King of Players: An Opposites Attract Romance (Billionaire Kings of New York Book 3)

4. Her World

four

Chad

Outside, I hesitated. I didn’t want to leave with the blonde. Even though nothing I did had managed to spark Kaira’s interest in me, the party was still going on. Many guests had already left, but I’d noticed that Kaira was being chased around by a red-haired woman, who had evidently just arrived.

Stopping halfway through the walkway, I turned around to my companion, whose eyes froze as I did. “Uh—How did you get here?”

“With my boss?” She shrugged.

“So, no car?”

“His car, his driver. He can take us anywhere.”

“I—I—” Placing my fingertips on my temple, I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut. “This weird headache just won’t go away.”

“I got painkillers in my purse,” she offered. “Besides, we can go somewhere so loud the beat won’t even let you feel the knocking inside your head.”

“I don’t think so. I’m sorry. I think you should wait for your boss and leave with him.”

“What?” Her face instantly changed.

“I’m really sorry, ah—um—

“Sarah,” she beratingly said. “My name is Sarah. But of course!” Throwing her arms in the air, she looked away for a second. “When everyone knows your name, it doesn’t matter who the fuck they are.”

“Hey, don’t be like that.”

“Or what?” She raised her voice. “You afraid of a scene? Isn’t that your job? Scenes?”

“You’re upset, I get it—”

“I wasted hours on your stupid little bet to score donations.”

“You didn’t even want to come here! What were you going to do? Spend the evening with your old, boring boss and his friends?”

“It’s not up to you what I do with my time!”

“And I didn’t hold a gun to your head, either. You helped me of your own volition.”

“Wow,” she tittered, sarcasm dripping from her lips. “It’s true what they say about you. In real life, you really are an asshole.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Bye, asshole!” She marched away back into the venue, practically stomping her feet as she did.

Clearly, I wasn’t going to follow her inside. But as I contemplated calling for a ride, I saw Abel and Ella stepping out. Riding with them wasn’t exactly ideal, but I didn’t want them to think that I’d ditched them. Smiling, I slid both hands into my pockets and watched them approach.

Abel was already chuckling when he was close enough for me to hear him. “Your date seems angry,” he remarked.

Ella shook her head in forged disapproval. “What did you do this time?”

Delaying my answer, I slid into the backseat while Ella took her spot next to Abel. When we settled and the doors were closed, I cleared my throat, leaned forward between them, and addressed Abel. “Do you know that we crossed a million with our little campaign?”

He gripped the wheel with both hands. “And she’s mad because you didn’t reward her.”

Ella shook her head. “I don’t condone this conversation.”

“Ella, you don’t understand. You came late—”

“Our friend here,” Abel interrupted me, “seems to be interested in Kaira Bradley.”

“Oh!” she chuckled, cocking back her head as if in surprise. “She’s so not your type. Better give it up now.”

“Why not? She’s not married, is she?”

“Is that it?” Rubbernecking, she looked at me. “Any woman who’s available?”

“You call that ‘any woman’? Really?”

“Kaira’s different. I mean, I don’t really know her that well. But in my experience, she’s a very serious woman who doesn’t take anything lightly.”

“I feel attacked.”

“And that’s not my intention, believe me! Chad… you’re better off with women who are on the same page as you. Kaira’s… complicated.”

“You don’t think I can handle complicated?”

“You can handle anything with the aim of getting what you want—and that’s the complicated part.”

Abel cleared his throat and decided to swiftly interject. “What Ella means is that Kaira is probably too much work for a short-term thing. And we know you’re not looking for anything serious right now.”

“Wow.” I forced a chuckle as I sat back, leaning back and slamming my weight against the backrest. “I’m too sober for this.”

“Chad, we don’t mean to offend you—” Ella argued.

“No, you just mean to say that I’m such an open book to both of you. Suddenly, you know what I want and what I’m looking for.”

“Well, are you looking for something serious?” Abel challenged me with his tone. “Because, unlike you, Kaira Bradley isn’t known for her indulgence. She is never seen with a man in that way unless they are officially a couple. And you can count her relationships on the fingers of one hand.”

“She’s a prude, that’s what she is.”

Ella clicked her tongue. “That’s mature.”

Having had enough of their judging me, I slammed my hand on the door handle. “You know what? Let me out here. I’ll call a car.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Abel defended. “We’re driving you home.”

For the rest of the ride, we remained quiet. With the exception of Ella and Abel exchanging a few remarks on things that happened at the party, we didn’t engage in conversation. I know how the world is viewed, even by my friends. I was the good-looking actor who used his life adventures as inspiration for the characters he played on-screen. Chad Niles; proud bachelor, fun-loving charmer, with relationships shallower than the two-hour encounters he acted out in movies.

What they didn’t know, however, was that Kaira presented a new challenge for me. She was the first woman I was attracted to, who didn’t reciprocate it—and not because she was married or dating someone else. Kaira was free to be with whomever she wanted, and my failure to entice her excited me. What was her in? How could I coax her out of that shell? Because something inside told me that within her, there was fire burning brighter than anyone’s wildest fantasies.

I only had to find the key to her mind; the doorway to her inner world.

Arriving home, I headed straight for the shower as I cast every item of clothing onto the floor without stopping. It felt as though I was freeing my body of the shackles that had kept it tamed, to liberate my mind in the steam of hot water.

As the air around me thickened, my thoughts grew clearer. Kaira cared for nothing more than continuing her grandmother’s mission—or so it seemed. And if that was her primary concern, perhaps I should know more about it. Abel had been right earlier. After all, my reputation needed some polishing. So, what harm would come from me getting seriously involved in something good?

Having showered on autopilot, I stepped out and grabbed a fluffy robe, wrapping it around my body and tying a knot at the waist. My short hair didn’t need brushing, so I walked straight out and picked up my laptop.

Sitting in a chair by the wide window, I launched a search into Kaira Bradley’s world. An expedition of sorts.

Wealthy Philanthropist Passes Away, was the title of the first search result. My eyes skimmed the page, searching for something with Kaira’s name in the headlines. But everything was about her family; namely, her grandmother.

So, I scrolled back up and clicked the link.

The W.F. Bradley Foundation, of which Mrs. Bradley was president, announced the sad news early this morning. In a statement, the Foundation said that Mrs. Bradley had died “surrounded by family and friends.” The foundation also mentioned that her granddaughter, Ms. Kaira Bradley, was to inherit her substantial commitment.

“For more than 30 years, my grandmother faithfully carried on the philanthropic legacy of her family, supporting hundreds of organizations around the world, and reaching thousands of beneficiaries. I vow to continue to do the same, unwavering in my work towards a better world.”

Nodding in admiration, I clicked back to the results page, hunting for my next read. After the first twelve titles or so, I found a little announcement that dated back to three years ago.

Kaira Bradley Wins State Chess Championship, Donates Winnings to Children’s Cancer Hospital

An even older article addressed Kaira as a teenager, volunteering with GreenPeace in Africa for one summer. Of course, all of this coverage was really paying tribute to her grandfather, the businessman. But Kaira didn’t seem to care. All of her quotes reflected nothing but commitment to the causes she sponsored, urging the more fortunate ones to follow in her footsteps.

It was nearly four in the morning when I switched to the video results, landing three recordings of her speeches at different locations and for a variety of causes. Kaira spoke for large and small organizations alike, defending the rights of the voiceless and encouraging those with wealth and power to lend a helping hand.

One of the videos even showed her debate with the president of a famous cosmetics conglomerate, as she completely destroyed him on the topic of animal testing. With a little bit of curiosity, I discovered that the brand had banned all animal testing activities—and sourcing materials from vendors who still practiced it—only six months later.

I couldn’t deny that I was impressed with Kaira’s ability to juggle all those causes, traveling from one country to the next, giving speeches and making donations. Her energy in doing so could have only been matched by mine when I was shooting a film.

When my mind started playing tricks on me, posing the question of ‘and what good did your movies do?’, I quickly defended my profession as one that entertained millions and brought joy to their lives. I wasn’t going to let my most recent obsession with a woman make me question myself.

But then again, the matter of a deeper involvement took the center stage. Before getting dressed, I searched for the address of the W.F. Bradley Foundation.

In my boxer shorts, I laid down in bed and pulled the laptop back onto my chest. As I launched the website, I saw what appeared to be countless lists of activities all over the nation and abroad. The only mention of Kaira was a brief bio on the Board page, accompanied by a small thumbnail of a picture. She was wearing a black shirt, had very little makeup on, and a humble smile on her face.

And that was it.

Kaira was now the face of something I couldn’t understand. Where was she in all of this? Her hobbies, interests, and passions? What did she do when she was alone at night? The kind of friends did she choose? What was her favorite drink? Film? Song?

I wanted to know more than what the internet was willing to give me, and I wasn’t about to sit here and throw my hands in the air.

Folding the laptop shut and putting it away, I turned off the light and rested my head on the soft pillow, trying to picture Kaira alone at home after the party was over.

Would she kick off her heels first the way she had up in that secluded study? Or were her hands reaching for a night cap?

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine her listening to music, swaying alone in the middle of the vast room where nearly a hundred people stood just an hour ago.

And then her movements would progress into a dance… a solitary indulgence where she would let go, since nobody was watching.

Did she move softly and gently, similar to the way she presented herself to everyone tonight? Or did her body crave a more vigorous portrayal of freedom?

With the vivid image of Kaira dancing on the insides of my eyelids, I wondered if she had ever been in love before. How reserved she was when she had first met him, and how he got her to relax. If he had belonged to her world, or if she had drawn him in...

God, she was drawing me in.