6. Kinsley

6

KINSLEY

“Stay out of that woman’s way,” Jock warns. I raise a brow, and he continues, “For now, she is engaged to Beckett.”

“Oh! I see.”

Jock chuckles. “You don’t, but I’m sure you will before this nightmare is over.”

I frown at the man. “He didn’t appear to like her.” The woman, dressed in a tight red dress highlighting her long and firm legs, appeared to be used to getting her own way. Maybe not with Tiberius, though.

“He doesn’t.” Jock glares toward the closed office door.

I have more questions than answers, especially after the arrival of the mysterious Veronica. As I turn toward Jock, the man rolls his eyes.

“What now?” he asks with mirth.

“Other than Tiberius’s fiancée, who is she? She obviously has money.” I pause. “Or does Tiberius fund her tastes?”

Jock snorts. “I can assure you that the man himself has neither bought nor paid for anything to do with that woman. She gives him a headache.” He takes my arm and leads me into the library. Once the door is closed behind us, he meets my gaze. “Do not engage Veronica in conversation. If she tries, ignore her. She is a viper, Kinsley. Beckett’s only with her to get access to something.”

“She’s pretty.”

“Not as pretty as you.”

I grin at the blushing man. “You think I’m pretty?”

He smirks. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“As if,” I scoff. “On that note, do you mind if I go and take a nap? I’ll set my phone alarm for dinner.”

“Go ahead. I’ll be in here for a time. I love old books.” His eyes roam over the shelves.

“My father collected them from all over. He even had an antiquarian bookseller who would look out for old tomes.”

“That’s sweet. I’ll have my own library of books one day.”

“I hope you do, Jock.” I smile. “I’ll be down later.”

“Make sure you are. The boss was right, you need more meat on your bones.”

Leaving Jock to the library, I hurry up to my room. I lock the door behind me and dash to my walk-in-closet. Inside, I shove the boxes of shoes to the side and then sit beside the large air vent. I discovered years ago that if I listen carefully and the people speaking in the office below use a normal tone, I can hear everything.

My father had uncovered that fact before I ever heard anything too juicy, but Tiberius doesn’t know. I smile to myself as Veronica’s angry voice travels into my room. So does Tiberius’s as he tells the woman, “Keep your voice down.”

I catch the words: basement, secure, beaten, refusal, next. None make sense on their own. Then the volume seems to go up.

“I’ll fuck you.” My face turns fuchsia and my body heats at the threat in Tiberius’s voice. “But anything else will not happen. I was blackmailed into this agreement.”

Veronica laughs. “No one blackmails you! We are only engaged because it’s what you want.”

“You don’t have a fucking clue as to what I want.” Those words are followed by silence.

Are they getting naked? Making up? Fucking? I’ve never had sex, but I’ve gotten myself off too many times to count.

“You bastard!” The scream and then the sound of glass breaking causes my heart to stop before it starts racing again. I stare opposite at a small spider’s web stuck in a dark corner as I wait for what happens next.

“Blaze,” shouts Tiberius. “Ms. Rossi is leaving. Right now!”

Fear slices through me at his tone. He sounds angrier than anyone I’ve ever heard before.

“Find Jock once you’ve gotten rid of her.”

“Rid of her, boss?”

“Not that!” Tiberius lets out a string of curse words. “Watch her drive off, then find Jock and get him to bring Kinsley to me.” He pauses. “Never mind, I’ll go get her.”

Crap!

I scoot to my feet, trip over the boxes I moved to eavesdrop, and screech as I fall into a dresser. It doesn’t end there. The glass cabinet beside it wobbles and tips over. I watch it fall in slow motion, then stare in horror as the glass shatters into chunks.

“Ouch!” I reach up and feel my cheek. My fingers come away bloody.

Feet pound up the stairs and grow closer. Seconds later, my bedroom door slams open, the door nearly knocked off its hinges. I stare at Tiberius through the mirror at the far end of the closet. He stands behind me, larger than life. He takes in the disaster I’ve created, and I notice his eyes narrow on the vent.

His gaze shoots to mine. I know my guilt is there for him to see on my face.

Tiberius holds out his hand to me and wiggles his fingers. “Come on. Your cheek is bleeding.”

“The mess,” I say in shock.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get someone to clean it up.” He glances at the vent once more. “And to seal that up too.” He cocks an eyebrow and lifts me into his arms. He carries me from the closet to the bedroom, where he lets me slide down the front of his body. My cheeks heat with embarrassment.

Jock bursts into the room, his brows hitting his hairline as he looks me over.

“Oops,” I say to break the tension.

Tiberius bursts out laughing. Jock frowns and then laughs too. The big man shrugs and moves to look inside my closet.

“Damn, Kinsley! You know how to make a mess. I think we should close the door and forget about it.”

“Not so fast. I’ll see to Kinsley. You find Saul and get him up here to clean up.” Tiberius ushers me into the bathroom as he issues the order.

He grabs me by the hips and plops me onto the vanity, then grabs a towel and wets a corner of it. His dark eyes meet mine as he softly opens my legs and steps between them. His eyes never leave mine as he cups my face. My body reacts to his closeness. The fact that he holds me in a soft grip with a tattooed hand affects me. The throb between my legs intensifies into a pulsating agony.

I finally inhale a sigh of relief when he gets to work on my cheek. He prods the cut with his fingers. “There’s no glass stuck in there.”

“The piece is on the floor in the closet.”

“Hmm.” He carefully cleans the wound and then puts a bandage on it. “You want to tell me what you overheard?” His hooded gaze is back on mine, and those gray eyes of his watch as I lick my lips. I try to close my legs and ease the ache he’s created, but his big body hasn’t moved. He places a hand on my leg and squeezes, a knowing look in his gaze, before he moves into the bedroom.

I swallow hard and get my feet under me. “I don’t suppose I have a choice?”

“Speak, Kinsley.” He moves close again, leaving me tongue-tied as he checks me over more. Amusement flickers in his gaze before he changes into the boss everyone calls him.

I start to blabber. “Sound does travel, but not well. I didn’t hear a lot because you spoke quietly.”

“Not all the time I didn’t.”

“Did you fuck her?” I slap a hand over my mouth, horrified I blurted out the question that was at the forefront of my mind.

His brows shoot upward. “I’m a beast, Kinsley. Fucking is a means to an end in certain circumstances.” His eyes linger.

“Is she one of those circumstances?”

He searches my gaze while my heart thuds at his closeness. “Yes. She is.”

“Oh!” I tilt my head, not liking the dark jealousy I feel at him fucking that bitch of a woman.

“You’re blunt,” I whisper, mesmerized by the way he’s looking at me.

His eyes narrow. “I’m a blunt man, Kinsley.”

He takes my hand and intertwines our fingers together, a daring look on his handsome face. He leads me downstairs and into the office.

“Take a seat.”