The Billionaires’ Prize (The Heiress Merger #2)

5. Katherine

5

KATHERINE

Gabe stands and rights my clothes in one smooth motion, his body blotting out the world. . . along with my best friend. Alex’s hands smooth my shirt down, and in an instant, I’m covered.

Even so, heat and shame scorch my cheeks.

My lovers stay right where they are, and Alex keeps a steadying hand on my hip, which is good because my joints still feel like gelatin, thanks to my orgasm.

They don’t seem the least bit embarrassed to be caught in a kitchen three-way. Feeling Alex’s thumb drawing lazy circles over the small of my back makes me realize I have nothing to be ashamed of, either. We’re consenting adults, and none of us are married or in committed relationships.

“What question is that?” Gabe asks, holding my gaze, shielding me. Protecting me.

“Are the three of you fucking?”

The pain and accusation in my best friend’s words hit me like a slap to the face, and I flinched.

Alex’s thumb pauses as he lets out a rumbling growl. “Watch your mouth.”

I squeeze his other wrist, silently letting him know I’m okay, and his grip on my waist loosens. I peer around Gabe’s shoulder. “King?—”

My mouth is dry, and my tongue feels thick in my mouth. I don’t know what to say. How to explain this. Not that I think an explanation is going to help.

And the truth is, I loved being shared. For the first time, I felt powerful and desirable.

Kingston holds my gaze, then places something on the countertop before pivoting and walking away. The front door opens and then closes with a quiet snick.

Trust Kingston to exit with dignity. Somehow, his respect for Gabe’s door hurts so much worse than if he’d slammed it.

My gaze locks on the little potted succulent, and my heart crumbles. Shatters. Tears burn my throat, and I suck back a sob.

My bones suddenly ache, and if I wasn’t leaning against Alex, I’d be on the floor.

King brought his plant all the way from Croatia, breaking who knows how many laws. If there was ever a sign that he came back for me, came to see if there was still something between us, a chance for us to be together, that little clay pot is it.

“Go, Katie Bird,” Alex commands, cutting through my numbness.

“What?” I look at him over my shoulder.

“Go talk to him.” He presses against my hip.

The first step is hard, like moving through shifting sands. Gabe moves to the side, giving me a clear path out of the kitchen. His expression is neutral, giving nothing away, but his lips are still wet from my arousal.

I’ve never felt ripped in two before.

If I step out that door, am I turning my back on them? But we haven’t talked about what happens next.

Gabe nods a silent encouragement. “Go. We’ll be here.”

I shove my foot into my shoe, then I’m running. Out the door, across the porch, and down the stairs to the crushed shell path. I reach the driveway, where Kingston is marching, duffle over his shoulder. He swapped his running shorts for a pair of faded jeans that do amazing things for his ass and thighs. The material looks soft, worn thin, and one squat away from giving everyone a show. A soft aqua shirt hugs his upper body just right, highlighting his tan.

“Kingston, wait!”

He doesn’t stop. Doesn’t so much as pause.

My stomach drops.

I still don’t know what I’m going to say, but an overwhelming sense of urgency propels me forward. Like the world is closing in. Pushing me toward him, spinning around us, tightening like a boa constrictor wraps around its prey.

I race around him, blocking his path, and hold up a hand.

He stops.

“King—”

He cuts me off, chin tipped to the side, a mulish expression on his face. “Don’t you dare say it’s not what I think.”

I guess Alex is rubbing off on me because I huff a laugh. “It’s exactly what you think.”

What else could it be? He found me between two men, one of whom was on his knees, with my pants around my ankles. His brows jump up almost comically, and he leans back, obviously not expecting that truth from my lips.

His chest expands on a deep inhale, and he drops his bag to the side, frustration rolling off him. His hands drop to his lean hips, and a wild array of emotions plays across his face. Surprise, pain, humor, disbelief.

“Why?” he asks, his head shaking ever so slightly.

“Why what?” Heartbeat pounding in my ears, I stare at him.

I see how this might be a surprise to him. He’s been gone so long, and it’s not as if I was dating Alex or Gabe.

This beautiful man was maybe the first person to see the real me. To look beneath the facade of wealth and a prominent family name because he had one of his own. Somehow, he made me laugh, has never once forgotten my birthday, and has always been a phone call away.

Even after he broke my heart and hopped a plane to explore the globe, he checked up on me. He’d started sending me boxes of cereal from his travels, a peace offering of sorts. Our friendship settled right back in because it’s impossible to be mad at Kingston Saint.

My heart hurt, but I understood how much he wanted off the island. I want to say I’d have gone with him, but I was so desperate to fit Mother’s mold. To earn my grandfather’s praise.

“Ask me what you really want to know, Kingston.”

Because the accusation in his eyes says it all. Why didn’t I wait for him?

What horse poop.

And he knows it. I know he does because he stares at the ground, unwilling or unable to push the words past his lips.

“It was six years. Not five, by the way.” I’m picking a fight. I know I am. But the past few days have put a megaphone in my hand, and there’s no turning back. All the whispers and miscommunication have to cease.

I lick my lips and take a step closer. He reminds me of a lion with his golden hair and piercing eyes. Normally, he’s chatty and playful and down to earth. But right now, he’s stoic, proud.

“I wanted you every day. And you walked. No, you ran, King. You were happy with our friendship, or so I thought. Now you’re back, telling me you wanted me, too? And you’re cross because I didn’t wait for you.” I cross my arms, hugging my middle. Shards of pain slice through me.

He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his phone, navigates to a screen, and then hands it to me. It’s a boarding pass email.

“Look at the date and time.”

I count back in my head. “Wha?—”

“I booked this the night I found out you were going to be in the auction. The only reason I wasn’t here to see you on that stage was because a giant earth fart in Iceland kept all flights grounded.”

My lips twitch at his colorful description. He left that morning with time to spare.

Ohmygod.

That means he didn’t show up just because Gabe and Alex bid on me.

My heart soars with hope.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

He rakes his foot over a loose shell. It’s not like him to fidget. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“You flew halfway around the world—” My jaw drops. To surprise me. That’s so sweet.

“Because I had to see you.” His eyes lock with mine and my stomach does a little flip. He’s so earnest. “Had to see if I’d ruined everything when I left. If there was still a part of you that. . .”

I step closer and take his left hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. It’s hard to admit feelings, much less put them into words. The fact that Ford and I are able to be so open with each other is a miracle.

Kingston’s family has always been more effusive. His mother’s side of the family is passionate and loud. But I get it.

He’s standing in front of a girl, asking if she likes him.

The whir of a helicopter draws my attention, and I glance over my shoulder at the dark dot moving closer in the blue cotton candy sky. It slices through the air toward us, laps the property, and swoops down to make a smooth landing on the helipad. Alex’s pilot is excellent.

A cloud of leaves and grit swirls our way, and we turn our backs. I close my eyes as my hair whips around my face, stinging my skin. Kingston steps behind me, sheltering me from the worst of the wind.

Even now, he’s protecting me. It’s no wonder I was so infatuated with him. The world seems to slow to a crawl as I turn around, blinking up at him, heart in my throat.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I yell over the noise.

He nods.

Where do we go from here?

I have no idea, but my heart aches at the idea of him not getting what he wants. Even if what he wants is me. Especially if what he wants is me.

But things are so complicated now.

Two tall, dark forms move into my peripheral vision. I get a moment of déjà vu, remembering them before the auction. They’d been sexy then. But now, their appeal has far more to do with who they are as people. Who they are with me.

Protective. Funny. Vulnerable.

“Come with us,” I call to Kingston. We need more time to talk. There’s so much to say, and. . . despite everything, I want to be around him. To soak in his humor and have him pressure me into a long run around Central Park at the crack of dawn.

He watches the two men approach, jaw flexing.

Alex has his backpack hooked over one shoulder, his hands filled with shopping bags. My high heels dangle from Gabe’s left hand, and my dress is draped over his other arm. Cupped in his hand is the succulent. The one Kingston and I bought when we were in Greece. The one I left care instructions for, and by the looks of it, he’s followed to a tee.

That’s another punch to the heart.

They’re ready to go and have me packed as well. A girl could get used to this. I glance back to Kingston and quirk a brow upward. You coming?