Page 31 of Reckless King

Mark winces. “That’s not what I meant. I know you won’t deliberately hurt her. But you know how charming you are. Women can’t resist you. And you can’t even turn it off. It’s just who you are. What if she falls for you? It’s been like a year since she dated anyone, and I get the feeling her last relationship didn’t end that well.” He frowns for a moment, then shakes his head and continues. “Getting swept up in the excitement and glamour of dating Tate King might be too much for her.”

I can’t help but smirk. “I think you underestimate your sister and just hownotcharming she finds me.”

Mark’s frown doesn’t let up. “What about all the publicity? She’s not used to that kind of scrutiny. She could be put in uncomfortable situations.”

I don’t particularly like that possibility either. “I understand your concerns, and I’ll do everything possible to make sure the media don’t go overboard. We’ll keep the relationship low-key. My hope is that it looks as though this is an ongoing secret romance that has just come to light. A relationship I want to protect from the press.”

“Will you be able to play that? How long has it been since you’ve been with a woman? You have to know that if someone else comes forward and says she was with you after this relationship supposedly began, it would hurt Violet.”

I resist the urge to say that the last woman I was physical with was Violet. He definitely doesn’t need to know that little fact. And I understand his worries, even if they grate on me. “I haven’t been with another woman in months. Whether anyone else is willing to acknowledge it or not, I’ve been working to adjust my image for a while now.” I smooth down my tie. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Violet doesn’t get hurt, and I’ll compensate her well for her time and effort. I’ve spoken to her, and she’s on board with all of this. And with all due respect, Mark,” I lean forward and pin him with the full weight of my stare, “I’m going through this with you out of courtesy and because you’re my friend. But the final decision is up to your sister. The reason I want you to write the contract is because I know you’ll have her best interests at heart and will make sure it’s fair to her. But if you don’t want to handle it, I’ll have one of our other lawyers do it.”

He narrows his eyes, and for a long, drawn-out moment, tension hangs heavy in the air between us. I’m probably an idiot for forcing the issue with one of my very few real friends. But out of the many people I associate with, I trust hardly any of them with more than the surface of me. Mark’s one of those I do.

Finally, he looks away and picks up his pen again. When he meets my gaze, his eyes shine with concern. “You’re right. I should have more faith in you. And Violet’s a grown woman. She can make this decision herself. But I worry about her. She went quiet on me after Dad, and it’s only since she’s been back in New York running the coffee shop that she’s seemed more like herself. I don’t want anything to jeopardize that.” He sighs. “Just… take care of her, okay? That’s all I’m asking for.”

I nod. He’s not exactly enthusiastic, but at least he’s on board.

“One last thing,” Mark says. “What’s the exit strategy?”

“Exit strategy?” And then it hits me. How will we get out of this relationship when the time comes? It will have to be in a way that doesn’t invite more scandal and won’t make either of us look like the villain. Particularly Violet. I tip my head back and mentally run through scenarios. “We can say that we’ve known each other for years, and that after reconnecting and spending time together, we’ve decided that we’re better off as just friends. We can be seen together amicably a few times after the split is official, to make it clear there’s no blame on either side. Then that will be it. Done. Violet goes her own way, and I go mine.”

“That sounds believable.” Mark rubs his chin, brow furrowed, then nods sharply. “Okay, let me get this drafted. I’ll call Violet, make sure I cover all of her concerns, and send it up to you when I’m done.”

I stand and straighten my jacket. “Include whatever she needs in the contract. Her comfort is the priority. I’ll work around her.”

He studies me, hands clasped on the desk in front of him. “She’ll need to be able to tell her best friend, Anna. It’s not fair to ask her to lie, and she might need the support.”

I consider it for only a second. “Include it in the NDA.”

Mark’s shoulders relax almost imperceptibly, as if I’ve passed some kind of test. “Okay.”

Just before I walk out the door, he calls out to me. “Look after her, Tate. She’s the only family I have left.”

All I can do is nod. And as I head back to the elevators, I reassure myself that all the reasons I have for making Violet my co-conspirator in this are logical and have nothing to do with the memory of her lips pressed against my neck as she came on my fingers.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

VIOLET

Mark slides the contract to me over the highly polished wooden table.

As I take a sip of the water that an assistant brought for me, the ice clinks against the glass in response to the slight tremble of my hand. Since agreeing to Tate’s proposition in principle, the process has moved quickly. Two days ago, I received a tense phone call from my brother, where he laid out his concerns, and I reassured him that I knew what I was doing. This morning, I was summoned to King Plaza, the King Group’s headquarters building in Manhattan.

The high-rise is intimidating, from its marble-floored foyer to the impressively silent and swift elevator that carried me to the fifty-third floor to this huge conference room with an incredible view of New York City. I’ve never visited Mark at work before. I’ve never had a reason. Or particularly wanted to. Not knowing he worked for his annoyingly arrogant college roommate. It’s kind of ironic. Or maybe that’s not the right use of the word. Honestly, who knows?

I rein in my scattered thoughts and force myself to focus on the contract in front of me.

“Take your time,” Mark says. “I’m here to answer any questions you might have.”

I glance around the big empty room. “Shouldn’t Tate be here?”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back. Of course he doesn’t need to be here for this. And it doesn’t matter to me whether he is or not. Soon, I’ll have to see far more of him than I ever planned—or wanted. It’s not like having him here would be reassuring anyway. Mark is with me, and he’s all the support I need. And yet, there’s a heaviness in my chest that seems to be more than just nerves.

Mark checks his watch. “He’s in a shareholder meeting with his brothers. He said he’d try to make it.”

With a nod, I focus back on the contract and start reading through it. I’m unfamiliar with some of the legal terminology, but a few things jump out at me:

The term of this Agreement will continue for a period of no less than two months, with a potential extension period of up to six months, in accordance with the provisions outlined in Section 23…

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