The Dark Side of Kingsley: A Billionaire Romance Read online

  "Shhh, Katarina, it's okay; you just went above and beyond, and your senses are heightened. When you come like that, there is an emotional release."

  I could hear sobs lightening, and the tears, which had been flowing on my neck, slowing down to a trickle.

  Kate gazed at me with her tear-streaked eyes. "I-I don't know why I was crying. I thought it was stupid, and you would think I was stupid, and it made me cry more." Tears were threatening again with her confession.

  "Katarina, it is perfectly normal. It's a primordial release you just experienced; tell me, how do you feel now?"

  "Um, wrung out, like I could sleep for a week, but also really good, lighter? Does that sound weird?"

  I laughed. "No, it's perfectly acceptable; you are perfectly acceptable."

  She sighed then lay her head back on my shoulder and promptly fell asleep. I stood with her in my arms and put her in the bed as she wouldn't be going home tonight. I went to the bathroom and then climbed in behind her, pulling her ass to my crotch as I spooned her from behind.

  She wiggled back, getting as close as she could. Her ass was still pretty warm and felt good against my crotch. I fell asleep and, for the first time in forever, slept for longer than my usual four hours.

  Chapter 6

  Kate

  Kingsley drove me home the next morning with the promise of a dinner date later that evening. I had absolutely nothing to do, and for a change, that was okay. There was a lot to think about and recover from. The sex we'd shared was crazy good. I had no idea it could be that good, and I had a feeling the bar would be raised with time.

  The intensity of what he did, the heights he took me to, left me spiraling. I needed to ground myself. I was not a consistent anything, even when it came to exercise, but today felt like a run day to me. I donned my running gear, grabbed my phone, and clicked on my Spotify channel.

  Luckily, I was in an area of Beverly Hills that had little to no foot traffic. Mansions with gates dominated the scenery as I ran. With no location in mind, I made my way toward the Santa Monica Pier. I was vaguely aware of a car that seemed to be a constant in my peripheral vision.

  I was caught up in the new sensations my body was feeling in the aftermath of my time with Kingsley. I was aware of the wind on my skin, a feeling that I'd never noticed before, and I wondered if I was falling in love.

  Isn't that what all the songs on the radio were about, the feelings one had when they fell in love? I almost laughed out loud. I was such a cliché, even the sun kissing my skin felt like a sexual gesture. I imagined that if Kingsley could control the elements, he would have sent me the sun and the wind as a reminder of his touch last night.

  The car that had been hovering in my peripheral pulled up right beside me. A camera popped out of the window, and a series of pictures were taken—the paparazzi, I assumed. Then, as suddenly as it had made its presence visible, the car zoomed off. Ugh, a reminder of who my parents were. I suddenly felt less free, and at the next corner, I headed for home.

  On my way back, the elemental sensations from my earlier run were gone, and instead, I found myself fretting over the sudden appearance of the paparazzi. I kept a low profile and was rarely in the spotlight; the media was more interested in my parents than in the rich, spoiled princess. Maybe when they had caught me with Kingsley, I'd became a person of interest.

  I stopped running and looked to see what was trending on Twitter. Sure enough, it was the rich Silicon Valley bitch and British playboy millionaire caught at the Wilshire. I looked at the pictures that were posted. We looked good, really good, and I suddenly didn't mind so much being found with the elusive playboy.

  I put my music back on and continued home. When I got there, I received a text from King.

  Did you see what's trending?

  I sent back a winky face emoticon and a crying emoticon, with an added, yes.

  See you 2-night. Did you eat yet? He added a hamburger and French fry emoticon.

  I laughed and typed back, no, just got in from a run.

  He typed back an angry face emoji.

  Don't be a daddy, I typed back. I'll eat when I'm hungry, and I added a stubborn face emoji.

  Then I dropped my phone on the couch and headed into the shower. Just as I was getting out, the doorbell rang. I frowned, puzzled. Who could that be? I looked through the spyhole; it was my doorman, Norman.

  I opened the door. "Hi, Norman, is there a problem?"

  "Sorry to bother you, Ms. Wallington, but this just came for you."

  He handed me a bag and took his leave. I went into the kitchen and set down the bag. As soon as I opened it, a delicious smell assailed my nostrils. I pulled out Eggs Benedict with shrimp and avocado, a container of fruit salad, gluten-free toast, and a glazed hollandaise sauce on the side.

  My mouth began to water immediately, and I realized I was starving. I grabbed a glass of water and sat down with my treasure, while texting with one hand. I dropped a line to King, Thanks for the grub, delicious! and added egg and coffee emojis.

  He sent back a heart.

  I would have responded, but I got serious about breakfast. After I was done, I downed a few more glasses of water and then headed out to the deck with my coffee and my tablet. I sat in the sun and read while I drank, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I really enjoyed my quiet time alone.

  Maybe King was on to something; I had felt more alive and more stable in the past twenty-four hours than I had in longer than I could remember. I gave myself an abundant amount of time to get ready for our date. Now that I'd let King in on my dirty little secret—I was a total foodie—I assumed our date would include dinner.

  What to wear? I examined my closet, unsure of how to dress for the evening. So far, King had not answered my text messages regarding attire. After my long bath, I did my hair and makeup, hoping he would text back with a wardrobe suggestion.

  My phone beeped. It was a text message from Kingsley, Wear something elegant, no undergarments.

  Me: No bra?

  K: smiley emoji What did I just say? devil emoji

  I threw my phone on the bed. I really wanted to chew him out. At a thirty-six C cup, I always felt the need to hold the girls together. I sat on my bed considering my options and then an excellent, nasty idea came to mind. I went to my closet and found my Halloween costume from last year.

  It was a black dress made of POV, like a catsuit but the dress version. It was skin-tight and melded to my body, I couldn't have put anything on underneath if I'd wanted to. I redid my hair into a high bun with a few tendrils of curled hair to soften the look and added black heels with bow ankle straps for an extra feminine touch.

  I put red chopsticks through my loose bun to add in an element of mystery and red lipstick to my lips and grabbed a red clutch just as my buzzer sounded. I couldn't help but grin in anticipation of Kingsley's reaction.

  The King had issued a challenge, and I felt good about how I'd answered it. The elevator door opened, and he turned when he heard it ding. Then his jaw dropped, and so did Norman's, who was still on front desk duty.

  It was hard not to laugh. I suddenly felt like I had a new superpower, and I liked it. Kingsley quickly schooled his face to give away nothing. He hooked my arm into his, and we strolled outside. Instead of his car, there was a limousine. I suddenly felt nervous; I didn't like being in the public eye.

  "Where are we going?" I whispered as his driver closed the door.

  He grinned and winked at me as he said, "Somewhere private."

  Whew, well, at least I had that. But then why would a secluded destination require us both to dress elegantly? I wasn't complaining, though. He looked magnificent in his black Calvin Klein tuxedo. His driver sped through the city, and within minutes, we were loading onto a private jet heading to who knew where.

  This wasn't my first rodeo; my parents had sent me on dates with plenty of rich men as they became Silicon Valley icons of wealth. But this was not orchestrated by them, and this w
as not an unwanted date like all the others had been.

  This, Kingsley, was controlling, and I was super turned on about not knowing anything, just flying through the sky to some unknown location with him. When we landed and exited the private hangar, another limo was waiting for us. We drove from Heathrow airport into the heart of London.

  I had done a lot of traveling but had never been to London. I had my eyes peeled to the window trying to see everything as we passed. "Your first time, Katarina?"

  "Yes, I've always wanted to come but haven't as yet. It reminds me of New York, so busy and full of interesting people."

  He laughed. "That is a good comparison."

  "Where are we going, Kingsley?"

  Before he could answer, we pulled up to a restaurant, Clos Maggiore. I had never heard of it. Instead of using the main door, we went through a private entrance. The inside was like nothing I'd ever seen. It was filled with Cherry blossom trees and twinkle lights. I felt like I was outside, in springtime.

  A beautiful woman greeted us, "Welcome to Clos Maggiore, Ms. Wallington, Mr. Deveraux. We are ready for you; right this way."

  She led us into a separate room that felt like a secret garden. I was almost sorry I'd worn such a tight, unbreathable dress. I felt inspired to be in something floral and flowy. Once we were sitting, I commented on the fact that there were no menus.

  "No need, Katarina, as the chef has created something special for us." His eyebrows lifted in an appreciative glance as he took me in. "I want to compliment you on your choice of dress. That is quite something, and you look ravishing in it."

  "This old thing," I said, batting my eyes. "Why, thank you. And you look gorgeous in that tux, by the way."

  "Come here, Katarina, stand in front of me."

  Yippee, let the games begin, my inner goddess crooned. I stood and walked to him, never taking my eyes off his. When I stood in front of him, he ran his hands up to the inside of my thighs to the apex of my sex, checking to see if I'd been a good girl. Of course, I was already wet; every time I was with him, I was wet.

  "Good girl," he purred. Then he reached up and tweaked my nipple that was pressed tightly into my dress. "I see a reward is in order." Kingsley kept rubbing my nipple as he plunged his fingers into my sopping pussy. I had to put a hand on the table to balance myself.

  "Oh my God, if you keep that up, I'll be coming in seconds."

  "Yes, you will. When I say now, I want you to come."

  No argument there; I was so close already. I felt like a wanton whore, and I didn't care. I just wanted him to take me and make me explode all over his fingers.

  "Now, Kate."

  I tried to keep quiet as the orgasm split through the center of my body, taking my breath away. Kingsley pulled his hand out from between my legs and sat me down on his knee. "Open," he said, then he placed his slick fingers that had just been inside me into my mouth.

  "Suck."

  I complied, and when his fingers were licked clean, he sent me back to my chair. "Why did you have me do that, Kingsley?"

  "An appetizer." He chuckled.

  I laughed, too, and then our wine arrived, along with roasted vermicelli noodles and lobster done in saffron and tomatoes. I was excited and very hungry; lunch was a long time ago. The wine was light and fruity, a perfect complement to our appetizer. "What is it? Surely, not a chardonnay?"

  "You have a discerning tongue, Katarina. It is Semillon from Australia."

  "Oh, Kingsley, the tastes together are exquisite."

  He smiled. "Yes, the taste is exquisite."

  I got the double meaning and blushed; he smirked and raised his glass in a toast. The evening continued with more appetizers and pairings.

  "Is this where you got the idea for Cielo's?"

  He sat back, twirling the wine in his glass. We were now drinking Flichman Malbec Tupungato. Not an expensive wine, but it had moved through the ranks of being in the top five, and I knew Kingsley served it at his restaurant as well.

  "Yes, and no. I know the owner well, although I've never been here to dine. They don't do pairings like Cielo's or what you want to do, but after examining their menu and the wine list, I created the pairings in advance for us."

  "You're excellent, King. I mean, I have eaten in some pretty fine places, and despite how good it is, at the end of the day, it's just better steak, you know? But your pairings are something else entirely. I feel like I'm being entertained and fed from a magic kitchen."

  He laughed. "It's nice to be appreciated, at least for my taste," he said with a wink.

  "So, not to sound uncouth, but why did you bring me here? I mean, uh, well, I don't know what I mean. I'm a sure thing; you know that already." I laughed. "You didn't have to fly me to Europe for dinner."

  Now, he wore a Cheshire cat grin. There was more that he hadn't shared yet about our date. "This is not a dinner date, Katarina. This is the beginning of our business project. I have booked off the week, and we are going to scout out ideas and locations for our project. When we are done, you will have two weeks to put together your first proposal plan, including a viable location. You will present it to me, and if I like it, we'll put it in motion. Also, you are getting paid, so I will need your social security number for my records. Let the adventure begin." He held up his glass, and we toasted to our new venture.

  I sure hoped what I would be proposing would turn out to be a good investment. I had a lot of ideas but had never acted on any of them. I did take one year of business and brand development. I thought my parents would be impressed. I dropped out my second year, when my childhood bestie, Ethan, was in Connecticut at University and got dumped hard by what he thought was his forever love.

  I flew to him and consoled him and decided a weekend wouldn't cut it. Since the university wouldn't give me the time I asked for, I told them to stuff it and stayed with Ethan. We spent three months together, and I helped him mourn and repair. We'd always been close, but after that, we were tight. I hadn't told him about Kingsley, and vice versa, but I was sure he'd seen the Twitter feed, because he'd been sending me texts about wanting to talk.

  I hadn't done it yet. I knew when I spoke with Ethan, he'd want the entire story and I would tell him. I wasn't ready to share Kingsley, not with Ethan or anyone else.

  I did owe Ethan a phone call. He had graduated and was now working in New York.

  "Kingsley, are we going to New York, by any chance?"

  "We are, why?"

  "Well, my childhood bestie is there, and I haven't seen him for a while. I was thinking you two should meet."

  He grinned. "Your childhood bestie is a guy? Well, then I best meet him; he's probably wondering what you're doing with the English playboy."

  I laughed. "Yes, he probably is."

  My next thought was sobering… what was I doing with the English playboy?

  Chapter 7

  Kingsley

  I didn't let my family know I would be in London, and my choice of flying on a private plane ensured that our trip remained that way. Katarina had fallen asleep in the limo on the way to our bed and breakfast. I sent my driver ahead to check us in, and when he was done, I carried her into our room for the night. Once I'd peeled off her dress, I tucked her in bed and pulled out my phone to check what was trending, hoping it wasn't us.

  I scanned Google, Instagram, Twitter, and all on the Deveraux/ Wallington front was quiet. I sighed in relief and put my phone away. There would be a time to be public on this trip. I wanted people to know that Katarina was working with me. It would help seal the deal of a career with me and keep her horrible parents from cutting her off.

  Not that I cared about her lack of money, I would take care of her in a heartbeat. But first, she needed to get control of her life before putting me in charge of it. The purpose of this trip was a multifaceted education, for Katarina to grow as a person. First and foremost, it was for her to get to know me and my proclivities better and to see the scale in which I wanted our new partnership to be.<
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  Tomorrow, I would leak to the press that I was considering another business and that my new business partner would be looking into the viability of the locations I chose.

  Katarina was a natural in terms of partnering, and she had good instincts. Inevitably, if this turned out to be way out of her wheelhouse, I could end this project and start another with her. Something smaller if need be, but for now, we would boldly move forward and in the public eye, in pursuit of our first, and hopefully, many projects.

  I put my phone away after checking in with the club and the restaurant back in Los Angeles. We would be checking in at my more significant investment ventures on this trip. No one knew I owned a hotel chain. I kept it under an alias investment company. But Katarina would find out soon enough, as we would be staying in them.

  I undressed and headed to the shower. It had been a long day, and I was looking forward to snuggling against her perfect ass for the night.

  She stirred when I slid into bed. I pulled her back, and she mumbled my name and sighed. I hadn't told her, and at the rate my intimacy issues were rearing their ugly head, I might not ever tell her how good it felt to snuggle up and just be with her, to have someone like her to hold, to be at peace in my bed with the perfect woman in my arms.

  I sighed and pulled her in tightly, wrapping my arm around her chest and placing my right hand over her breast. When I was settled, I ran my thumb pad over her nipple.

  I found it relaxing and was almost asleep when Katarina said, "King, that's yummy."

  I grinned; my little submissive wanted to play. I used the arm I'd slid under her a few moments earlier and swept Kate on top of me as I moved onto my back and into the center of the bed in one motion. Her eyes were still closed, her lips parted, the moon sending in enough light for me to see her.

  I held her in place with my hands until she felt stable, and then I slid my hands up her side ribs and around to her perky tits. Both hands grabbed a handful, pulling her nipples between my fingers to roll and pinch them.