by M. Malone
“No, I didn’t. I’m sure you’ve got it covered.”
The statement reminded him of something his father had said to him not that long ago. He’d probably been wearing the same disgusted look his best friend was currently sporting afterward. Maybe his father was actually on to something. This delegating thing wasn’t so bad.
James leaned forward. “Is this about a woman?”
Uncomfortable now, King avoided his eyes and shuffled the papers on his desk unnecessarily. Ever since that night at the club, he hadn’t mentioned his plan to James again. Usually they didn’t keep secrets but he wasn’t entirely sure how to explain what he was doing with Olivia. They’d been dating for the past few weeks and everything was great but how long could that really last? He wasn’t the kind of guy who could stay on the straight and narrow but for so long, something that James knew better than anyone else. He didn’t want to hear his friend’s opinions on his attempt at being less of an asshole.
It was immature but he was enjoying being in this bubble of happiness with Olivia. While they were together he could believe that things would always stay this way between them and that he could have a chance at what he’d always mocked his friends for wanting.
“Everything is fine. Come on, you know as well as I do that Devin analyzes everything to death before making any recommendations anyway. I’m sure whatever I need to know is in here in great detail.” He gestured toward the financial statements Devin had been talking them through.
James didn’t look convinced but he didn’t seem inclined to dig any deeper. He stood and rebuttoned his suit jacket. Right before he reached the door, he stopped.
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Is Georgie okay?”
That got his attention. His friends teased him about his overprotective big brother mode but he didn’t care. Georgie had been sheltered her whole life and she needed looking after. Even now that she was engaged, his mind refused to acknowledge her as anything other than a freckle-faced toddler with pigtails. It had taken him ages to warm up to her fiancé and he still wasn’t sure the guy was worthy.
“Why wouldn’t she be? Did she say something to you?”
“No, of course not. I dropped some files off for your father at home and ran into her. She looked upset.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me.”
The thought bothered him as did the thought that James might have noticed something wrong with her before he did.
He’d never told his best friend this before but he suspected that Georgie used to have a crush on him at one point. Anyone else wouldn’t have noticed the signs but King knew his little sister. She was usually excited and full of energy and whenever James would come around she was suddenly quiet and demure, like she was trying too hard to look unaffected.
“I’ll check on her tonight.”
James hesitated, as if deciding whether he wanted to say anything else. But in the end, he just nodded and left, pulling the office door closed behind him.
There was more to this story, King could sense that. But the thought of it made him uncomfortable so he decided that he would take a little detour and visit Georgie before going home. He’d get the truth out of her. He didn’t want James getting involved.
The last thing he needed was to worry about his best friend anywhere near his baby sister.
CHAPTER TEN
Olivia pulled the curtain around the stage and stood back to inspect her handiwork. A last minute cancellation had come through that morning and she’d immediately thought of King.
It usually took quite a bit of juggling to get a two hour block of time to use the Masquerade Room, even on a weeknight. She supposed that was a blessing though. The room was becoming more popular with the patrons of the club and they actually had a waiting list for every weekend through the end of the summer.
She was hit with a sudden case of nerves at the thought of being on stage in front of him. In the past she’d never wanted to dance for a lover, preferring to keep that part of her life separate. But with King, she felt like she could share every part of herself, from her fears to her most intense and intimate desires. He had a way of making her feel like anything they did together couldn’t be wrong. They’d gotten so close these past few weeks and she’d wanted to do something for him.
More than that, she really wanted to seduce him.
After she’d cried all over him during their last date, he’d been so sweet. They’d eaten Chinese food while watching the first few episodes of a new sitcom neither of them had ever seen. Afterward, he’d carried her to her room and made slow, sweet love to her.
It was hard to believe sometimes that the man who handled her with such sensitivity and care was the same man who’d once made her work life a living hell. But as much as she appreciated how gentle and understanding he’d been, especially after telling him about her accident, she kind of wanted to push him a little.
Their passion had always been off the charts and she could just feel him holding himself back. Well, she didn’t want the watered down version of King. She wanted every part of him, including the dominant, wild, out of control aggressive lover he’d been in the beginning.
Her phone vibrated in the pocket of the silk robe she wore. She pulled it out and read the message from Andie. King was here. She’d asked her partner to keep an eye out for him. By the time King entered a few minutes later, she was in position on the stage, her back to the pole. The music she’d chosen was playing at full volume. She’d even turned on the strobe lights and it lent a sultry almost seedy atmosphere to the setting.
He wore the standard black eye mask provided outside of the room, as did she. She shivered as his eyes ran over her hungrily.
“Is the room set up to your liking, Mr. Kingsley.”
His eyes flashed at her reference to how they’d originally met. “Actually I have a few suggestions.”
“Such as,” she taunted.
“Lose the robe.”
She untied the sash around her waist and allowed the robe to slide down and pool around her feet, revealing her purple tasseled bra and thong. King settled on the couch directly facing the stage, his hands resting lightly on his knees.
Olivia rolled her hips to the beat of the music and leaned back against the pole, using it to steady her as she gyrated. King’s hands clenched into fists when she wrapped one leg around the pole and leaned back, popping her hips like she was grinding against the metal. She used her ab muscles to pull herself upright in one long sensuous motion and then jumped, grabbing the pole and inverting herself as she swung around the pole slowly. The flashing colors of the strobe lights added to the surreal feeling, making Olivia feel like she was flying. Using the strength in her legs, she allowed herself to slide down to the floor and then flipped her legs over her head, until she was on all fours on the stage.
She kept her eyes on King as she crawled slowly toward him. He was sitting all the way forward on the couch and looked like he was about two seconds away from falling off. She crooked her finger at him and he sprang forward. He hadn’t changed after work but he’d removed his suit jacket and she could clearly see how her performance had affected him.
“Holy shit, Liv. That was amazing.”
She got up on her knees and hooked a finger underneath the knot of his tie, tugging him closer. He groaned and came down on top of her, his mouth grinding against hers roughly. She welcomed it, wanted him completely out of control. They rolled on the stage, pulling at each other’s clothes until she was topless and his shirt was hanging half off. King pulled back slightly and then yanked his shirt off the rest of the way. Olivia ran her hands over his chest and tugged at his belt. She giggled when he pushed her hands out of the way and almost ripped it off.
“This is funny, is it Miss Reyes?”
She nodded but was no longer laughing when he turned her over so she was bent over the edge of the stage. He tugged at her thong, helping her step out of it. His hands tangled in her hair, pulling h
er back as he ground his erection against her ass.
“Maybe I should spank you for teasing me,” he murmured.
Olivia’s belly clenched and she could feel how wet she was by how her thighs were slipping against each other. When his fingers left her hair, she moaned softly then cried out when his mouth feathered over the skin on her ass. He spanked her right ass cheek and she bit her lip, tasting the sharp tang of blood.
“Hold still. Don’t you dare move.”
She cried out when his tongue slicked over her clit, sucking gently. It was impossible to hold still while he slowly licked her to heaven but Olivia didn’t even care because every time he smacked her ass it just heightened the pleasure. By the time he returned to her clit, her orgasm unfurled in a slow, rolling wave of pleasure. When she emerged back to reality, she heard the rip of foil, then felt him enter her with a deep thrust.
Gone was the hesitant, gentle lover she’d come to know. This was her arrogant, demanding bad King.
In this position she was taking him deeper than before and the new angle hit spots that made her dizzy. He pulled her up, running his hands over her belly and the tips of her breasts, stimulating her in new and different ways. Olivia couldn’t keep up with all the ways he was touching her, his hands now on her hips, his lips on her ear, his thick cock stroking inside her.
His fingers flexed on her hips as he came, shouting out his pleasure just as another orgasm rolled through her. For a long moment afterward they stayed just like that, motionless as the last aftershocks of release drained out of them both. Finally King kissed her on the side of the neck and pulled out gently.
“You’re going to kill me. I’m getting too old for this.”
She chuckled, knowing he was only five years older than she was. Hardly an old man.
“Should I take it easy on you, then?”
“Oh no. If I’m going to die, this is how I want to go. Strobe lights, pole dancing and all.”
Olivia hit him on the arm. “Now that’s the King I know.”
They dressed in comfortable silence. King managed to make his suit look presentable despite missing half the buttons on his shirt while Olivia changed back into the jeans and blouse she’d worn to the club. She was glad she’d taken a previously booked time slot because it meant she didn’t have to clean the room herself. Club Prestige staff would clean and rearrange the room just as if there had been a member event.
“Let’s go home.”
It wasn’t until they were in the car that Olivia wondered what he’d meant by that. Her home? His home? She wasn’t sure what he meant since after all of their dates, he’d never slept over. She didn’t want to push him. It was a big step for someone like King and truthfully for her, too.
In the car on the way home her phone vibrated in her purse. When she saw Georgie’s name, she glanced over at King. Since his eyes were fixed on the road, she right-swiped to read the text.
- Is this a good night for me to visit Prestige?
Olivia bit her lip. She’d already warned her partners that she had a special guest who was going to visit the club and made sure she was on the all-access list. Andie had agreed to keep an eye out and make sure that all her bouncers were aware that Georgie was a VIP. She wasn’t worried about her safety at all.
But would King see it the same way when he found out? She wasn’t fooling herself that they’d be able to keep it a secret forever.
Olivia sighed and sent a message to Andie to give her a heads up and then texted Georgie back.
- All clear.
It made her feel so guilty to deceive King but she couldn’t imagine only having sex with one person ever. Had the girl even had an orgasm? That was no way to live. She was sure that King would understand once she explained everything. Who knew, maybe Georgie would visit one time and decide she hated it.
Maybe King never had to know.
Whenever King brought a woman to his place in the past, it usually wasn’t long before he found their company exhausting. They’d ask too many questions or make themselves a little too comfortable. It was why he’d never had a live-in girlfriend. He didn’t figure there was any point since he would inevitably reach that point when he wanted his space.
With Olivia, that moment never came.
She’d been subdued when they first arrived at his place. There were times he got the sense she was uncomfortable with his wealth. Downstairs in the garage he’d noticed her staring at the Bentley. It wasn’t something he knew how to address. Usually he was trying to fend off women who wanted to know more about what he was worth but with Olivia, the things that mattered to her were emotional not monetary.
It was something he’d have to keep an eye on but once they got upstairs she was back to her usual happy self.
“Hungry, baby?”
“Actually I am. We worked up quite an appetite.”
He chuckled and pulled out the menu for the local Italian place. Olivia loved Italian food as much as he did. He ordered baked ziti, lasagna and a new risotto dish just because. The food arrived quickly and they ate at the small dining table he rarely used.
Afterward, Olivia stretched out on the couch. He sat next to her and pulled her slender feet onto his lap. It seemed like such a natural thing to have her here while the day wound down, her musical laugh accompanying his favorite late night sitcom. She fit so fluidly into his life, as if she’d always been there.
The more he had of her, the more he wanted. He was coming to realize that it would probably always be that way. She was a complicated, loving, exasperating woman and no matter how long he knew her, he’d never have time to undercover the many facets of who she was. Olivia Reyes was a puzzle he’d never solve. One he never wanted to solve. He enjoyed being surprised by her everyday.
“Stay.”
She glanced over at him and raised her eyebrows in confusion.
He cleared his throat. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
She didn’t ask why now or show any outward sign that she recognized this was a huge step for him. He braced himself for her to make a big deal out of it or for her to suddenly want to talk about things. But Olivia just leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“Okay.”
And that was when Thane Kingsley IV knew he was in serious trouble.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Olivia woke feeling like there was something she was forgetting. Then she opened her eyes and realized why. She wasn’t at home. She was at King’s place.
It shouldn’t feel so validating that he’d wanted her to sleep over.
Seeing someone at night was a bigger deal than most people gave it credit for. When you were tired, you were at your most vulnerable. The makeup came off, the comfy clothes went on and your guard went down. You could tell a lot about a person by the way they shared their bed.
King was a cuddler.
Olivia smiled into her pillow. She didn’t think he was awake yet because his arm was still securely wrapped around her waist and she could feel the even rhythm of his chest rising and falling at her back. This was perfect, to wake warm and safe all wrapped up like she was his most precious treasure. Even if it wasn’t true, she was going to wallow in the moment for just a little longer. Until reality woke them both up.
Unfortunately, her plans to wallow were trumped by her intense need for the bathroom. Carefully extricating herself from his arms, she tiptoed to the door on the other side of the room. After taking care of business, she washed her hands, brushed her teeth and splashed her face with water. She was all for reality but no one needed to see her with her zombie face on.
When she opened the door, King was sitting up in bed.
“Hey, I hope I didn’t wake you.”
The morning light illuminated the room and somehow, King looked even better first thing in the morning. The sheet had slipped low on his waist putting his spectacular chest on display. With his lean muscles, arrogant smirk and just-fucked dark hair going in every direction, he looked like a billboard adver
tising bad decisions.
Olivia regretted nothing.
She climbed back in bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “I was planning on getting back in bed and being very lazy this morning.”
It occurred to her then that even though he’d invited her to sleep over, he might have other plans for today. She didn’t want to ever be that girl, the one who couldn’t take a hint and overstayed her welcome.
She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. “But now that I’m awake, I should probably get going. There’s a million things I need to do today.”
She could feel his eyes on her as she climbed out of bed and leaned down to grab the dress she’d worn the night before. It was all smashed and wrinkled but it would have to do. She didn’t even care who saw her.
It was doubtful she was the first girl to do the walk of shame out of this building.
King leaned over and snatched the dress out of her hands.
“What are you doing?”
He threw it over his shoulder and then grabbed her around the waist, twisting them so they fell together on top of the covers.
“I’m making sure you don’t have anything to wear. Then you have to stay with me.”
“So you’re keeping me prisoner, now?”
He kissed her all over her face until her stomach hurt from laughing. She would have never guessed that he was so playful in the morning.
“I would love to keep you prisoner but I’m hungry. So maybe we can play pirate after we go out for breakfast.”
Olivia frowned. She hadn’t expected to go out for breakfast. They’d just ordered out last night. It was a small thing but if they were going to give it a shot, she was going to have to accept that he was insanely wealthy. It made her uncomfortable but it wasn’t going to change. He was used to pressing a button and having exactly what he wanted delivered. He was used to paying people to do things for him.
He’d toned down his arrogance a lot since they’d been together but it would likely always be a part of him. She didn’t believe in changing a man, you either loved him as he already was or not at all. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a good influence on him.