Page 3 of Wild King

See, that’s my issue with him. Well, one of them, but it’s pretty much the biggest. He’s a hypocrite. I sleep with women I like who like me and just happen to work at the same company as I do, and somehow I’m a bad guy. He steals his own brother’s girlfriend, and that’s just fine.

Fuck that.

I enjoy what I want, when I want, with whomever I want. It’s one of the perks of being a billionaire. He should know that, but somewhere along the way, he lost sight of how to have fun.

Tired of thinking about Gina and her issues and my oldest brother and his, I stretch again and wonder what I should do now. It’s the beginning of a three-day weekend, so maybe London? I haven’t been to my place there in a few months, so that could work. But no, the flight takes too long. I don’t want to eat up that much time getting to the fun. That leaves out Theo’s house in France he left me in his will.

Not that I’ve gone there since he died. I can’t bring myself to be in that house yet. Maybe someday, but not now. It’s too soon.

I grab my phone and search for good places to visit and up pops Turks and Caicos. That could work. It wouldn’t take long to get there, and I could definitely do some warm weather. Spring may technically have arrived in New York City according to the calendar, but like usual, it’s been far colder than April always promises.

A long weekend in the islands. I like that idea. I wonder if I can use the company jet. My hopes are instantly dashed when I remember Matthias has to travel to Rome this Monday, which means no private jet for me.

I make a mental note to start looking into buying my own plane. My brother always gives me a hard time when I request to use the King Industries jet, and having my own would make getting away easier.

For the moment, commercial it is. I quickly buy a first-class ticket from JFK to Providenciales International Airport and lean back in my office chair, pleased with how my weekend is shaping up. Sun, booze, and a woman or two.

Now that’s a good time.

After a flightof just over three hours seated next to a man who thought snoring the entire time was anything those of us in first class wanted to endure and then a quick ride in the limo, I arrive at my beachfront villa ready to enjoy myself for the next few days. My phone is off, I don’t have my laptop, and I told my assistant back in New York not to bother me unless someone I care about is dead.

The vision of turquoise blue water right outside my door and the incredible scent of the ocean fill my senses. I could live here for the rest of my life. I wonder if I could convince that miserly brother of mine to let me relocate down here to the islands. I could run an entire office out of this place. Maybe I’ll bring it up to him at our next meeting. He’ll likely shoot down the entire plan as soon as I get the words out of my mouth, but it can’t hurt to try.

I look around the nearly all white villa and smile. This is exactly what I’ve needed since my last vacation right around the holidays. After spending Christmas at the old house with the rest of my family, I desperately needed to escape reality for a while. That place has too much Theo and too much Matthias and Ava for my taste. So I spent two weeks ringing in the New Year in Italy before I hung out with Ronan at his place in Rome for a few days.

This vacation is different, though. For the next three days, I don’t want to think about any Kings or the company or even business at all. All I want to do is have a good time.

On that note, I look around for the champagne the resort always leaves in the villas, but the private pool catches my eye instead. A dip in the water would be nice. Let me just find that champagne first.

Ah, there it is in the silver bucket in the living room. A minute later, I lift the flute to my lips and enjoy my first sip before stripping out of my clothes and heading toward the pool.

The water is the perfect temperature, and I slide into the deeper end, instantly feeling the stress ease from my body. I definitely think this should be the location of the new office of King Industries. Just imagining every day ending with me in this pool and a bottle of champagne nearby tells me I need to convince Matthias this has to happen.

Maybe if I wait until the baby is born. He’s definitely going to be more receptive to giving me what I want then. He practically did a backflip when he found out Ava was pregnant. I can only imagine what he’ll be like when the kid finally arrives.

I close my eyes as the sun setting beneath the horizon fills the scene around me. Yes, this is definitely the life. No phone buzzing constantly with people who want things from me. No emails or texts to interrupt me at all hours of the day and night.

Nothing but relaxation and pleasure, my two favorite things.

Now to find a woman or two to share the next few days with and this vacation will be complete.

CHAPTER TWO

Salem

The soft breezecoming off the water tonight is a little warmer than last night, making the need for my shawl unnecessary. After a few days of nothing but lying in the sun down at the beach, I have to say this is a great way to end my time here. Tomorrow, I’ll leave to return to the city and work where I’m sure things are piling up as I speak, but for tonight, all I want to do is relax.

My sister Ever, who’s also my partner at our public relations firm, hasn’t called in the past two hours, which means she’s either dead or every one of our clients has suddenly remembered to behave like mature adults. God, I should call to make sure she’s okay because I know for damn sure our clients aren’t suddenly acting like upstanding citizens. That singer we took on last month who has done nothing but parade around on social media in various degrees of nudity in the desperate hope that someone will compliment her certainly hasn’t turned over a new leaf and decided to stay dressed for an entire day.

I stop my mind from racing with thoughts about how we’ll have to sit down with her and her people yet again when I get back to explain for the third time in less than a month that we can’t rehabilitate her public persona if she doesn’t stop this ridiculous nonsense of pathetically pandering for attention. That will have to happen, but I don’t have to let her sad behavior ruin my vacation.

“Let it go, Salem,” I whisper quietly as I close my eyes and enjoy the sound of the ocean nearby and the soft music playing somewhere in the restaurant.

“Let what go?” a voice asks, and my eyes fly open. In front of me is a man smiling like I’m some kind of treat and he’s been starving for days.

“Do you always listen to private conversations?” I ask, annoyed even as I can’t deny he’s stunning with short dark hair and brown eyes the color of melted chocolate.

I try not to notice how good he looks in that black dress shirt that hugs his body like it was made especially for him. It probably was. He looks like he’s got money.