Cocky Suit: A Hero Club Novel

by Harlow Layne

  He nodded when he caught me in the corner half awake and stood on the opposite side. His large frame seemed to take up most of the space. Being closed in with him, I could smell his aftershave, cologne, or whatever it was, and it was intoxicating. I was sure women smelled it as he passed by and followed him around like lost puppy dogs. You didn’t even need to see his face or body; he smelled that good. There were probably a dozen of them standing at the front of the building now wondering how they got there. In that instant, I wanted to catch a cold or develop allergies so I wouldn’t be lured in by his scent. It could only lead to trouble.

  Kingston cleared his throat and when I looked over at him, one brow was arched devilishly. “How’s the new job treating you, Ms. Wang?”

  “I… It’s coming along. I feel like I missed something. A—”

  “I asked you twice how the job was going. Was I wrong in appointing you as the director of Avery Capital Holdings HR?”

  “No, not at all, Mr. Avery. I just haven’t had my coffee yet.” I held up the two cups. “I’m useless without my morning coffee.”

  “And here I thought you were bringing one of them for me.”

  His chuckle was gravelly and smooth all at the same time making me hate him all the more. I looked down at my two cups trying to decide whether or not to give one to him when his large warm hand, touched my arm. Sparks ignited and traveled from where he touched me all the way up to the nape of my neck.

  “I’m only joking, Ms. Wang. I guess I don’t have a sense of humor in the morning without my coffee, but don’t worry, I don’t plan to steal one of yours. I was going to make one in the employee lounge. Did you know there’s a Keurig and a cappuccino machine in there?”

  I didn’t, otherwise, I would have saved the trip and avoided then line at Starbucks.

  “No, sir. I didn’t.” I couldn’t help but notice how his green eyes lit up when I called him sir. Did Kingston Avery like his women to call him sir in bed?

  Stop thinking about him in bed, Pria! Remember, Haider?

  He smiled showing his perfectly straight white teeth. “Do you see something you like Ms. Wang?”

  “Just fantasizing about drinking my coffee once I get to my desk.”

  “That must be some damn good coffee you’ve got there.” He grinned as if he knew damn well I wasn’t thinking about my coffee.

  He really was a cocky suit.

  “Does the elevator seem to be going slow this morning?” I felt heat rise up my body, all the way up to the tips of my ears. I desperately wanted him not to notice, but from the gleam in his eyes, he’d caught it.

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed. I’ve been enjoying my time with you this morning.” He smirked. “I’ll have my assistant call down to maintenance to have them check it out.”

  “Good.” I nodded and instantly felt stupid. Why did he get me all out of sorts whenever he was near? He was probably thinking he should have kept Wanda as the head of his HR department instead of me.

  All day, as I read through the last fourth of the Gainsworth Investments employee files, I couldn’t stop thinking about my ride in the elevator that morning with Kingston Avery. From his mega-watt smile to his intoxicating scent, I wanted to be stuck in that slow elevator again with him instead of trying to decide if someone deserved to keep their job or not. Ninety percent of the employees at Gainsworth had nothing in their files to warrant their impending unemployment. They were great employees, many of whom had never even taken a sick day until Liam Gainsworth’s death, which was surprising. Then there were the last ten percent that I wasn’t sure how they’d managed to keep their jobs. When I worked at Gainsworth Investments Human Resources, it wasn’t my job to oversee them, but now that I’d read through their files, they’d all be looking for new employment as well as the director of HR with Kingston’s takeover.

  I was a little nervous that once Kingston saw that I’d fired Ben Raider, the now unemployed head of Human Resources at Gainsworth, he’d want me back over there. I didn’t want to have to show my face after deciding the fate of so many of my previous coworkers. Over at Gainsworth I didn’t have a nice office with a view, nor did I have the amazing coffee I sought out in the early afternoon after Kingston had mentioned it. I hoped that he saw how hard of a worker I’d been since he’d hired me and would keep me around.

  Haider: What time are you going to be home tonight? I’m going to make you dinner since you’ve been working so hard.

  At least someone noticed.

  Pria: Is an hour good?

  Quickly I cleaned up my desk so I could get home and enjoy dinner with my sweet fiancé. I didn’t realize until I was on the train home to Brooklyn that Haider had never texted me back. Maybe an hour wasn’t enough time for what he had planned for dinner and he was busy trying to get it ready in time. It didn’t matter to me. It was the thought that counted, and I was happy I didn’t have to pick anything up once I got off the train. I’d help him if I wasn’t a disaster in the kitchen. Everything I touched turned into a burnt crisp or a soggy mess.

  Stepping onto the platform, I breathed in the crisp fall air. After being on the train for nearly an hour it was nice to take the fresh air into my lungs and catch a glimpse of the setting sun. After another moment of taking in the beauty surrounding me, I hightailed it to the house I’d shared for the last two years with Haider, ready to relax, eat dinner with my him, and let him relieve all the tension that had built up since I started working under Kingston. Not under Pria. For Avery Capital Holdings.

  The moment I stepped inside, the scent of garlicky goodness invaded my senses. My stomach growled as I circled the couch and headed into the bedroom to find Haider. Slipping off my shoes and setting them in my closet, my toes wiggled and dug into the plush carpet, happy to be free from the confines of my heels as I made my way into the bathroom. I spotted Haider washing himself through the steamed-up shower door and watched him for a moment. His thin body barely took up space in the shower and I knew if Kingston was in my shower, he’d take up every available inch.

  I closed my eyes, shook my head, and took in a deep breath as I tried to get the image of what my boss would look like in my shower.

  “Pria?” Haider called out with confusion lacing his tone.

  Opening my eyes, I saw him peeking out with his brows dipped low.

  “You’re home,” he stated as if he was surprised I was actually standing in our bathroom. “What were you doing?”

  “Thinking,” I muttered as I turned around and walked out of the room. I couldn’t tell him I was imagining my boss in our shower. Maybe if I wasn’t sex deprived, I wouldn’t be fantasizing about Kingston day and night. Tonight, I would get laid and it would be the end of me thinking about my boss in ways I shouldn’t.

  Heading to the oven, I opened the door to see if dinner was almost ready right as the timer went off. I pulled the baking dish out and sat it on top of the oven as Haider wrapped his arms around me and kissed the space between my neck and shoulder. Placing my hands over his, I leaned back into him before I turned around to kiss him.

  I stared up at his dark brown eyes that used to look at me with so much love but now seemed to look right through me. I didn’t know how to describe it. All I knew was that something was wrong. Maybe Haider was more upset than he’d let on about all my long hours. One thing I knew, he wouldn’t complain when my paychecks started to roll in. Well, he might when he saw all the new clothes I planned to buy this weekend after I got paid. I hadn’t been able to spend my first check since it needed to go toward bills and my half of the mortgage.

  “Dinner looks and smells good. I can’t remember the last time I had a homemade meal. Thank you for cooking.”

  “No problem.” He smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes.

  “I’m happy to be home to spend the night with you.” I tried to appease him for being gone so much lately.

  Pulling away, Haider started to dish the garlic ginger chicken he’d made onto our plates. I was hoping for
Italian, but I should’ve known Haider wouldn’t make it for dinner. He only ever made Chinese food. Growing up, I thought my family was traditional, but Haider’s put ours to shame, with the exception that he made me pay for my half of the expenses and that we lived together before marriage. I’d been informed once we were married, I would no longer be expected to pay for anything. I had a feeling he and his family thought I’d quit my job and stay home. I knew I’d need to bring it up before we got married, but I didn’t want to fight with him.

  Without looking at me, Haider took our plates to our dining room table which he’d already set. He sat at one end and I at the other in total silence. I wasn’t sure why we couldn’t sit in front of the television and eat if we weren’t going to talk. We used to talk about our days or what we wanted for our wedding as we ate dinner, but now my fiancé sat across the table from me without even looking at me. He stared at his food as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, and it took everything in me not to whip out my phone and scroll through social media. Instead, I sat in silence with the only noise being the scrape of our forks against the plates. Couldn’t we have music playing in the background? I liked noise. Even at work, I had music playing or was listening to an audiobook through my headphones. Who had time to read an actual book nowadays? Certainly not me.

  After rinsing the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher, and cleaning up the mess Haider left in the kitchen, I found him in the living room on the couch channel surfing. Sitting down next to him, I placed my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arm around his waist, snuggling close to him.

  “What are you in the mood for tonight?” His voice was hoarse and strained, but I thought nothing of it. Maybe he was tired, but I had an idea for a way to wake him up.

  No time like the present, my hand slid down his chest and glided down to his slacks to his zipper. My nimble fingers started to undo his button when Haider placed a hand on top of mine. When I tried to continue to the promised land, he peeled my fingers off one by one before setting them down on the couch between us.

  Sitting up, I looked up at Haider with wide eyes. “Not tonight, Pria.”

  “If not tonight, when? I can’t remember the last time you looked at me with lust in your eyes or wanted me to touch you.”

  Haider looked at the television and then back to me, his face devoid of all emotion. “I said, not tonight. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

  Biting my bottom lip to keep myself from crying, I stood from the couch. If Haider was going to turn me down, I was going to take care of myself.

  4

  Pria

  Hitting the blue button on the Keurig machine in the employee lounge, I patiently waited for the machine to brew my cup of coffee. I’d become a regular, drinking as many as five to seven cups throughout the workday. As luck would have it, a large yawn overtook me the moment Kingston walked in looking like a Manhattan god in a suit worth more than my entire wardrobe, his blond hair perfectly coiffed, and full lips tilted up as he chuckled.

  “Long night?” One lone brow rose.

  Instead of answering, I narrowed my eyes at him as the last drop of caffeinated elixir dripped into my cup. Lifting it to my lips, I blew over the piping hot liquid before taking a sip. It took everything in me, with him standing in front of me, not to think about all the dirty thoughts I had of him last night as I used my shower head to get off. It was too easy, and I didn’t want to be like all the other women who watched him walk down the halls picturing him naked. I didn’t blame them, but I had a fiancé. A wonderful fiancé who loved me and wouldn’t break my heart the way Kingston Avery broke women’s hearts left and right—if I went by what everyone in town said and the office gossip.

  “Ms. Wang, cat got your tongue?” he said lasciviously with an arched eyebrow. How could one lift of a brow be so sexy?

  “More like sleep deprivation,” I clipped back. And lack of sex.

  Kingston cocked his head to the side before taking a step forward. Plucking my coffee cup out of my hands, he set it down on the counter and gave me a once-over. It didn’t feel sexual. Like I wanted. It was clinical. Assessing.

  Heat rose up my body, and embarrassed by my blush, I turned to look down at my cup of coffee letting my long hair fall in a protective curtain around my face.

  “You’ve been working long hours and deserve a break. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off and don’t show up until nine tomorrow? I’m used to being the first one here and the last one to leave until you came along. It’s like you’re trying to make me look bad.”

  How much of a life could he have working all the time?

  Turning back around to look at him, I placed my hands on my hips, and tried to keep my voice level. “Are you doing this so you can fire me?”

  “Fire you? You’re one of my best employees.” He paused and I thought for sure there would be a cocky as hell look on his face, but instead, he looked sheepish. “Before you took over as head director of Human Resources, I was informed that our policies needed to be amended for sexual harassment. I need you to read over Avery Capital Holdings’ policies and update them. Once you’re done, they need to be sent out to all employees at both Avery and Gainsworth. Can you do that?”

  I was amazed at his faith in me. It would have taken me years and a big if for me to become the head of HR, but he must have saw something in me. He gave me a shot and I would do my all not to disappoint him.

  “Yes, Mr. Avery. I promise I won’t let you down.”

  “See that you don’t, Ms. Wang.” For the first time, when saying my last name, Kingston didn’t say it with any sexual connotation, and he tipped his head to me as he walked out of the room. “Have a good day.”

  With a spring in my step and Italian takeout in my hand, because I was still jonesing for the carbs I didn’t get last night, I opened my front door with a smile on my face. I was happy to be home early and surprised to see Haider’s car out on the street when I walked up. My mouth opened to form my fiancé’s name, but it died when I saw my fiancé with his pants down, his white ass bared to me as he thrust into a leggy redhead and she moaned his name on our kitchen table. It was a train wreck that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from.

  Never once in our three years together had Haider showed me one ounce of the passion he was entrusting on this woman. I watched as his hands cupped her voluptuous breasts as he kissed up her curvy frame. Seeing him touch her like that brought out all my insecurities of having tiny breasts with a petite body. In all truth, I looked like a pubescent boy when I was naked. I tried to make up for it by always wearing beautiful dresses and high heels and always having my hair done with a full face of makeup.

  I’m not sure how long I stood there in shock. At some point my food fell to the floor, but I didn’t feel it slip from my fingers and they sure as hell didn’t notice as they continued to fornicate on the table, we’d eaten dinner at last night. I must have made a noise—or maybe time had slowed, and it was the sound of the bag of food hitting the floor—because both their heads swung in my direction with looks of shock on their faces.

  Time sped up as my emotions caught up to me in a blinding rush. Suddenly, I was enraged as this hussy tried to cover herself as I stormed past them. The only thing I knew was that I couldn’t stay here any longer. I had a strong feeling this wasn’t the first time Haider had cheated on me. Not that it mattered. There was no way in hell I was ever taking him back.

  Grabbing my suitcase out of the closet, I threw in everything of mine that was in reach as tears slipped down my cheeks. As I dumped the contents of my lingerie drawer, Haider walked in with this head down unable to look at me. At least he had his pants on. Otherwise, I might have gone all Lorena Bobbitt on him.

  Grabbing my arm, he tried to stop me but I ripped it from his hold. “Pria, it’s not what it looks like.” His voice was so quiet and without conviction, he had to know there was no way I’d believe him. It was almost five months ago when he started to pull away and
three since we’d last had sex. Now I knew why. Haider had been sticking his dick in someone else. The same man who wanted to wait to have sex until we got married and I had to beg and seduce the fuck out of him for him to finally give in eight months into our relationship.

  “Please don’t be a cliché, Haider. I don’t believe you tripped and fell, magically making your pants fall down, and impaled her with your penis. I must have walked in at the exact right moment. Or is it something else? Because I’d love to hear how this isn’t how it looks.” Heading to the bathroom, I grabbed another bag and swept everything on the counter into it. I didn’t care whose it was. I didn’t ever want to come back if I didn’t have to.

  “Just look at me for a moment and let me explain.” He grabbed my arm again and this time I let him turn me to him. I let him see the tears and devastation on my face. Haider pulled in a breath as if it hurt him to see me broken. What was he expecting? “You’re too smart and deserve more, so I won’t disrespect and lie to you. I wanted to tell you last night. I thought you’d come home late and…”

  Oh, now he didn’t want to lie and disrespect me. Good to know. Maybe he should have thought about that before he dipped his wick into that cesspool between her legs.

  Pulling away, I continued to pack my belongings. I had no idea where I was going, but I wasn’t going to show up at work tomorrow looking like I went on a bender the night before or worse. “And what? Start a fight with me and break up with me? That still wouldn’t have been honest.”