A billionaire’s kiss

I watched Ian Kingston walk into the airport, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Bastard

I took a deep breath and turned around to see my friends giving me awkward smiles while the rest of the company glowered.

I flushed in embarrassment and slowly jogged towards them, pretending like nothing happened.

“Miss Evans, where’s your luggage?” VP asked me as I approached them.

“Oh Ian has them….” I trailed off realising I just call the boss by his name.

“Miss Evans” VP exaggerated on my last name and kept her hands on her hips. “Today might be a Saturday but that doesn’t mean you aren’t here for work. You may address the higher ups properly, no matter what personal connections you have with them”

“Yes ma’am”

VP shot me once last glare and strode inside the airport. But before I could follow her with the rest, someone harshly grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

“You whore”

I turned to see Melissa scowling at me.

“Excuse me?”

She took a step forward. “You well knew he’s my fiance but still you slept with him and seduced him”

I blinked. “Sorry what?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know. You ruined my life. You took everything from me. But-” She hissed. “I’m not gonna sit and watch. I will take him back before this trip is over”

“First, this is not a trip-”

“Shut up” She screamed. “Don’t give excuses. He. Is. Mine. Periodt” Then she stormed inside, bumping into me on her way.

Are you freaking serious woman? Men are not worth fighting for. Dogs and chocolates are.

“Keep him. I never wanted him anyways” I scoffed and followed her inside.

After getting our tickets we boarded the flight and flew to California, spending half the journey checking out hot guys and the rest sleeping.

When we landed, the first thing we noticed were the palms and the sun, the bright sun, and the first thing we did was flinch like vampires.

“Y’all never seen the sun? Get on the bus now! Move move” The VP bellowed to the five of us, embarrassing us in front of other departments.

“Why is she a VP? She could have passed for a school teacher” Brian grumbled as we climbed on to the bus.

The bus took us a few miles away from San Francisco to a beachfront hotel that was built on top of a cliff, surrounded by mountains and greenery.

The view of the vast sea is spectacular, glistening under the bright sun with waves roaring and rolling, carrying the salt taste to the tip of my tongue. And the area breaths of everything that isn’t New York. Calm and serene. Just like how I always wanted.

Lexi and Brian dragged their luggages to the lobby and asked for their room numbers from the receptionist. When I asked for mine the receptionist’s eyes bulged out of their sockets and she stood up straight, looking frightened.

“Good Morning Mrs. Kingston”

“WHAT?” I screamed.

The receptionist winced, looking baffled. “Umm… anything wrong Mrs. Kingston?”

“Stop calling me that. I’m his fiance not his wife”

Lexi’s eyes widened. “Did you just acknowledge that you’re his fiance?”

I snapped my head at her. “What? Noo that’s not what I meant. I still hate him and always will”

“You sure?” Brian narrowed his brows. “Because when he kissed you today it didn’t seem like you were making any effort to push him away”

I scoffed in disbelief. “How can you even say that? I can’t believe you’re my friends. And yes I am sure. I still hate him”

Then I turned back to the receptionist. “Can I please have my room number and the key?”

“Yeah sure” She nodded happily and gave me the key card.

I checked mine and my friends but we were nowhere near. Then I checked with rest of the marketing employees and nope, I was in a separate floor with a red key card while they all have white ones.

I went to our VP and asked why I was separated.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not my doing. Why would I book you an expensive room?”

My brows creased in confusion. “What expensive room…” I trailed off as realisation dawned upon. “Is it… Is it Mr. Kingston’s doing?”

“No shit Sherlock” Someone from the general management shouted.

Suddenly a strong smell of perfume wafted through the air, invading my nostrils. I spun around, following the smell and then saw Melissa, leaning against the receptionist’s desk.

“You need to take this call” She smirked and extended her phone to the receptionist, who hesitantly took it with a confused look on her face.

Then as whoever on the other line spoke, her gaze immediately fell on me. Her face paled and terror overtook her as the other end continued to speak. She gave me one last guilty look and cut the call.

What the hell is going on?

“Hey” Lexi nudged my arm. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah”

“What’s she up to?” Brian scowled at Melissa.

“Don’t know but I don’t think she has good intentions”

Lexi scoffed. “Good intentions? I doubt she even knows those words. She already slept with 3 ATC employees. Can you believe it?”

My eyes widened. “Are you serious? I mean, how can she get her man back if she keeps sleeping with other people?”

“Pfft do you honestly think she needs Ian? She needs his money not him”

I shook my head in dismay. “I can’t believe I shipped them. Maybe Ian should sign up for tinder and find himself another woman”

“You two!” VP bellowed to Lexi and Brian. “Go and keep you luggages in your rooms and you-” Her eyes trained on me. “Luggage-less Evans, follow me”

I sighed in exasperation and did as she told.

She took me to meet the employees of ENCOM, a software company and our partners, who arrived just a few minutes after us.

Apparently she’s best buddies with their marketing department and their VP was a high school friend of hers. So you can guess how that went.

After a day of third wheeling the VP romance I walked along the wide pool surrounded by palm trees, it’s leaves swaying as the salty wind blew across the sea.

We didn’t have much work today as it was the first day and everybody was jet lagged but I neither saw Ian nor my friends after morning. Someone in the sales told me that the CEO had gone to a meeting in San Francisco and haven’t arrived to the hotel yet.

My friends were assigned other tasks as to prepare for the trade show tomorrow so I couldn’t meet them either. Most of the employees even got a resting time in the afternoon while I had to follow the VP like a puppy.

As I was pacing, I saw a man standing across the pool, hiding behind a palm tree with a camera in hand. He was talking to someone but couldn’t see who it was as the person was covered by the trunk of the tree.

Curiously, I moved several steps forward and squinted my eyes to get a closer look.

Then I spotted a red head, Melissa talking to the man with the camera or- my eyes widened, the paparazzi!!!

What’s she doing with them?

After observing them for a long time I realised it wasn’t my business to meddle in.

So I went on my way.

But at the back of my mind, I couldn’t help feeling something bad is going to happen.

…

The clatter of knives and forks filled the dinning hall as employees of ATC and ENCOM ate dinner together.

“You saw Melissa again?” I asked Lexi as she dug into her steak.

“Nope but I heard a very interesting news”

“What’s that?”

“You know” She swallowed her food and leaned in. “Since Mr. Kingston can’t fire Melissa because she came in through chairman’s connection and shit, he appointed her as Daniel’s PA”

I choked on my food. “You gotta be kidding me. I can’t believe we missed that”

“I know right. We had been too busy planning a ‘break-in’ to notice what was going on around us”

Brian nodded in agreement and gave me a pointed look. “The plan which Hailey failed to accomplish by the way.

I scowled. “Haha very funny” I huffed angrily and chewed on my food, glaring at Brain throughout the meal.

After dinner was done, I took my key card and went searching for my room. A hotel staff even accompanied me there thinking I was a VIP guest since I had a red key card or maybe it was because he recognised me from TV. You know, from the fiance drama thing.

He told me my room was next to Ian Kingston and that my luggage was already brought in.

And to be honest I wasn’t a least bit surprised to hear that. I had already guessed that my room would be next to the stupid Kingston since he tends to do those crazy stuff.

I should definitely contact the mental hospital.

I slid the key card to my door and was about to open it, when I spotted Melissa approaching from the opposite direction, wearing lingerie with her red heels clicking on the ground.

I stood shocked for a moment, seeing her half naked state, then quickly recovering I hid behind the tall plant pot beside my door and watched her movements out of curiosity.

Melissa casually slid a key card into Ian’s door, opening it and then walked in.

From behind I saw the man with the camera following her, waiting till she gives him some signal.

A second didn’t pass when she gestured for him to come. He sneaked into the room and I could hear the sound of a shower from inside.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Ian might probably be in the shower without having any idea that Melissa and her paparazzi friend were sneaking into his room.

I pondered for a while thinking if I should inform him but then decided against it.

It’s none of my business.

Is it really not?

Shaking my head, I hesitantly opened my door and walked in, still conflicted whether I made the right choice or not.

Should I tell Ian?

Sighing heavily I turned the lights on.

Then a gasp escaped my lips.

Because sleeping on my bed was Ian fucking Kingston.