The Naughty King(11)

I narrow my gaze. “That’s never going to happen.”

“We’ll see.”

We stand there staring at one another. Neither one of us says a word. I don’t know what it is about this man, but he brings out the competitive nature in me like no other. We are at an impasse—both wanting our ways. I need information to help my father, and he wants to destroy me with sex, causing me to tuck my tail between my legs in embarrassment. I don’t see either one of us conceding, so the best that I can hope for is whatever happens in Vegas to tip the scales in my favor and allow me to get the inside advantage that I need.





Alexander

I GLANCE DOWN AT MY watch and sigh. Diem being late shouldn’t surprise me. After all, I’ve known her for officially twenty-four years this weekend, so Diem being late for her own birthday dinner is a given. That girl couldn’t be on time to save her life. Dad knew that about her too, which is why he left his business to me. He knew Diem was too much of a free spirit to ever be mixed up in the corporate life.

As I pick up my cell to call her again to ask her where she is, she comes bounding up to the table with the biggest smile on her face, making her green eyes brighten and accentuating the emerald shade of the dress she’s wearing.

“You’re late,” I scold her.

Diem waves me off dismissively as the maitre d’ pulls out the chair for her. She tucks a blond strand of hair behind her ear before she makes eye contact with me. “Stop being such a stiff. I wasn’t that late. Besides, I have a really good excuse this time.”

Staying mad at my baby sister is virtually impossible. It’s odd how she got on my very last nerve when I was younger¸ but after my father died that annoyance fell away and all I wanted to do was protect her. I had to become the man of the family at twenty. When my bitch of a mother decided taking care of an ill man with cancer and her then fourteen-year-old daughter was no longer her thing, I became responsible for Diem.

“What’s the exciting news?” I give in and ask because I can tell by the expression on her face that she’s bursting at the seams to tell me something.

Her smile widens. “I sold a painting!”

“You did?” Now the little shit has me grinning like a fool. “That’s excellent news. Which piece did they buy? The self-portrait?”

Her eyes widen and the smile drops from her face. “How did you know?”

I lean back, pleased that not only do I have a mind for business, but an eye for art as well. “I know good work when I see it, and that was your best work to date. It finally made me realize that sending you to that ridiculously expensive art school wasn’t a complete waste of money.”

Diem rolls her eyes at me. “Don’t even act like the money was ever an issue. Besides, going to that school was my dream.”

I sigh. “I know it was, and even though I don’t say it often enough, I’m proud of you. I’m glad you have aspirations and goals, even if they don’t necessarily align with the educational direction I wanted for you.”

She unfolds the white cloth napkin on the table and drapes it across her lap. “Not all of us mere mortals can become cut-throat business moguls like you.”

I smirk at her sassy tone as I reach into the inside pocket of my jacket and pull out the blue box containing her gift. “I shouldn’t give you this for that little quip, but because I don’t want to hear you complain that I didn’t get you anything . . . here you go.”

I slide the box across the table toward her. “Happy birthday, Diem.”

She places her hand on the box while her shoulders slump forward and her mouth draws into a pout. “Are you sure you have to go away this weekend? My party is going to be epic.”

“Afraid so,” I tell her. “Yamada is in the States, living it up in Vegas, and I have to meet up with him to secure a deal I’m working on.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Now I know exactly why you don’t want to cancel. You and Yamada back together again? I smell trouble brewing.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “Trust me. Those days are long over with. Besides, I’m taking my new secretary to make sure things stay strictly professional and I don’t get distracted.”

“Margo Buchanan? The Feisty Princess? She’s your new secretary, right? I think taking her will cloud your judgment, and I know she’ll definitely be a distraction to Yamada.”

“The Feisty what?” I furrow my brow. “How do you know about her?”

This is news to me. How in the hell does my baby sister always seem to be in the know about everything in this town?