KAREN: A BILLIONAIRE FEUD

HENLEY

"Wine?" The waiter asked me.

"No, thank you." I shake my head. 

My eyes scan the room for any sign of Jason and Karen. 

He's the fucking host, where is he?

"Brother!" Jason called from behind me moments before he slapped my back with his palm. 

His usual way of greeting. 

I forced a smile and nodded as I firmly shook his hand. 

We both know we smile at each other for the public, purely for business reasons. 

Our family is broken on the inside but no one knows that and we can't afford to let the public see how twisted we all are lest we lose everything. 

My smile falters as soon as my eyes lock with hers. 

There she is, standing quietly behind my brother looking like she doesn't belong to this world and is oblivious to the hungry stares that are directed at her. 

Her lips move upwards in a smile as she walks forward slowly with her right hand stretched towards me for a kiss. 

"It's good to see you Henley," She said, her whiskey brown eyes focused on mine. 

I lower my lips slowly to her knuckles. Her skin is so smooth and the scent of her perfumed wrist goes to my head like cocaine. 

I plant a kiss with a hint of teeth and hum in pleasure to myself when her hand jerks in mine. 

She felt it too. 

I look up at her to find her staring at the area my lips touched. 

"It's good to see you too Karen," I say softly with a smile. 

She nods and smiles at me and then looks at Jason who was oblivious to us the whole time as he engaged in friendly banter with a business associate.

MERC has a lot of associates and it's important to be friendly with all of them though sometimes I fear they're getting too familiar with us and forget their place.

"I didn't think you'd come," Karen said suddenly. 

My heart skipped a beat as I turned my head to look down at her. 

She's 5ft8 to my 6ft1 so she has to tilt her head to look up at me giving me a nice view of her slender and attractive neck which seems to beckon to me to give it just one bite. 

It takes quite an effort to keep my mind and eyes off her neck as she repeats her sentence. 

"Why?" 

I ask.

"Because I know how much you hate gatherings like this," She replied with a small smile. 

A voice tells me not to place too much thought on it, that she's naturally observant. 

"What else do you know about me Karen?"

I know how that sounded because of the way she looked up at me. 

Something passed in her eyes but before I recognized it she blinked and it's gone. 

She gives me a sly smile and chuckles. 

"I know you like brandy,"

"Everyone knows that," I scoff. 

She laughs out loud. 

Immediately my tie feels like it's choking me and I pull at it to loosen it, grunting in the process.

Karen takes a flute of wine from a waiter's tray and rolls her eyes at her partner who seems to be having the best time of his life on the other side of the room. 

"I wonder what they are discussing," She takes a sip of the wine. 

"Probably business." I say. 

"Har. Har." She replies. 

Jason has the most beautiful woman in the world as his partner and he's on the other side of the room without even a glance at her. 

My teeth grind together as I stare at him. 

He doesn't fucking deserve her. 

Why did she settle for him?

"He looks happy," She comments, her eyes still on my brother on the other side of the room. 

"Be that–" I am unable to finish whatever it was I was going to say as a waiter bumps into Karen from behind while trying to avoid an overenthusiastic guest. 

Without thinking, my arms go around her cradling her and taking her to a more quiet place. 

"Oh! Henley your shirt!" Karen says in horror as all the contents of the wine glass dripped from my white shirt and blue jacket. 

"It's nothing. Are you okay?" I ask her. 

She nods rapidly. 

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been in the way." Her eyes are fixed on my shirt that's clung to my skin as she fishes frantically in her purse for a tissue. 

Something in her voice pulls at me, I place both hands on her shoulders pausing her movements and her eyes meet mine in horror. 

Why is she suddenly scared?

"It's alright Karen." I say firmly. 

She nods and blinks repeatedly. 

"Let me wash your shirt at least. It'll be ready in minutes." She offers after an awkward silence. 

I want to refuse but my brother still hasn't remembered that we are here and Mother and Father are yet to make their entrance, 

I can spare a few minutes. 

"Alright then." I nod in affirmation. 

"Come with me," She says and turns around, leading me to the elevator.

"I'm so sorry." She breaks the silence as the elevator rides up. 

"Karen, it's really not a big deal." I say with a puzzled look. 

Why does she keep apologizing like she's scared of me?

She looks up at me and there's an emotion in her eyes I can't understand like she's pleading with me to read her mind. As I open my mouth to question her, the elevator doors slide open.

"We are here," She walks into the living area and straight into the bathroom. 

I take off my tie and jacket as I walk behind her, my eyes fixed on her backside. 

I can't help the thoughts that form in my head while watching her hips sway. 

I wish I could tell her exactly what I'd like to do to her. 

"In here," She goes into the laundry room at the far end of the corridor. 

I hand her my tie and jacket as I watch her. Immediately she gets busy with getting the stains off the material. 

"Your shirt?" 

Our eyes meet and once again that emotion shows in her eyes as I slowly begin to unbutton my shirt. 

Her eyes follow the movement of my hands down to the last button and she exhales softly as I shrug out of the shirt.

I may not have heard it if I hadn't been listening but I know what I heard. 

A sigh of pleasure, from Karen. 

The woman of my dreams. 

She walks to me while staring at my naked chest, her eyes betraying her emotions. 

She finally meets my eyes and I don't think of anything else other than to know what she tastes like. 

I know it's wrong, but I do it anyway. 

I also know we could get caught. 

My head swoops down and captures her lips with mine. 

She gasps in my mouth but doesn't push me away. My hands snake around her waist pulling her closer wanting to feel her pressed up against me as my lips claim hers. 

She wraps her hands around my neck and moves her lips in sync with mine.

I can't believe she's kissing me back. 

A moan escapes my lips, but gets lost in her mouth as she parts her lips to receive my tongue. 

Our tongues dance together as I pull her closer still, her whimpers driving me crazy. 

I want more of her. 

I need more. 

With a grunt I tear my lips from hers and kiss my way down to her neck.

She moans and tilts her head further to the side giving me more space to feast. 

My heart bangs in my chest as her hands trail over my body sending tingles all over my body as the bulge in my pants grows bigger. 

In order to ease the growing discomfort in my pants, I rock my hips to hers and she gasps as soon as she feels my erection. 

"Henley, wait." She said breathlessly. 

Slowly we pull out of each other's arms as we stare into the other's eyes. 

My eyes are probably still glazed with lust and I struggle to focus on her as she looks up at me with horror in hers. 

"What have we done?" She asked in a horrified whisper. 

I frown at her question. 

"What do you mean?"

She shakes her head repeatedly and hurriedly puts my shirt in the machine. 

"I shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be here."

She said more to herself than to me. 

This isn't Karen. 

"I'm so sorry but I need to be downstairs with my boyfriend. Your shirt will be washed and dried in three minutes and your jacket is ready." She hands me my jacket on her way out without even meeting my eyes. 

"What's wrong Karen?" I ask as she walks out but get no response from her. 

What is going on with her and my brother?

Leave it to my brother to ruin everything I care about even in his absence he ruined my first kiss with the woman of my dreams. 

Her horrified expression remains imprinted on my mind as I shrug into my shirt. 

Who is she scared of?