I hurried to flip the cover back to its place as soon as I saw the doorknob moving. And at that moment, I wondered how a thief handles his racing heartbeats every time he steals. All the while I was flipping the pages to hunt for information about Kim, my eyes were also on the door, accompanied by loud pounding in my ears.
"Sorry," Kim said as he sat back across from me.
"It was Cris, Trish's fiance. He is also joining us in the meeting later. He's one of Kim Yuan's shareholders."
"Really? Trish is already engaged?" My eyes sparkled in excitement for her.
"Yes. By the way, he's not just a business partner, but a cousin."
That explained why Kim and Trish seemed comfortable with each other. From other people's points of view, their closeness seemed unusual. Anyone might even think they were into an illicit love affair.
"That's wonderful to know. And why does Trish still work for you? Why not at her fiance's company?"
Kim chuckled before replying to me.
"It's because Trish has been working for me ever since she graduated from college. Aside from that, she's also avoiding gossips and criticism from Cris' circle."
Trish was right. Criticisms could be worst when you're engaged with a company's CEO, especially if you are just a plain employee on or from other establishments. His family might even object to the relationship or even accuse you of a gold-digger.
"Come on, let's eat," Kim said, interrupting my thoughts about Trish's situation.
"Sure. I'm starving already." I smiled and immediately scooped some rice on my plate. Kim also put a piece of steak on my plate, making me glance at him awkwardly.
"Thank you," I said.
"Eat well and catch a nap later."
Oh, my goodness! How could a mighty CEO offer that to a plain employee like me?"
We began to eat while talking more about Cris and Trish. Trish was cheerful and expressive; the thought of her excitement over her coming wedding made me thrilled and happy as well.
"Why do you leave Trish alone in the restaurant, by the way?"
"Vic is with her, and Cris is also joining her." Vic was the name of the driver.
"Oh, I see."
Kim oriented me about the meeting's agenda later. We would be meeting at three-o-clock, and because the meeting was more about introducing me as the general manager of Asian branches, the gathering wouldn't take long. Our flight back to the country was still at seven, so I could still take some rest before hurrying back to the airport. I didn't have to stay for the night as Zed had insisted.
Speaking of Zed, I remembered I had turned off my phone. I had kept my husband worried. Seeing that Kim was also lost in his thoughts, I fished out for my phone from my bag and turned on my phone.
A succession of beeps sounded, making me look at Kim in guilt. He also glanced at me, and our eyes met.
"Go ahead. It must be Zed."
I clicked the messages open while chewing my food. All those messages were from Zed, indeed, asking how my flight was. To end his worries immediately, I pressed the green icon.
"How's the flight?" came Zed's voice from the end of the line
"It's smooth and fine. I'm having my lunch now."
"Good, happy to know that. Enjoy, dear, and don't get stressed so much."
"Do likewise."
"I love you."
"Love you, too. Bye."
I put back my phone inside my bag and resumed eating. My eyes happened to fall on Kim, and I caught him smiling while chewing his food. That small act sent flutters into my heart. How his smile lifted the corners of his mouth and how it brought a glow in his eyes seemed to mesmerize me. It felt like touching a dormant feeling inside my heart. And almost simultaneously, I felt a sense of nostalgia.
Oh, dear. So silly of me to feel this way!
"Missing a husband already?" Kim suddenly said, jolting me from my reverie.
I chuckled softly and answered, "Not much."
He also smiled back.
We put down our spoons and forks almost together. I began gathering the empty plates and put them in one pile.
"Leave that to the attendant," Kim said. He then reached out for the phone on a stand beside the sofa and called for room service.
This was where he and Zed differed. While Zed could do many wonderful things with his bare hands, Kim mobilized many paid staff to do simple things for him.
The door buzzed right away. Kim opened the door, and the same attendant stood in between the door frame. Kim ushered him in to clean up and bring the dishes out.
Once the attendant left, Kim picked up his sling bag and put it on his lap. I watched him as he opened it and saw him pulling out a book. It had a glossy cream cover with embossed letters on its surface. I could not read the name of the book until he handed it to me, surprisingly.
"To make you sleepy," he said. I took the book from his hand and gave him a puzzled look.
"From my favorite author."
I looked down, and my eyes flew wide as I read the letter in the book.
A romance novel by Jakara Blue.
"Kim, is she a writer?" I asked, repeating each word twice before I got it perfect.
I couldn't understand why I overreacted. My crazy heartbeats also added up, messing up my emotion completely.
However, Kim just smiled. "Be ready by 2:30 pm. Anyway, we are just ten minutes away from the company."
I nodded. It looked like I couldn't sleep now that I had the book. When Kim closed the door, I quickly went to bed. I set my alarm clock in case my eyes would betray me.
Holding the book in my hand, I suddenly remembered that I used to love reading novels. And my favorite author was Jakara Blue.
I smiled at the thought that Kim happened to love a bestselling writer. He could surely be his muse while she wrote her billionaire stories.
It didn't take three minutes for me to enter dreamland. My initial plan to start reading the book failed against the soft pillow and the comfortable bed.
"Jakara, you can't leave me!"
I turned my head and saw Kim running after me. I was on that snow-covered road again. Seeing that he was already close to me, I ran until I reached the building I was heading to.
The scene then shifted inside a room where Kim successfully caught up with me.
"Jakara, let's talk. Let me explain!"
I then broke into a sob. Kim pulled me close to him and wrapped me in his embrace.
"I love you, Jakara. You know that very well, right?"
He began kissing me, burying my sobs into the depth of his mouth. The kiss deepened until I found ourselves stripping from our clothes. I weakened under his touch, and in the next moment, I was already yielding to his caresses.
I then heard my moans as he started exploring my sensitive assets with his hands and mouth. He was too slow, driving me crazy. Not long after, I couldn't take the torture of waiting anymore. Every cell of my body was already taut, screaming for satisfaction.
"Get in, please. Now," I demanded, catching my breath.
"Sure, my love."
I sighed in relief after I felt his hardness inside me. His thrusts were slow, driving me crazy again.
"Kim, please," I said, gritting my teeth and burrowing my toenails into the bed.
He laughed softly. "I would love to."
He indeed moved faster, increasing its intensity every second. I closed my eyes, feeling every moment of pleasure, and listening to our cries. I even listened to the sound of our organs slapping against each other. When I almost reached the peak, he suddenly stopped and shifted me into another position. He began driving me crazy again until I lay exhausted on the bed after three orgasms.