Page 5 of The CEO

Stepping onto the platform, I breathed in the crisp fall air. After being on the train for nearly an hour it was nice to take the fresh air into my lungs and catch a glimpse of the setting sun. After another moment of taking in the beauty surrounding me, I hightailed it to the house I’d shared for the last two years with Haider, ready to relax, eat dinner with my fiancé, and let him relieve all the tension that had built up since I started working under Kingston. NotunderPria. For Avery Capital Holdings.

The moment I stepped inside, the scent of garlicky goodness invaded my senses. My stomach growled as I circled the couch and headed into the bedroom to find Haider. Slipping off my shoes and setting them in my closet, my toes wiggled and dug into the plush carpet, happy to be free from the confines of my heels as I made my way into the bathroom. I spotted Haider washing himself through the steamed-up shower door and watched him for a moment. His thin body barely took up spacein the shower and I knew if Kingston was in my shower, he’d take up every available inch.

I closed my eyes, shook my head, and took in a deep breath as I tried to get the image of what my boss would look like in my shower out of my head.

“Pria?” Haider called out with confusion lacing his tone.

Opening my eyes, I saw him peeking out with his brows dipped low.

“You’re home,” he stated as if he was surprised I was actually standing in our bathroom. “What were you doing?”

“Thinking,” I muttered as I turned around and walked out of the room. I couldn’t tell him I was imagining my boss in our shower. Maybe if I wasn’t sex deprived, I wouldn’t be fantasizing about Kingston day and night. Tonight, I would get laid and it would be the end of me thinking about my boss in ways I shouldn’t.

Heading to the oven, I opened the door to see if dinner was almost ready right as the timer went off. I pulled the baking dish out and sat it on top of the oven as Haider wrapped his arms around me and kissed the space between my neck and shoulder. Placing my hands over his, I leaned back into him before I turned around to kiss him.

I stared up at his dark brown eyes that used to look at me with so much love but now seemed to look right through me. I didn’t know how to describe it. All I knew was that something was wrong. Maybe Haider was more upset than he’d let on about all my long hours. One thing I knew, he wouldn’t complain when my paychecks started to roll in. Well, he might when he saw all the new clothes I planned to buy this weekend after I got paid. I hadn’t been able to spend my first check since it needed to go toward bills and my half of the mortgage.

“Dinner looks and smells good. I can’t remember the last time I had a homemade meal. Thank you for cooking.”

“No problem.” He smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes.

“I’m happy to be home to spend the night with you.” I tried to appease him for being gone so much lately.

Pulling away, Haider started to dish the garlic ginger chicken he’d made onto our plates. I was hoping for Italian, but I should’ve known Haider wouldn’t make it for dinner. He only ever made Chinese food. Growing up, I thought my family was traditional, but Haider’s put ours to shame, with the exception that he made me pay for my half of the expenses and that we lived together before marriage. I’d been informed once we were married, I would no longer be expected to pay for anything. I had a feeling he and his family thought I’d quit my job and stay home. I knew I’d need to bring it up before we got married, but I didn’t want to fight with him.

Without looking at me, Haider took our plates to our dining room table which he’d already set. He sat at one end and I at the other in total silence. I wasn’t sure why we couldn’t sit in front of the television and eat if we weren’t going to talk. We used to talk about our days or what we wanted for our wedding as we ate dinner, but now my fiancé sat across the table from me without even looking at me. He stared at his food as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, and it took everything in me not to whip out my phone and scroll through social media. Instead, I sat in silence with the only noise being the scrape of our forks against the plates. Couldn’t we have music playing in the background? I liked noise. Even at work, I had music playing or was listening to an audiobook through my headphones. Who had time to read an actual book nowadays? Certainly not me.

After rinsing the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher, and cleaning up the mess Haider left in the kitchen, I found him in the living room on the couch channel surfing. Sitting down next to him, I placed my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arm around his waist, snuggling close to him.

“What are you in the mood for tonight?” His voice was hoarse and strained, but I thought nothing of it. Maybe he was tired, but I had an idea for a way to wake him up.

No time like the present, my hand slid down his chest and glided down to his slacks to his zipper. My nimble fingers started to undo his button when Haider placed a hand on top of mine. When I tried to continue to the promised land, he peeled my fingers off one by one before setting them down on the couch between us.

Sitting up, I looked up at Haider with wide eyes. “Not tonight, Pria.”

“If not tonight, when? I can’t remember the last time you looked at me with lust in your eyes or wanted me to touch you.”

Haider looked at the television and then back to me, his face devoid of all emotion. “I said, not tonight. It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

Biting my bottom lip to keep myself from crying, I stood from the couch. If Haider was going to turn me down, I was going to take care of myself.

CHAPTER FOUR

pria

Hittingthe blue button on the Keurig machine in the employee lounge, I patiently waited for the machine to brew my cup of coffee. I’d become a regular, drinking as many as five to seven cups throughout the workday. As luck would have it, a large yawn overtook me the moment Kingston walked in looking like a Manhattan god in a suit worth more than my entire wardrobe, his blond hair perfectly coiffed, and full lips tilted up as he chuckled.

“Long night?” One lone brow rose.

Instead of answering, I narrowed my eyes at him as the last drop of caffeinated elixir dripped into my cup. Lifting it to my lips, I blew over the piping hot liquid before taking a sip. It took everything in me, with him standing in front of me, not to think about all the dirty thoughts I had of him last night as I used my shower head to get off. It was too easy, and I didn’t want to be like all the other women who watched him walk down the halls picturing him naked. I didn’t blame them, but I had a fiancé. A wonderful fiancé who loved me and wouldn’t break my heart the way Kingston Avery broke women’s hearts left and right—if I went by what everyone in town said and the office gossip.

“Ms. Wang, cat got your tongue?” he said lasciviously with an arched eyebrow. How could one lift of a brow be so sexy?

“More like sleep deprivation,” I clipped back.And lack of sex.

Kingston cocked his head to the side before taking a step forward. Plucking my coffee cup out of my hands, he set it down on the counter and gave me a once-over. It didn’t feel sexual.Like I wanted.It was clinical. Assessing.

Heat rose up my body, and embarrassed by my blush, I turned to look down at my cup of coffee letting my long hair fall in a protective curtain around my face.

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