Coldhearted King: A Billionaire Workplace Romance (Empty Kingdom Book 1)

I walk into the office on Monday, refreshed and ready to be productive. After drinking wine with Alex on Friday night, then going out for another night of dancing on Saturday, I’m determined to put everything to do with Paul and Cole behind me.

When my phone rings midmorning and I see it’s Cole’s PA, my pulse leaps, even as my stomach twists.

“Hello,” I answer.

“Good morning, Delilah. Are you available for a meeting with Mr. King?”

My mouth goes dry, and I need to clear my throat before I answer. “Yes, of course.”

“Come on up, then.”

I hang up, then stand, wiping my sweaty palms on my skirt. When the elevator deposits me on the top floor, I smile at Samson, hoping my nerves aren’t showing on my face.

“He’s expecting you. You can go right in.” He nods toward the office.

When I knock and hear his deep voice telling me to come in, butterflies take flight in my stomach. I enter and close the door behind me, then quickly step away from it. I don’t need a reminder of being pressed against it a week ago. Stopping in the middle of the office, I interlace my fingers, hoping my face is as expressionless as his.

“Good morning, Miss West,” Cole says, his vivid blue eyes sweeping over me.

“Is there something you want from me, Mr. King?”

His gaze flashes to mine, and my breath hitches. Why did I say it that way?

“Yes,” he says, nodding to the chairs in front of his desk. “I want you to sit.”

Letting out a silent sigh, I take a seat in one of them.

He surprises me by asking, “How are you doing after . . . ?”

I blink at him. Is he asking me how I am after he made me come last week? A blush creeps over my cheeks.

His brows draw together. “Has Paul bothered you at all?”

Oh. He meant how am I after finding out my boyfriend cheated on me. Of course he doesn’t care about how I am after orgasming in his office. If he’d cared about that, he might have been in touch sooner.

“Paul’s kept to himself. He’s been professional.”

Cole nods, then stands and walks around to my side of the desk, leaning back against it and crossing his arms as he regards me. I stop my eyes from dropping to his broad chest. Why does he have to look so incredible in a suit?

“I’m flying to Chicago at the end of this week to represent the King Group at a black-tie benefit gala. I plan to visit the hotel site while I’m there. Since you have a site visit scheduled soon anyway, it makes sense for you to come with me. And since we’ll be there together, I’d like you to attend the gala as my plus one.”

I stare at him. This is not what I expected at all. He has nothing to say about what happened between us or ignoring me for the week after, but he wants me to accompany him for a night or two, away? “I’m not sure . . . I mean, I do need to see the site, but . . .”

He frowns. “What’s the problem, Miss West?”

I stand, needing to gain some kind of equal footing. “Do you think it’s a good idea, after . . . after last week.”

He drops his arms. “I think it’s a very good idea. That’s why I suggested it.”

I swallow past my dry throat. “If you’re asking me because you think we’re going to repeat—”

His brows slam down. “I’m asking you because you are the architect working on this site and having you travel with me on the company jet rather than flying out separately makes good logistical sense. I’m asking you to attend the gala because I need a plus one, and I don’t want to worry about organizing someone else. And since there will be plenty of people there from the industry, it will do you good to attend.” He shakes his head, his scowl deepening. “Do you honestly think I need to manipulate a woman into having sex with me?”

My jaw tightens. “No. I’m sure you don’t.”

He regards me with a frown. “Do you have an issue with me, Miss West?”

“No,” I automatically reply, but then everything that’s happened overwhelms me, and I fling my hands in the air as it all comes pouring out. “Except maybe it would have been nice if you hadn’t disappeared off the face of the earth after making me come last week. What we did was completely unprofessional, and I had no idea what to think about it. Paul had cheated on me, we did . . . that, then I didn’t hear from you or see you for the rest of the week. You didn’t even come to the team meeting. And I saw you—” I cut myself off, not wanting to remind him of how I’d been lurking and watching him and his brothers get ready to go to some kind of event. “Anyway. You may be used to screwing employees in your office then forgetting they exist, but that’s not the kind of thing I’m used to. I felt . . .”

He stares down at me with inscrutable eyes. “What did you feel?”

It’s too late to go back now. A shaky breath rushes out of me. “I felt alone.”

His gaze locks on mine, and I cringe inwardly at everything I’ve admitted. Without a word, he turns and heads back to his side of the desk. But he doesn’t sit. He leans forward and braces his hands on the surface, his eyes boring into mine. “I had to fly out to our California office Monday night. I was there all week, putting out fires. I flew back Friday afternoon, in time to attend the engagement party of a long-time associate.”

I wet my lips. “Oh.”

“And I didn’t know making you come went along with the need to update you on my whereabouts at any given time.”

He sits down and rubs his hand over his mouth and chin, and I remember how he did the same after making me orgasm. Heat pools low in my core, and I mentally slap myself.

I’m so out of my depth with this man. Everything in my life has gone off the rails since I slept with him all those weeks ago. Although, admittedly, what happened with Paul had nothing to do with Cole.

Regardless, I have to stop letting my emotions get away from me around him. He’s obviously used to this kind of thing, so making a big deal of it is just going to make me look immature. If he can act as if nothing happened between us, then so can I.

“I shouldn’t have said anything. It won’t happen again.” I keep my gaze level and fixed on his, even though all I want to do is walk away and pretend none of this happened.

“Don’t worry about it.” He watches me, his eyes dark. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, I expect you to be ready for an overnight trip to Chicago. The jet leaves at eight a.m. on Friday, and we’ll fly back on Saturday. I’ll pick you up.”

He doesn’t say anything more, just continues to look at me. I brush my damp palms over my skirt. “I’ll be ready. Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

I make for the office door as quickly as I can while maintaining some kind of dignity, but he stops me just as I’m about to turn the handle. “Delilah.”

I look at him over my shoulder.

His jaw works and he looks uncomfortable for the first time since I’ve known him. “I’m sorry that I made you feel alone.”

My brows arch high. I doubt he’s used to apologizing to his employees. I can’t help but give him a tiny smile. But I just murmur, “Thank you,” then leave.

As I wait for the elevator, I reassure myself that I can move forward from what happened between us. And I’m excited to visit the site. As much as photographs and 3D terrain models are usable for the initial designs, I’ll have a much better understanding of the space once I’ve seen it in person. I’m not as excited about attending the gala since I have no idea what to expect and don’t have anything to wear. I’ll have to ask Alex if she can help me with that. We’re a similar size, and she has some great dresses. Hopefully she’ll have something to lend me.

Except, I don’t have to ask Alex to borrow a dress, because when I come back from my lunch break, there’s an envelope on my desk. Inside is a note from Cole, and a black-and-silver corporate credit card with his name on it. At least, I think it’s a corporate card. I flip it over, but there’s nothing on it except Cole’s name. I shake my head and laugh at myself. There’s no way Cole would give me his personal credit card. This must just be how VIP corporate cards look. I place it on the desk and read the note.

Miss West,

Use this card to purchase a dress and shoes for the gala on Friday night, as well as anything else you might need. Please remember you will be representing the King Group, so make sure you take advantage of the unlimited budget.

Cole

I stare again at the card. Wow. Okay. This is the kind of thing I’ve only ever seen in the movies. It’s like something out of Pretty Woman.

Maybe I should be more reluctant to spend his company’s money, but considering Cole is worried about how I might look while I’m representing them, I’m happy I get to spend more than I could afford myself. Even one of Alex’s dresses probably wouldn’t meet their requirements.

I quickly message her.

Any chance you’re up for a shopping trip sometime this week?

???

I have to buy a dress to attend a gala on Friday night.

What? Where? With Who?

In Chicago. With Cole.

My phone rings in my hand and I look around, not wanting anyone to make a fuss about a personal call during work hours. But there’s no one close enough to worry about, so I answer.

“You can’t just tell me you have to buy a fancy dress to go on a date with Cole in Chicago and not give me all the details about what happened between you two today. Last I heard, you were going to pretend nothing happened and move on.”

“Well, first, it’s not a date. And second, that’s kind of still the plan. I’m just going to be in Chicago pretending nothing happened.”

“But what happened today? How did he ask you? I need to know everything!”

I laugh. “I’ll fill you in tonight. All you need to know is that he summoned me to a meeting this morning and then said he wanted me to come with him on Friday.”

“Did he say anything about why he ignored you for the last week?”

My cheeks heat with remembered embarrassment. “He’s been out of town. He only got back Friday afternoon.”

“Do you believe him?”

It hadn’t even occurred to me to doubt him. “I don’t think someone like Cole needs to lie to anyone about his whereabouts. If he didn’t want anything to do with me, I’m sure he’d have been quite happy to tell me to my face.”

She laughs. “True. So, are you going to sleep with him?”

“What?” I realize I’ve raised my voice and duck down a little in case I’ve attracted anyone’s attention.

“Come on. The two of you alone together in another city for a night, probably sleeping in adjoining rooms. And you’ve already told me how good the sex was with him. Why not give him another go?”

“Because things are different now. The situation is different.”

“It wasn’t that different when he had his mouth between your legs last week.”

“Alex!” I whisper-shout.

She sniggers. “I’m just saying.”

“Well, don’t say. I’ll be completely professional, and so will he.”

“Mm-hmm. Well, let’s go shopping at lunchtime tomorrow and find a dress that will have him panting. Even if you don’t plan to do anything about it, it’s nice to know you have the option.” She lets out a groan. “I can’t believe this is happening the weekend I’m flying to LA to see Jaxson. I won’t be there to hear all the juicy details when you get back. You have to call me as soon as you’re home, okay?”

“I’m not going to interrupt your weekend with Jaxson just to tell you nothing happened.”

She manages to get me to promise to call her anyway, and then we hang up.

I sit there, staring at the schematic on my screen for a moment. Alex is right. I want to look good for Cole—and I’m not sure what that says about me. Despite that, I can’t afford to let anything else happen between us. My career and feelings are at risk, not his.

And that’s what I need to remember.