A billionaire’s kiss

“Why did you tell her we’re sleeping in the same room?” I asked in frustration as I packed my clothes into a bag.

Ian shrugged. “Why would I lie?”

“I told you, I don’t want to be a homewrecker”

“And I told you, there has to be another woman in my life for you to be a homewrecker”

I scowled. “You’re so annoying”

Ian smiled and nudged his chin towards my bag. “Give that to me” His hands reached for it but I swatted them away.

“No need. I’ll take these into your room”

After packing everything I dragged the bag into his room and opened the door to his walk in closet. The left side of it was filled with all of Ian’s clothes and the right side was emptied by Ian for me.

Since Emma knew everything I decided to move my things here so that I wouldn’t have to run back and forth between the two rooms while getting dressed for work. Much easier this way but on the bad side, Emma would think of me as an obstacle for her purpose.

Ahhh so annoying!

“I’ll help you” Ian suggested from the door.

“No need” I waved a dissmissive hand. “I can manage. You go and get dressed for work”

“Okay then” Ian gave a nod and went to the bathroom.

I hung my long dresses and my work clothes in the steel bar, my colourful blazers contrasting starkly against Ian’s all black suit jackets on the other side. I placed my heels and my shoes on the lower shelves and opened a drawer to put my underwear but instead found something rectangular inside.

Frowning in puzzlement I took it out. It was a framed photo, a photo of two teenage boys smiling with their arms around each others shoulders.

My gaze first went to the boy with blue eyes and dark hair. I stared at him with narrowed eyes for a moment, thinking the boy looked familiar then gasped realising he was Ian.

He looked a few years younger than the other boy, who had brown eyes instead of blue but shared the same hair colour with Ian. Noticing their resemblance I realised the other boy was Nathan Kingston, our former CEO and Ian’s older brother.

He died six years ago, two years before I joined the company but I’ve read a lot about him. His cheating scandal was the biggest scandal of the country years back and there was no newspaper, magazine or TV channel that didn’t talk about it. He repeatedly cheated on his wife with his ex girlfriend in one year into their marriage and then committed suicide out of grief when his parents sent his mistress abroad.

The country called him a douchebag and I don’t blame Ian for thinking the same. After the scandal, ATC stocks fell damaging the company and Ian had to work his ass off to build it back. Because of his brother’s reputation Ian had to prove himself many times and perhaps that made him isolate himself from any sort of relationships, turning him into the devil of ATC.

“What are you doing?”

I turned around and found Ian fiddling with his tie in front of the dressing table, a frown curling his lips as he tried to tie it properly. Realising he didn’t see me holding the photo, I quickly hid it behind my back.

“Oh umm… nothing. I just uh… finished” I quickly turned around and carefully put the photo back in without making a sound. As a book reader I knew it was never a good idea to invade someone’s privacy. The consequences can be harsh.

“Okay then come and help me with this tie”

“You’ve been tying your tie for years now. Can’t you do it by yourself?”

“No”

“Wow, are you serious right now?” I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t want to”

“Come and help me”

“Are you ordering me?”

“Yes”

“Who the hell are you to order me?”

“Your boss’s boss’s boss”

My lip’s twisted into an annoyed scowl and Ian smirked. Asshole.

“Fine” I huffed angrily and strode over to him. I reached for his knot and tied it back again all the time Ian staring at me with his deep blue eyes and for a moment I felt breathless under his gaze.

“Done” I patted his suit. “Now will you excuse me, my ride is here”

“Let’s go together”

I shook my head. “Nope. Lexi is already here”

“I told her to go”

“What?” I frowned. “Why did you tell her to go?”

“Because I want you to go with me”

I scoffed. “What nonsense is that? Go see a doctor” I spun around to walk out the door but Ian grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

“Stop being stubborn, let’s go together” He clasped my hand in his and dragged me out of the room.

We reached the parking lot and Ian unlocked the car doors. He opened the door to the passenger seat for me to get in but some heavenly call told me to stop and look up.

And I did.

And there, walking out of the elevator with a dazling aurora was the most handsomest man on Earth.

The one and only Blake Smith.

“Oh my god” I gasped. “What’s he doing here?”

Ian craned his neck and followed my gaze. “Blake? He lives here”

My head shot up in utter shock. “Why the hell are you telling this to me now?” I yelled. “If you told me earlier I would have come to live with you willingly!”

Ian’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What’s Blake living here have to do with that?”

I kept a hand over my chest, clenching my heart, my lips trembling as my emotions overwhelmed me, bringing tears into my eyes. “I love him” I said in a dramatic emotional tone.

“What?” Ian snapped. “Since when?”

“Three years”

Ian gaped. “You’ve been in a relationship with him for three years?”

I wiped a tear from my eye. “It’s one sided but yes”

“Miss Hailey Isabella Evans!” Ian burst out. “Being engaged to me requires being faithful to me”

“Hello mister” I snapped my fingers before his eyes. “I have to be engaged to you first to be faithful to you”

“So that means you’re gonna have other men?” Ian asked incredulously.

“Of course”

Ian scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair in irritation. “But-” He shook his head in dismay and glanced back at me. “I searched about you before announcing you as my fiance but none of the reports said you’re in a relationship. There’s not even a single photo of you with him”

I blinked. “Have you not been listening to what I said earlier?”

“What?” Ian asked in frustration.

“I said one sided. It’s one sided love!”

Ian’s forehead creased. “So that means you’re not in a relationship?”

“No, of course not. I just have a crush on Blake”

Ian’s jaw fell open. “So I got worked up for nothing???”

“Exactly”

“What-” Ian looked lost. “Don’t do that to me ever again!” He warned and furiously stomped over to his side of the car and climbed in.

I chuckled and got in. “Homeboy is jealous”

“I have every right to be” He grumbled and started the engine, pulling us out of the parking.

…

“Hello Emma, I kept money under the Vase. Take it and buy yourself a dress. Don’t go to a cheap place. Spend all the money and buy something elegant. I’ll text you the address of the restaurant. Be there at 8” Then I cut the call.

“Oh my god” Lexi gasped. “Are you really our Hailey?”

I rolled my eyes.

Brian shook his head in dismay. “I can’t believe I heard the words spend all the money come out of her mouth”

“Is it your money or Mr. Kingston’s money? It has to be Mr. Kingston-”

I slammed my fists against the table. “It is my money”

“Wow. We should have videod this moment”

“Shut up guys” I whined and stood up. “It’s lunch break now. I’m going to see Ian”

“Good luck with that. Convincing him to go on a date with Emma is impossible as much as you buying a Prescott apartment”

“I hate you both” I hissed and stomped to the elevator.

I reached Ian’s floor and stepped out. The staff of his were still working even though it was lunch, their gazes fixed on their computers. Inhuman.

I slowly tip toed my way to Ian’s room and noticed that the PA’s table at the front was empty. Rumours say Ian fired Melissa but at the moment that was none of my concern.

I only got six months and the only move I made was hire Emma as our housemaid. Other than that I did nothing. I don’t know if I can ever make Ian fall in love with another woman but I have to try. I won’t give up.

Bracing myself, I knocked on the door.

“Come in”

I slowly opened the door and walked in.

Ian was sitting at his table with a stack of files surrounding him. His coat was hanging behind his chair, his tie loosened and his gaze intently focused on his laptop screen.

He didn’t look up until I reached his table.

“Hi”

Ian glanced up. “Oh hi” He smiled. “What are you doing here-” He shook his head. “I mean, you’re always welcome here but it’s just you never come here”

“Yeah. I’m a marketing employee. I can’t just casually come here”

Ian smiled and leaned back in his chair. “You have another excuse to visit me”

“Yes, which I used now” I flipped my hair and Ian chuckled.

“Well I’m glad that you came to see me but something tells me that you’re not here to see how I’m doing”

I opened my mouth to protest but then closed it back again. “That part is true, sorry about that but I’ll definitely come here later to check on you”

Ian smiled at me, his eyes glinting with adoration. “It’s fine. Now tell me what do you want?”

I took a deep breath. “Can you go on a da-”

“No”

“You don’t even know what I was gonna say”

“You were gonna say date. Date with that creature”

“What creature?” I asked in confusion and then I rolled my eyes heavenward realising he was talking about Emma. Hailey breath in, breath out. “How do you know I was gonna ask you to go on a date?”

“It doesn’t take a Sherlock to guess it” Ian shrugged. “You want me to fall for that woman and a date is obviously in your mind. Again to remind you, the answer is no”

My jaw set and I mentally cursed him. “Don’t worry. I came here prepared for your rejection”

“Really?” Ian raised an amused brow. “Then what’s your plan B to convince me?”

I sighed in frustration, already regretting my other plan. “Gosh I’m so embarrassed right now” I muttered.

Ian narrowed his eyes and stood up from his chair, taking slow cautious steps towards me. “What are you embarrassed of?”

“Well the thing is” I explained. “You always bargain with me. You made me stay in your house in exchange for an impossible way out” I exaggerated on the word. “You did the same when I hired Emma as a maid. So I’m gonna do the same now”

Gosh I can’t handle this.

A smirk curled in his lips. “What can you possibly have that can convince me to go on a date with that woman?”

I exhaled. “Something I never reciprocated”

Ian raised a confused brow. “Which is?”

Then I stood on my tip toes and pressed my lips against his.