Chapter 52

Kasey

Just before Kasey made it to the front door, Jay jumped in front of her trying to talk her out of entering the home that she could see still meant a lot to him.

“Why’d you bring me here?” she asked.

“I wanted you to see how I grew up,” he answered, without hesitation.

“Well, let me see, then.”

Kasey could sense how much it meant to him that she knew where he came from. Surely, this couldn’t be the type of thing he shared with many people, so she wanted to let him know how interested she was in getting to know the place that had shaped him.

“Let’s just see if the door is open,” she suggested.

Jay paused before nodding, reaching his Rolex clad wrist for the doorknob, which instantly turned. Kasey wasn’t surprised, she could see the door lacked security from the sidewalk. Slowly, they walked inside, Jay leading the way, with his hand behind his back, grasping Kasey’s fingers as if someone might try to take her.

“How often do you come back here?” she asked.

He was uncomfortable, she could sense it. There was something about the place he didn’t like, yet he was still calling it the only home he ever knew.

“I come back quite regularly, but I haven’t been inside since we moved out,” Jay answered, wearily looking around the run down house.

It was obvious no one had lived in this home in years—from both the appearance and the smells.

“Why do you come back?”

“To remind me of why I can never be broke again.”

His answer struck Kasey, and she wondered if he feared his bad deal with Renee could possibly result in the type of financial devastation that could lead him back to a life of poverty. It had never occurred to her that he could suffer from the same anxiety she endured—knowing that she never wanted to be poor again. For Kasey, it would only take a few months of unemployment, but she thought it would be different for Jay due to his massive fortune and empire.

“You said this is the only home you’ve ever known. But what about your mansion? That’s the nicest home I’ve ever seen.” She heard the compliment coming out of her mouth, despite her lack of permission.

Kasey never wanted Jay to notice how impressed, and even flabbergasted, she was by his wealth. So, she tried to downplay her reactions, pretending she’d seen similar homes, when that was far from the truth. Everything Jay had was the nicest version she’d ever seen, especially his mansion.

“That’s a house, not a home,” he answered flatly.

“What’s the difference?” she huffed.

“Things aren’t all they’re cracked up to be if you don’t have anyone to share them with, Kasey.”

He was serious, looking directly into her eyes so intently that she had to look away. Could Jay consider her the right type of woman to share a home—or even a life with? The thought made her feel lightheaded, a dream too big to ever consider seriously.

Jay Canton was the most powerful man in the industry, with far reaching power, and she knew he could have any woman in the world. Yet, here she was in his childhood home, learning more about him than any Google search would ever reveal. It humbled her, while also leaving her with a privileged feeling that made her eager to put him back on the top of the publishing world, where he deserved to be.

“You’ll never have to go back to living like this, Jay. The new company is going to be bigger than the last.”

It was the way she had pitched her idea to him, but it was also what Kasey believed from the bottom of her heart. She wanted more than anything to prove herself to him professionally, while also demonstrating her commitment to him personally, and helping build this new company was the perfect way to do it.

“I have no doubts, sweetheart. We’ll figure it out.” Jay wrapped his arms around her at the perfect time, because when he called her sweetheart she felt the world open beneath her, ready to swallow her whole.

“I have a new author I’ve been courting for years. She would never sign with me, because she’s very into the indie life—she likes the freedom and enjoys the role she gets to play in her marketing. She’d be the perfect client for the new company, and her sales would pay for all the costs we’ll incur.” It was an idea she’d been playing with, but the author was a bigger deal than she could handle alone. She and Jay, however, could work together and persuade the writer to join their new venture.

“Is that so?” he asked, and she could see the pride in his eyes.

“Yes. And I can get a meeting with her,” she boasted, looking up into his bright eyes.

“Set it up. We can talk to her together,” Jay kissed her neck softly as he led her from the home.

The ride back to his estate was filled with a comfortable silence, as their fingers remained interlocked. Something about the trip had brought them even closer together, a feat Kasey thought impossible.

Every day she thought there was no way she could care more deeply about him, but every day Jay found a way to pull her further in. She was beside herself when they reached his mansion, her head in the clouds. The air was thick with an emotion she wasn’t ready to identify.

Instead, she just followed him back to his bedroom, where the two remained for the rest of the day, expressing the words they weren’t yet ready to say out loud.