Page 50 of The CEO

I smiled to myself at the possibility that King might be accepted easier than I thought by my family. Maybe I should have introduced him to my Lao Lao. He might have charmed the pants off her.

“He treats me better than any man ever has. I didn’t plan on King coming into my life the way he did.”

“King? What kind of name is that?”

“You know him, father. His name is Kingston Avery. He offered me a place to stay after what happened with Haider and?—”

“You should have come home.” He barked as he stood up and looked down at me. Rapid fire Chinese spat out of his mouth as he paced in front of me. I wasn’t fluent, but I caught some of what he was saying and none of it was good.

He was very disappointed that I jumped from living with one man to another while unmarried. It wouldn’t have been any better if I had been married, but I understood what he was saying. I was a disgrace in his eyes.

His brown eyes so much like my own filled with disappointment and his mouth opened and closed, but in the end, he chose to walk away.

Hourslater a large body sat down beside me and I bristled. I wanted to be left alone and didn’t want to deal with anyone invading my privacy. When a warm arm rested across my shoulders, I nearly shot up from my seat. Turning to fight with whoever was there to bother me, I was surprised to find King. He was clad in one of his many ten-thousand-dollar suits with sunglasses hiding his eyes. “What are you doing here?” My voice came out as a croak after many hours of not speaking.

King gave me a sad smile. “Your dad called me.”

“My dad? How?” He’d left hours ago, and more importantly, why had he called King?

“I’m not really sure. He said something about how you were upset and had been sitting here for hours. I asked him where you were and left immediately to come to you.” His large hand covered mine that were clasped in my lap. “I’m sorry you had to go through this alone. You know I would have been here for you if you would have let me.”

Leaning my head on his shoulder, I snuggled into his side wrapping my arm around his trim waist. The heat radiating off him soothed my body that had chilled after hours of sitting outside. With King by my side, the death of my grandmother and the rejection of my father didn’t hurt as much anymore. “I know you would have. I didn’t want to rock the boat, but I ended up doing it anyway. I told my father about you.”

“So, I’m no longer your dirty little secret.” He gave me a squeeze to let me know he was joking. Only I wasn’t sure if he was really joking about it or if some small part of him felt like I wanted to keep the fact that he was my boyfriend hidden from the world.

Pulling back enough to be able to look up at him, I held his gaze. I wanted him to know how I truly felt. “You were never my secret, even when I didn’t want the world to know about us. You were always my prize.”

“Shorty, you don’t have to reassure me. I’m here for you, not the other way around.” His icy green eyes twinkled at me.

“What was your plan to make me feel better? Were you going to whisk me away or let your dog’s kiss me into submission?” I had to admit to myself some puppy kisses would help. Jimmy and Orvy always seemed to know what I needed. I never knew dogs could be so tuned into the humans they were around.

“All good plans, but I had something different in mind.” He sat up straighter and ran his hand through his already ruffled but sexy hair. “Do you remember the other night when I said I had something to do before the fundraiser?”

“Yes, of course, I do. I thought it was strange since we planned on going together and then out of nowhere you changed the plans.”

King smiled nervously. I could see his pulse pick up in his neck and I instantly got nervous, afraid I’d lost him when I pushed him away. Maybe it was because I made him feel lessthan regarding my family. All I knew was that I’d be devastated if my stupid actions cost me the best thing that had ever happened to me.

He cleared his throat, his grip on me tightening. “I had other plans for us that night.” My face fell. My heart dropped into my stomach and broke shattering into a million pieces as I stared back at him. “Christ, I’m doing this all wrong.” King tugged at his hair. “You don’t need to worry. Like I’ve told you before, I suck at expressing myself unless I’m pissed off.” His free hand fished in his pocket for a long moment before he pulled out a keyring. King shifted until we were facing each other with our legs pressed together. “This is what I wanted to do the other night.” He held out the keyring. “I know this might seem early in our relationship, but when you know you know. I want to wake up with you by my side and fall asleep wrapped around you. What do you say?”

All of that just to ask me to live with him? “I’m not going anywhere, and I already have a key. You didn’t need to get me a key chain to make it official.”

“That’s not…” King held the key chain up until it was directly in my eyesight. “I don’t want you to live with me.” Amusement shone in his voice. “I want you to marry me, Pria Wang.”

“You want to marry me?” My ears must have been playing tricks on me. Who asked someone to marry them by giving them a keyring?

“I know you’re the one for me. We can have a long engagement, get married at the courthouse, or run off to Vegas and elope. Whatever you want, but please tell me that you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

King’s words knocked the breath out of me. Throwing my arms around his broad shoulders, I peppered kisses all over his gorgeous face. “Since the moment you let me in,” I placed myhand over his rapidly beating heart, “you’ve made me happier than I’ve ever been. I can’t wait to wake up with you by my side.”

The smile that broke across King’s face would forever be cemented in my heart. His warm hands cupped my face as he dipped low and slid his tongue ever so slowly along the seam of my upturned lips. I opened for him, my fingers threading through his hair as I soaked in the moment. My heart was about ready to beat out of my chest. I couldn’t believe this was my life. That King would be mine for the rest of my days. His hand curled around mine as the other slid to the back of my neck and held me. Deepening the kiss, we groaned and let ourselves get lost in the moment.

Pulling back, his thumb caressed my cheek.

“But why a key chain? Is this some new tradition you’re starting?”

Kissing me again only this time shorter, King shook the set of keys. “I was afraid I’d lose it, so I clipped it on my keys. Probably not the smartest move, but I thought you’d see it.” Unsure of how I hadn’t managed to see the ring that glittered in the light, I gasped. King quickly unclipped it and held it out for me to see. It was a large sapphire with diamonds on the side. It was perfect and what I would have picked out for myself if given the chance.

“It’s beautiful and perfect.” Tears stung the backs of my eyes. I blinked to clear my vision but was unsuccessful. The moment was so unexpected and wonderful I couldn’t contain my happy tears. Even though his method had been unconventional, I knew I’d never forget that day.

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