Page 2 of Love In Hiding

“No one’s leaving,” Ryker said. “We’ve been expanding for years. You know that better than anyone. You’ve been doing most of the work on the biggest expansion.”

And there it was, filling his chest with the formidable fear he wanted no one to know he internalized. He knew exactly where this was going, and he hated it.

“I’ve been working mostly with the California team,” he said.

“That’s right,” Ryker replied. “They love you. We need a partner out there.”

“I’m licensed here,” he said.

“You’ve got two weeks to apply for the California Bar in July. The short version with your experience. No one doubts you’ll ace it. We’ll give you time off to prepare if needed.”

Hewouldneed it. But he sure as hell wasn’t considering it.

No fucking way.

New York was his home. Easy flights to see his best friend, Coy, and his sister, Angel, on Amore Island. His nephew. His parents in Philadelphia. If he was in California, who knew when he’d see them again?

“And if I’m not interested in relocating?” he asked.

“You’d be crazy to turn this down,” Ryker snapped as if Spencer had lost all his marbles. Ryker stood, strode to his desk and grabbed a paper, then handed it over. “Here’s your offer. Of course you can negotiate. I did.”

He skimmed it. Generous for sure. More than he had expected.

But they were basically shoving him across the damn country.

“Let’s say I am crazy,” he said evenly. “I’d still need time to think. It’s a big change.”

Ryker narrowed his eyes. “Don’t be the guy who turns down a partnership, because you don’t know when, orif, you’ll get another shot.”

Inside, he burned. Outside, he smiled like a professional. “I’ll get back to you. Anything else?”

Ryker shook his head after letting out a snort. “No. I can never get a read on you.”

“That’s what makes me an excellent attorney,” he said, forcing a grin.

He walked back to his office with his fingers gripping the offer tight enough to cramp his knuckles. He consideredtossing it straight into the trash but didn’t need the entire floor seeing it.

In his mind?

He’d just been fired.

Just not in the way he expected.

1

A NEW NAME

Three Months Later

Spencer pushed backfrom his desk on the top floor of the Carlisle building to meet with the VP of Legal. Braylon Carlisle.

Never had he thought he’d be working here. Nor been hired as quickly as he was, at the same title, and more pay.

There was a tiny twitch in his brain that worried his sixth degree of separation got him the interview. Maybe it did. But he hoped to hell his experience and personality landed him the job on his own.

He was always going to wonder. And until that thought faded from his mind, he’d just work even harder here than he did at his last place.

“Oh, hey,” Braylon said, standing outside his office talking to one of the clerks, Kenzie Raye. Wife of Nelson Carlisle, he’d found out last week. He hadn’t been aware andif he had known, he wouldn’t have cared. “Go in, I’ll be right there.”