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

As I step out of the limo, camera flashes explode in my face. I extend a hand back into the car to help Jessica out. Her cool fingers wrap around mine and she smiles at me as she emerges, looking stunning in a dress cut nearly low enough to be indecent. She tucks her hand in my elbow and sweeps along at my side as we make our way to the entrance.

“It’s good to know you remembered my phone number,” she says as we finally get inside. I knew she was stewing about something. Jessica has never been the warmest person. It’s not something that’s ever bothered me before, but the ice coming off her in the limo was palpable.

Considering there has never been anything between us—apart from the benefit of convenience—I don’t know why she’s pretending to be upset about it.

“Is there something you want to say?” I don’t hide the boredom in my voice. She’s been pushing things lately, and she knows I’m not interested.

She pouts, but all I do is raise a brow.

A breath huffs out of her. “It’s just that it’s been a while,” she says. “I was disappointed we didn’t catch up when you were in Chicago. I had some plans for that beautiful hotel room and big bed of yours. I thought you weren’t going when I didn’t hear from you, but then you turned up with that . . . architect . . . of yours.”

Irritation flares. “Delilah is working on the Chicago hotel. I brought her along to view the site. I wasn’t about to leave her in her hotel room while I went out.”

“I get it. She’s cute. I hope you took advantage of that big bed like Tom and I did.”

I don’t want Jessica getting her claws into Delilah. I know how vicious she can be. If she’s somehow misunderstood the reality of our arrangement, the last thing I want is for her to view Delilah as a potential rival.

I pierce her with my stare and say nothing. She gets the message. “Anyway, Tom and I had a great time.”

“Good to hear. Shall we?” I usher her toward our table.

The speeches last forever, and my mind drifts. Images of Delilah find their way into my thoughts. What is she doing tonight? Is she thinking about the things I plan to do to her the next time I get her alone? If I leave early enough, Jonathan can drive past her place after we’ve dropped Jessica off, and I can take her back to my penthouse, spread her out on my bed, and have my fill of her.

I shift on my chair as my dick hardens. This isn’t the best place to get an erection. Not when I’m slated to give a speech soon.

A hand lands on my thigh and skims upward. I grab Jessica’s wrist just as she reaches the spot where I’m straining the material of my tuxedo pants. I pull her away from me, but when I look at her, she has a coy smile on her face.

“Are you thinking about what’s going to happen after this is over?” Her voice is a husky whisper in my ear.

I am. But not the way she thinks. “Nothing’s happening after this is over.”

Her eyes flare. “What’s going on, Cole? It’s not like you to turn down a no-strings-attached fuck.”

“Nothing is going on. You and I aren’t in a relationship. We haven’t made any promises to each other. If I want to fuck and you want to fuck, then we’ll fuck. But that’s all there is to it. And tonight, I’m not interested.”

Her eyes narrow to icy blue slits. “Does this have to do with—”

My hard stare is enough to silence her. The man at the podium is wrapping up his speech, so I push back my chair and stand, then make my way to the front of the room. As soon as I’m done here, I’m leaving. I’ll check with Jessica to see if she wants me to drop her off or if she wants to stay here and mingle—maybe find some other man to scratch her itch tonight. And then I’m going to get Delilah, take her home, and give in to my craving.

It’s that thought that has a smile on my face when I take the stage. My speech is about the King Group’s commitment to social responsibility and our dedication to making a positive impact on the world through our charitable trust. Considering recent events, however, I need to address the elephant in the room before I launch into the core of my speech. I acknowledge the seriousness of my father’s arrest and highlight that despite the previous CEO’s actions, the King Group is committed to operating with transparency and integrity.

Twenty minutes later, as applause rolls through the room, I nod to the crowd, walk off the stage, and wind my way through the tables until I reach Jessica and her unreadable expression.

Instead of sitting, I lean down and murmur in her ear. “I’m leaving. Do you want me to drop you off, or are you going to stay?”

She studies me, dabs her lips with her napkin, and rises. “I’d appreciate it if you could drop me off.”

I’m not sure I trust this more subdued version of Jessica, but I’m too busy thinking about what I’ll do to Delilah to care what’s going on with her. It sounds coldhearted, but there’s never been any emotional intimacy between her and me. I won’t start indulging her now that she’s annoyed because I don’t want to sleep with her.

When we get outside, there are still a few die-hard photographers lingering around, probably hoping to get a photo of some debauchery on behalf of the rich and famous filling the ballroom. I stride toward where Jonathan is parked waiting for us, only slowing when I notice Jessica is taking her time, making sure the photographers get plenty of shots.

We finally get to the car, but before I can open the door for her, Jessica stops me with a hand on my shoulder. Impatiently, I turn, only for her to wrap her arms around my neck and slam her lips against mine.

My hands go to her waist. I’m conscious of the camera flashes going off around us, so I don’t immediately extricate myself, even though anger boils in my veins. When I eventually ease her away from me, I know she can see the fury in my eyes, but like any good businessman, I don’t let it show on my face. “What the hell was that for?” I say through clenched teeth.

She smooths her hand down my lapel. “I just wanted to remind you what you’ll be missing out on.”

“I don’t need a reminder. I’m not interested.”

She steps back, and I reach for the door and hold it open for her.

“Get in the car.”

She slips past me, and I follow her inside. As soon as the door closes behind us, I press the button and tell Jonathan to take us to Jessica’s building.

I fix her with a hard glare. “Never pull a stunt like that again.”

She pouts at me. “It’s not like we haven’t done far more than kiss before.”

“Not like that. And never in public.”

“What does it matter? It’s not like you have a girlfriend. Everyone knows Cole King doesn’t have girlfriends. So what’s the big deal?”

“It matters because it’s unacceptable. If you try anything like that again, you’ll find out just how little I appreciate it when people cross boundaries.”

“Fine.” She smooths her hands down her skirt. “I just hope you get whatever this is out of your system before you do something you’ll regret.”

I don’t bother responding. What I’m doing with Delilah is none of Jessica’s business.

We spend the next few minutes in silence. Jessica’s apartment building isn’t far away, and it’s not long before we’re pulling up outside the expansive glass foyer. Jonathan opens the door for her but just before she climbs out, she turns to me. “It’s not too late, you know. You can still come up to my place.”

I merely arch a brow, and she huffs out a breath and slides out. Jonathan closes the door behind her, then gets back into the driver’s seat. “Am I taking you home, sir?”

I think about my plan to swing past Delilah’s place and pick her up, but now I’m not so sure. I’ve been seeing her a lot lately—maybe too much. It might be better to have a break. I briefly consider telling her about Jessica kissing me, but it was meaningless on my part, so I don’t see the point. It’s unlikely she’ll ever see the photos that will probably be printed in the tabloids. I doubt she reads the gossip columns.

“Yes, thank you, Jonathan.”

The car glides into traffic, and I lean back in my seat and stare out the window. I’m supposed to see Delilah tomorrow night, but I might need to take a step back. Give us both some breathing space. Seeing each other so often isn’t a good idea. I don’t want to give her the wrong impression about what’s going on between us.

Even though I’m not overly happy with my decision, I force my mind to other things. There’s always plenty of work that needs to be dealt with.

I pull out my phone and start reading emails.