Page 56 of Emperor of Corruption
While she’s not as senior as I am, Annalise is in the promotional cue for the next opening in Senior Staff Writers. When the time comes, I intend to push the hell out of her.
“So, how are things going with Killian?” Anna asks me.
My skin flashes cold at the very mention of his name. I want to snap at her to not talk about him, but that would deepen her already-present suspicion.
“Fine so far,” I say with a shrug. “He’s just another spoiled billionaire playboy.”
Anna arches an eyebrow. “Is he? Most billionaires are born wealthy. King was born with nothing. He stands out from the pack because of that.”
“He also fits into the pack by being an asshole.” Ireallywant to steer the topic away from Killian. He already consumes my thoughts even when we’re apart; I don’t want him to consume all of my conversations, as well. “How’s your boyfriend?”
Ana pauses to think. “Oh, Joel? I got rid of him last month. His oral game was shit.”
Killian’s oral game is on another level. My nails dig into my knees, just below the hem of my dark blue velvet dress. I need to stop thinking about him, but it’s hard to do so when he does his best to invade every corner of my life.
I can’t even sleep on my bed anymore after what happened there; I’ve been camping out on my couch like a guest. Once Killian releases me, I’ll probably need to go apartment hunting. There’s too much bad energy in my place.
“Have you moved onto greener pastures yet?” I manage to choke out.
Anna smiles. “Of course not. Why do you think I broke out this dress, and insisted we come here? Plenty of finance bros in a joint like this.”
“Plenty of other people, as well,” I point out, sweeping a gaze around the room. There are groups of men and women sitting in booths or at bar tables together. In the back left corner, a group of men all wearing suits catch my eye. At first glance, they look like typical finance bros enjoying some weekend fun, but a double take shows that one of the men has agun holsterpeeking out beneath his suit jacket.
And the one next to him is staring in our direction. No, notourdirection;Anna’sdirection. His dark eyes are fixed right on my friend, glittering with intentions that raise the hairs on the back of my neck. Protectiveness for my closest friend crawls up my throat. I don’t like the way the man is staring at her. I shift closer to her protectively, and pointedly look away from that table.
“I think I’m getting eye-fucked,” Anna announces.
“By at least twelve people,” I agree.
“No, seriously. That guy in the back? Dark as night blue eyes and a jawline sharp enough to cut? He’s looking at me like he wants to eat me alive.”
My recent experience with powerful men is enough to make me want to caution Anna. I follow her gaze, seeing that she’s staring at the man who I caught staring at her—and he’sstillwatching her. I don’t think he’s blinked a single time.
A brunette wearing barely a scrap of fabric waltzes over to him and takes a seat on his lap; he pushes her off without looking away from Anna. She falls on the floor, startled, then shouts something at him and scurries away.
“Probably not the kind of man you want to get involved with,” I point out.
“Get involved with? Absolutely not. Have a dirty fuck with? Absolutelyyes.” Anna manages to peel her eyes away from the man and refocuses her attention on me. “Have you been getting any action lately?”
I nearly choke on air. “Only from my vibrators,” I croak, which is alie. I haven’t touched any of my toys since Killian came into my life—my desire to get off has all but evaporated, but that never seems to bother him. He makes me come whether or not I want to. He does whatever he wants to me, and itkillsme to know that there’s no way I can openly get him back for it.
“Be careful with those things,” Anna says. “I read an article that says they can ruin you for all men. Except for the men smart enough to incorporate them into sex.”
The very thought of Killian discovering my vibrators is enough to make me shudder. It’d open up a whole new channel of torture for him.
“Weren’t you the one to write that article in college?” I ask, trying desperately tostop thinking about Killian.
Anna laughs. “Of course I was.”
A shadow falls over our table, and a chill runs up my spine. I glance up, nearly cringing back when I see one of the guys from the table in the back standing in front of us. The guy who I spotted carrying agun. His suit’s buttoned now, hiding his holster, and although the fit appears tailored, I can’t spot any outline of a gun.
“Mr. Black would like to invite you to join him for a drink,” he says, glancing between me and Anna. His eyes linger on me for a few beats too long, making me squirm in my seat.Do I know him?
No, that’s a face I would remember.
“Sorry, but this is a girl’s night,” Anna chirps. “Thanks for the invite, though. Is your boss the one who’s been eye-fucking me nonstop for twenty minutes?”
The man doesn’t flinch. “Yes. I think he’d prefer toactuallybe fucking you.”
