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

“Are you going to be okay?” Alex asks as I gather my purse and get ready to head out the door. When she returned from work last night, she’d immediately known something was wrong. Probably because my eyes were red from crying. When I explained what had happened, she wrapped me in her arms and told me Cole was an asshole who didn’t deserve me. Then she ordered in dinner and put on a thriller with absolutely no romance in it, and I managed to turn my mind off for a couple of hours.

This morning, I’m prepared—if not exactly ready—to face Cole and Paul. The former I probably won’t even see, and the latter, well, I’ll just have to put up with his smugness.

“I’m going to be okay. I won’t let a man as self-absorbed as Cole King get me down. I just need to finish this project and then I’ll never have to see him again.”

She comes over and gives me a hug. “Good for you. Just keep your head held high and ignore those assholes. You’re worth twice the both of them put together.”

I smile and return the hug. “Thank you.” After a bracing breath, I pull my purse strap higher on my shoulder and head out.

When I get to the office, I quickly scan the foyer before I press the button to the elevator. The last thing I need is to get caught in a metal box for multiple floors with either man I’m trying to avoid. Thankfully, I don’t see them, and I ride up with several people I’ve never met before. When I get to our floor, I slip past them and hurry to my desk.

I log on to my system and start on my plans. I really want them signed off by next week. As far as I’m concerned, the faster this project is completed, the faster I can get out of this building and away from Cole. I just want to put what’s happened behind me.

I manage to get absorbed in my work, tuning out everything around me, until the phone on my desk rings. I don’t recognize the name on the screen, but I answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hi, Delilah? This is Sophie. I’m Tate King’s PA.”

“Oh, hi,” I say tentatively.

“Tate would like to have a word with you in his office. Do you have a spare moment?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Great. And if you have any finished schematics or 3D renderings, can you bring some of those as well?”

I blink, immediately looking down at the plans neatly laid out on my table. “Okay. Can I ask what this is for?”

“He’ll discuss it with you when you get here,” she says pleasantly enough.

“Okay, thanks. I’ll be up straight away.”

I hang up, then stand, smoothing the wrinkles out of my dress. I don’t know what the head of marketing might want to discuss with me, but Tate’s timing has me wondering if it has anything to do with what happened between Cole and me. Surely not. Billionaires have more important things to do than involve themselves in each other’s failed flings.

After gathering several of my plans, I make my way to the top floor, hating that I both hope to avoid Cole and wish for a tiny glimpse of him. I steel my spine as I exit the elevator, doing my best to keep from turning my head toward his office door as I pass. From my peripheral vision, I can see it’s closed anyway. I continue down the hallway until I reach Tate’s office, then approach the woman sitting at the desk outside, who I assume is Sophie. “Hi, I’m Delilah. I’m here to see Mr. King.”

She offers a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Delilah. You can go in. Tate’s expecting you.”

I nod my thanks, knock on his door, and enter once he’s invited me inside. I give the large room a quick glance before focusing on Tate sitting behind his desk. The office isn’t too different from Cole’s. It has the same big windows with the same incredible view. Similar elegant prints adorn the walls, and beautiful wooden furniture dominates the floor space.

Tate is leaning back in his chair and smiling at me. My breath catches. I’ve never seen Cole’s younger brother up close before. Unlike Cole, who’s usually always in a three-piece suit at work, Tate has his jacket off and his shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. Like his brother, he’s gorgeous, even though he looks quite different from both Cole and Roman. Where they’re all dark hair and icy eyes, Tate is golden-blond and tawny. Just as beautiful and just as deadly to women’s hearts, I imagine. I’m sure he uses his good looks and charm to make women fall for him just as easily as Cole.

“Good morning, Miss West,” he says.

“Please, call me Delilah,” I say.

He nods. “Feel free to call me Tate. With multiple Mr. Kings in the building, it gets confusing.”

I give him a small smile, then turn to close the door behind me.

“You can leave that open,” he says, stopping me.

That’s weird. Does he think I’ll take advantage of him if the door is closed? Has Cole told him about us, and now he thinks I’ll make a move on him too?

That thought has me lifting my chin as I take a few steps closer to his large desk. “I brought some of my plans, like you asked.”

“Great, I’ll take them.” He stands and holds out his hand. I walk closer and pass him the rolled-up schematics, which he opens and lays flat on his desk.

“Can you show me what these are specifically?” he asks.

I’m still confused about what he’s after, but I move closer and slightly lean over the desk as I point out the different plans I brought with me. “These are the initial concept designs. These are the modifications I made post-site visit.” I glance up at him, just in time to catch him looking over my shoulder. Before I have time to turn and see what’s caught his attention, he’s returned his focus to me.

“Do you have interior schematics?”

I flick through the sheets and pull out one showing an internal section and place it on top. “These aren’t complete yet. It’s what I’m working on at the moment.”

He glances over my shoulder again, and this time I turn to look. I can’t see anything through the open office door, and I’m a little annoyed. I still don’t know what I’m doing here, and now Tate doesn’t even seem interested in what I’m showing him.

“Can I ask what it is you’re looking for?” My tone is slightly curter than warranted, considering who he is and who I am, but today is definitely not my best day. I just want to get back to my desk instead of loitering on this floor.

Tate leans back in his chair and smiles at me, and I blink a few times because his smile is equal parts charming and wicked.

“The marketing team wants some of the CAD drawings, the interior plans, and 3D renderings for some marketing ideas they’re putting together.”

My brows shoot up. “Okay.”

His mouth quirks. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, not at all,” I say. “I guess I’m wondering why me? And why you? Why didn’t this go through Paul? And why isn’t someone from the marketing team handling this? You seem a bit . . . senior to be the one taking care of this.”

He chuckles. “You’re right. This isn’t something I’d normally handle. But I had an ulterior motive for asking you up here.”

I tilt my head and study him as I wait for him to elaborate.

“Let’s just say I wanted to meet the woman who had my brother in a less than pleasant mood yesterday.”

Cole was in a bad mood yesterday because of me? I’m surprised he cared enough to let it affect him. And oh, god, Tate knows I was sleeping with his brother. My cheeks heat, but I don’t look away. I made a choice, and I won’t be ashamed about it.

I lean over his desk and start gathering my sheets. “So I guess you don’t really need to see these, then.”

Once more, his gaze goes over my shoulder, and this time a broad grin spreads over his face. I straighten and check behind me, but there’s still no one there. What is going on with him?

“Do you want me to take these to the marketing team? Or was that just an excuse to get me up here?”

“It wasn’t an excuse. The team really does need copies of these.”

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll just—”

His ringing phone cuts me off, and he smiles as if he’s expecting it. He holds up one finger and I stop what I’m doing, feeling awkward about listening in on his conversation.

“To what do I owe the honor of this phone ca—”

He stops, catching my eye and winking as he leans back in his chair.

I frown and fidget with the sheets I’m holding as I do my best to ignore his private call.

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I’m sensing some aggravation from you, Cole.”

My gaze jerks back to his as I realize who he’s talking to.

“I was merely talking to Miss West about the marketing plans.” He listens for a moment. “I agree. That’s not my job. Which is why Delilah is going to drop them down to the team now.” He pauses again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. This meeting is completely professional. My door stayed open the whole time. As you obviously saw when you walked past.”

Was that why he kept looking over my shoulder? Had he wanted Cole to see me in here with him?

My anger is rising now. I’m not sure what’s going on between these two, but I’m not interested in being involved in the games billionaires play with each other. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am. I may have let myself get distracted by sex, but I’ve learned my lesson. Getting swept up in a man, especially a man like Cole, isn’t doing me any favors. Just like it didn’t do Mom any favors.

I reach across Tate’s desk and gather the rest of my plans. He eyes me as he continues to listen to whatever Cole is saying to him. I strangle the urge to walk out. Regardless of how irritated I am at whatever he’s doing, he’s still in a position of authority over me and I’m in a precarious situation as it is with what’s happened with Paul and Cole. So I stand there stiffly until he finally hangs up.

As soon as he does, I say, “If we’re finished here, I’ll run these down to marketing.”

Whatever he’s reading in my tone or on my face has the corners of his lips tilting up. I’m obviously not doing a very good job of hiding how I’m feeling, but he doesn’t say anything about that. Instead, he studies me, and I do my best to keep still under his scrutiny.

The humor simmering under the surface of his expression fades. His gaze gets distant, and he nods. “Thank you, Delilah.”

I get out of there, giving Sophie a small smile as I pass her desk.

To get back to the elevator, I have to pass Cole’s office. I hope I can sneak past without him knowing. My heart sinks as his PAs desk comes into view and I see a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing next to it.

I lift my chin and keep my pace even. I’ll give him a polite nod and continue to the elevator.

But as soon as his eyes lock with mine and his gaze narrows, I know it won’t be that easy.

“Miss West,” he says, and I swallow at the dark tone of his voice.

I come to a stop a few feet from him, aware of Samson’s gaze bouncing between us. “Yes, Mr. King?”

“I’d like to talk to you for a moment, if you don’t mind.”

I consider saying that yes, I do mind, but I have to face him eventually. So I just nod, take a deep breath, and follow him into his office.