Mr. King [Book 1]

Twenty-Two

Mr. King brought Katherine to a small, yet very expensive French bistro called La Belle Vie – which he told her translated to "the beautiful life" in English.

They sat down together at a small table made for two. Mr. King surprised her by asking if she trusted him in ordering her meal for her. She nodded, unsure of why he wanted to, but she was okay with it since most of the menu was in French.

He ordered veal for both of them, telling her that nobody prepared veal the way the French did, making it sound quite promising. And when it finally arrived and Katherine had a taste, she was pleasantly surprised how exceptional it was.

From then on, she knew she would have to step up her game in the kitchen, because nothing she ever made came close to the deliciousness of that cuisine. Then again, the restaurant had a three star Michelin rating — the highest honor in the field. Crème de la crème.

Once they had finished their lunch, Mr. King began to tell Katherine she should look at her father's incarceration in a positive light – that it would help both her and her father, and may even strengthen their relationship once he reformed. He continued by telling her she should do everything in her power to make her life her own now that her father wouldn't be around to control her anymore, and that she shouldn't let anything or anyone hinder her from living the beautiful life she was meant to have.

She was moved by his speech, so much so that she couldn't even respond. Every day this man surprised her by peeling back the thick layers he guarded himself with, showing her little bits of his character, of the true man he was.

"Thank you," she finally told him, feeling her cheeks pinking as she looked down at the table centerpiece in front of her.

"You're very welcome, Miss Mason," he replied immediately, and she looked up to see him looking at her like a boss shouldn't look at his employee, and it only made her face burn hotter.

It was very different from any of the time they spent together in the apartment. That was purely for sexual purposes. This was new. This was intimate and completely bewildering to her.

"You look very beautiful today," he told her, catching her off guard, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She didn't know how to handle this, to handle him.

"What—what are you doing?" Katherine asked in a hushed tone, looking around the moderately filled restaurant to make sure nobody heard him.

"What?" He asked, oblivious to how inappropriately he was speaking to and looking at her.

"You're my boss," she reminded him, feeling like it should be him with the level head, not her.

"Yes," he acknowledged, nodding his head once.

"Do you speak to all of your employees this way?" She asked him lowly.

"No," he answered evenly.

"What about your previous housekeeper?" She asked boldly, feeling her stomach churn with the thought of him treating his last housekeeper the same way he treated her.

"My previous housekeeper was nowhere near as alluring as you are, Miss Mason," he answered, keeping his unwavering gaze balanced on her.

Alluring? She wasn't even going to touch that one.

"Why was she let go?" Katherine asked curiously, not knowing whether she was stepping over a line by asking.

"My previous housekeeper became pregnant and could no longer fulfill my needs as a live-in worker," he told her, his voice so even and unaffected, it was almost like he had no emotions at all.