by Harlow Layne
“Do you think it’s that easy?”
“I don’t know, is it? I don’t care what they say about me, but if I hear them badmouthing you it will be the total opposite. But I sincerely doubt anyone is going to be saying anything around me. They know to be scared of me.”
“It’s a good thing you’re a cocky asshole.” She cracked a tight smile.
“Most days it is. Let’s go in there and show them it’s you and me, and we don’t give a fuck what they say.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
It was.
“I’ll do whatever will make this easier for you, but you’re a fighter and a hard-ass bitch when it comes to your job. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t have hired you.”
Wrapping her sandwich up, she picked up her water bottle. “Thank you, I needed to hear that. Let’s go kick their asses.”
All right, I guess we were doing this.
23
Kingston
Pria smiled up at me as we broke apart, but it didn’t meet her eyes. It had only been two weeks since everyone at Avery Capital Holdings heard rumors about us and then we came out. If coming out was stepping off the elevator holding hands and me giving her a light kiss as we went our separate ways.
I’d filled out the paperwork stating we were a couple and so had Pria, so I wasn’t sure what was happening with her. Every time I asked her how her day was she said it was fine, but I knew it was anything but. Whitmore had come to my office and informed me of the rumors about Pria and me. None of them were good and to make matters worse, my secretary continued to flirt with me every chance she got. Pria and I had been having lunch in my office every day (with no sex, much to my disappointment) and I had a feeling she’d caught Sandy flirting with me one of the days when she brought in our lunch. Pria hadn’t mentioned it, but it did seem to make her pull away more.
The only good thing that had happened was my secretary had started to do more of the work she should have been doing from the moment she started working here. Little did she know, nothing she could do would put her in my good graces. She would be fired, it was only a matter of when.
Not only was Pria dealing with the bullshit at the office, but she’d been helping her new friend, Aubrey, with the event that was coming up at the end of the week. Even as busy as she was, Pria had been going to bed early and sleeping in every morning. It left us little time outside of the workplace and we barely saw each other at work, to begin with. That’s why I had started having lunch with her every day in my office.
I wasn’t sure if she was depressed about work, if she was pulling away because she was planning on ending things with me, or if it was something else. Whatever it was, I was afraid I was losing her when I’d only just gotten her.
Pria
The moment I stepped into the fundraiser, Aubrey grabbed me by my arm and dragged me into the corner. Her green eyes scrutinized my down-turned face. “Are things still not better at work?” I’d told her everything hoping for advice from an outside source. Things had gotten somewhat better, but there were still people whispering and snickering as I walked by. I couldn’t tell King about it. His solution was for me to fire anyone who made me uncomfortable and I couldn’t do that. It wasn’t all bad. There were a few who said King was tolerable now that I’d come into his life and thanked me for it.
“Today I didn’t even notice.” Tears stung my eyes and I bit my bottom lip. “My grandmother is in the hospital. Sadly, we haven’t gotten along since I left to go to college and now, I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to talk to her.”
Aubrey’s mouth open and closed. She gave me a side hug. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. I just want to talk to her and try and get her approval even though I know no matter how hard I try I’ll never get it.”
“Why not?” she asked softly.
“My family is very traditional, especially my Lao Lao.” At her confused face, I explained. “That’s what I call my grandmother. She thought I should get married and stay home instead of going to college and working. I’ve been avoiding her since I found my ex-fiancé fucking someone on our kitchen table and moved out.”
“I’m so sorry, Pria. I didn’t know. I would have understood if you wanted to skip out on tonight.”
“This is a nice distraction from everything going on in my life. When I’ve helped you, I forget about my problems and that’s a nice change.”
“While it might be nice to run away from your problems for a little while, what are you going to do? Have you talked to your boyfriend? What does he have to say?”
“Nothing because I haven’t talked to him. While he’s sweet to me, he can be a real asshole and his solution at work is to fire anyone who even looks at me wrong. I’ve been keeping it to myself and being a pretty bad girlfriend. I’ve decided, though, that I’m not going to let them get to me. I love my job and I can’t imagine not seeing King every day. Ever since we came out, he’s cleared his lunch schedule so we can have lunch with each other.”
“He sounds like a good guy.”
“Surprisingly, he is. At first, I thought he was a cocky asshole.”
Aubrey stifled a giggle. “They do seem to make a bad first, second, and third impression, and then they surprise us. By the way, where is he? I thought he was going to be your date. I was hoping to meet him so I could thank him for his generous contribution.”
“He should be here soon. He had something come up and I wanted to stop by the hospital to see if there was any change in my grandmother, so we came separately. I want to thank you for being a good friend these last couple of weeks and talking me down from the ledge.”
“You don’t have to thank me. In fact, I should be the one thanking you for helping me with everything. I’m not sure the night would be a success without your organization skills and the money you brought in from Avery Capital Holdings and Morgan Financial Holdings. That money is going to go a long way to our cause.”
I was surprised when King and I were at dinner with Graham and his girlfriend, Soraya, and Graham had said he’d match the amount King was donating. They planned on coming, but Graham’s daughter Chloe was sick, and she wanted both Graham and Soraya by her side. I thought it was adorable.
A tall and very handsome man with thick brown hair pulled Aubrey to his chest. “There you are. You’re a hard woman to find.” I was shocked to hear an Australian accent. Aubrey hadn’t mentioned it in all the times we talked.
She swatted at his hand that rested on her stomach. “Stop. You knew exactly where to find me.” She looked over her shoulder at him and her eyes glittered with happiness. “Chance, I want you to meet my friend, Pria. She’s the one I told you about, who has been helping me with tonight.”
He smiled at me and a set of dimples popped out. I nearly swooned on the spot. I’d never met anyone with dimples and now I knew their true effect on women. Aubrey was one lucky lady. Disentangling one hand, he held it out for me to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Pria.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
Aubrey’s eyes lit up as she looked over my shoulder. “There’s a blond god walking this way with his eyes set on you. Is it your boss?” A knowing smirk grew on her face.
I turned to see King striding toward me with an air of confidence that only he could make look natural. He was decked out in a form fitting tuxedo that had my jaw hitting the floor. When he noticed me taking him in, a cocky smile spread across his face.
He didn’t stop until I was in his arms, one hand resting low on my back. “You look absolutely radiant tonight.”
“Thank you. You cleaned up nicely yourself.” I’d never seen King in a tux, and it made me want to jump him in front of everyone or find a bathroom to have a quickie in. It didn’t help that it had been a few days since he was last inside me. Every day at lunch, he tried unsuccessfully to get me naked.
“Will you dance with me?” The uncertainty in his eyes made my heartache. I hadn’t been handling the situation at work we
ll, and I was taking it out on King. The news about my Lao Lao being in the hospital only added to it. I hadn’t even mentioned it to King yet. At first, I was still processing the fact I’d likely never speak to her again, and then King had been busy at work. I needed to tell him, but I wanted to enjoy this moment with him first.
Placing my hand in his, I gave it a squeeze. With that touch alone, I was already calmer. “I’d love nothing more than to dance with you.”
King pulled me out onto the makeshift dance floor. Our bodies pressed together in a lovers’ embrace. I didn’t even know if we matched the music the band was playing, but I didn’t care. I was lost in King’s eyes. In the dark room, they looked like sparkling emeralds that held so many unnamed emotions in them.
Bringing his forehead to mine, King looked down at me with pain in his eyes. “I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I’ve missed you even with you right by my side.”
“I know none of this makes sense and I’m sorry.” I rested my hand over his heart. “I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry I’ve been distant. It’s not fair to you. I want to talk, but not tonight. Tonight, I want to enjoy my gorgeous boyfriend in his tux.”
“Have I done something—”
I cut him off with a finger to his full lips. “You’ve been perfect. I promise you, it’s all me.”
“I know I’m no good at this boyfriend stuff, but when you’re ready to talk, I’m here.”
My hand ran up his chest and cupped the side of his neck. “You’re pretty perfect, if you ask me.”
Even in the dark, I could see King’s eyes light up. His hold on me tightened as he pulled me deeper into his body. “I love you.” His eyes widened before he dipped down and caressed his lips against mine. “That wasn’t very smooth, was it?” He laughed uncomfortably.
“The fact that it wasn’t, shows me how much you really mean it.” I was sure King had never told anyone but his family that he loved them since he’d never been in a relationship, and now he loved me. It was mind-blowing and made me love him all the more.
Wrapping both my hands around his neck or as best as I could with one in a cast, I stretched up on my toes even though I had on high heels to whisper against his lips. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be possible, but I love you too.” King took control, slipping his tongue into my mouth and curled it along mine. My heart rate picked up and I wanted nothing more than to be alone with him.
Pulling back, King chuckled against my mouth. “You’re vibrating, and I don’t think it’s me causing it.”
I was? I was too wrapped up in King that I hadn’t noticed my purse vibrating until it started again. Coming back to reality, I pulled out my phone to see my father calling. My heart plummeted into my stomach. It could only mean one thing. My grandmother.
Reaching up, I kissed him before pulling away. “I’m sorry, King. I’ve got to go.”
I left him standing there in the middle of the dance floor with furrowed brows and swollen lips.
24
Pria
Tears streamed down my face as I stared at the dirt covered ground. My father’s hand squeezed my shoulder. “Sweetheart, she wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
“I don’t know about that,” I choked out. “I can’t remember the last time we got along. She hated that Haider and I hadn’t gotten married yet or that she wasn’t a great-grandmother.”
“While she did want those things, she also wanted you to be happy. It was hard for her to admit, but she was proud of you. Of how much you fought for what you believed in. I’m proud of you too even though I don’t say it often.”
Sniffing, I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. “Do you really mean that?”
“Of course, I do.” He closed his eyes as a fleeting look of pain shot across his face. “When I came to see you at work the other day and saw how happy it makes you, it made me realize I shouldn’t push my beliefs on you. You’ve always been your own person and I should have accepted that long ago instead of pushing you away. I want you to be happy, and up until recently, you haven’t been. I think your Lao Lao, me, and Haider had a big part in that. Something’s new and it’s making you truly smile for the first time since you went off to college. Is it your new job or something else?”
The thought of King brought a calm to me that hadn’t been there since I found out my grandmother died. I missed him, but I’d asked him to stay away unsure of how my family would react to him being at the funeral. He wasn’t happy, but he understood I needed to come by myself. No one knew of my white boyfriend, and I didn’t want to start any drama, but my dad had asked so I wasn’t going to lie to him.
I shifted on the bench to look at him. “It’s something else, or I guess I should say someone else. It wasn’t planned.”
“It rarely is, honey. Why didn’t you tell me about him when we had lunch?” He looked around the cemetery with his hand shielding his eyes. It was bright out and it seemed all wrong for the mood I was in. It should be gray and cold. “Why didn’t he accompany you to the funeral?”
“Because I asked him not to. I wasn’t sure how well it would go over if my tall, blond, and American boyfriend showed up and sat beside me.” I bit my bottom lip waiting for my father’s response.
“I give you an inch and you take a mile.” My father chuckled next to me as he stared down at the cold broken dirt in front of us. “Does he treat you right? Better than Haider?”
I smiled to myself at the possibility that King might be accepted easier than I thought by my family. Maybe I should have introduced him to my Lao Lao. He might have charmed the pants off her.
“He treats me better than any man ever has. I didn’t plan on King coming into my life the way he did.”
“King? What kind of name is that?”
“You know him, father. His name is Kingston Avery. He offered me a place to stay after what happened with Haider and—”
“You should have come home.” He barked as he stood up and looked down at me. Rapid fire Chinese spat out of his mouth as he paced in front of me. I wasn’t fluent, but I caught some of what he was saying and none of it was good.
He was very disappointed that I jumped from living with one man to another while unmarried. It wouldn’t have been any better if I had been married, but I understood what he was saying. I was a disgrace in his eyes.
His brown eyes so much like my own filled with disappointment and his mouth opened and closed, but in the end, he chose to walk away.
Hours later a large body sat down beside me and I bristled. I wanted to be left alone and didn’t want to deal with anyone invading my privacy. When a warm arm rested across my shoulders, I nearly shot up from my seat. Turning to fight with whoever was there to bother me, I was surprised to find King. He was clad in one of his many ten-thousand-dollar suits with sunglasses hiding his eyes. “What are you doing here?” My voice came out as a croak after many hours of not speaking.
King gave me a sad smile. “Your dad called me.”
“My dad? How?” He’d left hours ago, and more importantly, why had he called King?
“I’m not really sure. He said something about how you were upset and had been sitting here for hours. I asked him where you were and left immediately to come to you.” His large hand covered mine that were clasped in my lap. “I’m sorry you had to go through this alone. You know I would have been here for you if you would have let me.”
Leaning my head on his shoulder, I snuggled into his side wrapping my arm around his trim waist. The heat radiating off him soothed my body that had chilled after hours of sitting outside. With King by my side, the death of my grandmother and the rejection of my father didn’t hurt as much anymore. “I know you would have. I didn’t want to rock the boat, but I ended up doing it anyway. I told my father about you.”
“So, I’m no longer your dirty little secret.” He gave me a squeeze to let me know he was joking. Only I wasn’t sure if he was really joking about it or if some small part of him f
elt like I wanted to keep the fact that he was my boyfriend hidden from the world.
Pulling back enough to be able to look up at him, I held his gaze. I wanted him to know how I truly felt. “You were never my secret, even when I didn’t want the world to know about us. You were always my prize.”
“Shorty, you don’t have to reassure me. I’m here for you, not the other way around.” His icy green eyes twinkled at me.
“What was your plan to make me feel better? Were you going to whisk me away or let your dog’s kiss me into submission?” I had to admit to myself some puppy kisses would help. Jimmy and Orvy always seemed to know what I needed. I never knew dogs could be so tuned into the humans they were around.
“All good plans, but I had something different in mind.” He sat up straighter and ran his hand through his already ruffled but sexy hair. “Do you remember the other night when I said I had something to do before the fundraiser?”
“Yes, of course, I do. I thought it was strange since we planned on going together and then out of nowhere you changed the plans.”
King smiled nervously. I could see his pulse pick up in his neck and I instantly got nervous, afraid I’d lost him when I pushed him away. Maybe it was because I made him feel less than regarding my family. All I knew was that I’d be devastated if my stupid actions cost me the best thing that had ever happened to me.
He cleared his throat, his grip on me tightening. “I had other plans for us that night.” My face fell. My heart dropped into my stomach and broke shattering into a million pieces as I stared back at him. “Christ, I’m doing this all wrong.” King tugged at his hair. “You don’t need to worry. Like I’ve told you before, I suck at expressing myself unless I’m pissed off.” His free hand fished in his pocket for a long moment before he pulled out a keyring. King shifted until we were facing each other with our legs pressed together. “This is what I wanted to do the other night.” He held out the keyring. “I know this might seem early in our relationship, but when you know you know. I want to wake up with you by my side and fall asleep wrapped around you. What do you say?”
