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

door read Asher Morgan, Junior Associate .
    Okay, that made more sense. I think.
    Asher turned the knob, and we disappeared inside. I'd never even been
inside a law office until my grandmother passed away. And that had
only been a brief visit to sign some papers. Asher's office was small
compared to the others, but it was clean and organized. Just like his
home.
    “Have a seat,” Asher gestured.
    I couldn't stop looking around. Baseball paraphernalia sat on the
windowsill; legal magazines and newspapers neatly stacked on a side
table...He even had a silver cart showcasing expensive liquor
bottles. Asher's office was...the epitome of modernity and
masculinity. It oozed self-importance. Tall bookshelves lined the
left wall, and Asher sat behind an impressive mahogany desk. Behind
him, a floor-to-ceiling window featured the Northbridge skyline. “So
you're a lawyer, huh?” I asked.
    “Surprised?”
    “Not really.” After a beat, I added, “You work for your dad?”
    “Yeah. I love it here.” Asher smiled, leaning back in his chair.
“I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was a kid.”
    “You're close with your dad?” Why was I surprised that not
everyone had dysfunctional relationships with their parents, like me?
I immediately realized how dumb the question must have sounded, but
the words seemed to slip off my tongue without passing through my
brain first.
    Asher nodded. “We've been an inseparable team since my mom died.”
    I bit my lip. “Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.”
    Asher shrugged. “It was over five years ago. I'm fine now.” He
shuffled some papers on his desk. “Now what did you want to see me
about?”
    For a moment, my mind went blank. “Uhh...”
    “Don't tell me you just wanted an excuse to see this handsome mug
again.”
    “No way,” I shot out. “You're like a five. Six at best.” Okay
so he's more like a nine-and-three-quarters, but he didn't need to
know that.
    “I'm surprised you think so little of me, considering how flustered
you get every time we meet.”
    I sat up straighter. “I do not get flustered.”
    “Your cheeks and ears are redder than Rudolph's nose, and it looks
like you're getting a rash on your arm,” Asher pointed out.
    Damn it. I always got blotchy red spots on my inner wrist when I felt
anxious or nervous. “Anyway, that's not why I'm here.”
    “Tell me then. What brings Sierra Maywood all the way down here?”
    “I wanted to talk about the rent.”
    “Was something wrong with the cheque?”
    “No...I—” How could I possibly ask for more money? I felt like
a goddamn gold-digger. It didn't help to know now that he was
probably loaded because he was a lawyer. I balled my hands into
fists, feeling my sharp fingernails dig into my palm.
    “What is it Sierra? I don't have all day.” Asher stood up, walked
over to the cart and poured himself a glass of bourbon. He didn't
offer me any.
    “I can't afford any of the rental suites in this neighborhood. I
need to increase your rent. It's too low,” I blurted out.
    Asher paused mid-drink. He set down his glass. “Too low?” He
didn't seem angry, just amused.
    “It costs fifteen hundred a month for a one-bedroom suite. You're
paying two grand for an entire house. I don't think that's fair.” A
slight tremor developed in my right arm and I realized I was grinding
my teeth.
    Asher laughed. “Have you even read the lease agreement?”
    I shook my head. “No. Why?”
    “Why don't you stop jumping to conclusions and do your homework
first, B.L.?”
    “B.L?”
    “Bossy Landlady.”
    “Stop speaking in riddles. Just tell me what you mean,” I
demanded.
    “I'm only renting the main floor of the house. It has one bedroom
and one bath. The attic and basement are vacant.”
    “What?”
    “I didn't need all that space. Your grandmother couldn't find
someone to take the whole house so she leased it to me because she
liked me.”
    “So...there's no one living in the basement and attic? What's even
in the