by Jada Sioux
He was just in the middle of a particularly appealing mental image of Kiara tied to some strong, mahogany bed posts, with nipple clamps hanging from her big, breathtaking breasts, when the door flung open unceremoniously and slammed closed just as quickly.
Damien looked up, the haze clearing from his sky-blue eyes. He sighed inwardly, seeing Eliza saunter in. Just the kind of trouble he wasn’t looking for.
She looked ravishing, as usual. Dressed in a silvery-white wrap dress that hung to her as if it had been painted on, she was the epitome of male fantasies. Long, flowing hair, perfect make-up, stilettos that made her toned legs look ready to be worshipped – all of her screamed fuckable.
And here Damien was, idly musing how Kiara would have filled out a dress like that so much better, and how he wouldn’t mind unwrapping her from one like a Christmas present.
“A pleasure as always, Eliza. How can I help you?” he asked, letting his voice drawl just a little.
He knew it drew her crazy. Those peeks into his less than remarkable beginnings had never been to the liking of Eliza Whitcomb-Divinad, the heir to a fortune much too vast for any one human to imagine.
Damien hid the smirk that came from seeing the discomfort turn the corners of her lips downward for a moment, before she brushed it aside with seasoned ease and made her smile sparkle again.
“Well, if you could do your work, that would really help,” Eliza purred, rounding his table and sitting down on the edge of it.
Her long legs dangled right in front of him, and he was sure that he’d only have to ask and she’d spread them for him. If he remembered right, she had always loved getting fucked in offices. Probably rounded down to her plethora of daddy issues. To his relief, Damien didn’t find even the slightest hint of desire for the long-legged, graceful drink of water that was the woman before him. He didn’t want nor need that kind of trouble.
All the trouble I want is cooped up in a tiny office at Mirrorview… Probably just to drive me crazy.
“Are you claiming I’m not at my best?” Damien asked, feigning outrage through a chuckle.
“I’m saying I’ve seen better work from you when you were knuckles deep in my pussy, still managing to run a board meeting. How about we channel that a bit?” Eliza said, moving to uncross her legs.
Damien caught her by the knee and shoved her to the side, turning her legs away from him. Oh yeah, he remembered that time. He’d just taken over another company, and he was still dating Eliza at the time. She’d accompanied him to the first board meeting he held with the major shareholders, and while he told them about the plans he had for the future of the company, he’d also been fingering Eliza under the table and making her squirm like she was having some epileptic seizure.
It may have been the only time that he remembered when Eliza had willingly given up control. As much as that memory had fed him on some lonely nights, he couldn’t find the slightest spark of desire for it now.
“Don’t,” he said sternly, standing up from his chair. “Did you have something you wanted to talk about or are you just here to wish for things that are never going to happen again?” he asked, surprised at the sternness in his voice.
Eliza’s expression muddled with surprise and hurt, but the latter was swiftly replaced with venom.
“This is about that colored girl from Mirrorview, isn’t it? How’d you end up falling so far so fast, Damien?”
He didn’t miss the hint of disgust in her tone.
“I’ll remind you, out of courtesy for what we once had, that nothing that I do is any of your business. And you better not disrespect Kiara around me again. People in glass houses and all that.”
He cocked a brow at Eliza, his lips a hard, thin line. He couldn’t imagine how he’d been swayed by her so easily for all those years. Whatever she said, he’d been willing to jump. Sad how one’s first love can twist a person up so badly. Finally, with Kiara, he felt like he was onto something good, something real again, and he had no taste for having it trampled on by a woman, who he knew to have no heart at all.
“You don’t even know her. I don’t know what you think she is or what she’s offering you, but no cunt can be good enough for you to forget who you are. You’re better than some ghetto chick with a half-decent weave,” Eliza snapped, color rising to her cheeks.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Damien said, locking his hand around her arm and yanking her up.
He walked her to the door unceremoniously, opened it and directed her out. Anger boiled in him so hot he could almost taste it. Eliza had made it a sport to pick on the women he saw those days, but her words had never made him so enraged. It wasn’t because he thought there was truth to them, far from it, it was because she attacked someone he had honest feelings for.
That realization was staggering in itself.
Are you falling for this girl?
He didn’t dare know what the answer was.
“If I ever hear you say another word about Kiara, I’ll make sure nothing of your family’s legacy stands but cheap trinkets at corner store clearance racks. Don’t think I won’t do it. I don’t fucking care about your little dreams and hopes. I can bring Divinad down around my feet just like that,” he said, snapping his fingers.
“If that’s what you want to see happen, just keep talking. I’d love the chance to see you left with just the clothes on your back, useless to the world because you never learned to do anything but be a fucking bitch. Get out of my face.”
He slammed the door shut so hard he thought it might come off the hinges. Damien heard the surprised mutters coming from the hallway, the employees who had heard the exchange murmuring amongst themselves as Eliza’s heel clicks grew distant.
Damien pulled a hand through his hair, frustrated. He knew he shouldn’t let Eliza get to him. Nothing good had ever come from reacting to her venom, but he couldn’t help himself. When she spoke of Kiara as if she were some second rate woman, some trashy piece of ass he’d picked up… He couldn’t stand it.
True, he and Kiara couldn’t have been more different, but that didn’t make her any less enchanting and mesmerizing. Perhaps it was the way she had worked herself up from nothing just the way he had that spoke to him. Those curves that could rob a man’s sight didn’t hurt either. Whatever it was, anger had flared in him like gasoline taking flame when Eliza spoke of her like that.
You’re in some deep shit, Damien.
The question was, did he mind?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Kiara
“Why did you bring me here?” Kiara asked, keeping her voice low, though she and Eliza were the only people in the room.
“Because I want to know if you’re telling the truth or you’re just insane,” Eliza spat, barely turning to look at her.
Kiara was sitting on the edge of an examination table, thoroughly humiliated and feeling less than comfortable. Eliza had tricked her by setting a meeting at a café to discuss the Divinad pitch, and instead of having some tense conversation over coffee, she’d convinced Kiara to come and see Eliza’s private OB/GYN.
The doctor had been entirely delightful, but that didn’t make it feel any better. Kiara still felt like she’d walked into a bear trap, and it had clamped shut around her.
In the café, she’d rationalized it by telling herself that Eliza’s doctor was definitely times better than anyone she could afford on her own. Now? She just felt like she was a lamb being led to slaughter.
Kiara’s hands were squeezed tight together on her lap, and her stomach churned with discomfort. The looks Eliza kept throwing her were brimming with disgust. The ice queen of the diamond world was being bitchier than ever, and Kiara wasn’t entirely sure what had set her off. Well, not that being at an OB with one’s ex-boyfriend’s current black girl-on-the-side, making sure whether or not she was lying about her pregnancy wasn’t enough to ruin one’s mood.
Kiara sighed to herself.
“I would have gone to a doctor myself, you know. And Gwyn
eth is going to kill me for being out so long during work hours,” she said, lamely trying to find a good enough excuse to get up and leave.
“You can bill me for the time. I don’t care. If you really are pregnant, I need to know, so I can plan your next move.”
Kiara was about to say something, when the door opened and the doctor strolled back into the airy, professional office. She gave Eliza and Kiara a courtesy smile and waved Kiara to come closer and sit down at the table. Kiara complied reluctantly, though all her legs really wanted to do was bolt out of there and not look back until she hit the marina.
“I have your blood tests here. Good news is you’re in excellent health. And, you are pregnant.”
There wasn’t a happy face in the room. Somewhere deep down inside, something stirred in Kiara that almost felt like joy, but it was quickly squashed by one scathing look from Eliza, reminding her that she was carrying the baby of someone, who most certainly didn’t want it, nor deserved the stress of the responsibility.
“You’re certain?” Eliza asked, raising her chin a bit.
“Yes, entirely. Miss Lockett is nearing the end of her first trimester. We need to talk about prenatal vitamins and regular checkups.”
Kiara nodded absently, but Eliza cut into her quiet, desperate musings. She’d already known, but now that all her fears had been confirmed, there was something in her that wanted to cheer and rejoice, but rationality squashed it quickly. How could she be happy at becoming a single mother and certainly not being able to give her child all that she wanted to?
“That won’t be necessary. She will terminate the pregnancy.”
“WHAT!?” Kiara screeched, eyes wide with surprise and anger. “I will not!” she said, gasping.
The doctor, a middle-aged woman with hawklike features and narrow glasses, shared a look with Eliza and then got up, moving towards the door.
“I will give you a moment to discuss this,” she said simply, closing the door behind her with a click.
Eliza turned to face Kiara, her features nothing short of menacing. She tucked one lock of brunette hair behind her ear and tried to put on a smile so fake that it belonged in Hollywood.
“Yes, you will abort this baby. Let me tell you why,” Eliza said, raising her finger to shush her as Kiara was ready to bite back immediately. “You’re going to abort this baby because if you don’t, I’ll utterly destroy your career. I’ll take your little company down into the ashes, and no one will even remember your name. You will be nothing more than a backhand remark to the question ‘where do all these hardworking black girls disappear to?’
You’re going to abort this baby because its father doesn’t want it, has never wanted it and never will want it. You think you’re the first woman I’m here with? You’re just one in a long line of sluts who have thought they have something special with him, only to find out they’re as disposable as a brown paper bag.”
Eliza leant back in the chair, eyeing her like a shark about to take a big mouthful.
“You think you can take care of this baby on your own, go for Damien’s fortune later, when I’m not looking? Bullshit. I won’t let you. Whatever it is that you’re scheming in your vacant little head, just forget about it right now and get on board with the reality of the situation. You’re alone and pregnant, and if you don’t get rid of it, I will destroy you and anything, everything, you hold dear. And I won’t lose a second of sleep over it,” Eliza hissed through her teeth.
Kiara just stared in abject horror. How could someone be so… heartless? The hell had happened to this beautiful woman to turn her so cold and calculating? The blood in Kiara’s veins felt like icy sludge, barely creeping along. She had no doubt that Eliza meant every word she spoke. That just made her all the more terrifying, but didn’t answer any of Kiara’s questions.
Would it be better for the child if it were never born at all? It was still early in the pregnancy. She could have the abortion, and it would be like nothing had happened at all. She could put Damien in the past and move on with her career and her aspirations for the future.
As loving and hot as he was when they were in private, he didn’t strike her as the fatherly type. But after having heard of how he lost his brothers, Kiara couldn’t bring herself to taunting him with the information of carrying a child he hadn’t asked for. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the predator had her just where it wanted her.
“Fine,” Kiara said with a small voice, desperation washing over her.
“Good. I’ll book the time,” Eliza said, obviously relieved. “Go wait downstairs. I don’t need you bursting into tears while I’m talking to Doctor Taylor.”
Eliza shoved a couple of Kleenexes in Kiara’s hands and pointed her towards the door. Clearly some of the turmoil Kiara was feeling inside was beginning to show.
Stumbling almost blindly, Kiara got up, grabbed her purse and her jacket, and headed out of the door. She ran through the corridors of the posh clinic and clambered down the stairs in such a hurry that she thought she would break her ankles if she took just one wrong step. When she managed to make it outside, she sat down on a bench near Eliza’s golden Ferrari and gasped a breath.
Air flooded her lungs in tortured chokes, her heart beating as fast as a hummingbird’s in her chest. Kiara clutched her purse with both hands, her fingers digging into the hard Saffiano leather, and the sobs coming freely now. She’d tried so damn hard to get her emotions about the whole thing under control, and the night with Damien some days ago had assured her that if she were to have the baby, she would have been glad that it was Damien’s. Even if he’d never be a part of the kid’s life.
But now, Eliza had managed to sweep away all that happy, if somewhat anxious certainty with one snap of her well-manicured fingers. Kiara was left a heaving mess once again, and this time, she really didn’t know what she was going to do.
You can’t go through with this… But what if it’s the only way?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kiara
“So as you can see, our plan would net you significant profits within the next six-month period, which should lead nicely into seasonal holiday sales as well. You can check all of the numbers I’ve cited today in your information packets, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or anyone here at Mirrorview at your leisure.”
Kiara smiled brightly, casting a look around the conference room. Several heads were nodding, and she felt relieved that she hadn’t been laughed out of the room.
It wasn’t that she didn’t have faith in her work – in fact, she knew for certain that the plan she and the rest of the team had put together for Divinad was good, maybe even brilliant. It’s just that she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was some sort of an imposter there, surrounded by people who knew better than she did.
The feeling was only compounded by the cold, heartless stare that was locked on her throughout her pitch. Eliza Whitcomb-Divinad remained as unimpressed as ever.
There was another person in the room who kept a close eye on her and whose gaze she avoided just as masterfully.
“If there are no immediate questions to Mirrorview Group, then I think it’s time to wrap things up and call it a night. We’ll meet tomorrow morning to discuss the terms of the plan with the Divinad board,” Damien said conversationally, sweeping a look over the Divinad execs, before nodding shortly to Gwyneth and the rest of Mirrorview.
“Thank you for that wonderful presentation,” Damien said, this time directly locking eyes with Kiara.
She had no way of looking away. Softly, she smiled and bowed her head.
“My pleasure,” Kiara said, trying to ignore the twisting in her stomach.
Looking at him was just about impossible. She had been hiding behind her excuse of having to work for more than a week now, and he had remained relentless. She was met by another bouquet, invitation or reminder that Damien had her on his mind every step she took. And every time that happened, she wanted to throw cautio
n to the wind and just run to him and hide in his strong embrace.
One look at Eliza washed all those dreamy thoughts out to sea again. Kiara lowered her eyes and shuffled through her papers, trying to put her things together and get out of the Divinad offices as fast as she possibly could before anyone noticed her. The crowd of twenty or so executives were all conversing amongst one another, and Kiara could hear her name mentioned favorably a few times.
It made her proud. She knew her work was good, and seeing as she’d slaved over it for months, it was bound to be. Still, some recognition was nice. As if on call, Gwyneth appeared by Kiara’s side just as she’d gathered her bag and was ready to set off.
“That was great, Kiara! You hit everything like a pro,” Gwyneth gushed, sharing compliments.
That was highly unlike Gwyneth. The sudden attention almost made Kiara blush. She wasn’t quite used to hearing anything really good about her work from her chronically displeased boss.
“Thanks, Gwyneth,” Kiara said, trying to push past her and get to the door.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Damien slowly making his way to her, only stopped occasionally by an outstretched hand or a call from some of the senior staffers.
“We should go out and celebrate! I was thinking about taking most of the team to the Orange Room for some drinks. There’s nothing we can do anymore but wait and hope they hear the voice of reason. No way in hell that those fossils at Sunstreak Advertising can beat our modern take. I bet they’re going to suggest printing spreads or something.”
Gwyneth crinkled her nose in obvious displeasure, making her seem like a wolf growling. Gwyneth was a take-no-prisoners kind of businesswoman, and it was a quality Kiara admired in her and wished she herself possessed. She’d almost managed to pull off being a relentless corporate chick, but then Damien happened.
