Homewrecker (BOOK 1)

3

Brian^

Adora

"What are you doing in here?"

I jumped and the papers I was holding slipped from my arms. I just closed my eyes and clenched my jaw.

"Your wife told me to put these on your desk."

"Really? Because my wife knows good and well to tell others to stay out of my office. Private property," Mr. King said, his usual nonchalant look on his face.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, and instead bent down to pick up the papers scattered across the floor. I couldn't help my eyes from going round when he bent down to help me.

"Surprised?" He asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

I looked back down and shook my head. "I should get out of your office. Private property, isn't it?"

He nodded his head slowly, standing up as soon as I did. "Thank you for delivering these to me."

I just nodded and turned around, walking towards the door.

"Adora," he said, making me turn around and knit my brows together.

"Yes?"

"Where's that name come from?" He asked, circling his index finger around another intricate decoration in their home, as if they could have any more.

"Well," I began, "my mom likes to think she named me after the villain in the Storm Siren series. Even though she really didn't, I'm not entirely sure where that name came from."

I hadn't noticed he was seated now, his narrowed eyes fixated on me. "When I look at you, I think anything but a vixen. Anything but a female villain."

I cocked an eyebrow up, a little confused. "Thank you, I guess?"

He stood up, walking over to the wall of his library. The room was large enough to be a full library, and he had books on every wall, tons of them.

"Have you read all of these?"

He let out a deep chuckle. "If I wasn't a married man with two kids and a job that consumes me, I would have read them all. But I am, so no, I haven't read them all."

I just shoved my hands in my back pockets, watching as he traced his the spines of all the books with his fingertip. "My father wanted me to read them all. He wanted me to go to college to be a writer, or anything but a man that worked in an office. That's what he did, and he didn't want it for me."

I wasn't sure why Santiago King was telling me his life story, but I wasn't going to interrupt the most powerful man in Seattle.

I cautiously took a seat in one of the many leather chairs in the room, crossing my legs as he continued to talk.

"Do you read?"

I nodded, tucking a chunk of hair behind my ear. "When I have time."

"What's your favorite series?" He asked, "I probably have it."

"Don't judge, but probably The Song of Ice and Fire series."

"Never read it," he said, "but I know I have it."