“Judgey so quickly,” he said softly.
“Rich people tend to like when others do all the work,” she quipped.
He turned his full attention to her, his eyes burning into hers, and she stared back until he reached over and glided his hand up the length of her thigh. She tried to shift away, but his hold was firm and somewhat…pleasurable. She loved how adamant he was, so she would defy him…then she could relish in his anger and discomfort at her disobedience.
The smirk fell from her face when his hand reached the apex of her thigh and dangerously close to her clit. The bud tightened achingly, and she drew in a mouthful of air.
“And little girls tend to be all bark with no bite,” he retorted with a condescending smile.
She groaned and slapped his hand away. Oh, she was going to show him the errors of his wicked ways. His dark laughter reverberated along her spine, and a rush of heat ran through her veins. Oh damn him!
Piercing green eyes drank her in.
“Come to think of it, I could use your current predicament for my advantage,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a seductive purr.
“What?”
“Let’s go to the club lounge so we can get acquainted. It seems I have a lot to learn.”
***
Lila thought going to a club filled with people would make her feel less threatened, on neutral ground. But Killean’s presence was like a dangerous drug. Oddly, the decor in this part of the lounge reminded her of Knight HQ.
They were seated in the VIP section where it was quieter and everyone ran to their beck and call. She hadn’t even touched her drink while he had downed a shot of vodka and was reaching for his bourbon.
He looked down at her, amused. “It’s about knowing your limits.”
He’d taken off his coat and jacket and hung them over the back of the sofa. Suits made him look powerful and domineering.
“I’m curious,” he began, turning his full attention on her. “What was your ulterior motive for asking me out the other day?”
Lila leveled their gaze, and he leaned in closer. His breath was tinged with the delicious mixture of bourbon and him. “What makes you think that I have one?”
“I read people, Lila. I don’t quite get you yet, but I’m reaching.”
She took a deep breath. They weren’t playing any games now, and she could feel the shift in mood. “I thought I did something wrong, so this is my way of rectifying it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can read people too,” she said softly. “That evening when I ran into you in the hall, I could tell that you were, um, pissed at me, and I don’t remember doing anything wrong.”
“So was your boyfriend okay with this whole situation? You entertaining other men?”
She met his unwavering gaze. Half his face was illuminated by the blue lighting at the bar, the other half shielded in semi-darkness. It gave an edge of danger.
“What boyfriend?”
“The one who took you home the other night.”
Of course, Lila knew it. That was what it was about. “Aiden is going to have a field day with this.”
“He’s not your boyfriend?” He sounded genuinely surprised. A V formed between his brows that looked soft to kiss.
“Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t dating anyone? Why’d you think that, anyway?”
“The dark look in his eyes when he looked at you.”
“The dark look in his eyes?” She laughed. “You’d know all about that.”
“Well, unless he was trying to tick someone off, or he’s really good at acting.”
“Aiden can be convincing when he wants to be, trust me. He’s more like a big brother. We’re quite close and he’s…”
“Overbearing?” he asked.
“What? No. He’s protective. And why would I cheat on my boyfriend with you?”
He smirked. “The same reason all women do it. He can’t please you like I can.”
She snorted and took a sip of her beer, licking her lips after. She should be avoiding all alcohol tonight, but as it flowed down, it felt too good. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Killean watching her.
“So are you still contented with Langman?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Is there something wrong with my company that I’m not aware of?” He leaned close as he whispered this so she felt his warm breath fanning her ear. It sent shivers up her spine and had her toes curling in her shoes. Those butterflies in her stomach were doing somersaults again. It would always remain a bad idea to be anywhere with this man.
“I don’t think that would be a wise idea.”
“I beg to differ.”
“We know each other too much.”
“No, we don’t. You’d try to avoid me at all costs.”
Lila admitted she was shy with men but she wasn’t antisocial. She was the one who had invited him out the last time. She shoved her beer aside.
“Too cold?”
Lila nodded. “Yeah.”
“Come, dance with me. I’ll warm you up.”
Her eyes widened. “No, I’m fine. I-I can’t dance.”
He set down his beer bottle and stood, ignoring her plea. He grabbed her hand.
“This isn’t what I really want to do with you, so you could indulge me a bit.” He smiled.
“I can’t dance, but it’s okay if you want me to embarrass you.”
He grasped her chin, and his gaze bored through her hers. “You’re a very beautiful woman, Lila. Don’t think otherwise.”
His words warmed her inside.
The DJ changed the song, and Killean looked as though he were up to something wild.
“Killean, I can’t dance. I mean it.”
“We’ll see,” he said adamantly.
“Do you always get what you want?”
He looked down at her for a moment, the corners of his mouth turning upward into a daring smile, and then he murmured, “Yes, Lila, all the time.”
He took her wrist and led her to the dance floor.
***
Lila’s back was pressed to his hard, warm chest. Both his hands were holding her waist and his lips kept brushing her ear, his warm breath sensitizing the skin. The man had moves. Of course Lila could dance, and after a few moments it wasn’t something she could hide from him. She heard him chuckling as he picked up on her lie.
She tried not to be too aware of him, but each passing moment it was becoming more difficult. Her skin tingled, and with every sway of his hips, her ass brushed against his crotch, every touch of his hands on her skin sent her pulse racing, and her sex aching for his ministration. Finally, the song ended to something more explicit and daring, and Lila smirked as she thought about her revenge. She would make him beg for it, but he wouldn’t get it. At least she would make him think he was getting some.
His hands ascended up the delicate column of her nape to lace through her hair, drawing her head closer to his. Lila moved her body against his to the sexual lyrics of song. The words were very suggestive and gave explicit instructions on exactly what to do.
Killean’s eyes dropped to her mouth, and she saw his throat jerk as she grinded on him, their pelvises thrusting together, and she could feel his erection. He lowered his head and tried to kiss her, but she laughed and slid down the hard delicious length of his body until she was balancing herself on her heels.
She wanted him to imagine he was taking her mouth, fucking her throat. She tilted her head back up and looked up at him before rising.
He twisted her in his arms, one hand gripping her hip and rubbing against her ass as she rocked to the music. His free hand settled against her stomach, splaying out possessively and ascending up to cup a breast.
Lila didn’t know how long they danced, but the night seemed to be getting wilder with each passing minute, the songs filthy and the drinks stronger as they lost their selves in each other’s touch.
His cock seemed in desperate need of attention, and she grinded aga
inst him hard. She could hear his grunts filling her ears over the beat of the music.
The music changed and they pulled apart, both of them highly aroused and fighting the need to tackle each other right in the middle of the club.
He chuckled. “You look like a woman who just got debased.”
“That was worse than degrading.”
He looked down at her intently with wide, incandescent eyes. “If I ever debased you, Lila, you’d love it.”
Her mouth went dry. “Oh.” Was he putting the moves on her or what? “I thought you’d already done that.”
“That was just foreplay, baby.”
God, this man was so confusing!
“I always get people to do what I want them to do.”
“Must get boring after a while,” she said dryly.
“Quite the contrary. Bending them to my will is very exciting,” he murmured.
“I thought slavery was abolished over a century and half ago,” Lila retorted.
“I don’t force them, Lila. I simply get them to adjust my way.”
“Control freak.”
He laughed as he led them to their seats.
Lila could still feel his hands skimming down her waist and the warmth of his breath fanning the shell of her ear. It was almost frightening how quickly Killean Knight had gotten under her skin.
Just then her phone pinged. It was a text.
Aiden: Wanna meet up?
Lila: Out with pleasure god.
Aiden: U ok alone with him?
Lila: Yes, sorry I disappeared.
Aiden: No worries, tell me how it goes tomorrow.
Lila: I will.
Aiden: Call me if he gets too bold or boring.
Lila grinned at his reply. She doubted Killean was boring. He was overtly bold, though.
“Overbearing sister too?”
“No, India is fine. She just feels she’s supposed to be the mom in our relationship. Don’t know why.”
“I know how older siblings are.”
She smiled fondly at him. “You have siblings? How many?”
“My mother loved children, wanted a house full of them running around, making noise.” He scoffed. “I’ve two brothers and three sisters.”
“What are they like? Do you get along? What do they do?”
He looked at Lila, his jaw clenched and his eyes scolding. “Slow down. One question at a time.”
“Sorry. I just didn’t know you had…you don’t seem…well, you act like a lone wolf, so I just assumed.”
His stare was hot and intense, and she couldn’t look away.
“I wouldn’t know what they are really like. I left home early to get away,” he said quietly.
“Why did you want to get away?”
His shoulder tensed. Maybe he realized he’d said too much. But she wasn’t finished.
“Why did you want to get away from home?”
“They get along well,” he said, answering her next question, ignoring her second. “Warren’s into finance, Nick’s an engineer, Karen is into everything so I’m not sure. She’s Warren’s twin. Imani is a Harvard law grad back home. My little sister Anna is in high school. And I’m a businessman.”
His family sounded well off and very diverse.
“How about yours?”
Why did he dismiss the topic of his family so soon? She wanted to hear more.
“We lived in the Bahamas for three months and then we shifted to Jamaica for an entire year. It was my father; he wanted to spread his business overseas. My grandparents are Jamaican, so it was comfortable.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s a car dealer, but he’s branched out into investment. Took a while but he’s there.”
“Oh? How did your friend take your absence?”
He was still reading too much into the relationship between Aiden and her.
“That’s what video chats are made for, Mr. Knight. We weren’t out of touch. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Don’t you have friends?”
“Only female ones.”
“Why?”
“The men I associate with don’t want to be my friends, Lila. They are businessmen like me, so their main objective is to knock me out of the game, kill my empire.”
“Of course they won’t succeed,” she said, knowing damn well that she was right.
He smiled knowingly. “I don’t play games with people, Lila. And where rivalries are concerned, I don’t try to make friends with them. I aim to beat them.” His words were spoken with fire and vehemence.
Lila knew they held a deeper meaning. She took a sip of her vodka Killean had ordered to replace the beer.
“I bet your employees quiver in fear when they see you coming.”
“That’s how it should be. They work for me; they’re not my friends, sweetheart.”
“Autocratic bastard,” she murmured.
He chuckled. “That wasn’t my intention. Everything I own is mine. I fought to reach where I am today, and I’ll be damned if I let anything or anyone cause all my years of hard work to crumble because of sympathy. I learned very early that this is a dog eat dog world and only the fittest will survive. And I’m fit.”
She liked how motivated he was. “You sound controlling.”
He turned and looked deep in her eyes, holding her prisoner. He had this possessive, dominating air about him. It was like a magnet, and she could feel it pulling her in, hypnotizing her. “I am controlling. That way I know I’m in charge of the people around me and my own destiny. No one will step out of line. Sometimes you have to be like this to scare away the hyenas.”
The hyenas? Lila wanted to ask, but she didn’t press further. He wouldn’t tell her anyway.
“Wouldn’t you just want to lose control for a day, see how it feels to just let things fall as they may?”
“It’s not in my genes. I have to be on top of things; it keeps my mind at ease. It’s my coping mechanism.”
“I would be scared to work for you. You should be friendlier.”
“I would stay away from you until offices were closed.”
“I wonder why,” she said suspiciously.
“So I could have you for myself, of course.”
She nearly choked.
“Not in the way you’re imagining it, Lila. And anyway, you’re the one who wants me to make friends.”
“Would that be so bad?”
“Lila, when you get to know the gentle parts of me, you’ll stop seeing me as monstrous but human.”
“You should act like one then. Let go of the scary poker face. And personally, I think you look better when your features are relaxed.”
He cocked his head and appraised her with an amused expression.
“Are you admiring me, Miss Montgomery?” he asked in a seductive voice.
“Why would I do that, Mr. Knight?”
“Ah, but you are. I think you’ll be my source of inspiration from now on,” he said.
She laughed, shaking her head. “I think you have enough people to inspire you already. You don’t need me. Just get rid of that façade and the invisible wall you have surrounding you.”
“The what?”
“I can read you like a book, Killean.”
“Are you psychic now?”
“Am I lying? About the wall?”
“You’re digging.”
His eyes turned hooded and his face hard as though he were getting pissed. Was she crossing a line here? But with him was there even a line?
“You look scared. Your eyes are suddenly too big for your face.”
“Me? You’re the one who looks scared.”
“What would I have to be afraid of?” she asked. “There are no hyenas after me.”
She couldn’t miss that devilish little smile that came. “Are you always this tenacious, Lila?”
“You’re the same, so I think I have to up my game when I’m around you, don’t you think?”
“Oh?”
“Hmm. You’re a bag of mysteries, Mr. Knight.”
“There’s nothing mysterious about me.”
“Try telling that to the Pope.”
“Are you going to tell me you can see auras too?”
She shook my head. “That’s a whole new territory, mister.”
He sat back and sighed happily, then settled his gaze on her once more. “You’re a good listener.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve never met a woman who wanted to have a conversation or at least tried to know me like you are. It’s…enlightening.”
“You’re welcome. What do they want?”
“Some usually end up in my bed for a good fuck,” he said bluntly.
She swallowed. “I see. I can imagine.” She cleared her throat. What woman wouldn’t want to jump into bed with him?
“I’m glad I could provide you with normalcy for once.”
“I’m glad that you’re comfortable with me now.”
Her glass froze at her lips and she turned to look at him.
“I sense that I rattle you somehow. That day in the library, and then when you came to my office. You gave me the impression that you wanted to flee.”
“No, it was just a…hectic day.”
“Good, I don’t want you to be afraid or intimidated by me. Well, at least while I’m trying to spread your legs.”
She ignored his last statement. “I’m not afraid of you, just a little intimidated at times.”
“Are you always this honest, Lila?”
“You don’t value honesty?” Her voice was soft.
They stared longingly at each other before she turned away first.
“I do, very much. There isn’t a chance of me having you?”
Lila swore she’d heard a double entendre in that comment. She looked at him wide-eyed, and he raised a dark eyebrow.
“No,” she said, finally understanding the question.
“I can be very persuasive.”
“I can imagine.”
“I always get what I want one way or the other.”
“This time you won’t. Plus you almost fucked me. I think that goes against some set rules.”
Wicked Dirty Games (Dirty Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 7