Landlady: A New Adult Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 1) (18 page)

The next day, after a hearty breakfast of farm-fresh eggs, milk, and
bacon, I gave Sierra a chaste kiss on the cheek and promised I'd be
back that night for a short visit.

“Come over whenever you want, Asher,” Lillian cooed. “Our doors
are always open for you.”

“Thank you, Lillian. That means a lot to me.” My cheeks still
flamed at the memory of what we did the night before in their living
room.

Ernest didn't say much but grumbled a goodbye as I left.

When I reached the office, there was the usual pandemonium...but with
an added edge. Of course, people were on edge. The Holdom sisters
were coming to visit. They were practically Hollywood celebrities.
The youngest female billionaires in the world running one of the
biggest cosmetics empires in the world. Who hadn't heard of Clarisse
Holdom?

“Look sharp,” Rachelle quipped. “They're coming in five
minutes.”

“Don't I always look sharp?” I grinned. I was wearing my best
suit and a brand new dress shirt so starched and white it blinded my
colleagues.

“You do look... refreshed today,” Rachelle pointed out. “Did
you get lucky last night?”

Something like that.
I didn't answer her question and headed
straight to my office instead. I had to prepare my notes and gather
my files.

When I heard a deluge of 'oohs' and 'aahs' cascade through the
office, I knew it was showtime.

I made my way to the Meeting Room A and caught a glimpse of the two
sisters heading towards me.

Vanessa Holdom was the older sister, the one in charge. I met her at
a charity gala last year in L.A. She was radiant then but even more
so now that she was pregnant. Her belly was so huge it looked like
she was about to pop. The baby bump was showcased perfectly
underneath a form-fitting maternity dress. By her side, was her
chatty younger sister, Lexi. I heard she'd just turned nineteen. She
was by far the smartest and most cunning nineteen-year-old I'd ever
met. IQ and college grades through the roof. Already the head of
marketing at a billion-dollar company. She was ambitious, smart, and
easy on the eyes.

“Vanessa! Lexi! How nice to see you again,” I greeted.

“Well if it isn't Asher Morgan,” Lexi smiled. “Haven't seen you
since the charity gala last year.”

Memories flooded back to me. There had been a shooting. The gala had
ended short.

“Did they ever catch the shooter?”

Lexi shook her head. “We're still looking, but chances are he's
either in hiding or already dead. I think he was working for a drug
lord or something.”

Vanessa cleared her throat. “I believe we're here to sign some
papers.”

“Yes, right this way,” I gestured, opening the door for them.

Just as I was taking a seat on the opposite side of the table,
Klassen walked in. “Sorry I'm a little late,” he apologized. “I
was just ironing out the kinks in your contract.”

He stared at me as if to ask, “
What the hell are you doing
here?
”

I stared back. “You can give them to me, Klassen.”

“Charles wants to speak with you in his office,” Klassen said.
“Now.”

I stood up and hissed in his ear, “What the hell is this?”

Klassen whispered back, “This is you stepping down, my friend.”

I didn't bother asking more. Something was off, I could feel it in my
bones. I excused myself and stormed down the hall to Dad's office.

I didn't even knock. I just flung open the door and demanded, “Why
the hell is Klassen in there with the Holdoms?”

Dad was on the phone and held up one finger to silence me.

My veins were thrumming with rage and shame. Surely Dad just meant to
give Klassen the final contracts to work on, not the entire fucking
case?

After what felt like eons, Dad finally hung up and gestured for me to
take a seat.

“Son, what was this company founded on?”

“Huh?”

“Answer the question, Asher,” Dad said.

“Hard work and tears mostly,” I replied. “Why?”

“How did we climb to the top?”

I was getting impatient with these questions, but I answered them
anyway. “All-nighters, teamwork, and a dash of ruthlessness?”

“All excellent answers.”

“What's your point, Dad?”

“Have you been putting in the hard work, the tears, the
all-nighters, the ruthlessness, and teamwork lately?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes?”

We both knew I was lying.

Dad slammed his hand on the table. “No. No, you fucking haven't,
Asher. While you were flouncing around chasing skirts, Klassen, Mike,
and I, as well as a few other junior associates, we've been busting
our ass working on
your case.
A case I shouldn't have even
needed to worry about. A case you and Mike should've been able to
handle had you been on your A-game. But instead, you gave me a crock
of shit for a contract and tried to serve it to me as if it was
fucking beluga caviar.”

“Dad
—
”

“You're fired, Asher.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Pack your shit and go home.”

“You can't
—
”

“I'm the Founding Partner at this firm. And I can do whatever I
damn well please.”

“Dad, please, I know I make a mistake. Please let me make it up to
you!”

“I will not play favorites, Asher. I hired you for your skill, not
because you were my son. And now that you've proven to me that you're
useless here, I have no choice but to let you go.”

“So all the work I put into this merger, was for nothing? You're
going to give
Klassen
all the credit?”

“Klassen not only handled his own workload but shouldered yours as
well. You should be grateful he helped you. I'm planning to promote
him to senior partner next month.”

“No.”

“No? No, Asher? You need to learn some hard truths here today. Let
everyone see you as an example of what is and isn't acceptable at my
firm. Morgan, Sloane, and Perry does not tolerate slackers. You've
always been held to the same standards as everyone else. And you've
always come out on top. Until you met that girl.” Dad practically
spat out the last word.

“Sierra has nothing to do with this,” I said.

“No? So it was just coincidence then that you started getting
distracted after you took her to the charity benefit.”

“Dad, I've learned my lesson. Please, you don't need to embarrass
me like this,” I pleaded.

“Get out, Asher. Don't bother coming back. I'll have Rachelle pack
your things and mail them to your house.”

Just like that, I became unemployed and cast out onto the streets.

By my own fucking father.

CHAPTER 17

SIERRA

ASHER CAME OVER AROUND TWO.

I knew that meant trouble. My suspicions were confirmed when he
dragged himself in, shoulders hunched.

“What happened?” I asked, standing up and slipping the crutches
under my armpits. I started hobbling over, but he reached my side in
two steps.

Without a single word, he buried his face in my neck and hugged me
hard. His dejected face looked wrinkled and pale.

“Come on, take a seat on the couch.” I lifted the remote and
turned off the TV.

Asher plunked down on the sofa and buried his face in his hand. “I
got fired.”

“What? How did that happen?”

I made my way over and sat down beside him. “Your dad
—
”

“
—
Yeah. My own fucking father fired
me. In front of everybody. It was humiliating.”

“But why
—
”

“Because I fucked up on
one contract.
For the Holdom merger.
One stupid contract and years of hard work at the firm, erased.
Respect, gone forever. Now everyone just sees a worthless loser who
got canned by his own dad.”

“You're not a worthless loser,” I said. I felt uneasy. I didn't
know how to comfort him. To make him understand this setback wasn't
the end of the world. “You're young. Smart. Ambitious. You can wait
until your dad cools down and then ask for your job back. Or just go
work at another firm. You have plenty of options.” I rested a hand
on Asher's back and stroked it in circles. A comforting gesture.

“He thinks I've lost my touch and gotten lazier ever since I met
you,” Asher said, not looking up at me.

“Since you met me? How?”

“You don't understand, Sierra, the kind of spell you've put me
under,” Asher groaned. “Ever since I met you, my world's been
turned inside-out.”

“Because I became your landlady?” I asked.

“No, because we shared those kisses. Those texts. The teasing and
flirting. And last night. Was it all just fun and games to you?
Because it sure as hell wasn't for me. You've become more than a
simple distraction. I can't turn off my thoughts about you. No matter
how hard I try, my mind keeps coming back to you. I've become
obsessed with everything about you: your little smirks, your
beautiful golden eyes, your stubbornness, feistiness—everything.”

“Asher
—
”

Asher's mouth found mine. He cupped my cheeks and sank deeper into
the kiss, lowering me down onto my back.

Between breaths, I dragged in air. “My parents might
—
”

“Tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me
—”

“
—
I like you too,” I blurted out.
“You're always on my mind as well, no matter how much I deny it. I
wake up every morning thinking about you and your heart-melting
smile.”

“Thank you, Sierra,” Asher said, kissing me from my forehead down
to the tip of my nose. Then his lips melted into mine and nothing
else mattered anymore. After he pulled away, he whispered, “You
made my day. Everything's better now because
—
”

“
—Shh...” I pulled Asher down on top of
me and kissed him again so hard I felt dizzy. We got lost in each
other's embrace, lost in each other's mouths. I felt like I was a
teenager again, secretly making out with a boy before my parents came
home. I threaded my fingers through Asher's silky hair, murmuring his
name between feverish kisses. I could feel him hard against me, his
manhood pressed tight against my belly. He shifted against me,
digging into my thigh. I let out an ear-piercing whelp.

Stupid leg.

“Shit. Sorry, babe,” Asher said, pulling back. “I got carried
away.”

“It's okay,” I said, running a hand down to my cast.

“So...”

“So.”

We laughed, and I sat up and threw my arms around him. “You're
adorable, Asher Morgan.”

He shot me a wounded puppy look. “Just adorable?”

“Okay, you're devastatingly hot.”

“Only devastatingly hot?”

“That's one of the highest honors bestowed to man.” I chuckled.
“Few have attained this much-coveted status.”

“I want to be your everything, Sierra,” Asher murmured, curling a
finger around my mussed hair. “And I want you to need me as much as
you need air.”

“Demanding much? Baby steps, Asher.”

“I've been taking baby steps for almost a month now,” he said.
“Time to step up my game and go for the girl.”

I let out a belly laugh. “Oh? What do you have in mind?”

“For starters, how about I take you home and pamper you night and
day until you're all better?”

“You have to work. Get your job back, or find another one,” I
insisted.

“I don't have to do jack shit other than spoil my girl,” Asher
said, winking.

My stomach did a jumping jack. “Your girl? I didn't realize I'd
promised myself to you already.”

Asher took my hands in his own. His smile had faded, replaced by a
more serious expression. “Sierra Maywood, will you be my
girlfriend?”

After a moment I said, “I guess so.” I tried to hide my glee, but
the truth was, my insides had transformed into a gymnastics club.

“Guess? Do you know how many women would die to be with me?”
Asher said, smirking.

“It doesn't matter because you'd die to be with one woman, and that
woman's me, right?”

“God I love everything about you, Sierra Maywood.” Asher kissed
me again, this time, holding on for so long I thought he'd never let
go. “So what do you say? Should I bring you home?”

“My parents won't be too happy about this,” I said. “They were
just getting used to having me back. They'll be devastated.”

“What if I promise to bring you to see them at least once a week?
Or whenever they want? They could also come visit us whenever they
want.”

“Maybe. You'll have to ask. I don't want to fall into their bad
books again.”

“Okay.”

As if on cue, my parents popped through the door.

“Oh, Asher. We weren't expecting you until later,” Mom said. “Got
off work early to be with Sierra? How sweet.”

I didn't have the heart to correct her so we both let it slide.

Asher turned to me. “What do you want to do for the rest of the
day?”

“I'd like you to meet someone.”

“Oh, who?”

“My horse, Roxy.”

“You have a horse?” Asher asked. “Wait, why am I so surprised?
You grew up on a farm.”

“Come, she's in the barn,” I said. Asher helped me up, and I
slipped the crutches under my arm. I was still a bit wobbly on my
feet. By the time I took a few steps, I was already feeling a bit
tired.

“Oh for God's sake,” Asher said. He swooped me up and carried me
in his arms. I let the crutches clatter to the floor.

“Where to, princess?” he asked.

I pointed the way.

I was about 120 pounds, but Asher carried me as if I was light as a
feather. He was still dressed in his work clothes: an expensive suit
ensemble and shiny black dress shoes. Everything was quickly covered
in mud as he made his way to the barn.

“Your clothes
—
” I began.

“Nothing dry-cleaning can't fix,” he said. “I think.”

We must've looked quite comedic to any passerby. A city suit carrying
a country girl in a sunflower dress down to the barn. My humongous
leg cast in itself dwarfed the rest of my body, and it felt like a
brick strapped to my thighs.