress on that hugs my curves, showing off my generous girls. The skirt is far too short and creeps up my thighs as I walk, and I tug it down self-consciously while biting my lip. These heels are ridiculous too. They seem to clop loudly, like horseshoes, as I walk across the marble floors.
Finally, I get to the elevator and press the button. Immediately, the doors slide open, and I step into an ornate mahogany box. Wow, this is so fancy. Gilt mirrors show my reflection, and I grimace at myself a bit as I press “P.”
It makes sense after all. It’s possible that Kenneth lives in the penthouse because I know his father’s firm practically owns this entire town. What’s another penthouse to the Carltons? They’ve probably got fancy apartments all over the world, just waiting for their arrival.
The bell dings, and the doors whoosh open once more. I step hesitantly into a lavishly decorated hallway, but it’s clear where to go. There’s only one door on the far right, and I wince a bit in my high heels as I make my way to the imposing entryway.
Hesitantly, I press the doorbell. There’s no sound and my heart lifts. Oh my gosh, maybe Kenneth’s forgotten about our appointment and I can sneak out of here without having to encounter him. But then footsteps sound on the other side, and my heart sinks. Drat, I knew it was too good to be true.
The door creaks open but instead of seeing Kenneth’s hulking mass, instead I see the handsome older man who had the other corner office at Carlton Realty.
“Um hi, I’m here to see Kenneth?” I ask hesitantly as my cheeks flush. “I’m Katie McCall.”
The man smiles while stepping back to open the door.
“Yes, of course. I’m Xavier Carlton, Kenneth’s father. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
My mouth gapes open and my eyes grow wide. Holy hell, this is Kenneth’s dad? It seems impossible because they look nothing alike. This man is dark, handsome and imposing, with his broad shoulders and muscular bulk encased in a dark suit. Meanwhile, Kenneth is of middling height, extremely pudgy, with a fair complexion. How can they even be related?
“Oh thanks,” I say while stepping into the penthouse. “I didn’t realize that Kenneth lived with his parents, but I guess it makes sense. The economy has been so tough that a lot of young folks now live at home to save money. I would live at home too if my mom were easier to get along with,” I say by way of explanation.
But them my mouth snaps shut and my cheeks color. Why did I say that? I just met this guy, and revealed my poverty to him for no reason! How could I be such a dunce?
Plus, upon entering the apartment, I can tell that the Carltons have more money than they know what to do with. The place is incredibly spacious and beautifully decorated with towering ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and huge, arched windows that show off the dusky night beyond. It’s the kind of place you’d see in a designer magazine where they try to sell you furniture that costs an arm and a leg. Plus, to top it all off, there’s a glimpse of the moon through the window on my right, lending a romantic air to the setting.