He nods and picks up his phone.
I turn to walk to the elevator to go upstairs when I see her walking up the steps outside. She wears a red dress that stops mid-thigh. Black heels and her hair is down, curled and lies over one shoulder. Her lips match her dress and so does her small purse in her hand.
Nigel hangs up his call and goes to open the door for her.
She enters the door and gives him a big smile. “Thank you, Nigel.” Her voice alone makes my breath pick up.
I miss that woman more than I’ll ever admit. A king never shows his weakness. Not even to his queen.
“Miss York, it’s been too long,” he tells her.
“It has.” She looks up, and the smile drops off her face when her eyes meet mine. She gasps softly when they drop to my blood-stained clothes. “Titan,” she whispers my name and takes a step toward me.
I step back, and she stops.
Her face instantly falls.
What was she expecting? That I would drop to my knees the moment I see her? I refuse to do that no matter how much they shake.
“Are you okay?” she asks, biting her perfectly painted red lip.
I look at her body. Her legs look as ravishing as ever. Her thighs soft and inviting. I can tell she’s lost weight by the way the dress hugs her small frame, and I wonder if she’s even eating. Do they have any money? Is that why she’s doing this? Pimping herself out?
Her face is slimmer, and her eyes look darker, sadder—like she’s lost sleep—but that’s just wishful thinking on my end, right? I want her to miss me like I miss her. I wish to see her in a bad mood and pissed at the world. Instead, she looks amazingly gorgeous and sad at the same time.
Like a broken doll that hasn’t been played with in years. Her eyes beg for attention while her body screams take me.
My fingers itch to rip her dress off like I did that first night up in my room. To throw her on my bed and kiss her, fuck her. Make her fucking mine like she was. But Emilee York will never belong to me. I got everything I was going to get out of her, so I turn to the elevator, hold up my key card, and enter once the doors open.
But as it stops on the Royal Suite, I pull out my cell and make a call.
He answers on the first ring. I start the conversation, knowing I’ll be the only one speaking. “Hey, I need a favor …”
EMILEE
This dinner is going about as good as the last one. Boring as fuck!
It’s all business talk. But thankfully, I’m able to drink without any limits. I just keep telling myself that five grand is a lot to just be arm candy, and that I can do this for a few hours. It’s not going to last all night.
Then I think of Titan. I can’t get the look on his face out of my mind. Pure hatred. Just like he was in high school and college.
How had we gone from enemies, to lovers, to enemies again? At what point did I want more? At what part did it all fall apart?
“There you are. A little late, huh?” Jacob says.
I look up to see who he’s talking to, and I mentally sigh. It’s fuckface again. The business partner’s son who stopped me in the hallway to the ladies’ restroom last time.
Wonderful!
His eyes meet mine, and he smiles as if he can hear my inner thoughts. He knows I hate him. His presence alone makes my skin crawl, and the fucker gets off on it.
“Another one,” I say, lifting my half full drink of champagne. Might as well down this one and get to the next. Maybe the time will fly by if I’m hammered.
Three more glasses and an hour later, I’m starting to see double of everything. My mind is foggy and my lips numbing. Champagne always gets me fucked up faster than anything else.
Jacob reaches over and places his hand on my thigh. I tense. Is this why he’s allowing me to drink? To loosen me up to go all the way with me.
He notices and leans into my face. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat and nod. Fuck, I need to sober up. “May I get a water?” I ask the waiter as he picks up the plates.
“Sure—”
“No need,” Jacob interrupts him. “We’re on our way out, and I have some in the limo.”
I swallow, and all of a sudden, my tongue feels like sandpaper. Shit. This isn’t good. He takes my hand and lifts me to stand. I can already tell I’m wobbly on my heels.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. It’s not that far. I just have to make it to the elevator where I can lean against the back wall. Then the short distance to the limo. I have this.