The Initiation (Filthy Rich Americans 1)

I didn’t belong here.

He didn’t seem to feel any of the discomfort I did. “What was your appointment with Alice about?”

“Prep work for the interview.”

A muscle along his neck twitched. Or . . . had I imagined it? He painted on a smile. “I can help with that if you’d like. Come over tonight.”

I tensed, unsure if I was even allowed to say no. “I have plans.”

“This weekend, then. I’ll send my driver.”

“You don’t have to do that. Besides, I like driving.”

It was like I’d just told him his account was overdrawn. Skepticism wrinkled the bridge of his nose. “Really?”

“You don’t?”

“No. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t drive.”

What? I’d assumed he had a whole fleet of sports cars, and some days his hardest decision was which one to take for a spin. “Like, ever? Why not?”

He tossed a hand up in the air casually, then used it to rub the back of his neck. “I’ve always had a driver, so I guess I never saw the point in learning.”

Shock bolted through me. “You don’t know how?” I would never want to be that dependent on someone else. “Oh, my God, you should learn. I think you’d really enjoy it. When I’ve got my favorite song on and it’s just me in the car? I love it. That’s freedom.”

I snapped my mouth shut, realizing too late that I sounded like an idiot. But he didn’t act like he thought that. He considered my statement, and it seemed to grow more appealing each second. “Freedom, huh?”

“Yeah,” I offered. “I could teach you. You help me with the interview, I show you which pedal’s the gas.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I know which one’s the gas, thank you.”

Royce pushed off the desk, rising to his full height. Even though I wore heels, he was still two inches taller than I was, and as he closed the distance between us, my eyes grew large. He was dangerous like this. Confident and powerful while in his own domain, all of Boston at his feet.

His voice was smooth like the glossy lacquer on his desktop. “All right. Sounds like a deal to me.”

I’d expected a handshake, but instead he brushed his knuckles across my cheekbone and lowered in, sealing our deal with a slow, lingering kiss.

TEN

ALICE WAS ABLE TO COVER a lot more ground at our next meeting, which was good. She had a work trip to the Chicago branch next week and would be out of the office until Wednesday. Coordinating the schedules of the eight current board members was no small feat, and the only workable date was Thursday.

Which meant I’d have to clear hurdle number one and face the board in less than a week.

I’d learned about almost all of the men who sat in the coveted positions—all but Macalister himself. I wasn’t sure if Alice was saving him for last, or not going to cover him at all. She was cagey whenever I asked for details about the interview. It was clear she wanted me to do well when I sat for it, but she also wouldn’t give me a clue about what kind of questions they’d ask.

That made it nearly impossible to prepare.

Friday morning, while I was stuck in Alice’s office learning that Mr. Powell raced sailboats and competed in regattas, my mother and Emily went to the doctor and confirmed she was pregnant. Apparently, the relationship between her and her professor had ended as quickly as it had started, and once she told him he was the father, he calmly offered her five thousand dollars to take care of it and not tell his wife.

I loved my sister, but—Jesus. She had the worst taste in men.

I was still incredibly hurt that she’d kept so much from me. She’d tried to talk to me, but I’d used my meetings with Alice as an excuse to avoid her. I just needed more time to get over it. Emily was fragile right now, and I didn’t want to say anything that would upset her.

On Saturday, I arrived at the Hale estate after lunchtime. I’d spent the morning making my way through my family’s finances. The head in the sand approach wasn’t working. I told them I’d rather face it head-on, no matter how bad it was. I’d go into it with eyes wide open.

Royce saw my Porsche pull up in the circle drive and came out to meet me. He wore shorts and a t-shirt, looking much more his age than when I’d seen him at the office two days ago. I’d snapped the picture of him that day for myself, but Alice posted it to my account. She’d tagged him in it and used a million hashtags, and as a result, I had a hundred new followers.

All of Cape Hill knew we were dating. They believed the lie that Royce Hale was into me.