Page 14 of Beautiful Soul

She gave a small whine when he broke the kiss, but that just made him chuckle. “Come meet everyone and we’ll get this meeting finished up.”

Lena did not fight as he pulled one arm from around her, but kept her tucked tight to his side when he finally turned. “Lena Wellings, I’d like you to meet the players in tonight’s negotiations.”

He led her to each man and introduced them without giving her an idea of their position. She could tell by their bearing that each man was an alpha type and fought back her intimidation as she shook each of their hands.

The men were all at least six feet tall, with Kingsley topping them by an inch or so. But that’s where the comparison ended.

Livingston Daniels shook her hand before turning their clasped hands and brushing a kiss on her knuckles. “Enchanted, my dear,” he said in a deep, dark voice tinged with a Jamaican accent. The deep voice, combined with his mocha latte skin, bald head, and black, black eyes reminded her of the actor who did soft drink commercials when she was a very young girl. His tailored-to-fit-perfectly black suit, silver-colored dress shirt, and black tie told her this man had money.

Livingston merely laughed when Kingsley pulled her hand free with a muttered, “Mine.”

He led her next to meet Jefferson Carstairs. With his shaggy, wavy, dirty-blond hair threaded with silver, sleekly muscled body, and golden tan, he reminded Lena of an over-the-hill bad boy surfer. His old denims, black t-shirt, and worn leather jacket just added to the image. She swore his golden-brown eyes turned amber as he glanced at Kingsley with a smirk. He shook her hand a few seconds too long before releasing her when Kingsley gave a low growl.

Finally, Kingsley led her to the third man, Dickinson Seaton. Dickinson gave her hand a quick shake before releasing it with a smile. His medium-brown hair, short on the side and longer on top, was gelled into submission even at this hour of the early, early morning. His pale-blue eyes studied her closely and seemed to approve as he looked at Kingsley and gave a tiny nod. He wore a dark-gray suit with an off-white shirt and red power tie that screamed “lawyer.”

By the time they settled around the table, with her sitting beside Kingsley, the energy in the room had shifted. No longer tense and full of static, it had relaxed and softened growing almost lethargic.

She noticed the men continued to stare at her as they returned to their discussion and quickly came to an agreement. The attorney went on to type the changes into his notebook computer and then printed out pages and handed them to the three other men. They then read the pages and agreed to set an official contract signing ceremony for the next evening at midnight. Lena kept her head down, trying to avoid their looks, but it was difficult as she was just as intrigued by them as apparently they were by her.

The meeting broke up quickly after that. The other three men packed up their briefcases and said good-bye. Each one stopped and shook Lena’s hand again before leaving.

And then she was alone with Kingsley. Instead of gathering his pile of papers, folders, computer, and printer that remained on the table, he stepped close and pulled her in for a long, warm hug.

Lena wrapped her arms around his middle and returned his embrace. Resting her head on his shoulder, she felt something tying her to this still rather mysterious man. Her pussy dampened and clenched and her nipples beaded up in anticipation.

Finally, he eased the embrace and leaned back. She looked up into his face and found him smiling. “Thank you,” he said before brushing a kiss on the end of her nose.

“For what?”

“For helping to bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion. Without you joining us and calming the energy, Livingston and Jefferson might have torn each other apart, which would have surely started war. Instead, you dispelled the negative energy and allowed the two men to see they really did want the same things. Now, how about we go let Mystic feed us a celebratory breakfast before I walk you home?”

Lena felt cheeky as she grinned and asked, “Your home or mine?”

Chapter Eight

Kingsley looked around Lena’s apartment with interest, but was not impressed. The ice-white walls held no paintings, no artwork to give a hint of her interests. The black carpet was clean, but contained worn paths to show where Lena did her living. In one corner of the living room sat an L-shaped desk with two computers set up. On the other side of the room, a flat-screen television sat on top of a tall dresser and faced a well-worn couch with a large wooden coffee table in front of it. A computer tablet sat on the low table next to a candle and basket of odds and ends.

The small kitchen area was separated by a tall counter where two barstools sat. The kitchen counters were bare except for a coffeemaker and a toaster oven. The only thing that really shared her personality was a tall bookshelf packed full of books, mostly romance with a few romantic thrillers and mysteries thrown in for balance.

The apartment was clean and almost sterile. Did Lena really live here? Or did she just exist, not wanting to make this place a home after being driven out of her last one?

He decided it was a good thing she had not settled too deeply into this apartment since she would be moving in with him as soon as he could convince her they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together. All she needed to bring was her books, her computers, and her clothes.

“I know we just ate, but would you like some tea or coffee? Hot chocolate, maybe?” Lena asked as if afraid of what was to come.

Kingsley took a deep breath and could smell her nervousness. Grabbing her hand as she tried to walk past him to the kitchen, he pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her.

“What I’d really like is you,” he whispered once she relaxed into his embrace. “Naked and wrapped around me with my cock buried so deep in your pussy no one can pull us apart.”

He knew his request was too fucking bold for their second night together, but the burning need he saw in her eyes told him she would not deny what they both wanted.

She appeared stunned for a moment before swallowing hard and nodding. “I’d like that, too,” she admitted softly.

His heart skipped a beat when she took his hand and led him into her bedroom without hesitation. Once there, she hesitated, proving once again that her shyness was still an issue.

Which was fine with Kingsley. As an alpha male, he preferred to be in charge. While he did not go in for whips and chains, he had a need to set the tone and pace of sexual encounters. He remained mindful of the women he had been with over the years, and made sure they enjoyed themselves, but at his pace and in his way.

Though he wanted nothing more than to strip them both and shove home for a most intimate connection, he gritted his teeth and held onto his control with both hands.

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