“I’ll chase. Always.”
I didn’t doubt it. Kingston wasn’t a man willing to let something go. He wanted me, and he’d have me, no matter the cost.
I go to the bathroom, keeping my head down to hide the flush on my cheeks. I’m sure everyone knows exactly what just happened, what I just did with a client in the office – even if said client wasn’t that at all.
The bathroom is thankfully empty, so I quickly do my business, cleaning myself up the best I can considering where I am and then splash some cold water on my face, willing the blush on my cheeks to lessen, my breathing to even out. When I feel a little bit more in control I exit, heading back to my desk. Tobias can find King himself, I didn’t need to be in the same room as him.
“Eleanor!” Tobias rounds the corner, “Where is he?”
“Set up in room four,” I tell him, gathering my things, now he’s here I don’t need to be. “I’ll see you later.”
“Wait, where are you going?”
“Home, it’s Saturday.”
“I know, but I need you to take notes.”
I sag, defeated. Just a couple of hours, that’s all I want, a couple of hours to sort my head out, to get myself together, but I wasn’t going to get that, clearly.
I follow him reluctantly back to where King waits in the room. When I enter, behind Tobias, I spot him slouching in the chair at the head of the table, hands linked behind his head and his ankle resting on his knee.
He smirks, “Tobias,” he greets.
His blue eyes meet mine, heating a fraction as he sweeps over my body, “Eleanor, you’ll be joining us?”
“She will,” Tobias answers for me. He acts as if he doesn’t know every inch of my body, as if we haven’t spent every night together for the past week and while I expected that, knew it had to happen to keep up whatever ruse he had going on, I hadn’t expected the pang of pain it shot into my stomach at the indifference. I saw the heat in his gaze, the way he devoured me with his eyes and the slight curl of his lip, but only because I knew what I was looking for, Tobias wouldn’t see that. He would see the man ahead of him treating me with little more than common courtesy.
I hated it.
I knew I had been fighting this, fighting whatever fucked up tie binds us together, stretching it and hoping it’ll snap, but I hadn’t realized just how hard I had been denying it.
There was no point being afraid of him damning me, it had already happened, and I guess I just had to go along for the ride and be prepared for the pain at the end of it.
I sit to the side, a notebook and a pen in front of me. Tobias continues the general menial talk as he gets settled in, and King is skilled at pretending, telling him about his family and the estates down in the Cotswold’s. The lies roll off his tongue, the tales he weaves never wavering, never left open to allow questions.
I flick my eyes to him from behind the curtain of hair, but he’s already looking at me and for just a minute, as our eyes meet his own soften, understanding where my mind is going.
He pulls his eyes away before Tobias can notice the prolonged stare and gets right to it. I zone out at this point as they talk numbers, important dates and future plans that’ll never happen. I write the notes on autopilot, keeping my eyes trained on the page in front of me.
I jump in my chair when Tobias loudly claps his hands two hours later, bringing the meeting to an end.
“Thank you for seeing me at such late notice,” King says.
“Of course,” Tobias nods, “Before you go, I wanted to personally invite you to the Gala we’re holding on Tuesday. It’s to raise money for the Children’s hospital.”
I knew about the gala and had been invited to attend, my ticket already purchased through the company, but I hadn’t planned on going.
“I’d be honored to attend,” King replies, shocking me. “I’ll have the tickets purchased this afternoon.”
“Wonderful, I look forward to seeing you there. Eleanor, you’re free to leave.”
I nod and exit quickly, leaving them to their fake niceties. There was no point running, no point hiding from King, not when it would be futile. I’d end up snared by him again and again, so I take my time packing up my things, dawdling and prolonging it until I see the two of them heading towards me.
They shake hands again as I walk past, meeting King’s eyes. He’ll follow.
The air is a welcoming cold as I step out of the building and into the street, avoiding the heavy Saturday traffic as I begin the walk towards the underground. It’s been twenty minutes, but King hasn’t caught up yet. Maybe he’s going to give me space.
I knew a moment later that even the mere thought of King doing that was ridiculous, especially as a Mercedes pulls up to the curb and the passenger window rolls down, revealing King himself in the driver’s seat. He’s lost the suit jacket and rolled his sleeves up to show off all those intricate tattoos covering his skin.
“Get in,” he orders.
I obey, pulling open the door and sliding in, the warmth from the fan enveloping me and chasing away the cold. I turn to face King and when I do, he reaches over and tucks a tendril of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my cheek.
“I want you to hand in your resignation.”
The words shock me stupid. I open my mouth and then close it again, trying and failing to find words to answer that.
His eyes bounce between mine, urging me to speak. He keeps his hand close, tracing the side of my face, my bottom lip until I finally find words again.
“Are you crazy?”
He smiles, “No, love, but I don’t want you working for him anymore.”
“You didn’t seem to mind when it benefitted you.” I cross my arms, quirking a brow, “And I might also add, I haven’t even got you what you need. We had a deal.”
“The deal still stands, I’ll help with your friend, but I release you from your end of the bargain.”
“Why!?”