King (5 page)

I
shook my head and just stared, stunned into silence before she continued. “We
still want you to work on the creative side Charlotte, Mr Grayson just wants to
try Ian out with the pitch itself” she smiled as if I was supposed to be happy
with that. She may as well have said ‘We want you to do all the hard work while
Ian gets the glory and the not insignificant commission’. Well it wouldn’t be
the first time. I took a deep breath, determined to reign in my anger, swallow
my shock and maintain a professional demeanour. “No problem” I heard myself
saying, despite the fact that it was indeed a huge problem, before returning to
my desk, picking up my coat and leaving the building. With Katie out, there was
only one thing for it.

“I’ll
take one of those” I said to the older lady behind the counter with grey hair
and kind eyes whose sympathetic smile suggested I wasn’t the only stressed out
ad executive she’d seen here over the years. She brought joy to the world I
thought, remembering back to a time before Jason King when I had felt exactly
the same. Dancing turtles, cute kids and sophisticated models that would
encourage the great and the good to pour into the local shopping centre and improve
their lives with products that brought a smile to their faces. I could still
do that
, I mused, provided I could win the pitch itself and
currently, that was the prevailing obstacle.

I
didn’t even order a
drink,
my eyes were too absorbed
in the luxurious looking whip of pure double cream that adorned the top of my
huge slab of triple chocolate cake. I wasn’t sure even five sugars would
suffice on a day like this, so I was going all out. I watched my colleagues and
competitors filing into the wine bar as I took the last seat available by the
window, relishing the sweetness of the cream against my lips and sighed deeply.
I heard his laughter before I saw him, which gave me the perfect opportunity to
get my head down, tuck into the cake and ignore the world outside.
Unfortunately he was not ignoring me, and as I looked back up, he was
monitoring me through the window of the little cafe, head tilted and assessing
me closely as I stuffed a second forkful into my mouth. I still hadn’t finished
the first, and I turned away quickly. He was exactly the last thing I needed
right now, and I prayed he would just stick with his army of adoring staff and
carry on walking to the wine bar on the corner, but something told me that the
way today was panning out, I wouldn’t be that lucky.

“Eating
your feelings Smith?” he smirked as I nodded. Right now I couldn’t give a fuck
what he thought about me, my professional reputation was on the line and that
was much more of an issue than Jason King. I didn’t bother to look
up,
I just didn’t have the strength to fight today.
“Coffee?” he said standing at the side of me as I continued to tuck into my
cake. “Tea” I said, still gazing down as he made his way to the counter. I’d
almost forgotten he was there until I heard the firm shout of “Smith” above the
chattering of the other patrons, and it was all I could do to stave back
unhappy tears. I was really not in the mood for his goading. I looked up,
forking another lump of chocolate onto my tongue. ‘Sugar’ he mouthed as I put
my open palm up. This was a five sugar moment, if ever there was one. They were
coming more and more regularly lately, and my uninvited guest was the
overriding reason.

 
He returned, sat gazing at me, and poured my
tea from the little floral pot. “Where’s my sugar?” It was the first time I’d
looked at him. “You said you didn’t want any, you put your hand up” and he was
looking at me so intently, searching my face for something, anything. “I put my
whole hand up because I want five
King,
the
international symbol for ‘no’ is shaking your head. I imagine you don’t know
that because no one has ever said it to you” I snapped as he went to retrieve
my sugar, laughing.

Three
more forkfuls of cake went in my mouth as I stirred the five sugars into my
tea, taking a huge gulp to wash it all down as he just stared at me, mystified
and if I wasn’t mistaken, slightly disgusted. I ignored it, thinking to myself
that he’d probably never been sat with a woman who’d
hoovered
up so many calories in one sitting. If Google was anything to go by, he
generally went for models, and from their amazing figures I presumed they
wouldn’t consume this many calories in a week, maybe a month. I almost smiled
at the thought. If I hadn’t been so pissed off with the revelation from Alison,
the whole thing might actually have seemed comical.

 
“You’ll need your dress for Tristan, when are
you coming to get it?” he smiled, trying to break the uncomfortable silence
that rolled between us. I slammed the fork down, swallowing another mouthful of
cake as I glared at him. Did he know that Anderson had got the pitch? It was
the most insensitive, hurtful thing he could say right now, and the thought
that he would do it on purpose was almost too much, as a thin film of water
began to glaze on my eyes.

His
smile fell instantly. “I don’t need the dress King, I’m not doing the pitch” I
said quietly, picking my fork back up, hoping that the chocolate would give me
something else to focus on. “Why the hell not?” he demanded, all humour gone
from his tone and his eyes. So he didn’t know everything then. “They’ve given
it to Ian, apparently Grayson thinks I’ve lost my edge” and I swore I saw a
slight flicker of guilt flash across his gorgeous face. “Grayson’s a fucking
moron then” he said firmly as I returned to my cake, taken aback. I couldn’t
cope with arrogant King today but I was certain I couldn’t cope with anything
else either. I sighed deeply, finishing the chocolate as he met my gaze,
affectionately wiping a slither of butter cream from the side of my lip and
sucking it from the pad of his thumb. It was a strangely intimate gesture that
made my stomach flutter deliciously despite my terrible mood.

“What?”
he grinned and it was the first time I’d raised a half smile. “Listen King,
don’t get the wrong idea, sitting there and thinking I’m berating myself
because I’m not. I’ve lost my last few major pitches because I was up against
you. I very much doubt that anyone else would have done any better. What I
don’t get, is why you do it. You’ve got three times as many execs as we’ve got,
so why do the pitches yourself? I assumed you’d be too busy running your
company to bother with dog food, so why? I just don’t get it King”. It was the
question I’d wanted to ask for the last two months. He was smiling broadly. “I
don’t usually, but I like to keep ahead of the game, now and again I’ll put
myself at the coal face, so to speak. Pit myself against the best and see how I
get on.” I stared at him wide eyed, unable to quite process what he was saying.
“You are ahead of the game King, you don’t play fair, but you’re definitely
ahead” I said truthfully, which earned me a mischievous looking grin.

 
“Just do me a favour and find someone else to
pit yourself against”. His voice was so deep and so firm that the words knocked
the breath from my lungs. “No Smith. You are the best, so why would I
pit
myself against anyone else”. The words were out before
I could help myself. “You’re ruining my fucking career”. God I wished there was
more chocolate on this plate and I wasn’t prepared for the laughter that
ensued. “Ruining it Smith, you must be joking. Being up against me pushes you
to your limits, makes you better than you would be otherwise. When you see me
in the running, you raise your game”. Right now, that comment and his smug grin
were a bridge too far and I stared at the plate, trying desperately to compose
myself.

 
His voice was tender, contrasting to the
harshness of his words. “Why are you so tense Smith? You’re always so
frustrated, so agitated, so irritated. If you could focus a fraction more of
that emotion and passion into your pitches, you’d beat me every time”. I
slammed my teacup against the saucer, what the hell was it about this smug,
arrogant bastard that thought he could read me so well? I looked up and his
blue eyes were twinkling. Jason King was playing with me and there was no way I
would respond in the way he expected. “I’m not frustrated King” I said simply
meeting his gaze.
“Really?
So why are you consuming
all that sugar?” The question knocked me off balance and I couldn’t help the
betraying snigger that escaped my lips. “It’s been a five sugar day” I said,
without trying to justify myself any further.

 
“When was the last time you got laid Smith?” I
stared at him for a second, unable to believe that anyone could actually have
the nerve to say that, but his blue eyes were twinkling, his lip was curling
and if ‘Mr I Fuck Everyone’ thought he was taking me down, he could damn well
think again. “It’s a month or two at least” his lip curved further as I relaxed
back into the comfort of the booth.

Shock
tactics were a last resort, but I was all out of options. Depressingly, shock
tactics also happened to be the truth. “More than twelve as it goes King” I
said simply and it was the first time I had ever seen him speechless, shaking
his head. “How is that even possible?” he said quietly, the look on his face
filling me with a steely resolve and the words were out of my mouth before I
could stop them. “Why? Do you think you can fuck the frustration out of me
King.
If nothing else, it’ll burn off all those calories
you’ve been silently criticising me for since the second you walked in here.”
He narrowed his eyes as if to check I was joking before slamming me with his
dazzling trademark smile.

“Are
you asking me for a date Smith?” I couldn’t contain my laughter now, voicing my
unedited, undiluted response before my brain could kick in. “Fuck
no,
I have no desire to spend a minute longer with you than
absolutely necessary. I’m suggesting we just screw and get it over with. I
assume you have no issues with not buying me dinner first. It would waste time,
I’m not your normal type King,
I’d
actually eat it. If
you insist on the whole date thing we can count the tea without sugar that
you’ve just bought me if you like. At least that way there’s no pressure on
you, you’ve set the bar low. I’m not expecting much”

.
I hadn’t anticipated the fierceness of the response as he rounded the booth,
almost dragging me by the elbow out of the cafe and straight into the gleaming
foyer of King Marketing, releasing my arm as I stood, bewildered and wondering
what on earth I‘d just done, as the throngs of his staff who were finishing for
the day filed out of the building.

He
was marching forwards, turning a menacing glare on me as I hung back. “Come on”
he growled, standing at the opposite side of the elevator as I followed him
into his office on the 20th floor and within the blink of an eye, for the
second time, I was pinned against the cool wooden door as it shut behind me.
“Is this what you want Smith?” I nodded involuntarily, surprised to find myself
thinking it actually was, when his soft firm lips crashed against mine, harder
and more demanding than the kiss outside the Ritz, but this time I was not
slapping him away. He pulled back momentarily as if to check I hadn’t changed
my mind before I grabbed his blue silk tie, yanking him towards me, desperate
to feel his naked body against mine and praying to God that Katie’s advice was
right.

I
wasn’t gentle as I shoved his jacket over his shoulders and onto the floor,
ripping at the buttons of his shirt as he broke the kiss momentarily to pull
his loosened tie over his head, eyes blazing into mine and the curve of a smirk
on the side of his lip. I wanted him so badly at that moment, I just didn’t
care, gasping as he kissed deeply against my neck, expertly undoing the ribbon
on my navy wrap dress so it hung open. Fisting his hands through my hair, his
lips possessed me in a kiss so passionate I could barely breathe, his tongue
rolling around mine and caressing it beautifully. Christ Jason King could kiss,
and my body ignited in such a fierce response that I couldn’t control my need,
pulling his hard chest against mine and moaning into his mouth. He shoved the
dress roughly down my arms as I stood there in my black lace panties, bra and
heels, gasping for air. “You are fucking gorgeous Charlotte” he growled sexily,
the sound of my name, from his velvet tongue making my insides explode in
delighted response as I ran my fingers across sculptured, hard tanned abs, undoing
his belt, button and fly, before I was totally lost, revelling in the feel of
his fingers gently sweeping across the saturated lace of my panties.

I
melted against the low rumble of appreciation in his throat, right before he
ripped them off in a carnal display of power that sent my arousal into orbit,
and I gasped audibly. He chuckled gently, removing his huge cock from his open
trousers, sliding on a condom before pushing me roughly up the door.
 
I wrapped my legs around his waist and he
thrust into me, the sheer size of his cock sending pain then incredible
pleasure searing through my core as I cried out. He fucked me with a punishing
force, kissing and gently biting the curve of my breasts and engorged nipples
through the lace of my bra as I grabbed his hair roughly, pulling him into me
as he hit my limits again and again. I had never felt a cock so big and I
understood where the bastard got his arrogance from. He was pure alpha male and
he was good at this. My clit was singing as he pounded into me relentlessly,
desperate for release as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through my body and
I came apart, gasping his name as he pulled my lips to his, absorbing my cries.
“Fuck Charlotte” he groaned, stilling against me, as his own orgasm gripped and
raged through him and I moaned at the intensity of his pulsing cock inside me
and his gorgeous features contorted with pleasure.