King's Crown (Oil Kings Book 1)

by Marie Johnston

  “No.” There was no way I was offering up the idea to share body heat. For one, I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. For two, I didn’t want to make me uncomfortable.

  The afternoon hadn’t increased my friendly feelings. Instead, I realized she wasn’t wearing an ounce of makeup and her lips were a pale pink, unless she nibbled on her bottom lip. Then it turned magenta. Her two middle bottom teeth turned toward each other as if they were cuddling up like she did to me this morning. When she smiled, her right eye closed just a little farther than the left, and every quirk I learned about her only made me like her more.

  I’d woke before her this morning and hadn’t moved. There was nowhere to go and nothing to do but listen to her even breathing and feel her lush body pressed into mine.

  What a way to wake up.

  Then there was her laughter. She giggled and almost seemed embarrassed. When she snickered, it was after besting me in a game. And her full-body laughs with her head tossed back. I lived for those.

  She yawned and huddled in on herself. Gale had passed out extra blankets that we’d saved for the night.

  “We might as well crawl under the covers,” I said.

  She nodded and started spreading the extra blankets out. One was a quilt, an old-fashioned tie one where each block was a different color. The other was a heavy gray blanket.

  She used the bathroom first, and then I did. The water was cold, but with all of us using it, the hotel’s pipes should be safe from rupturing.

  I got into bed under the blankets only. She crawled in between the sheets.

  We were quiet for several minutes before she spoke. “I really didn’t know I was expected to marry your son.”

  “You weren’t.” I stared at the dark ceiling. “You were expected to be so captivated with him that you’d seduce him and he’d want to marry you.”

  “That’s messed up.”

  “Yes. But that’s Emilia’s thinking. Not Beckett’s. He’s a good kid.”

  I could tell she wanted to ask something. I didn’t have to wait long. “Do you think he’s going to try to marry, just to get the money?”

  “I don’t know. None of us want the Cartwrights to get it. Danny Cartwright is a mean drunk, and he’d use that money to buy up everything around our land. He’d buy out businesses and bribe people. It’s enough money that he could destroy the town.”

  “If he stayed sober enough.”

  “He has a daughter. Bristol’s younger than Dawson, my youngest. If Danny drank himself to death she just might finish the job of destroying us for him. There’s no love lost there. Which is too bad. It wasn’t always like that.”

  The bed moved like she rolled to face me. “The families were close once?”

  “Not Danny and us. But Sarah took Bristol under her wing whenever she could. When Sarah was little, she used to be best friends with Danny’s sister. I think she saw a lot of his sister in Bristol. Sarah always had a soft spot for Danny, even after the rift. Everyone thought Sarah would end up a Cartwright.”

  “She dated him?”

  “Not quite. I think she cared for him, but he never got the nerve to ask her out. I’m sure his parents forbid it after the mineral rights drama. Then Sarah and I started dating as seniors, and Danny started hitting the bottle.” I let out a deep breath. Maybe it was the dark. Maybe it was Kendall, but all kinds of things I never told anyone spilled out. “She got pregnant as soon as we messed around. Aiden was born before either of us turned nineteen.”

  “And you stayed together and kept going?”

  “We were a team.” There went my mouth again. “I was going to take care of her and the kids, but once she told me she was pregnant my life was decided. DB and Emilia didn’t allow for it being any other way. At least we were compatible.” I sensed her confusion. “Don’t get me wrong, we loved each other deeply, and as long as I was married there was never anyone else. But that’s why my kids have reacted so harshly to my lifestyle. They don’t understand.”

  “Don’t understand what?” The bed shifted again like she propped herself on her elbow. I stayed on my back, staring at the black ceiling.

  “They had each other. I loved Sarah. We married the weekend after high school graduation, but then she was gone and I had no one. I started sleeping with others, and once I worked through my grief that way, well, then I was still fairly young and single.”

  “You weren’t much older than I am now,” she murmured.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t regret it. Not at all. But I regret how my boys interpreted it. But how could I explain it as reclaiming my younger years without diminishing what Sarah and I had?”

  “Maybe they’d understand now?”

  I shook my head. “No. Those years before she died were idyllic for them—and for me, really. I’ll never take that away.”

  She reached over and squeezed my arm through the many layers. “You’re a good man. And a good dad.”

  I blew out a gusty breath. “I don’t know. Aiden married a really nice girl, and I’m afraid…” I snapped my mouth shut. It was one thing to talk about me and my life, but I couldn’t share Aiden’s details.

  “You’re afraid he married her for the money?”

  “With me as his role model, he thought it was perfectly fine.”

  “Oh, Gentry. He saw more of you than that.”

  Was it when it counted though? The question dominated my mind more than hearing her say my first name. “I’ve quit that lifestyle. It’s over.”

  “So, you’re like…”

  “Abstaining.” And I was feeling it. Being around her made me count the seconds since my last time coming in a woman. But then I could hardly remember the moment or the person. I should’ve known I had a problem long before Aiden’s wedding. “I haven’t been with anyone since my son announced his wedding last summer.”

  “And by doing that you hope to spare your other kids from thinking women are tools?”

  “I never thought women were tools, but I never had to lie or make promises to get them in bed.”

  She snorted. “You wouldn’t have to.”

  “The money.”

  “God, no. Well, yes, I’m sure for some. It’s your looks. You’re hot, Gentry King. You know that.”

  “I…guess.” My looks weren’t something I dwelled on. I tried to stay in shape so I didn’t have heart issues like my dad. But when I started this trip, I thought Kendall would be mesmerized by my son. Not by me.

  “Since we’re being so forward, I can’t believe Ms. Boyd didn’t cause trouble and forbid you to be with other women.”

  “You and me both. She didn’t condone it, but she looked the other way. Honestly, I always wondered why.” Kendall could read people. It probably only enhanced how good she was at her job. I was convinced now more than ever that her old boss was an idiot.

  “Do you think it’s because of your neighbors? If your wife had married that guy instead, she might’ve been ruined by his lifestyle.”

  “In the end, she was ruined by his lifestyle, but I know what you mean. He would’ve found his way into the bottle eventually, and she would’ve suffered a lot longer than a few hours.” Such a huge weight had lifted from me that I felt like I could float off the bed. “I’ve never talked to anyone. About any of this, especially about her.”

  “I’ve never talked to anyone about my family. I’ve had one boyfriend since my divorce, and it was short-lived. The sex wasn’t worth having to hear him complain about the late-night phone calls.”

  I chuckled. “You have your priorities straight. Don’t feel bad about that.” It wasn’t just her boss that was an idiot. I was convinced that Kendall Brinkley was surrounded by them. Her old boss, her ex, that quickie boyfriend. None of them saw her for the treasure she was. They only wanted to use her.

  “He was one of my oldest brother’s classmates, but he reminded me so much of Darren. And I was lonely. But then he got irritated when Wendall called one time at midnight all worried about
a band performance. He gets stage fright and I help him breathe through it. I mean, he’s getting better at dealing with it on his own, but he’s just starting his teenage years. I left that guy’s place and told him not to call me again.”

  I would’ve done the same if one of my boys called that late. I had done the same. No one but me decided when I would or wouldn’t be there for them. “There’s nothing wrong with walking away if it doesn’t feel right.”

  “Gentry.” Her voice was growing sleepy. This time, hearing my first name on her lips hit hard. I wished I could curl around her, winter coats and all, and just hold her. “I’m glad it was you I was snowed in with.”

  “Likewise, Ms. Brinkley.” Likewise.

  Chapter 9

  Kendall

  I was roasting. So freaking hot. I squirmed, not fully awake, kicking off my blankets. That voice saying my name. Ms. Brinkley. I was achy. Needy.

  There was a man in bed with me, and I wanted.

  So hot. I wiggled around, seeking relief, but I’m not sure from what. The heat? The ache between my legs?

  “Ms. Brinkley.”

  I was baking. A whimper escaped.

  “Ms. Brinkley.”

  “Yes?” My voice was breathless. A dull throb centered in my body and I let out a long moan.

  “Kendall.” His voice snapped me out of my restless sleep.

  I opened my eyes with a gasp. The lamp was on and the room was warm. Blankets were strewn all over the floor and Gentry stood on his side of the bed. I blinked at him. He’d taken off his cold weather gear and changed from his suit into pajama pants and a white T-shirt that sinfully hugged his body. The shirt didn’t hide much. I made out defined pecs and solid abs in the dull light.

  Had I made a fool of myself in front of Gentry King? After he decided to look at me and talk to me, he revealed a strong, witty, and compassionate guy who loved his family and worried about them every moment of every day.

  “The power’s on.” I was stating the obvious but I was glad I said something more than take your shirt off, I wanna see.

  “It’s been on for a while.”

  I sat up. I had a few layers to strip down. “Couldn’t sleep?”

  The muscles flexed in his jaw. “It was…hot.”

  I ducked my head, sheepish. “Oh, sorry.”

  He waved me off. “I have a lot of work to catch up on.”

  My heart sank. We couldn’t be stranded together forever, but yesterday had been fun. “Right.”

  “I plugged your phone in.”

  “Oh. Thanks.” I checked it for missed calls. There were three, all from Wendell, and a message that told me to never mind, he got ahold of Ren to help with his homework.

  I squinted at the time. Four in the morning. Gentry was quite the workaholic. I stripped off my coat, then my gloves and socks. “I should grab a shower.”

  I was rushing to the bathroom, but Gentry stopped me. “I’d be surprised if there’s hot water yet. And other guests are going to be using it.”

  I’d been sweating for who knows how long, and even though it was hours before dawn, I’d gone two nights without more than a frigid spit bath. “I’ll risk it.” I went to my suitcase and dug through it. “Um…would you mind terribly if I wash out my underclothes and hang them to dry?”

  My cheeks burned, but I had one dirty pair of underwear and the pair I just sweated in.

  His lips twitched like he was going to grin. “How about I do the same and you won’t feel so exposed.”

  “The couple that hangs their underwear together?” Why did I have to say that? The artificial light seemed more like a signal to go back in time to our stilted reaction to each other.

  His smile put me at ease. “We bared our souls, now we bare our underwear.”

  Grinning, I disappeared into the bathroom.

  After scrubbing my clothes and losing hope for a warm shower, I went ahead and turned the water on. There was only enough warm water to make it tolerable, but I got my body and hair washed.

  When I left the bathroom, I intended to fold the extra blankets, but Gentry had already done that. He was back at the desk.

  “Did you get any sleep?” I asked.

  “A few hours. I’m fine.”

  I caught a peek at his monitor. The font was huge. Didn’t he have reading glasses?

  Yes. He did. “You can wear your readers. I won’t think you’re a geezer.”

  His gaze lifted and pinned mine in the mirror. “What gave me away? The forty-eight font size?”

  “Quit lying. That’s fifty-two.”

  He laughed. “Busted. My readers make me feel old.”

  “So do my knees when they ache before a rainstorm.” I crawled into bed, my eyes growing heavy. I was warm and clean and didn’t have to worry about draping myself over Gentry. “It happens to all of us.”

  “Good night, Ms. Brinkley.”

  And he was back to that. “Good night, Mr. King.”

  I don’t know what my future held, but while I was in this room with him, I didn’t have to worry about it.

  When I woke several hours later, Gentry was still at the desk.

  “You’re still working?” I stretched and rolled to my side. What time was it? “Can’t you take a storm day?”

  “I haven’t really taken a day off since I handed the ranch over to Dawson. And with the power outage, I’m quite behind.”

  “Can you delegate anything to your assistant?”

  He rolled his neck and flexed his shoulder muscles. “I have an assistant who arranges my schedule, but not an executive assistant. Emilia only allows family into what she calls the inner office.”

  “Neither you or your son has a direct assistant?” When he nodded, I sat up, stunned. “That’s too much work for each of you. You need time off, and an assistant.”

  “If I told you what I was paid, you wouldn’t think it was too much.” His back was to me as he clicked through pages on his screen.

  “You’re paid for the amount of responsibility you have and the magnitude of the decisions you make. Emilia needs to butt the hell out and retire.” The more I heard about her, the more I disliked her. Finding out she had sent me off like chattel didn’t help either.

  “Agreed. There are muffins by the TV for you. Gale’s been cooking up a storm.”

  He did the food run? Of course. He needed to know the weather details. “What’d you find out?”

  “The roads are getting cleared off, but snow totals are twenty-six inches, so it’s going slow. The airport probably won’t open today.” He sighed and took his readers off. “Even if the airport opens, the crew is stuck at Shirley’s aunt’s house. She lives too far out of Douglas to make it to town today, or even tomorrow.”

  I whistled. “We’re really stuck.”

  “Yep.” His phone buzzed. When he looked at it, his expression shuttered and he answered. “Emilia.”

  My heart stammered. I hadn’t been able to inform her that Denver was a no-go. To keep from feeling like I was eavesdropping, I found my muffin and dug in. A cup of OJ was next to it. He seemed to know that I preferred orange juice over apple juice. Or that was all Gale had left.

  “We’re still stranded in Douglas… I don’t know, you’d have to talk to her… Emilia.” His voice took on an edge. “You can talk with her about the job. Ms. Brinkley is a professional, and don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do.” He eased against the back of his chair. “No. Of course not. It’s not like that. Emilia.” He caught my gaze in the mirror. The anger he was suppressing made his eyes fathomless. “I have to get to work. Did you get the board reports I forwarded?”

  He delved into oil speak and I was interested in hearing, but my phone went off. The number was unfamiliar. “Hello?”

  A deep voice asked, “Ms. Brinkley.” The same intonation as Gentry. I knew immediately who it was.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Beckett King. I understand you were on your way to interview for my executive ass
istant position.”

  I snuck into the bathroom so I didn’t disturb Gentry and his conversation. “Yes, Mr. King. I’ve been waylaid in Wyoming by a storm.”

  “With my father.”

  “Yes.” I bristled. He sounded so disapproving.

  “I can assume you’re no longer interested in the position?”

  I wasn’t, but I didn’t care for what he assumed. “Why would you assume that?”

  “Ms. Brinkley, we don’t need to pretend—”

  “Mr. King, I’m no longer interested in working for you. My decision has nothing to do with the snowstorm and who I’m waylaid with.”

  His derisive snicker inspired instant anger. “I doubt that’s the case.”

  “Actually, you’re correct. I was under the impression that I was applying to be your assistant. I never would’ve applied for that job if I knew that your grandma was playing Tinder.”

  “Ah, let me guess. You found a bigger payday in my dad. Spoiler alert, he doesn’t commit. You’ll be left broken hearted with no extra money, nothing more than what you started with.”

  How dare he? “Spoiler alert, Mr. King. You’re being extremely insulting to both me and your father.” I wanted to tell him where he could shove that position of his, but I couldn’t risk Gentry overhearing. This was still his son.

  “Really? Did you get separate rooms while stranded?” I took too long answering. I shouldn’t have to give him an excuse. “I thought so. Goodbye, Ms. Brinkley.”

  He hung up, and I held the phone, staring at it. I kept my growl under my breath and whipped the door open.

  Gentry was on the other side. He looked me over as if to check that I was physically okay. “That was my son.”

  He wasn’t asking. Emilia must’ve called Beckett King before she dialed Gentry. I nodded.

  “And he assumed that you and I slept together.”

  “Don’t forget that I’m using you for your money.”

  He gave one nod. “Emilia assumed that I used you for a distraction.”

  I leaned against the doorjamb. “You did, you know.” When his surprised gaze landed on mine, I nodded. “You used me to play War. Gin rummy. You even played an extra round of Slapjack knowing that I have the reflexes of a sloth.”