King Me (King Me Duet Book 1)

by Terri E. Laine

  “Are you coming or not?” I snapped.

  “Just a second.” Next thing I knew she was video chatting with someone.

  “I’m bumming a room with…”

  When she waited, I filled in the blank. “Liam Taylor.” Though she’d seen my license. Legally, Taylor, not King was my surname. It was mother’s name as my father hadn’t accepted me and Mom hadn’t legally pursued the issue.

  “Liam Noah Taylor from Clinestown.” So she had remembered it from my license.

  I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation because she had an ear bud in her ear.

  “I will,” she said before ending the call.

  My guess was the person on the other end had warned her to be safe. “Are you good?” I asked.

  She didn’t lift her head from the screen only shifted her eyes. “Just one more a second,” she said, tapping away.

  I blew out a breath.

  “My friend hasn’t heard of you. Your license could be a fake,” she said.

  I chuckled darkly. Good deeds didn’t go unpunished. “You’re right,” I said, dripping with sarcasm. “I happened to know you were going to be here and the fact that we grew up as practically neighbors would be the sinister reason I would need to get you in my truck. And the actors I paid to pretend to be my brother and his pregnant wife, they are going to have a baby just to sell this whole scenario.”

  She laughed and it lit the world. The overcast skies seemed to brighten by her smile. “Okay. I get it. But if you watched some of the shows I did, that isn’t a far-out thing.”

  “Get in or don’t,” I said, inching the truck forward.

  “Fine. I’m getting in.” She scurried around the front of the truck which was probably a good thing. I might have left. She was more trouble than it was worth.

  I leaned over to open the passenger door and held out a hand. Heat flared between us when she took it. Our eyes connected and I was certain she felt it too. I helped her up as my truck was high off the ground. She put her bag on the seat between us before putting on her seatbelt. I looked away once she was in, not wanting to prolong the moment between us. The last time I’d felt this intense connection was with Carrie and look how that had turned out.

  After she was buckled, I said, “I’ll need you to navigate as I’m new here too.”

  “Sure thing. Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Look up directions to the Eventi Hotel.”

  “Fancy,” she said after fiddling with her phone.

  Not too long after, a voice came on telling me to take a right.

  We passed a number of hotels along the way and I tried not to think that my new relatives had wanted me as far from them as possible. Then, I remembered my passenger had said she hadn’t been able to find a hotel.

  “Are you going to tell me your name?” I asked.

  There was that damn sexy grin of hers. “Natalie. Natalie Peterson.”

  “No shit. That’s my mother’s name.”

  Two

  Natalie

  Talk about hottie. Was it bad that I’d sized him up? I blame the weather. I’d been standing outside the hospital too long I’d gotten chill drunk if there was such a thing. My brain had certainly frozen over.

  I’d opened my mouth to warn him about the parking situation and couldn’t keep it shut. There was that cheeky grin of his with a dimple that had melted my panties if I was honest. Clearly all my synapses had misfired.

  “Your mother’s name is Natalie Peterson?”

  He chuckled. “No. But her first name is Natalie.”

  “Weird.” Coincidence or fate, I didn’t know what was at play. However, I didn’t want to think about it. My luck with men was zero, so I was glad when he changed the subject.

  “What school did you go to?” I whipped my head in his direction as if he’d heard my wayward thoughts. “In Hart’s Falls,” he added.

  “Oh. Northside.”

  “That makes sense,” he said, giving me a quick glance before his eyes found the road again.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I just meant I didn’t recognize you. So we couldn’t have gone to the same county high school.”

  I nodded because I’d almost jumped down his throat for feeling like he thought me lacking because of where I’d gone to school. Which was silly and a reflection of my lack of confidence in certain areas of my life.

  What I did agree with him on was that I would have recognized him too, but I didn’t. He had an unforgettable face and a body that wasn’t slight, likely a football player at school.

  We didn’t speak after that. I let the navigation do the talking until we arrived at the hotel. A valet greeted us immediately. Liam retrieved a bag from behind his seat and both of us declined the valet’s offer to take our bags as we only had one each. After Liam handed off the keys, I got out the truck and took it all in as we walked inside.

  What are you doing? I asked myself as I lingered behind him. I don’t know this man.

  Because I was a couple steps behind Liam, an available attendant waved me over.

  I took the chance and approached the front desk.

  “Do you have a reservation?” she asked.

  “No. Actually, I don’t. Do you have availability?”

  “Umm,” she began as her fingers worked the keyboard. “Let me check.”

  I stared at the wall behind her which was made of metal circles, knowing even if they had a vacancy, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford it.

  “It looks like we have a Viva Suite available. It’s has a king bed and fully furnished living room.” When she told me the price per night, I held in a wince. “That’s more room than I need. Thanks. I assume that’s all you have.”

  She gave me a nonjudgmental smile. “Yeah, I’m sorry. The city is booked.”

  I nodded and turned away. I walked several feet near the front and looked out the windows into the night. A tap on my shoulder nearly sent me out of my skin. I spun to face the man with the dazzling dimpled smile.

  “Are you in?” Clearly, I didn’t get it, but he read the confusion on my face easily enough. “Are you still up to sharing a room with me?”

  Honesty time. “I don’t think I can afford a place like this even splitting the cost.” Though my agency gave me a housing stipend as a part of my compensation package, the daily rate wouldn’t cover half the cost of a hotel room here.

  “Who said we were splitting? I have the room. I offered you to stay. You owe me nothing. Besides, my brother is paying, and he can afford it and then some.”

  “He’s paying for you?” I asked.

  “He is whether I have a guest or not. The type of room I have wouldn’t change either way.”

  Take a leap of faith, the devil on my shoulder whispered. He was right about me not knowing who the roommate was that I was going to move in with before the agreement fell through. I had planned to stay there without ever meeting her. At least I met Liam and knew him long enough to consider taking the chance. What’s the worst that could happen?

  Besides, if not for him riding up with the pregnant woman and her husband, I would have thought he was my father’s minion based on his stocky build. However, even my father’s men wouldn’t have put that much effort into planning to track me down. Plus, I’d seen his driver’s license and taken a bunch of photos that I’d sent to my best friend, Jody. She would forward it to my mom if the worst happened.

  “Okay. Let’s do it.” His eyes widened and I realized how that sounded. “Share a room. Don’t get any ideas.”

  There was that damnable dimple of his, in full force. “No ideas. Fantasies, maybe?”

  If I hadn’t felt like he was joking, I would have walked away. As it was, I giggled. When his hand landed on the small of my back to urge me forward, I swear I felt the heat of it through triple layers of fabric I wore.

  As we waited for the elevator, he held out a key card. “I had them make you one.”

  Arrogant and n
ice. I took it from him as the doors opened. We were the only two occupants and that’s when things got awkward. I was in an elevator with a man I barely knew, heading to a hotel room we were going to share. It was the stuff bad decisions were made of.

  My focus was directed at the floor numbers which were rising as if my life depended on it. Maybe it did. He’d given me a card, but it didn’t have the room number on it. I promised Jody I’d text her all the information when I had it—another precaution step.

  The doors couldn’t open fast enough as I felt his eyes on me, burning right through to my soul. He was standing slightly to my right, behind me. I don’t think I’d ever been this attracted to any man before and I needed to get a grip and fast.

  “This way,” he said, making me realize I’d taken off to the right, when we were going left.

  He opened the door and the first thing I saw was the view out of the floor to ceiling windows. New York’s skyline was lit up even though the streets had been relatively quiet.

  I placed my bag down on one of the chairs at a round table and wandered further into the room toward the window, past a sofa flanked by two chairs. I was mesmerized by the city view. We weren’t that high up, but we had an awesome view of the Empire State Building.

  “The bedroom’s that way,” he said, breaking my trance. I looked in the direction he pointed down a short hall and nodded. “That’s all for you. I’ll take the couch.”

  There was no way I’d let that happen. I held up a hand as he opened his mouth to speak again. “This is your room and I’m just couch surfing. Besides,” I began as I eyed the object in question. “Between the two of us, who would fit?”

  “Who said I was offering you the room,” he teased with a shameless smile. “But it looks like the only full bathroom is off the bedroom. There is a half bathroom in here.”

  “Wow.”

  “It should be ‘wow’ considering the four-figure price tag per night.”

  My jaw dropped.

  “Have no fear. My brother’s got it covered. At least now I don’t feel so bad. I didn’t need this much space. Add a kitchen to this and it’s a good-sized apartment.”

  “What does your brother do?” I asked.

  “Besides being born in the right family?” He sighed. “Well, he’s the CEO of King Enterprises.”

  While that sounded impressive, I hadn’t heard of the company. “I guess that pays well.”

  “That and his trust fund is probably larger than any lottery jackpot.”

  That was saying a lot. No wondered they’d booked him a suite. Because of the view, my attention was snared away from him for a second. I glanced back. “If he’s your brother, wouldn’t that mean you have the same parents?”

  “I guess you can call me the bastard half-brother.”

  I could relate to family ties like that, so I didn’t comment.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  If the room cost that much, I could only imagine how much food cost. He walked over to a desk on the opposite wall from the sofa and picked up a leather portfolio. He opened it up and seemed pleased before bringing it over to me. “Here’s the menu.”

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to open it but did anyway. The price of a burger was insane. The salad price wasn’t much better. “Maybe I’ll go hunt for food,” I said, handing him back the menu.

  “Where? The city is in lockdown.” He winked at me and walked over to the desk phone. “I’d like to place an order for two cheeseburgers, fries, and two Cokes.” He nodded while murmuring a “Thanks”, then hung up the phone. “Now that I’ve ordered myself some food, you’re welcome to have some of it when it comes.”

  Damn him for being adorable. “You’re a take charge kind of guy, I see.”

  He shrugged. “I guess it comes from four years in the Air Force.”

  That surprised me. “You can fly planes?”

  “Planes, fighter jets, helicopters.”

  He smirked as my eyes might have bugged out little. “Air Force taught you all of that?”

  “My uncle taught me how to fly planes and helicopters before I’d entered the Air Force. It gave me a leg up on incoming cadets.”

  “Wow. That’s cool. And thank you for your service.”

  He tilted his head like he was surprised I’d said that.

  “My grandfather was a former Marine. Mom told me how he would have given his life for this country. It gave me a healthy appreciation for those that serve.”

  “Is he still around?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “He died a long time ago. You?” I asked.

  “Nah. My grandparents weren’t in the picture. They passed long before I was born.” He switched the subject to me like he didn’t want to talk about that. “Do you have any other family in Hart’s Falls?”

  “No. My mom is from Chicago originally. She moved to Maryland when I was little.”

  “Chicago to Hart’s Falls?”

  I wasn’t surprised by his shock. Hart’s Falls was the embodiment of small town in the state of Maryland. “She wanted a quiet life.” I shrugged. There were more reasons, but I’d just met the man and wasn’t going to tell him my life story and secrets. “What about you?”

  “Born and raised in Clinestown. The jury’s still out on whether or not I prefer small towns or big cities.”

  “You’ve never lived in a big city?”

  “Never. Moved around a lot overseas with the Air Force after my initial training. But never in a big city, not in the States at least.”

  “I’m still amazed. Flying seems so daunting.”

  He sat on one side of the sofa. “I grew up flying. I didn’t have to learn much after I joined.”

  I took a seat on the opposite side. “Where overseas were you deployed?”

  He flashed his pearly whites. “That’s classified.”

  I held up a hand. “Don’t say it.”

  “If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”

  I tossed my head back and laughed. “I said don’t say it.”

  The moment was over as quickly as it had begun, and we were left staring at each other. When my eyes drifted to his mouth, I quickly refocused on his storm-colored eyes and asked, “Do you mind if I grab a shower first?”

  “No. Go for it.”

  I went back to the table, grabbed my bag from the chair and tried not to run. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife- at least from my side. I’d never been this horny. I needed to freshen up. A splash of cold water would do me good.

  As I passed the king-sized bed, I tried not to imagine myself on it with him on me.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. I remembered Jody and what she must be thinking since I hadn’t texted her back. Hopefully, she hadn’t sounded the alarm. The last thing my mother needed to worry about was me.

  Three

  Liam

  Holy shit. It was going to be a tough keeping my hands to myself. The way she’d looked at me a second ago, there was something there and it was very much mutual. I’d given her my word that I wouldn’t be one of those creepy guys who assumed just because a woman was attracted to him that gave him liberties to try something.

  I pulled out my phone and dialed Grant. I’d promised him an update. When he didn’t answer, I remembered the hot brunette that was sharing his cabin with him. Good for him, I thought before leaving him a message.

  “Hey, it’s me. I made it and met the old man. I’ll give you the details later. By the way, Connor and Jeremy, who prefers to be called Kalen, were clueless. Not only didn’t they have any idea about me, which isn’t surprising, they also had no idea about you and Uncle Ted. Though Connor said you flew him somewhere, he hadn’t known you were related. Anyway, you were right. Call me later.”

  After ending that call, I made the next one.

  “Liam Taylor. Where are you?”

  “Hey, Mom. I’m alive. Thanks for asking.”

  “Liam. Where are you?” Her tone had grown more serious.

  “New
York,” I said and sighed, knowing what would come next.

  “Because you are a grown man, I won’t give you shit, but I wish you would have told me.”

  “I knew what you would say.”

  “That he doesn’t deserve to know you. Yeah. I would say that. But if this is important to you, it’s important to me. If you have to meet him, I’ll support you. What I don’t want is for you to be there for some righteous honor on my behalf. I made peace with my choices years ago.”

  “Mom. He owes you.”

  Though I couldn’t see her, I knew she was shaking her head based on her words. “He owes me nothing. He gave me you. I couldn’t have asked for a better son. I don’t need anything else from him. So don’t do this for me.”

  “I already met him.”

  She was quiet for moment as if she was waiting for me to go on. “And? What happened?”

  “He denied me.”

  “Figures.”

  “I met my brothers. Connor isn’t so bad. Kalen, I’m not so sure.” The man wore a scowl deeper than Connor’s.

  “Kalen?”

  “Yeah, Jeremy prefers that name apparently.”

  “Were they nice to you?” she asked.

  “I don’t know if they believe me.”

  “Did they ask you to do a DNA test?”

  “No. But they got distracted. Lizzy, that’s Connor’s wife, she went into labor. I took them to the hospital, and they put me up at this fancy hotel. I got a suite. So there’s that.”

  “Sounds like they’re open to the possibility that you’re their brother?”

  “Who knows? They seemed that way, but I don’t know, this hotel is way across town from them. In a few days, once Lizzy’s back home, they may have changed their minds.”

  “I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

  “They’re not,” I said. “I don’t expect a thing. I just wanted to meet the man before he died.”

  And there was the claim on his estate. Once I proved who I was, my mother would get everything due to her whether she wanted it or not.

  “I should go.” I paused. “Are you going to tell Uncle Ted?