Guarded King (Empty Kingdom #3)

Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

ROMAN

A s I stalk toward my desk, I drag my phone out of my pocket and navigate to Lena’s contact information.

She answers with a cheerful “How’s my favorite ex-boss?”

I don’t let her sunny greeting deter me. “What the hell did you do?”

“Whatever are you talking about?”

She’s used that faux innocent tone plenty over the last few years. It doesn’t fool me.

“You hired the one person I expressly told you not to.”

When I spoke to Lena after her interview with Chloe, I told her to look for someone else. Someone older, experienced—like her. Not a woman who looks like she’s barely out of college. Not a woman with silky pale blond hair, full pink lips, and wide eyes that don’t know whether to be blue or green.

Definitely not a woman who, the second I laid eyes on her, had me imagining what those lips would look like wrapped around my dick.

Her attractiveness isn’t my biggest problem with her, though, because, unlike my father, I have control when it comes to women—especially ones who work for me. My issue is that Lena knew exactly what qualities I was looking for in an assistant, yet she went against my wishes and hired her anyway.

A renewed wave of irritation courses through me at the thought.

“There’s no way a woman as young as her will be an effective assistant,” I growl. “I told you that.”

Over the last seven years, Lena has run my office like a well-oiled machine. If I’m going to keep the King Group at the top where it belongs, I need an assistant who can handle high-pressure situations, who can handle the kind of hard-headed executives we do business with every day—not to mention the kind who try to get into the panties of any attractive woman they see.

And Chloe is nothing if not attractive.

I can’t exactly come out and say that her appearance is an issue, though, no matter how many men I do business with who either won’t respect her as my representative because of her looks or will be too distracted by them.

“And I told you that was ridiculous,” Lena says. “Qualified is qualified. Maybe having someone with a bit of a sweeter disposition around will soften you up a little.”

I blink, then frown. “What?”

“You know, I think my daughter is calling me. The baby’s due any day now, so I’d better go, just in case. Give the girl a chance, Roman. You’ll be glad you did. Bye!”

When the line goes dead, I pull my phone away from my ear and scowl at it. What the hell just happened? Lena might not work for me anymore, but I thought she’d take some responsibility for her actions.

I sit at my desk and punch the power button on my computer a little harder than needed. When my phone rings, I swipe to answer without bothering to look at who it is, since I’m expecting the call.

“Morning,” Cole says. “I’m on my way to the Genesis-1 site now, so I don’t have long.”

“That’s fine.” I drum my fingers on my desk, still focused on Lena’s last-minute insubordination and my want-to-be assistant outside. “Once Tate connects, we’ll get started.”

As if saying his name summoned him, Tate dials in.

“Good morning, brothers of mine.” His overly bright tone grates on my nerves.

“How many coffees have you had to be so cheerful this early?”

“If you think my good mood is due to caffeine, then you’ve obviously forgotten how it feels to get lucky on a daily basis.”

“Good for you.” As happy as I am that he and Cole have settled down with the women they love, I could do without the constant reminders—and the needling about my disinterest in finding one of my own. I’ve been there, done that, and don’t intend to do it again.

“Who pissed in your cereal this morning?” Cole asks.

I find myself squinting at the door, as if that’ll somehow let me see through the heavy wood to what Chloe’s doing out there in her quest to prove herself.

Even if she all but begged for the opportunity, I should have stuck to my decision and gotten Sophie to show her out. But the way she looked up at me—with her jaw tilted in challenge, even as a hint of vulnerability shimmered in her eyes—had stopped me.

That whisper of fragility wrapped in determination tugged at the insides of my ribs in an unfamiliar way, making me say yes when I should have said no. When I should have ended things then and there, instead of dragging it out for an entire day.

I force my focus back to the conversation. “Sorry. Lena screwed up with her replacement, and now I have to find someone else.”

“That doesn’t sound like Lena,” Cole says. “How did she screw up?”

“She hired the only candidate I expressly told her not to.”

“Let me guess,” Tate drawls, his tone dripping with amusement. “She hired that little blonde you were rude to in the elevator.”

“I wasn’t rude.” The words come out with more bite than intended.

Tate laughs. “Yes, you were. Damn, Lena’s got a sense of humor.”

“Her sense of humor isn’t the issue,” I grumble. “It’s her ability to follow instructions that needs work.”

“So, what’s your problem with…” Cole trails off expectantly.

“Chloe.” I say her name reluctantly.

“What’s your problem with Chloe, then?”

“You saw her. She looks like she’s barely out of college.”

“And?” he asks.

Head lowered, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And what?”

“And that seems like a spurious reason not to hire her if she’s competent.”

“She’s yet to prove that.”

“It sounds like you’re not going to let her prove it.”

My eye twitches and I shake my head. “We’ve gotten off track?—”

“You know,” Tate says, still too damn cheerful, “I think I like this girl. I haven’t seen you this flustered in a while.”

I glare at the screen of my phone, even though it’s not a video call. “I don’t get flustered.”

“No, you don’t.” His tone is suddenly contemplative, and I don’t like it.

I inhale deeply and lower my voice. “You know as well as I do exactly how it’ll look.”

When I’m met with nothing but silence, the tension in my shoulders eases. I’ve finally gotten through to them.

Then Cole speaks again. “You’re not Dad.”

A familiar weight presses against my sternum. Our damn father. He always made sure there was a beautiful and obliging woman within reach. From our nannies to the housemaids to his personal assistants?—

I cut off that train of thought. I’ve put his actions well and truly behind me. Though I can’t say the same for our social circle, our business partners, or the damn media.

“And I’ve been very careful to conduct myself in a way that ensures our investors and shareholders are confident of that.”

“So let me get this straight,” Tate says slowly. “You’re worried about hiring this woman because you assume people will think you’re like Dad?”

I rub my forehead. “You know they will. And we can’t afford the scrutiny.”

Cole scoffs. “We can afford plenty.”

They don’t get it. They’re drunk on love—or whatever chemical cocktail is swirling around in their brains, changing their priorities. I don’t begrudge them that—hell, it’s what I thought I wanted a long time ago—but it means I’m the one who has to keep my focus on the future. “We’ve spent the last three years doing damage control. We have a chance to solidify the King Group’s status going forward. The last thing we need is Dad and his reputation hindering us from behind bars.”

“What was it you told me about not living in Dad’s shadow?” Tate asks.

I should have known he’d throw that advice back in my face.

“I’m not concerned about my personal life. I have everything I want. It’s the company I’m thinking about. When people see me, they can’t help but be reminded of him, and the last thing we need is fodder to fuel rumors or assumptions. If it doesn’t make them think I tolerate the same kind of behavior, it’ll give them more damn ammunition to want to see us fail.”

“Then prove them wrong,” Cole says. “Dad’s dalliances were common knowledge because he never bothered to hide them. Hell, everyone knows he was supporting at least three mistresses when he went to prison. Don’t penalize this poor girl for his actions. Her age and looks shouldn’t have any bearing on her employment. If she can’t perform, replace her. But if she can, keep her and maintain the same professional relationship you’ve had with your previous assistants. Whatever people’s initial thoughts might be, it’s how you behave around her that will change their perception.”

I rake my fingers through my hair. Since neither of my brothers seems inclined to agree with me, I try another angle. “She’ll be a target for every lecherous asshole we do business with.”

Cole snorts. “I’m sure she knows how to handle herself.”

“And who better to protect her from the advances of said lecherous assholes than you?” Tate chimes in. “If you let her go, she’ll need another job. What are the chances she’ll end up working for one of them?”

A knot of unease lodges in my throat at the image that forms in my mind. An image of her. With that silky blond hair, more moonlight than sunshine, bee-stung lips, and those arresting blue-green eyes—the men I deal with would salivate at the thought of having her at their beck and call.

Tension grips my shoulders again, and I have to shrug to release it.

Tate might be right. But am I prepared to take her on? If I do, I’ll have to be even more professional than I was with Lena. Make sure there are absolutely zero signs of impropriety between us.

“She’ll still need to prove herself.” I sound begrudging, even to my own ears.

“That goes without saying,” Cole says, a thread of amusement in his voice that I don’t bother asking him to explain.

“Now that you’ve finished questioning my employment decisions,” I say. “Can we discuss our plans going forward?” I want to put all thoughts of Chloe Callahan out of my mind for now.

We quickly fall into a conversation about the construction schedule for Genesis-1—our latest luxury high-rise development—before moving on to our plans surrounding EcoTech, in preparation for my meeting with our executive team this morning on the proposed acquisition.

But despite my resolve to put Chloe out of my mind, she keeps slipping in at random moments. I can’t decide whether I’m hoping she fails spectacularly so I can send her on her way or that she proves herself capable so I can keep her away from men like my father.