HARD LEX: A Billionaire Romance (NIGHT OF THE KINGS SERIES Book 5)

by Shayne Ford

  She slants her gaze down and remains silent.

  “Elsa?”

  “His name is Connor,” she says softly.

  “Who’s Connor?”

  “Jordan’s younger brother.”

  I pull upright.

  “What? What do you mean by younger? Jordan is like what? Twenty something?”

  “Twenty three. His brother is nineteen.”

  My eyes pop wide.

  “For fuck’s sake, Elsa... Are they living under the same roof?”

  “No.”

  “What’s he doing? School? Work?”

  “Work, here and there. He’ll go to school next year.”

  “What kind of work?”

  “Computer stuff.”

  “Did you tell him you thought he got you pregnant?”

  She nods.

  “Yes.”

  “How did he react?”

  She shrugs.

  “Neither good or bad.”

  I roll my eyes.

  “Jesus, Elsa...”

  “He doesn’t like Jordan much.”

  “Oh. And that makes things better how?”

  “No, I’m not saying that, but––”

  “Was he sleeping with you out of revenge?”

  “No,” she says confidently. “I don’t think so,” she continues, hesitant.

  I throw my hands up in the air.

  I let out a long exhale, rise to my feet and run a towel over my body.

  “Okay. This is what you’ll do. First, you call mom. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but sometime this week. And then, you clarify this thing with Jordan. You have to clean up this mess. He needs to know what’s going on, and you have to face the consequences, whatever they are. And then, you have to have a serious conversation with his brother. ”

  I step out of the tub and shrug into a robe.

  Irked, I walk past her and head into the kitchen. She follows me.

  “What about you? What are you going to do if you lose your job?”

  “Look for another one, I guess.”

  “How is he as a boss?” she asks.

  I swiftly turn my back to her, pretending I’m looking for a mug in the cupboard. I linger a few more moments before I snatch a cup and spin to her.

  “You mean Lex Harrington?” I ask, buying myself some time.

  She nods as she takes a seat at the table.

  “You want tea?”

  “No,” she says.

  I fill the tea kettle with water and set it on the stove.

  “He’s an asshole.”

  “Is he?” she asks, slightly amused.

  “Yes, he fucking is. He wasn’t like that in the beginning, but lately, he’s a pain in the ass.”

  “He must have a reason,” she says, a smile lining her voice. I shoot her a glare. “No seriously. Maybe, he likes you.”

  “I doubt.”

  “He was never nasty with me.”

  “Happenstance.”

  “And not to other girls either. He was always nice, and they all wanted to fuck him.”

  “Oh, that warms up my heart.”

  “No, seriously. Maybe he’s teasing you.”

  “Yeah, if this is his idea of teasing me I’d rather not be teased by him.”

  “Have you tried to talk to him?”

  “He doesn’t want to talk to me. He’s fucking with me, and then he throws all sorts of crap at me.”

  “It sounds like he’s testing you.”

  “Testing me? Why?”

  The water starts to boil. I turn the stove off and bring the teapot to the table. I pour the water into the cup over a tea bag.

  Smoothly, I slide into my chair.

  “I don’t know why he’s testing you. But he probably is,” she says.

  “As if you know him.”

  “I know him a little bit.”

  “You met him in a strip club. Of course, he was nice. But this is different. It’s work.”

  “Things will be okay. You’ll see,” she says.

  For a moment, I wish I could wipe my memory clean and be clueless like her.

  She leaves around nine o’clock, and I find myself flipping the phone, checking my messages every other minute.

  Without much thinking, I start typing.

  Me: Are you up for tonight?

  I press send and set the phone on the table. A few minutes pass by. I instantly regret it.

  That was a stupid, not to say a dangerous idea.

  The phone beeps. I pick it up, slide my finger across the screen and read.

  Lex: Yeah... What do you have in mind Secret Girl?

  Me: You pick the place. I come to you. You wear a blindfold.

  I send the message and wait. My pulse starts racing as the minutes tick by without an answer.

  Ten minutes later, the reply arrives. An address, and a number. Nothing else.

  I stare blankly at the screen. Pondering. I shouldn’t go. And yet, I know I will because I can’t resist.

  In a daze, I walk in the closet, pick up a short, skintight dress, throw it straight on my naked body and step into a pair of high heels shoes. I brush my hair and put eyeliner on. In a rush, I call the cab and wrap myself in my trench.

  Twenty minutes later, I slide into the cab, and after thirty more minutes, we enter the busy downtown.

  “Are you sure this is the correct address?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Ten minutes later he drops me off in front of a hotel. I look around, trying to orient myself and it doesn’t take long before I realize... He summoned me to the hotel where he brings his fuck dates.

  Damn it.

  LEX

  “No, you didn’t,” Ed says.

  “Yes, I fucking did,” I say, smiling slyly.

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I just told you, Preston. Stop busting my balls. I’m not sixteen. I don’t ask for updates on your cock mileage.”

  He laughs wolfishly.

  “What’s going on?” James asks, sliding into his seat.

  “Lex got the hot dancer down for business,” Ed says.

  James’ eyes shift to me.

  “He booked her while you were gone,” Ed mutters.

  “She called,” I say.

  “Whatever...They have this little game going on. Blindfolds, secret meetings, encrypted messages. It’s serious shit,” Ed says, smiling, his eyes dropping to his phone.

  “Look who’s fucking talking. You don’t even know what your sex goddess looks like?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  He raises his eyes and gets a glimpse of my cocked eyebrow.

  “Partly,” he murmurs.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I saw her eyes.”

  He motions to James.

  “She has dark hair and green eyes like Sexton.”

  “Why am I part of this conversation?” James says, and gulps scotch.

  “Just because it looks good on him, doesn’t mean it looks good on her as well.”

  “Fuck you, Lex,” he says, chuckling. “Like I care. She has a smoking hot body, and gets me hard with her pictures and dirty talking. When I’m done chatting with her, off I go to have a good time somewhere else.”

  “The wonders of the Internet,” I murmur. “Maybe we should get together one day,” I say and wink at him. “You, me, and our girls,” I mutter, studying him from behind my glass.

  “Let me think about it,” he says, grinning wolfishly.

  I finish off my drink and set the glass on the table.

  “Okay, then... I gotta go now,” I say, pushing out of my chair, sliding by James.

  “Where are you going?” he asks, looking at me from behind a cloud of smoke.

  “I have to take care of some business,” I say, smirking.

  Ed waves me off, annoyed.

  “Go fuck yourself, Lex,” Ed hurls my way.

  James smiles slyly.

  I tear away from our table, exit Red’s
and get in my car. The evening is quiet, warm and windy, a silent lightning flashing in the distance. As the road takes me to the next town, the homes become sparse, and the meadows darker.

  Half an hour later, I roll downtown and after a few more minutes, I pull the car into private parking and enter the hotel. The concierge girl greets me with a soft nod as I veer right and take the stairs to the upper level.

  It’s a boutique hotel with several business suites, not the usual tourist rooms. The place has built a reputation offering privacy and top services to a handful of clients.

  I enter the place and take a turn to the bedroom.

  The patio doors are open, the sheer drapes flowing in the wind. From a drawer, I pull out a dark blindfold that’s usually reserved for her.

  I pour myself a drink, take a good swig, walk to the patio doors, and look in the distance. The wind has picked up, moving the storm closer. Thunders rumble up the hills.

  This is the kind of weather I like.

  A sound comes from the entrance as the door opens. I set my glass on the table, and cover my eyes with the blindfold. She closes the door, her heels trailing from the hallway to the bedroom.

  Hands stuffed in my pockets, I wait for her, facing the patio.

  “All good, Secret Girl?”

  A soft rustle comes my way as she pulls near me. My nostrils flare as I inhale her fragrance.

  “You smell good,” I say, the image of blooming jasmine and orange peel coming to my mind.

  She shifts closer, and I turn to her. I can visualize her in my mind. She stands right in front of me. I can sense her heat. Intoxicating like the night outside, simmering like the storm.

  I touch her face. She doesn’t wear a mask. My fingers go over her smooth skin, learning her features, touching her fine nose, and full lips, brushing the line of her thick silky lashes.

  I feel her breath beneath my fingertips. Soft, and warm. Rushed. And then a soft quiver in her lips. I brush them with my thumb.

  They’re smooth as satin, and slightly parted. I sweep her lower lip again and touch her tongue. A smile rolls on my lips as she wraps her mouth around my thumb.

  She gives me a slow, wet, tender stroke. Blood swirls in my groin, making my cock twitch.

  I peel my fingers away from her face and slide my hand down to her neck, trailing to the round neckline of her dress.

  “You’re hungry again, aren’t you...” I murmur as her fingers start tracing my shirt, smoothly popping my buttons open.

  She drapes it off my shoulders, and runs her palms across my chest and then my abs. She takes her time, the small space between us vanishing slowly.

  Her lips press on my chest as her hand slides between my legs. She runs her palm over my bulge, brushing the length of my hard-on as she swirls her tongue against my pecs.

  She licks and bites my nipples, all the while rubbing my erection through my pants.

  She breathes faster and gets hotter, her skin blazing against mine.

  Deftly, she unfastens my buckle and slides her hand inside my pants. She keeps kissing my chest while cuffing my shaft and stroking me real good. I’m hot and pulsing in her hand.

  I lower myself to the chair armrest as she wedges herself between my legs and kneels in front of me. Her head goes right between my thighs, her hands pulling my cock out, her mouth breathing hot over my dick.

  She spares no inch.

  Holding me with both hands, she starts licking my entire length, rolling her tongue, pressing it against my hardness, and swirling it around my crown.

  I slide a hand into her hair. She gently sucks on my balls while stroking me with her hand, and then shifts. Her hand cups my balls as her lips wrap around my girth.

  She moves her head, and I tilt my hips, filling her mouth.

  “That’s fucking good...” I rumble with a hoarse voice.

  The more she sucks me, the hungrier she becomes. She moans around my cock, and I have to clench my ass to stop myself from coming.

  She pulls up to her feet, her tits coming to my mouth. The fabric cries under my fingers as I pull her neckline down and free her breasts.

  Her bare mounds press against my lips. I grab one and knead it harshly, her nipple hardening between my teeth. Her body arches, her hips pushing close to me, and then I smell her scent.

  I slide my hand between her legs and ride her dress up until I meet her flesh.

  A firestorm sweeps my cock.

  “You came to me like that?” I purr.

  A hammer stirs between my legs as I run my fingers through her folds and rub her clit.

  She stays silent. She’s also wet like fuck.

  “You did, didn’t you...?” I mutter, my hands going up again.

  I rip the dress off her, drape my arms around her and rise. Her legs lock around me as I take a couple of steps and crash with her on my bed.

  My back hits the pillow as her hands go down my legs, peeling my pants off me. She crawls up on me and then hovers over me, and I catch her and roll with her, burying her under me.

  I part her legs and slowly enter her.

  She quietly growls.

  “You’ve been missing this, haven’t you?” I say against her lips, thrusting into her. “It’s not easy, is it? You wish you could pull away, and yet you can’t, so you keep coming back.”

  Her arms twine around my neck as I fuck her slowly, going deep into her every time.

  We roll again, and now we face each other, propped on our sides. She hitches her leg on my hip while I grab her ass and pull her against me. Every thrust makes her moan against my lips.

  Her muscles harden, her hand clutching on my ass as well. I sweep the crease between her butt cheeks, slowly rubbing.

  Muffled words float in her mouth.

  “Oh, I forgot...” I say, amused. “You can’t talk.”

  Her hips roll against me, and I barely suppress my need to pound her harder.

  “Oh, yes... That’s fucking perfect,” I say, as I feel the tingles sweeping my cock and her walls clamping on me, her butt starting to clench too.

  Intense heat coils in my groin burning through my shaft. She stiffens, and now I pound her, the climax crashing hard through both of us.

  Her grip slackens on me, her hand going up my back, her hot lips buried in my skin, trailing my neck. She kisses me, loving me, and then she whispers in my ear.

  “I have to go now.”

  A moment later, gone she is.

  7

  DAHLIA

  Wednesday comes fast.

  Nervous, I enter my office, waiting to see Sheila Lane any minute or Lex Harrington or both. Christine checks on me. As always, she’s confident things will work out.

  My boss shows up around ten.

  His blue eyes wrap me in a playful gaze which is somewhat unusual for this time of day.

  “In my office,” he says curtly.

  I follow him closely, both cruising through the corridor, my eyes often slipping to his butt.

  He fashions black suit pants, a narrow fancy belt, and a blue shirt that borrows color from his eyes. No tie this time.

  He swings the door open and lets me walk ahead of him, his gaze quickly sweeping my dress.

  Since today is my last day of work, I picked a tailored, dark chocolate dress, which closely follows my silhouette and tapers at my waist, setting off every curve and line of my body.

  “You look good... Dahlia,” he says with a soft voice, his lips curving into a warm smile.

  Why do I smell a trap?

  Regardless, my bones start melting. How can he do that to me? Was he playing some sort of a game all this time?

  He runs cold and hot, harsh and soft, brutally invasive in my private life, and then annoyingly distant.

  He shows me to a chair before he walks around his desk, and sinks into his seat.

  “So... Are you ready to move on?” he tosses at me, checking his phone.

  I don’t like the sound of that.

  “Yes...” I say
hesitantly. “What do you mean by moving on?”

  He slides his finger over the screen and starts typing. Briefly, he glances at me.

  Amused.

  It is a trap.

  “Nothing.”

  He sets his phone on the table and rests his elbows on his desk.

  “There may be a position for you as an Account Executive in the Sales Department. You have to go through a few weeks of training first. But until then, I need a personal assistant, so if you’re interested...” he says, his voice trailing off.

  I’m quite positive he pushes back a grin.

  “What do you need it for?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

  He flashes a lopsided smile that makes my insides flutter.

  “As you already know, I’m a busy man, and there are things I need to delegate. Plus you’re intimately familiar with my business, so you’re extremely valuable to me,” he says, talking like an ass.

  “Sure. What do you have in mind?” I say, sneering a bit.

  “You travel with me to London.”

  My eyebrows flick up.

  “I do?”

  “You have a passport?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. We leave tomorrow morning. My driver will pick you up.”

  He runs his eyes down on me.

  “You need business attire as well as something formal. We’ll attend a few meetings and parties.”

  I ponder. His eyes drill me.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “What about your female companion. You said there would be someone else.”

  “Change of plans.”

  He pauses for a moment.

  “All right?” he mutters.

  “Yes. When do we come back?”

  “Sunday evening.”

  We share a stare for a few moments. I can’t read anything in his eyes.

  “Good,” he says with a different voice. “You can go now. I have stuff to do,” he says dismissively.

  I collect my tablet and my phone, rise to my feet and walk toward the door. The skin on my back gets hot from his eyes.

  I swing the door open, and just as I step outside, my phone beeps. I freeze, my eyes falling on the alert notifying me of a new text message.

  A thought spears through my head as I sense his stare on me. I flick my head up and glance over my shoulder. My eyes lock with his.

  A mysterious smile clings to his lips. He looks at me, palming his phone.