THAT EVENING, AFTER making sure Aiden was long gone from my bathroom, I make myself human again and go downstairs.

Kingston’s in his favorite spot—the kitchen—preparing a masterpiece sure to make my taste buds sing Glory Hallelujah.

My brother is one of those guys who just can’t help himself when it comes to women. He thinks of himself as their knight in shining armor, which is entirely true. He saved me from humiliation, but like all good things, my hiding in one of his bedrooms must come to an end.

Needing his help is one thing.

Cowering like a child is quite another.

“Sleeping Pain in My Ass is awake. Goodie,” he says without turning around. “Guess Aiden was the dynamite your butt needed.”

“He all but threw me in the shower, Kingston, and it was freaking cold,” I complain.

Kingston looks at me over his shoulders, his dark brown eyes full of humor instead of sympathy. “Genius move. Pure genius. Guess that’s why he makes the money.”

“Shut up, Mr. Rich.” I sit at the bar and wait for Kingston’s orders. I’m not playing at being helpless or demanding silently to be waited on. My brother hates it when someone comes into his domain while he cooks. And because we all love his cooking so much, even my mother stays out of his way. “What smells so good?”

“Flattery will get you a full stomach, kid.” He turns off the burners and plates two dishes.

I let out a sigh of relief when he doesn’t get out a third. The last person I want to face is Aiden after he’s seen my ugliest pair of underwear and my hair looking like a squirrel’s nest.

“Just us, huh?” I ask, just in case Aiden’s waiting around the corner with a water hose.

“Aiden had to go home to dry off and change.” Kingston sets a plate of pasta and grilled chicken in front of me. My stomach growls. “What in the hell did you do to him?”

“He did it to me first.” I pick up a fork and take a bite of everything, closing my eyes and enjoying every flavor. “So yummy. “

“Whatever he did, as long as he didn’t hurt you, I’m glad it worked.”

The stinging feeling of his hand against my butt cheek makes me squirm a little. Is it weird that I enjoyed it? Yes, he smacked my tail as punishment for saying fuck... oh my God, should I have enjoyed that?

My cheeks heat at the thought. I really need to talk to Paige about it, but she hasn’t answered my earlier text, yet... probably because she has a life.

“You’re looking more yourself, too.” Kingston joins me at the bar, bringing with him two glasses of wine. “Cheers.”

I take a glass from him and pretend to drink it. I hate wine. Yeah, I know... So sue me, I like fruity drinks instead of sophisticated ones. “Mind if I get some water?”

He takes my glass and pours the liquid into his. “Nope.”

“Hard day?” I hop down from the stool and grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

“More of a headache than anything.”

“Maybe you should make Finley this amazing dinner?” I wriggle my eyebrows at him as I sit back down. He knows I don’t mean romantically because my brother has this rule about dating his friends’ exes. It’s a good rule and one Paige and I had, even though I never worried about breaking it. I was too busy being suckered by Joe.

Plus, Finley is engaged to a schoolteacher who looks like Captain America’s twin brother. I think she’s good in the guy department.

He tugs on his collar. “Actually, I’m in negotiations to buy my own firm. Don’t get me wrong, Finley has been amazing to work for and with, but it’s time for me to take the risk, you know?”

“Are you serious?” I say, and he nods. A huge, goofy grin stretches my lips. “That’s amazing news.”

“It’s not a done deal, so no celebrating.” He takes a drink of wine. “Speaking of jobs...”

“When were we speaking of jobs?”

“Right now.”

I make a face, but inside I’m turning into ice. There’s no way I can go back to Bluebelle Hills and face the gossip mills, much less our family. “I don’t want to go home to work for Dad.”

“I know you don’t, which is why I pulled some strings and set up a few job interviews with some of the major hotels and event centers in Raleigh.”

“You did?” Tears threaten to fall, but at least they’re happy ones. I lean over and give him a quick hug before digging into my food once more. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It’s up to you to get a job.” He pulls out his phone and brings up his email. “I’ll send you the details. First one is tomorrow morning.”

I nearly drop my fork. “Tomorrow morning?”

“It’s part of the reason why I had to use desperate measures,” Kingston admits. “Paige agreed, by the way.”

“You just had to throw her under the bus.”

“I defer to her advice when it comes to grown-up you.”

I don’t feel so grown up right now. I feel like a little girl who has lost her way and let me tell you, it sucks. I enjoyed being a woman fully in control of her future, of knowing every single thing that was going to happen—at least the major events—from the time I graduated college to when Paige and I outlive our respective husbands so we can move in together again.

“Smart thinking.”

Kingston touches my arm. “Are you sure Aiden didn’t say anything that I don’t need to kick his ass over?”

I shake my head, not remembering one bit how much I also enjoyed him ogling me in the shower. At least I’m attractive to him... unlike my stupid husband who I have to wait six months to divorce.

“Nah. He got the job done.”

***

THE NEXT MORNING, I put on my most professional outfit and head to my first interview. It’s January, so either it will be biting cold or early summer temps. As soon as the first gust of wind hits me, my teeth start to chatter.

I wasn’t made for the cold.

Wrapping my arms around my middle, I search for my Uber and find the car already waiting. The driver drops me off in front of the tallest hotel in Raleigh a few minutes later.

With a deep breath, I size up the building and make my way inside, giving myself a pep talk along the way.

At the front desk, the manager is waiting for me, but she doesn’t look too happy. I don’t recognize her, so she can’t be one of Kingston’s ex girlfriends. One, he doesn’t have that many because he’s not a manwhore, and two, he’s on good terms with them.

I extend my hand to her. “Hi, I’m Layton Price. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

“You’re late,” she says flatly, and my cheeks heat.

“I am?” Confused, I glance at the enormous clock on the wall behind her. Even according to their time, I’m fifteen minutes early. “I thought our meeting was at nine.”

“All employees are expected to check-in thirty minutes before their shift starts.”

I give her an odd look. “Your event-planner position is shift work?” There’s nothing wrong with shift work, but event planners generally work on salary. Some companies even throw in commission and bonuses. Although the privately owned library where I used to work paid me peanuts—comparatively to other jobs, at least—I was able to make my own schedule, have complete control of events, and work with my best friend, Paige.

Why did I quit again... oh yeah, because Joe and I had plans to live back home in Bluebelle Hills after we married.

“No.” She turns away and starts walking. “Follow me.”

I almost have to run to keep up with her as she leads me through a set of double doors that are the entryway to a maze of hallways that would put a labyrinth to shame. Finally, we arrive at the manager’s office.

I search her desk for a nameplate, but come up with nothing. Dang it.

Maybe she’s not the manager. Maybe I assumed because of her position in front of the desk and the way she knew—

“Have a seat, Mrs....? Your brother relayed that you were recently married.”

My stomach drops. “It’s actually Ms. Price.”

Her dark eyes narrow. “I thought women like you dropped their maiden name once they married.”

“Women like me—do I know you?” No matter how hard I try, I can’t place the voluptuous blonde.

She smiles stiffly. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“You’re not going to consider me for the job, are you?” I ask, not bothering to sit down. I tilt my chin up, determined to get through this farce of an interview.

“I already have.”

“So it’s a no.”

“I worked too hard to get where I am just for some down-on-her-luck twat to sweep in here and replace the woman who earned her way, simply because she knows people in high places. That’s not how I operate.”

It hits me then. She didn’t bother to read my resume because she assumes I’m not qualified. “That’s not how... I can’t help that my brother made some calls for me.”

“Helpless is a good word to describe you, and why you wouldn’t be the right fit for the job anyway. “

My mouth drops open, then closes. “Thanks for your time.” I turn to leave.

“Oh, and Ms. Price?”

“Yes?”

“Raleigh is a small city. Best of luck on the remainder of your interviews.”

Oh, hell no. I’m not going to let her threaten me. “I’m more than qualified for any event-planning position in this city, and if you had bothered to read my resume and called my references, then you would have known that.” With a huff, I sweep out of her office.

“Best exit I’ve ever made,” I whisper to myself.