by Marian Tee
George raised a brow when I came in. “You look happy.”
I quickly told him about Mr. Fix It.
“Oooh. A forbidden office romance is in the works then?”
His words made me think of Constantijin, and the memory was more than enough to wipe every good feeling I had about Drake. Deflated, I shook my head. “No,” I sighed out. “Not for me.” I might find Drake attractive but it was probably because his very obvious admiration of me was thrilling. But that was it. He didn’t make me feel alive with just one glance and he certainly didn’t make me hot, wet, and bothered all at the same time with a few words.
Three o’clock came sooner than expected and before I knew it Megan was taking us to another conference room, a bigger one, with a white screen already rolled down in front and a projector plugged in and ready for our use. The only lights in the room were directed towards the stage, leaving the rest of the room – and our audience – shrouded in darkness.
George was up first. He used an image slideshow for his presentation and because he was uber-creative, it worked for him even though Charli had specifically asked for a video insert. Arian followed shortly, and her PP presentation had a very professional video insert, the hypocrite!
Then it was my turn.
After a quick Sign of the Cross, I went up on the podium, clearing my throat several times. I spent a few seconds lettingto let my eyes adjust to the brightness of the limelight trained on me from the ceiling. It almost felt like I was talking to myself, which I liked just fine.
I knew that aside from George and Arian, Charli was there, too, as our supervisor. But I was totally clueless about the identities of the three other managers, and it made me nervous. I wished I had remembered to ask Charli about them before the presentation.
Taking a deep breath, I started on my presentation.
Why Hana Kimi?
Before you ask that question, let me share you a couple of things first. Slam Dunk, Boys over Flowers, and Coffee Prince are just a few Asian TV series that were imported to Europe and became such huge blockbusters with their niche markets. Fans loved the sport angle in Slam Dunk, the harem of beautiful-looking guys found in Boys Over Flowers, and the idea of a girl pretending to be a guy in Coffee Prince.
Hana Kimi has all of those so maybe the question should be, why not Hana Kimi? It was already adapted for a TV series in Taiwan and was an instant hit. With the right formula, I have no doubt that its success could be duplicated for a Western audience.
The series is about a girl who so idolizes a high jumper she once saw performing that she decided to transfer to the same school he’s in – even if it means hiding her true gender to enroll in an all-boys’ school.
In her new school, Mizuki – the heroine in the series – meets an entire cast of good-looking guys, all of them with potential to have their own storylines. As for the requisite twist, Mizuki actually becomes the roommate of her idol and crush Sano. You can just imagine the ba-dump ba-dump moments that it could create!
Another great thing about this series is that it has 23 volumes in total, and with English translation already provided by Viz Media. TV networks can then choose whether they want a short series and focus on their favorite scenes – or they can go long and maximize on the series’ potential. It’s all up to the client, but either way – it’s a win-win situation for Kastein, Inc.
And then it was over.
It was the longest 15 minutes of my life, and my knees were still quaking underneath me. Someone flipped the light switch and suddenly, I heard people getting to their feet and clapping, with Charli even beaming at me. She was so sophisticated I never even thought she knew how to grin, much less beam!
Still a little dizzy at the realization that my presentation was indeed over and that I had survived, I quickly stepped down from the podium and relinquished my space to Charli.
Fanning myself with my presentation script, I let my gaze roam the room absently and froze when I encountered a pair of lazy gray eyes studying me with such intensity I found myself catching my breath.
Constantijin was here.
His unsmiling face made me nervous, but even so I couldn’t help feeling gloriously alive just for seeing him. It was exactly like that ba-dump moment I was talking about earlier.
Unnerved by his impassive expression, I forced myself to listen to Charli, who was just thanking us three for the presentation and saying that all our recommendations were worth considering.
“Arian, your presentation was lovely, but next time I hope you add more statistical data – such as what Yanna shared about Hana Kimi’s performance in Japan and Europe.”
Ha! Take that, Arian!
“George, your presentation was also lovely but for now – please stay away from extremely graphic yaoi series. I don’t think American mainstream audience is ready for it yet.”
I gave George a thumbs-up, who was doing his best not to look disappointed.
“And Yanna, you did a great job. I can see how much passion went into your project, but next time, I do hope you have a better video to share with us.”
Arian, you selfish girl, you!
Charli beamed again. “Since this went so very well, I’m delighted to tell you that you will be presenting the same recommendations to the executive managers next.”
Her announcement, made out of the blue, had me gulping and I could see that even Arian was feeling queasy at the thought.
But Charli didn’t seem to notice our silent panic. She thanked our audience, making a special note of Constantijin’s presence. Apparently, he didn’t have to be here at all.
Afterwards, the two other executives talked to us one by one. There was Martha, the finance department head and Lawrence, who led the production department.
At the end of the line was Constantijin. He took his time talking to George and Arian, never once glancing my way. It hurt and angered me, but I knew I couldn’t flounce off like I wanted to.
When he turned his back on Arian, forcing the other woman to close her mouth and retreat, I gave him my best polite, I’m-not-bothered-smile. “Sir.”
He didn’t smile in return.
“I have a few questions about your recommendation.” The curtness of his tone made me straighten. Oh God, was that why he seemed to be in a bad mood? Did he hate my presentation?
Constantijin was already leaving and I had to half-run so I could walk next to him but making sure I was lagging a few inches behind at the same time as a way of showing respect for his position.
“What questions do you have?” I asked nervously.
“Later,” he answered in a still-brusque tone, which only made me tense even more.
He pulled me into his office, which actually had its own reception area. My eyes widened when I saw a familiar gray-haired woman sitting behind the table next to the door of Constantijin’s private office.
She smiled when she saw me, utterly unruffled. “Hello, Ms. Everleigh.”
“H-hi,” I stammered, wondering if I could die right this very moment now. Oh God! How the hell had I managed to forget what happened between Constantijin and me and…and her?
“Yanna,” Constantijin barked from his inner office.
Giving the older woman another embarrassed smile, I hurriedly went inside. God, what the hell was eating him anyway? Surely my presentation wasn’t that bad?
“Close the door,” he barked.
This time my temper was near to bursting. “You don’t have to shout at me, you know,” I muttered as I closed the door. When I turned around to face him, I didn’t have any time to react.
Constantijin was on me in an instant, his lips taking mine in an open-mouthed kiss that sent my senses reeling. As he sucked on my tongue, I was barely aware of him twisting us around so that I had to walk back as he moved forward and forward. When I hit something from behind, Constantijin lifted me up and brought me down on his desk.
Releasing my lips, Constantijin pushed me down, leaving my legs to dangle f
rom the table.
“What---” I tried to protest but his brooding look shut me up. There was something in it, something more than anger or frustration.
Then I felt him rolling my underwear past my legs and I yelped again, “What are you doing?”
“I saw you.” He threw my panties away.
I tried crawling away from him, but it was too late. He leaned over me, his weight pressing down on my body and imprisoning me in place.
“You were flirting with that boy.”
It took me a while to understand what he was talking about.
I gasped. “Are you talking about Dra---”
“Don’t you dare say his fucking name in my presence!” he growled and bit my lip as if in punishment.
I groaned, not out of hurt but because I was even more aroused, his movement causing his rock-hard cock to rub just the right way against my naked core.
“Why were you flirting with him?”
This time, I understood what I had seen in his eyes earlier – what I now heard from his voice. He was jealous. Constantijin Kastein was jealous – because of me. It was stupid of me, I knew that, but somehow the realization made me happy.
I knew that him being jealous could mean nothing. It could just mean that he was extremely possessive, that he thought I belonged to him. But right now, I didn’t care. Right now, all I could think was that he had to care for me – even just a bit – for him to feel so jealous and affected over an entirely casual conversation in front of a vendo.
“I wasn’t flirting with him,” I said gently. Inside my mind, I could hear Alyx making a tsk tsk sound, warning me against being too soft. Constantijin revealed a moment of jealousy and here I was thinking he cared for me. It was my hopelessly romantic side winning over my common sense, Alyx would tell me, but right now – I didn’t care.
Constantijin’s brooding look didn’t go away, but his tone was less hard when he spoke. “Then what were you doing?”
“Just talking." I moved restlessly against his body, his cock a pulsing temptation between my legs.
He bit my lip once more, but this time it felt more playful than punishing. “I don’t like seeing you talking to another man but me, Yanna.”
“Talking is different from flirting.” I did my very best not to arch against him, but it was hard. He was unconsciously – or consciously – rubbing himself against me now, and it drove me insane – like his touch always did.
His hands clamped around my waist, keeping me still. “Promise me you won’t talk to him again.”
“I would never flirt with him,” I said instead.
Constantijin glared.
It was totally unexpected, and he looked so beautiful and sexy, glaring at me with such obvious jealousy that I couldn’t help it. I twirled my arms around his neck and kissed him.
He gasped against my lips as my tongue slipped inside his mouth, tentatively tasting him the way he did with me.
A chuckle vibrated against my body. “Are you seducing me, Yanna?”
“I think so,” I whispered, nipping his lip as I did.
He groaned. “It’s working.”
I could hear a ‘but’ and forcing myself to pull my lips away from his, I asked, “But what?”
In answer, he suddenly pulled away. Ignoring my protest, he pushed my skirt up and buried his lips in between my legs.
I screamed.
“Yanna, ssssh…”
“I…I…” I screamed again when he licked me long and slow, and then harder and faster.
His tongue was a relentless force. I tried to keep quiet but it was impossible. I couldn’t help moaning, twisting on the table as he kept licking me into an orgasm that I knew would cause my body to splinter into pieces.
“You taste so fucking good,” he murmured between licks, which alternated between delicate and rough.
“Constantijin.” It was all I could think of saying.
“Look at me eat your cunt, Yanna,” he said in a roughly-voiced order.
I lifted myself up, resting on my elbows, my whole body shuddering at the blatant look of desire in Constantijin’s eyes while he licked me.
“I want to see you come as I take you with my mouth.”
That was the only warning I got before his mouth closed over my clit, sucking hard and long.
I cried out as I came, our eyes locked into each other as pleasure caused my body to shake uncontrollably.
Later, Constantijin took control again, cleaning me with a brisk efficiency that made me feel thankful and a little hurt at the same time even though I tried my best not to let him know that.
“You are mine now, understand?”
His English seemed to go to hell whenever he was feeling strongly about something, I realized. He was scowling at me, as if remembering about Drake. I scowled back at him, realizing that he was trying to manipulate me through sex.
“I’m not yours.” And I wasn’t – or at least I was 99% his, but he didn’t have to know that. The one percent would remain mine, protected inside my heart until I could make him fall for me the way I was so obviously falling for him.
The words sounded silly even to my ears, especially after what just happened between us, and with me smoothing down my skirt. When I looked up, he was frowning again.
“Are you playing with me, schat?”
“No!”
Constantijin visibly relaxed at my obviously shocked answer. “I knew you weren’t the type but---I don’t understand why you are so against being mine. I can give you everything – anything you want.” His voice lowered, the look he sent me under his lashes positively sizzling.
“No one can please your body the way I can, Yanna.”
He was so arrogantly convinced of that it should have been a turn off, but my weak body reacted the opposite way. Instead, it found his words a huge turn on, my nipples hardening into pinpoint pricks against my blouse.
“I don’t deny that, Constantijin. But this – all of this, I’m not used to it. I need time.” I needed time to harden my heart, to protect it if he ever did end up using and leaving me, but I didn’t have to tell him that.
“Time.” He repeated the word so distastefully I couldn’t help but smile.
“Fine. I will give you this time you are asking for. But not too long,” he warned darkly. “I am an impatient man and I hunger too much for you already. Only you have forced me to go through cold showers every night.”
My heart blossomed at those words even though I did my best not to let him know how thrilled I was to hear that.
Over my protests, Constantijin walked me out of his office – past his smiling and still-unruffled looking secretary – and all the way to my office. Other employees who caught sight of us gawked, the questions in their eyes dispelled when Constantijin spoke.
“For your next presentation, I hope you can include a potential cast for the series. Include unknown and known actors – whoever you think will be best for the roles,” Constantijin was saying.
I looked up at him suspiciously, unsure if he really meant what he said because that was a big thing he was asking of me. Yet all he did was smile enigmatically. When we reached the door to my office, he said, “I was right in hiring you, Yanna.”
I practically expired in happiness at that point. It felt almost as good as the orgasms he alone could give me. Blushing because I was simply unable to keep myself from doing so, I said, “I’m just really happy to be with you, Mr. Kastein.”
The door opened behind me just as I spoke the words out loud and suddenly I found myself the focus of two surprised stares – George’s and Constantijin’s.
Realizing what I hadn’t meant to say, I stammered, “I meant, with your company.” Oh my God, oh my God, why the hell had I said that?
Constantijin smiled, the brooding darkness in his eyes completely wiped out by my Freudian slip. “Understood.”
He turned away and George and I stared at him silently. Even with his back to me, he still looked immensely sexy �
�� too much so. When Constantijin was safely out of earshot, George said slyly, “Happy to be with you? Is that your subconscious talking?”
“No!” Or so I hoped.
Lesson #6
Don’t play games with your billionaire –
Especially when it’s a game he invented.
Alyx was literally rolling on the floor laughing when I morosely shared with her what happened today. Well, not about the part when I came in his mouth – God, my panties got all wet at the thought alone – but about the freaking Freudian slip that I made in front of George and Constantijin.
“You’re supposed to comfort me,” I wailed.
But that only made Alyx laugh harder, making me wish the living room had a bed of thorns for flooring instead of a soft blue-gray carpet.
“That is just so you!” she gasped.
“Yeah, yeah. Stop laughing!”
Alyx made a visible effort to rein in her laughter. “I’m good now,” she said even as her lips quivered.
I launched my complaint immediately. "How am I going to face him tomorrow?"
"That's assuming you'll see him tomorrow," she told me.
Good point. He was the CEO, after all. He didn’t have to be in the office every day. But – that was a bad point, too. It meant I wouldn’t be able to see Constantijin and --- wait, did I want to see him? Did I really want this thing between us to continue?
Where was the old Yanna in all this, the one who yearned for true love and not for smoking-hot sex?
I lifted my legs up in the cushion, hugging them close to my chest in utter misery. “Oh, God, Alyx, I think I’m falling for him.”
This was such a fucking cliché it wasn’t funny – not funny at all.
Alyx’s smile faded at my words. “Falling?” she echoed. “Isn’t this just, like, a sexual crush?”
A sexual crush? I didn’t even know such a thing existed! But now that I did – I thought about it real hard and shook my head after a while, even more glumly. “I don’t think it’s that.”
