Landlady: A New Adult Romance (Northbridge Nights Book 1) Read Online Free

to
act like I belonged. After all, fake it till you make it, right?
    But in my heart, I knew I was way out of my element.
    What did Asher Morgan do for a living? It was impossible to tell. But
it must've been something important.
    Maybe he was an accountant? An investment banker? Stock broker? What
the hell was this place?
    When the elevator doors pinged open, I was squeezed out like
toothpaste. Some suits turned left, some right.
    I was left standing alone directly across from a circular reception
desk. A stunning Asian woman (who looked like a model) sat in front
of two computer screens. She was in the middle of a call.
    While I waited for her to finish, I scanned the room. It was a wide
space with cramped cubicles lining one side and large, airy offices
against the back wall. The air buzzed with non-stop chatter and a
sense of importance. Urgency.
    The atmosphere screamed: You don't belong here!
    I still had no idea what type of business this was...
    Until my eyes fell on a sign.
    The large, silver metal letters were affixed to the back wall.
    Loud as day.
    Morgan, Sloane, & Perry . Underneath it read: Attorneys
at Law.
    He had his fricking name on the wall?
    Asher was a hotshot city lawyer?
    No way.
    I mean I knew he must've been loaded but—
    “Can I help you miss?”
    “I'm here to see Mr. Morgan,” I said, wringing my wrist. I
suddenly felt like a fish out the water. Here I was, surrounded by
pinstripes and pantsuits, and I was wearing kiddie clothes. I looked
like I was about to go to a backyard barbecue, not meet a lawyer.
    “Do you have an appointment?” the Asian woman asked, clicking her
mouse.
    “No, but uh, he's expecting me.”
    “What's your name?”
    “Sierra. Sierra Maywood.”
    The receptionist arched her brows. “I don't see you on here. Are
you certain he's expecting you?”
    “Yes, I just texted him this morning.” I was losing my patience.
Her boss needed a better secretary.
    “I'll give him a quick call. Hold on.” The woman pressed a button
on her phone. “Yes, hi, Mr. Morgan. I have a Sierra Maywood here to
see you. She says you're expecting her and that she spoke with
you—All right. Okay, I'll let her know.” She hung up.
    Turning back to me, the woman said, “Sorry Ms. Maywood. Mr. Morgan
says he doesn't know who you are.”
    That really pissed me off. I reached into my bag and fumbled with my
phone. My hands were shaking so hard I had to try twice before I
could plug in the right passcode. I scrolled through the contacts
list and pressed the call button beside Asher's name.
    He picked up after the second ring. “Sierra.”
    “Why the hell did you tell your secretary you didn't know who I
was?” I cried, my voice far too loud. I drew a few disapproving
looks.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I just asked to see you and the secretary called you, and you told
her to tell me to piss off.”
    Did that come out right?
    “Slow down Sierra. What are you talking about?”
    I dragged in a deep breath and spoke more slowly. “I. Asked. To.
See. You. She said you didn't know who I was.”
    “Did you ask for Asher?”
    I frowned. “No, I thought it'd be impolite considering—”
    “—Mr. Morgan is my father,” Asher explained. “People get us
confused all the time. That's why I told you to ask for Asher.”
    I felt my shoulders relax. My mouth formed an 'O', and I suddenly
felt mortified. I'd just exploded in front of all his colleagues over
a simple misunderstanding. “Well, can I see you now?”
    “Yeah. I'm coming out to get you.”
    Anyone could've made that mistake, I told myself. Anyone.
    But that still didn't stop people from whispering and even giggling
at my foolishness. Stupid crows.
    I felt a warm hand on my back.
    “Sierra, come with me,” Asher whispered.
    I felt a little butterfly flap in my stomach. Warmth from his hand
radiated across my body, giving me the tingles. I followed Asher's
lead and he brought me to a small office at the end of the hall.
    The name on the