by Jada Sioux
It hadn’t taken much for his thoughts to wander to Kiara lately. He wasn’t the kind of man to pine, but if he were, he wouldn’t have minded pining after her. There was something mesmerizing about the wild, unabashed woman from California, and he was dying to find out more.
It wasn’t like Damien to show so much interest in anyone outside of his social circle. He was a playboy through and through, and the only women he dated tended to be on his arm because he needed to prove a point or achieve something. Kiara Lockett, though?
Well, there was no other reason for him to want her other than that there was something just so damn right about her. Something that made his mouth water and his thoughts conjure up dark scenes and delectable debauchery. Oh, he would enjoy seeing her again. And let there be no doubt, he was going to make her his again.
Youngest of three brothers, he had spent his youth struggling to claim his place in life. He hadn’t necessarily been the favorite, or the strongest when growing up, so he became the smartest and the most cunning. When he made his first million at 18 by building up an IT company, he knew he was made to be an entrepreneur.
His confidence grew until his portfolio included more companies than he could count, and his income rivaled those of the richest men in the world, if not surpassed them. A bit of a cultural oddity, he had managed to give off the impression of being the seediest playboy, while also being the most upstanding businessman the country had to offer. He enjoyed the juxtaposition.
Divinad was his current toy to play with. Damien liked spending half a year with any company he picked up, and Divinad was just the latest acquisition. Jewelry was a hard left from pharma and IT, but it had its charms. And it didn’t hurt that the company raked in billions on its own every year. Now, it provided him with the opportunity of setting his sights on a new conquest – Kiara.
He doubted he would spend six months on her, but he liked the occasional challenge. As far as Damien was concerned, that was all that she was. Even if she had been monopolizing his thoughts ever since their spectacular night together.
The fact that he was in Los Angeles primarily to set up a new office seemed to be the last thing that came to mind. He’d been dodging calls from his assistant all day, and no doubt she was losing her mind by now. Poor Jasmine always got stuck with dealing with the things Damien couldn’t take interest in.
Who cared what kind of flowers there were at the reception banquet or whether the conference room table was teak or birch? Certainly not him. Still, the more he thought about his current situation, the more he liked it. He had time to spend in L.A., and that gave him plenty of opportunities to get Kiara Lockett out of his system, one way or another.
Damien licked across his lips, pulling to a stop in a small gap by the road and stepping out of the car. He was dressed impeccably in light-colored slacks and a white button-down. Leaning against the front of the car, he took in the sight of the setting sun, the red rays tinting the edges of the city skyline. Somewhere there, Kiara was going about her life, blissfully unaware that there was a predator in town, and his sights were set on her.
I’m coming to get you, sugar.
CHAPTER FOUR
Kiara
What was it about that damnable man that made her blush like a schoolgirl every time? Sitting across the table from him was torture in its purest form. Kiara licked her lips, trying to find something to do with her hands and her eyes. She felt awkward all of a sudden, gangly and out of place, and all because Damien Thatch was giving her that look. You know the look. The look that tells you that you’re about to get ravaged, and there’s nothing you could (or would want to) do about it. That look.
“Pleasure to have you over, Mister Thatch! If we had known you were coming, we would have been a bit better prepared. What can we do for you?” Gwyneth asked, looking more flustered than Kiara had ever seen her.
The middle-aged blonde was positively fidgeting in her seat, trying to present an air of calm and failing miserably. It seemed that Damien had an adverse effect not only on the women who knew what a stallion he was in bed, but anyone else in the near vicinity as well. It was a small consolation. Perhaps a bigger one was the fact that this time, Kiara was at least wearing panties and not playing a rendition of a girl, who got caught sneaking out of a jock’s dorm room.
Kiara stewed under Damien’s gaze, the man taking his time as he sipped his coffee. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since they left New York that afternoon, and she wished she could claim that she hadn’t spent a moment thinking about him. No, instead he’d been on her mind near constantly, which was getting in the way of other daily activities. You know, like working and existing as a human being. Supremely annoying.
The mere sight of him made her pulse race and adrenaline pump through her veins. God, he was a sight for sore eyes. The way he filled out the silver grey suit he was wearing and the way his blue tie made his eyes twinkle was just too much. He was too much.
Still, Kiara took a deep breath and tried to gather herself. This was no time to become witless, not when her job was possibly on the line. Gwyneth had made it clear in no uncertain terms that if this deal didn’t go well, it might be Kiara’s head that would be on the chopping block next. After all, the cutthroat world of marketing and advertising only had room for winners, and you couldn’t be a winner without nabbing a big client.
Focus, she reminded herself sternly, conjuring a pleasant smile on her lips and clasping her hands together in her lap.
“It’s quite alright. I could have called, but I was in the city, so I wanted to come by and tell you personally. I have some good news on your bid. Divinad has decided to move forward with your company…“
“That’s excellent!” Gwyneth beamed. She was immediately hushed by the slightest motion of Damien’s hand, though.
“Let me finish. We’ve decided to move forward with both your bid and one from Sunstreak. This means that your companies will get additional time to prepare a final presentation and do some preliminary work, and then, after that, we will have our final weigh-in on whether or not we want to continue with your proposed plan. There can only be one winner in this. Someone from the office will provide you with further instructions. Understood?”
Kiara nodded, and Gwyneth did as well, though from the corner of her eye Kiara could see that her boss wasn’t entirely happy about the situation – she never took less than absolute victory. It was an annoying trait to be faced with, but Kiara couldn’t deny that the woman was massively successful because of her take no prisoners, no nonsense kind of attitude.
“Perfectly,” Gwyneth replied.
“Excellent!” Damien said, smiling. He looked almost sweet. Kiara liked it. “Now with the formalities taken care of, I have something more pleasant to discuss. Ladies, I am holding a reception tonight at Brimmen Manor in honor of opening up another branch in Los Angeles for Divinad. I’d be delighted if you both could make it tonight. Formal attire. I promise it won’t be all business.”
Dread pooled in Kiara’s belly. Formal attire? Tonight? She had nothing to wear. And how was she going to tame her hair? She resisted the urge to touch the frizzy strands gathered together in a loose bun. The Brazilian blowout was a long-forgotten memory by that point. But, the way it had been presented, there was no way to make a graceful exit. So, feeling rather useless, she nodded dumbly while Gwyneth graciously accepted the invitation.
“We would love to join you!”
“Very good. In that case, I won’t keep you from your work for any longer. I think Kiara can show me out, yes?”
“Yes, of course! I will see you tonight, Mister Thatch.”
“Damien, please.”
Gwyneth beamed a smile, and Kiara had to swallow down a chuckle. Leave it to the billionaire playboy to make all the hens dance around headless and excited. Gwyneth stood up, shook Damien’s hand and exited the meeting room before Kiara had a moment to react. She stood up automatically, watching Damien round the table and close the door. Her
breath caught in her chest. What was he doing?
She glanced around quickly, getting that all too familiar deer in the headlights vibe that he kept managing to coax out of her. She felt vulnerable, but not a bad kind of vulnerable. No, it was the kind of vulnerable where she expected to be thrown on the table and fucked until every ounce of trepidation left her body. The walls facing the corridor were all glass, so there was little doubt that he wouldn’t quite do that, but a girl could dream, right?
Damien leant against the door, studying her with interest. She squirmed a little in place. Kiara had opted for a nice, tight crème skirt that day and a white blouse that showed off all her assets without coming across cheap. She was wearing her favorite nude Manolo pumps – a pair she had spent long saving for. She pushed her shoulders back and gave Damien a smile, ignoring the pooling wetness between her legs. Damn her body for remembering how good he felt next to her.
“Been a while, Kiara.” Damien said simply, smirking.
“Three weeks, I think,” Kiara offered meekly, sounding far more girlish than she usually did.
Her heart pounded like she was being chased by a wolf, and she wasn’t entirely sure if that was not the case.
“I’ve been thinking about you.”
“You have?” she asked, her voice wavering.
She wanted to throw herself into his arms and kiss him madly, but she held herself back. She wasn’t that kind of woman. She could be above simple physical urges when her future was on the line, couldn’t she?
“Yes.”
That single word made her world turn upside down. Could it be that she’d been on his mind as much as he had been on hers? She didn’t know what to say. Damien took a step closer and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her into his arms. Kiara gasped, her hands pressed against his strong chest. She bit her lower lip as she felt his erection hard against her. What she wouldn’t have given to touch him, to love him.
“Someone’s going to see us!” Kiara said, throwing worried looks at the corridor.
Any moment, someone could pass by. What would she say then? “Oh, never mind me. We’re trying out a new ‘all inclusive’ deal with the client?” Pfft.
“Let them,” he growled, spinning her around and pinning her between his rock-hard body and the door.
His hand trekked down her side until it reached the bottom hem of her skirt and slipped under it, yanking the fabric up until his palm was flat against her sex, spreading her legs. Kiara whimpered, pushing her head back. He grinned, danger lurking behind his eyes. It was mesmerizing. Like a bunny staring at a snake about to kill her, she couldn’t take her eyes off of his.
“I see you’ve been thinking of me too,” he teased, rubbing his fingers roughly against the flimsy thong that was covering her pussy, already soaked with her juices.
She groaned in reply, the way his fingertips flicked across her clit through the fabric driving her wild immediately.
“Yes,” she confessed feverishly.
“I want you to wear something sexy tonight, Kiara. I want everyone’s eyes to be on you all night. And then, when the night is through, I’m going to have you. You will do whatever I ask you to. I’m going to peel that dress off of you and fuck you until you can’t see straight. Is that understood? Do you understand what you need to do?” he growled, cupping her sex and punctuating each word with an orgasmic flick against her excitement.
She nodded dumbly, surprised that she still remembered how to speak.
“I will wear something sexy for you. I will do whatever you want, Damien,” she whispered, the words tumbling from her lips and fueling her excitement.
When his fingers slipped under her panties and brushed against her wetness, she couldn’t hold back the moan any longer.
Damien kissed her hard, his tongue invading her mouth, and she sunk into the kiss readily. He felt warm, protective, commanding. Like a real man – a man you could depend on. She loved his taste and couldn’t get enough of it, and when he pushed two fingers into her, she thought she would cum right then and there. He stroked into her with slow, deliberate motions, his thumb grazing across her clit and making her vision blur.
Her fingers raked through his hair, and for a moment, it didn’t matter that someone might see them. Nothing mattered aside from Damien and the way he felt against her.
Just as abruptly as he had kissed her, he pulled away, leaving her panting and wanting more. He pushed his fingers into her mouth.
“Lick them,” he said, and she did as she was told.
No man could ever command her like that, but when Damien Thatch told her to do something, she was more than glad to do it, eager even. There was an air about him that told her she didn’t want to disagree with him. She wanted to be all his, no matter what it took. Kiara sucked his fingers clean, her sweet taste filling her mouth. He withdrew his fingers, letting them linger on her gorgeously plush lower lip for a moment.
“That was so you would know what I can do to you if you’re a good girl, sugar. You’ll get the rest tonight, if I like what I see,” he said. A shudder ran down her spine.
“I think you need a moment, Kiara. I can show myself out,” Damien said, giving her a long look.
He smoothly had her step away from the door and exited, closing the door behind him. Kiara was left staring at his retreating back, disheveled, panting and turned on beyond belief. How could she let him do that to her? And even more importantly, how could she make him do that to her again and for longer?
I’m going to look fantastic tonight, Kiara thought to herself, grinning slightly and still flushed with excitement.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kiara
Kiara wiggled awkwardly, trying to shimmy up her dress a bit higher. She scrunched her nose in annoyance and finally gave up when the shimmery, curve-hugging floor-length blue dress refused to work with her. It was the oddest thing, the dress, which had fit like a glove just some time ago, was now half a size too tight, especially around her breasts. Having an ample bosom already, she didn’t exactly appreciate the added volume, but the night was too thrilling to really stop and think about a small thing like a dress not being perfect.
She did wish it had straps, though.
Kiara picked up a glass of sparkling cider from a passing waiter, opting out of champagne for the night. In a desperate effort to keep her composure, she had decided to drive herself to the banquet that night instead of taking a cab. Maybe that way, when Damien Thatch told her he wanted her, she could keep her wits and her spine and tell him that she couldn’t take him up on his offer. How it would be dangerous for her career and how what he did to her at the office was inappropriate.
Oh, who was she kidding, she was never going to say that! All she could think about after he had left earlier in the day was how badly she wanted to see him again. Kiara knew he hadn’t pushed her over the peak for a reason. He wanted her pining after him. With a resigned sigh, she took a sip of her drink, letting her eyes wander across the crowd. What Damien wanted, he apparently got.
Gwyneth glided next to her, looking almost ephemeral in her shimmery white dress and high heels, her hair let down. Kiara did a double-take, a smile spreading across her lips.
“Gwyneth! You look gorgeous!” she gushed.
She’d never seen her boss look quite as at ease as she did in the middle of a crowded upscale party, drink in hand and a bemused smile on her lips. If only she could look so approachable at work!
“Thank you, Kiara! So do you! I’m glad you made it. Mister Thatch was asking about you. I think he wants to go over some of the conceptual work with you. Perhaps he has an idea. You know how these execs are, they don’t know how to power down,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I see an old associate of mine. Maybe I can poach her from those good for nothing downtown sharks she works for now.”
As easily as that, Gwyneth had drifted away, leaving Kiara standing alone in the crowd once more. While her surroundings were gorgeous and, by all accounts, she should have been
having the time of her life, Kiara felt uneasy. Like someone was watching her, sizing her up. She kept throwing glances around herself, half expecting to find Damien gazing at her from across the room with that predatory look of his.
Finally, she decided to mingle. Her trek through the rooms saw her engaging in a few short-lived conversations, but her attention soon waivered, and the gorgeous art on the walls caught her interest instead.
Kiara floated from room to room, admiring the expensive, classical art that adorned the walls. She was still becoming accustomed to the thought that some people actually lived that way. Her childhood had been one of reasonable safety and comfort, but looking back, she knew her mother worked three jobs just to keep her and her sister and brother clothed and fed. It had never seemed that hard when she was a child, but by the time she needed to go to college, her family’s poor financial status was more than obvious.
Luckily, she had qualified for financial aid, but marketing was still an expensive degree to get. A few years out of college, she was still muddled in college loans that she was diligently paying off. Standing in front of paintings that cost millions of dollars seemed absurdly unreal to a woman who had to carefully consider how many pairs of pantyhose she could reasonably buy and whether it was more important to eat anything other than Ramen noodles or look presentable for work.
Soon, she had drifted further from the crowds and found herself in a secluded hallway adorned with paintings by French classical painters. They took her breath away. She was just studying a Le Nain painting when she felt a familiar presence. Seconds later, hot breath caressed her neck, and a warm hand slid over her lower back, resting possessively on her ass. Her breath caught, and she almost dropped the flute of cider. Damien stood in silence behind her for a few moments, looking at the painting as he emptied his glass.