Claimed By The Publisher: An Instalove Possessive Alpha Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 159)
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Kingsley shrugs. “It was sad. He was always a good friend of mine. Our friendship lasted a good twelve years after we left school, but I did something that he didn’t like.”
I frown, feeling an ache in my chest for Kingsley. He actually looks a little sad about this conversation. I want to reach for his hand, but I know it would be totally inappropriate. I’m already pushing a thousand boundaries here considering that Kingsley is going to be almost like my boss soon.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Kingsley looks me deep in the eye. “No, I should explain. After all, this involves you too.”
I blink in surprise. “It does?”
He nods. “I mean...it’s mostly about you.”
I can’t believe it. Why would my brother and Kingsley fight over me for any reason? I barely even know Kingsley. I haven’t even seen him around since I was a kid. Him and Jasper always used to go off and do their own thing, given that they’re quite a bit older than me anyway. Kingsley barely knows me...so what have I missed?
“What happened?”
Kingsley sighs, sipping his champagne. “It was at your Dad’s sixtieth birthday...obviously your brother asked me along as his guest. We were having a good time. I was standing with him just talking to some women...he was trying to flirt with both of them simultaneously.”
“That I can believe.”
The ghost of a smirk rests on Kingsley’s lips. “Yeah, exactly. Anyway, I wasn’t paying all that much attention. The women didn’t interest me, no woman has ever really caught my eye. That was...until I saw a woman across the room. Someone who took my breath away.”
I feel my heart sink in my chest. It hurts hearing him talk about another woman in that way. It’s ridiculous, really, especially since I’ve only just started feeling this way. But my attraction to him is so strong that I feel like he’s mine. I feel like I have some kind of claim on him because how can anyone else possibly feel as much for him as I do? But I have to stop acting crazy. We barely even know each other. So I just nod uncomfortably, waiting for him to continue the story. He’s smiling ever so slightly, as though the memory of that night is something he remembers fondly.
“She looked incredible, but she didn’t even look my way. I watched her for quite some time...I was pretending to be engaged in the conversation with your brother, but all I saw was this enigmatic young woman...and I wanted her to be mine.”
My stomach twists with jealousy. I want to be that woman. I want him to be so obsessed with me that he can’t take his eyes off me. But what would he see in someone like me? He’s so handsome, so smart, so well-off...he could have anyone. What would he want with the curvy little sister of his ex-best friend.
“I watched her for a long time, and even though she didn’t notice. Jasper did,” Kingsley growls. He seems angry about that, as though Jasper has really screwed him over. I cross my arms over my chest defensively. Suddenly, all I want is for him to stop talking. I can’t bear for him to tell me there’s another woman in his life.
“What’s this got to do with me?”
His eyes soften. I sense the shift in his mood right away. “Don’t you see, Ivy? You were the woman I was watching.”
It feels like there’s no air left in the room. The restaurant fades into the background. It’s just me and him now. I can’t breathe, but I’m holding back a smile. He wanted me? I can barely believe it. I know he said this whole thing was about me, but I’d never have guessed in a million years that he wanted me.
“Me?”
“Yes, Ivy. You looked so beautiful that night…and it changed everything for me. I’ve never felt that way toward someone before. I hadn’t had a conversation with you in years, or even heard that much about you. But I knew in that moment that you were everything,” Kingsley says. “But your brother...when he saw me looking at you like that...he knew exactly what was on my mind. He knew I wanted you desperately. He knew I was obsessed from the moment I laid eyes on you and he told me never to come near you again.”
I gasp. “But...but that’s not his choice to make.”
“I hated him for it,” Kingsley growls. “I would never want to disrespect him, but when I saw you, I knew I’d do anything to have you. I’ve been searching for you for years, Ivy. All my life I’ve been waiting for a woman like you. Someone beautiful and smart, someone who is so incredible without even knowing it.”
“You...you really think those things about me?”
“Of course, how could I not? You showed up here tonight looking like that...and damn, I could barely hold myself back from you,” Kingsley growls. And now I can see the hunger in his eyes. I can see the desperation in the way they look me up and down. How could I miss it before? Was I really so blind to that look he was giving me? Was I so unwilling to believe he could see me the way I see him?
“The fact that you’re here tonight with me...it feels like it was meant to be,” he says gruffly, leaning in closer. “I want to get to know you better, Ivy. I want to know that I’m not imagining the way you make me feel...and I want to give you everything you’ve ever deserved.”
Kingsley
I’m breathing hard. Every possessive muscle in my body is desperate to reach out and grab her and make her mine. I’ve told her exactly what’s on my mind, and now there’s no escaping it. She knows how much I want her.
She could get up and walk away right now. She could leave the prospect of the publishing contract behind. Now that she knows how good she is, she’ll be snapped up by a publisher any time now. She doesn’t need me. She could go home now and tell her brother all about this and laugh.
But she’s not moving. She’s looking at me with soft eyes and it’s making her even more irresistible. She seems to be breathing just as hard as I am. Does that mean she feels it too? Does she want me the way I want her? Is it possible for her to feel anything as intense as what’s making my heart race right now?
“Say something,” I growl. The suspense is killing me. Her cheeks turn red.
“I...I wasn’t expecting that. Not one bit...but…but…”
I lean in closer. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Her lips part and a small, nervous gasp leaves her lips. “I...I want to see what this is too...I wasn’t expecting this when I came here tonight…but I feel something too.”
I can’t help letting a smile spread across my lips. Now that I know we’re on the same page, it’s almost impossible not to reach over the table and kiss her. But this was meant to be a professional meeting. I’ve already pushed the boundaries tonight. She was too irresistible to ignore...but I’m going to make sure she knows that I’ll put her first. Which means putting her career first.
“How about this, let’s work closely on this project together. Let’s see where it takes us and your career. We can figure things out along the way, what do you think?”
She nods nervously, her cheeks seemingly permanently blushing now. “I think...I think that sounds good.”
“So the contract, you want to sign it? You want us to be your publisher?”
“I...I can’t think of anyone better to represent me,” she whispers, showing me her sweet smile. God, she’s so sexy. I don’t even think she realizes how gorgeous she is. I pour us both another glass of champagne.
“Well then, it’s settled. You can come to the offices tomorrow and we’ll make this official. I’ll draw up a contract for you. And don’t worry. I’ll ensure you have access to the very best in my company, the best editors, the best promoters, the best artists for the cover, you’re going to have everything you could possibly want. I’ll take care of you.”
“Kingsley, I can’t thank you enough. It feels like everything is coming together for me.”
“You deserve it,” I growl, trying to keep my eyes on her face and not her sexy body. “You have everything we’re looking for and more, and I guess the forbidden love story you’ve come up with speaks to me personally. Which brings me onto something
else, perhaps it might be best not to mention this to your father or your brother.”
Her eyes widen. “The whole thing? Kingsley, they’re going to find out eventually. What will I tell them when my book is published?”
“I know, I don’t mean forever. Just for a few weeks so that we can get ourselves settled. What do you think?”
She studies me for a moment before she nods. “That makes sense, okay. I told them I was out with friends from work tonight anyway.”
I watch her with lust filling me up entirely. My cock has been hard this entire meal just at the thought of being here with her, but now that I know there’s a possibility of more. I can barely contain myself. I want her more than anything. But I have to move slowly. I have to savor every moment. I have to make sure I get what I’ve waited three years for.
“In that case. I think we have ourselves a business deal, Ivy...or should I say, Roxanne.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
CHAPTER THREE
Ivy
Kingsley insists on seeing me home, even though we both know it’s a bad idea for him to be within any amount of distance from my family. Before tonight, all I knew was that Jasper hates Kingsley. Now that I know why, I know that if he spotted him here with me there would definitely be a fight. Still, I can’t help loving the fact that he’s sitting in the back of a taxi with me, his hand resting over mine on the middle seat as though he’s silently claiming me as his own.
And strangely enough, I want to belong to him. Seeing him tonight has awoken this desire to be his and only his. I’ve never been attracted to any man before, though I’ve always known I wanted to find the right one. Now, this one wants me and he’s as manly as they come. He exudes dominance, sex appeal, danger and I’m so attracted to it.
But my family would never approve. They won’t even approve of me signing my publishing contract, even though it’ll kick start the career I’ve always wanted. That won’t matter to them. They’ll see that Kingsley is involved and think it’s suspicious, especially given the tension between us.
But I trust Kingsley. Maybe that’s foolish of me...I barely know him. And yet this feels so right. How can anything that feels this way be bad for me?
I don’t want the night to end, but soon enough, we’re pulling up in front of my father’s apartment building. I want to find excuses to make this last just a little longer, but I can’t think of anything to keep me here.
His hand caresses mine as he slides a business card into my hand. It’s a business transaction in itself, but it feels like so much more than that. With his details inscribed on the back, it feels like a promise of more of what we shared tonight. His finger lingers under my chin for a moment, tilting my chin so that I’ll look him in the eyes. As though I need any more persuasion.
“Come to my offices tomorrow. I’ll be waiting for you,” he growls. It feels like he’s set my entire body alight. My skin is burning with desire. As I clamber out of the car, I can still feel the ghost of his touch on me. I watch his taxi drive away, wishing I was in it with him. But I know this is a sensible idea, coming back home. I don’t want to make my family suspicious. Plus, I’m going to need a hell of a long time to process all these thoughts that I’m having.
I make my way inside, hoping that my father and brother will have gone to bed. It’s nearly midnight, after all. Normally they’d both be asleep. But when I approach our apartment and see that there’s light coming from underneath the door, I have to steel myself. They’re still awake and I have a horrible feeling that I’m about to be questioned.
As soon as I open the door, I see that both of them are staring at me from their place on the couch. Jasper stands up and stalks toward me, his look thunderous.
“Where the hell have you been? And at this time, don’t lie to us.”
I blink in surprise. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do. You told us you were out with friends and yet that’s not what we’re hearing,” my father says, folding his arms over his chest. “So why don’t we start again? Where have you been?”
“Dad, what the hell? Why are you being so nosey?”
“Because we know now that you’re a liar,” Jasper snaps. “This is Kingsley’s fault, that snake has turned you on us.”
I gasp. How the hell do they know I was out with Kingsley? My father watches me with disappointment in his eyes as he shakes his head.
“A friend of Jasper’s saw you out with Kingsley. I’m shocked at you, Ivy. What were you thinking, meeting up with an older man for a date?”
“It wasn’t a date!” I say hurriedly. I need to try and salvage this somehow, or I’m going to end up ruining everything for me and Kingsley. “I didn’t even realize who I was meeting until I got there.”
“So you went out to meet someone who you thought was a stranger? I thought you had more sense than that.”
“Let me finish!” I snap. I wouldn’t normally talk back to my father, but today, I feel like I have to protect my own back. “I’ve been sending my manuscript to various publishers. Kingsley emailed me saying he was interested in what I wrote. He wants to offer me a publishing contract.”
“Sure he does,” Jasper snarls. “I know he’s got ulterior motives, Ivy.”
“That’s not possible. I sent my manuscript under a pseudonym,” I say cooly. “Plus, I didn’t realize that Kingsley was the CEO of the company. So it was a shock to both of us to see one another tonight.”
“You can’t trust him,” Jasper growls. “He’s not interested in your work. He wants you in a different way, Ivy. Why do you think I stopped speaking to him?”
“I can handle myself. It’s none of your business if I went to dinner with him!”
“It is when we’re worried about you,” my father says gruffly. “You need to learn to be more careful, and you should see this as a warning. You’re clearly too naive to be trusted...so maybe we should be keeping a closer eye on you.”
“I’m twenty-one! You can’t stop me from doing things.”
“I can while you’re living under my roof,” my father snaps. “You won’t see that man again, do you hear me? You’ll stay away from him.”
“But what about my career? Don’t you care about that at all? This is what I’ve always wanted,” I cry out, grasping at straws. Being published comes second at this moment in time...all I want is to be able to explore what’s happening with Kingsley. There will always be opportunities to get scouted, but what I have with him...that’s irreplaceable.
“There will be other chances,” my father says sternly. “But if you want to continue living here then you’ll live by my rules.”
“He’s trouble, Ivy,” Jasper growls. “Stay the hell away from him, it’s for your own good. And don’t lie to us again. We’ll find out.”
I feel tears filling my eyes. I feel like I’m being bullied by kids on a playground. They’re trying to control me and I can’t stand it. But I can’t get kicked out. I have nowhere to go, that is until I get my publishing deal. So I guess I’m just going to have to get crafty. Because there’s no way in hell I’m missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
And there’s no chance I’m missing out on a chance to be with Kingsley, either.
“Fine,” I whisper bitterly. “I won’t see him again.”
“Good girl,” my father says softly, though Jasper is still glaring at me. I can feel the coldness in his gaze, but I won’t let him intimidate me out of this decision. I’ve made up my mind. As I silently head to my bedroom, my mind is already going into overdrive, trying to figure out how I’m going to get away with seeing Kingsley without them knowing.
I guess I’m just going to have to get crafty.
Kingsley
Arriving back at my penthouse apartment, I feel like a different man to the one I was before I went to dinner. I rip off my tie, feeling like I need air. My skin is hot. My cock is still hard, pushing against the material of my trousers.
I growl to myself, feeling like I need to unleash the beast she’s woken within me. I want so desperately to feel the release she’d give me if I was allowed to fuck her, to come inside her, to finally feel her body against mine...but that won’t be tonight. This torture is killing me. I’m half tempted to get in my car and drive back to her father’s apartment. I could knock down the door. I could find her, sweep her up in my arms and then make her mine. I could take her home with me and we’d be happy. Away from her judgmental family, we could really make something work.
But she’s loyal to them, and I’m not going to meddle with that. It would be cruel. We’re just going to have to find a way to make Jasper approve of us...though I know that’s going to be near impossible when he hates my damn guts.
I feel a surge of anger inside me. He’s the one obstacle keeping me from the only woman I’ve ever wanted. If he wasn’t so judgmental then I’d be with her right this second, taking her until she screams my name into the night. But until he changes his mind, I’ll have to be her secret. So long as she’s willing to do this though I’m game. This is the closest I’ve been to getting what I want in years. I’m not going to allow anything to break us apart.
My phone rings in my pocket and I fish it out, feeling suspicious. I don’t tend to get calls this late at night. When I see that it’s a number I don’t recognize, I feel my stomach twist. I can guess who it is.
Jasper must have broken Ivy down or found out about our dinner somehow. I take a deep breath. I don’t want to talk to him. I know I might do or say something I’ll regret. Ivy has managed to bring out a side to me I didn’t know I had...a possessive, protective beast that would do anything to defend her. But I can’t ignore this call. It might be my only chance to make things right.