Disturbance: A King's Hart Novel Book 2 (BWWM)

IX. Subordinates

I focused on the stream of smoke rising from the ash tray. They placed was drenched with smell of smokes and alcohol. Nathaniel was watching me intently for a moment and I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. Not yet.

"Nuri," my name was a command as he pressed his hand into my waist.

"Yes."

"Will you look at me please?" he said. How he managed to sound polite and demanding at the same time was beyond my understanding.

His hand was at my chin and I let him guide my face over so that were were staring into each other's eyes. Those bright eyes of his took to searching mine. Before he could find my true feelings, I beamed up at him and pulled all five candy bars out of my bag.

"I only just now saw your texts and wanted to apologize." I pouted up into his face. "Truce."

He eyed the chocolate bars skeptically and took all five of them. "Oh you want something from me don't you?" There was a bight of humor in his voice so I know he was pleased with me.

"Actually I do," I said and took my bag off.

He sighed and sat back down in his chair. He opened his arms motioning me to sit on his lap. I obliged him and his arms went around me as his head came to rest on my chest. I ran my hands through his dark hair stopping to graze my finger nails where I thought it might benefit him the most.

"Oh that feels so good baby," he said and snuggled up against him. "So fucking good. You have no idea."

"You like that?" I placed a kiss on the top of his head my heart was breaking on the inside.

"I love it," he said not missing a beat.

My hands paused and I froze at the mention of love. Nathaniel could never love me because he was still in love with Emma. On that sad note, my hand fell from his head and I made myself stiff.

He leaned back and looked up at me curiously.

"The others have invited me to join them for lunch at the new Thai place and I wanted to know if that was alright with you."

He didn't say anything at first, only took to swinging us around in the swivel chair as the cogs in his head turned. "I thought we might do lunch together, but I suppose you should join them. They are your subordinates after all."

Subordinates. It's words like that that kept me away from corporate businesses and anything that was regimented. I hated that word.

"My co-workers have been so diligent that I think it's a good idea that I joint them to de-stress."

"What's wrong with subordinates?"

I slightly rolled my eyes. "It sounds condescending. Idon't like it. Who's to say who's subordinate to who."

"Sweetheart, you are their director, they work under your direction. By definition they are your subordinates."

"Be that as it may, I'm not here to tell you how to run your business. As for me, they are my co-worker employees and I want to have Thai with them."

"You like them?" He asked stroking my chin with the back of his fingers.

"I do," I said nodding. "They are talented and I'm surprised that you picked me over them. Michael and Naomi have a great eye for the abstract, and Johnathan can see art in things that I would never even dream of."

"Than it's settled, you will have lunch with them woman," he said lightly tapping my thigh. "Have lunch with them now and go out on a date with me later on tonight."

I thought it over for a while. "A date Nathan," I was skeptical. "Oh you want something from me don't you?"

"You know I want something from you Nuri. I always want something from you."

"What is it this time?"

He shook his head. "I love looking at you when I eat, and I want to see the kind of things you're into. Maybe you could pick the spot this time. Surprise me."

There was that word again.

So many spots sprung into my head, but only a few were still the same and left untouched by his Industry. "We can go out on a date tonight that sounds perfect," I decided, already making up my mind on Night on the Bayou.

"You're perfect," he retorted. "Now may I kiss you?" his lips were at my neck before I could even answer.

I pulled away from him and out of his hold. He whimpered as he usually did when I was out of his arms. " I must get back to work Mr. King."

"I'll walk you out Ms. Hart." He stood up and took my hand as we went walking out of the conference room. All eyes were on us and I felt like an animal in a zoo there were so many spectators.

"Nathan, perhaps you didn't make it obvious enough that you and I were fucking each other. I don't think everyone in the building has quite figured it out yet."

His forehead creased and he looked down at me with a silent question. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The elevator doors opened and I got in.

"What's what supposed to mean?" I played dumb.

He looked lost for a moment and shook his head stepping away from the door. "Never-mind sweetheart. It's nothing."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "See you after work?"

"Yeah after work." He said with a small wave.

The doors closed and I fell into the back walls. This relationship was hard work, and I was at my wits end. Tonight's date was going to be something major, I could sense it. Whatever was going on with Nathaniel, he would be sure to tell me tonight and I don't know if I would like it very much.