by Laura Lee
I kicked off my flip-flops, reclined my seat, and propped my feet on the dash. I didn’t miss the way Ronan’s eyes tracked every motion. That was the good thing about being at a standstill in traffic, I supposed. You didn’t need to worry about distracted driving if you weren’t actually moving.
“Whatever. Sweat to death for all I care.” I closed my eyes and turned my face toward the sun.
“Would you prefer if I were naked? Because that could easily be arranged.”
My lips quirked. “I’m sure.”
A light breeze crossed through the Jeep as we inched along the H-1. I loved this place—been here a dozen times—but that was the one downside of Oahu. With nearly the entire state’s population residing on this one island, plus all the tourists, it took forever to get anywhere in the Honolulu-Waikiki area. If you ventured outside of the city though, it was fine.
“You just say the word and consider it done, sweetheart. My dick is at your command.”
I fought a smile. Man, he really wasn’t kidding when he said we’d drop all the boss-employee pretenses. He’d been incredibly flirty ever since, playful even. It was hard not to follow suit. The change was so drastic; if he wasn’t still cocky as fuck, I’d think aliens had inhabited his body. I could easily see myself falling for this Ronan. I took a deep breath as I shook off that scary thought.
I must’ve fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, we were at the hotel. Ronan pulled up to the valet and shifted the Jeep into park.
“Have a nice little nap?” His lips turned up in a teasing smile. Damn, he was pretty when he did that.
I smothered a yawn as I sat up. “The champagne must still be in my system.”
The valet opened my door. “Good afternoon. Welcome to the Maxwell Waikiki. Are you checking in?”
I took his hand and stepped out of the car. “We are. Our reservations are under Q. Montgomery.”
Whenever we traveled to a Maxwell hotel, I always booked the rooms in my name since it wouldn’t stand out nearly as much as our CEO’s. Ronan insisted on experiencing everything as a guest would and that would be impossible if he threw his name all over the place. Every once in a while, an employee would recognize his face, but for the most part, he was able to fly under the radar.
The man made a note on the valet tag as Ronan handed him the keys. “Very well. We’ll get your bags loaded and sent up to your room immediately.”
Ronan shook the valet’s hand, leaving a tip behind. “Thank you.”
I hitched my purse over my shoulder and jerked my head toward the entrance. “I’m going to check us in.”
“I need to call the office. I’ll meet you inside in a few minutes.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket before walking down the sidewalk a bit.
I used the self-service check-in kiosk and stood to the side, waiting for Ronan to return. A good ten minutes later, he finally showed.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
His brows pinched together. “Yeah. I’m just thinking about everything I need to do today. I didn’t get any work done on the plane.”
We started walking toward the elevator bay. “Anything I can help with?”
He shook his head. “No, I’ve got it. You should relax. What floor?”
I held out his keycard. “Seventeen.”
Ronan nodded as he took the card from my hand. The elevator had just arrived by the time we got there, so we stepped into it once the car had cleared out.
“Are you sure I can’t help?”
He gave me a look that I couldn’t quite decipher. “Why don’t you go check out the pool area for me? Kick back and relax, maybe order a few of those fruity drinks you like. Take note of the service and you can give me the recap tomorrow.”
“Um... okay, if you’re sure.”
He nodded. “I’ll probably just get some room service and power through the most important stuff.”
I told myself not to be disappointed that he didn’t want to spend our free night hanging out. I should’ve expected it even; this man was a workaholic through and through. I thought I was bad, but at least I had no problem indulging in some R&R while in a place that practically demanded it.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Suit yourself.”
Our rooms were adjacent to one another’s so as we stood in front of each door, I was practically holding my breath, waiting for him to change his mind. Ronan held his key in front of the electronic pad and turned the handle once it unlocked. So much for that idea.
He stepped over the threshold. “I’ll see you later.”
That was the last thing he said to me before closing himself inside his room. I walked into mine, angry with myself for letting this bother me so much. Whatever. I was in paradise, and I was damn well going to enjoy my limited time off, with or without that stupidly sexy man.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
RONAN
I shouldn’t have been there. My attention really should’ve been on my business, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that Quinn was likely sitting by the pool, wearing a bikini. Wondering if she looked as good as I’d imagined. Before I could talk myself out of it, I had powered down my laptop and changed into a pair of swim trunks. Now, here I was, scanning the pool deck, trying to find the beautiful blonde who’d tattooed herself on my brain.
The area was pretty empty since it was close to sundown, so it didn’t take long before I spotted her standing at the edge of a crescent-shaped infinity pool. Quinn was looking out toward the harbor, so she hadn’t noticed me yet. As I waded through the shallow water, she tilted her face toward the setting sun. The watercolor sky gave her skin an almost heavenly glow, accentuating her delicate features. She lifted her body from the water just enough to expose her breasts, making me pause for a moment to appreciate the view.
Jesus, she was stunning.
She was clad in a bright red and white floral bikini. It wasn’t one of those little triangle suits that barely covered a woman’s nipples. Not that I’d ever complain about seeing her in one like that, but this suit couldn’t be more perfect for her. It was sexy as hell but also somewhat modest, hinting at the treasure that laid beneath.
When I was about five feet away, she must’ve sensed the disturbance in the water because she turned to see who was approaching. As her eyes landed on me, they widened in shock and her pouty lips formed into an O. I grinned as I came closer, amused by her reaction. I also didn’t mind the fact that she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off my bare torso.
I didn’t stop moving until I was so close, I had her caged in against the edge of the pool. “Hi.”
She blinked a few times. “What are you doing here? I thought you had work to do.”
“I do.” I ran a finger along her bare shoulder, down her arm. “But I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Why not?”
Her voice was breathy, a sure sign of her arousal. If that wasn’t evidence enough, Quinn’s nipples hardened under the thin material of her swimsuit as my hand continued its descent. I stopped just as it landed on the curve of her waist, with the tips of my fingers pressed against the little dimple on her back.
I bent down to place a soft kiss on her cheek. “Because we had an agreement.” I grabbed her hand below the water and placed it on the bulge at the front of my shorts. “I’ve been hard as a rock, thinking about all the filthy things I’m going to do to you this week. There was no way in hell I could get any work done until this was taken care of.”
Quinn stroked my cock through my swim trunks. “Is that so? What makes you think I’m interested?”
I pressed closer, grinding my erection into her stomach as I whispered in her ear. “Sweetheart, we both know that you want me inside of you as badly as I want to be inside of you. That you need my thick cock stretching that tight little cunt of yours.”
I wasted no time reaching behind her and diving my hand beneath her bikini bottom. Quinn gasped as my finger slid between her round cheeks, pressing briefly against he
r puckered hole. “You dirty girl, you like that, don’t you?”
Her spine bowed. “Maybe.”
I chuckled as I reached farther and teased the opening of her pussy. “Has anyone ever taken your ass, Quinn?”
She squirmed as I pushed the tip of my finger inside of her cunt. “No.”
I could feel my control slipping, so I pulled my hand out and took a step back, leaving her with a dazed look on her face. “That’ll make it even better when I do.”
Her mouth gaped. “I never agreed to that.”
I grinned widely. “You will.”
A flush spread across her chest and up her neck. I had to resist the urge to tear off her top and suck on her tits in front of all these people.
“You are the most arrogant man I’ve ever met.”
“So you’ve said. Can we move on to the fucking now?”
She chuckled and shook her head. “No. Let’s see how you behave at dinner before I decide on that.”
I smiled. “Dinner, huh?”
“Yep.” She nodded. “I think you should at least buy me dinner before you try getting in my pants.”
My lips twitched. “It’s cute that you think I have to try.”
“Ha ha, funny guy.” She rolled her eyes again before turning away from me toward the sunset.
I pulled her back against my chest. “There’s one thing I’ve never been accused of.”
Quinn’s laughter died on a moan when I nipped the shell of her ear. She rested her hands over my bare forearms, scoring my skin with her nails. “I can’t believe you’re not wearing a designer suit right now.”
I held her tighter. “That might be a little odd considering I’m in a pool.”
“Nah, I think this is weirder.”
“Wiseass.” Since we were faced away from any potential onlookers, I took advantage by dusting my fingers over her nipple through her top.
Her head fell back on my shoulder. “God.”
I pressed my erection into her body. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”
“Save it for later, you ass. Now, stop groping me and let me watch the sunset.”
“You’re no fun,” I teased.
It took a great deal of self-control, but I managed to keep the groping to a minimum as we watched the sun make its final descent across the sky. As it dipped below the horizon, Quinn released a heavy sigh.
“Absolutely breathtaking.”
I glanced down at the woman in my arms, wondering how I managed to get here. “I agree.”
I wasn’t talking about the sunset.
She broke away from my hold and made her way to the other end of the pool. “Pick me up in an hour.”
“What?” I chased after her. “Are you sure I can’t interest you in a little dessert first?”
Quinn grabbed a towel from a nearby lounge chair and began drying herself off. “Nuh-uh. I need to wash the chlorine out of my hair and change into something more appropriate for dinner.”
I gave her an obvious once over. “Appropriate is overrated.”
She threw her towel at me and pulled a gauzy dress over her head. “Too bad. Pick me up in an hour and not a minute sooner.”
With that, she slipped on her shoes and started walking away, leaving me grumbling behind her as I dried myself off.
***
Exactly one hour later, I was standing in front of Quinn’s room, ready to knock on the door. Before I had the chance though, she opened it.
“Well, I’ll be damned; you do own regular people clothes.”
I smirked. “I always pack clothes like this in warmer locations. You’ve just never seen me during our time off.”
I was dressed in a navy-blue polo with beige cargo shorts—a far cry from my usual attire. To be completely honest, I enjoyed wearing suits. They made me feel powerful, plus I looked considerably younger than I actually was, so dressing well helped with perception in the business world. But Quinn seemed to have this preconceived notion that I was incapable of letting loose and if being more casual tonight would help my cause, so be it.
I wanted her to see that I wasn’t always the hardass she knew at the office. That there was more behind the man that I allowed the public to see. I’d wanted to show her this part of me for a long time now, but since she worked for me, I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Now that I thought about it, the frustration I felt over that was probably the main reason I was such a jerk to her. I figured if I pushed her away, if she hated me—or better yet, quit—the temptation would be easier to fight.
I had taken over the company when I was thirty-one; far younger than most CEOs of multi-billion dollar empires. I lived and breathed Maxwell Hotels for as long as I could remember, but I still had to prove that I deserved my position. Every damn day, I’d worked my ass off to prove that I earned the role fair and square. That nepotism did not exist in my company. My father would’ve never left me in charge of his father’s legacy had I not been fully qualified, but there would always be doubt. There would always be someone who assumed the job was handed to me on a silver platter. I would always be swimming upstream trying to prove myself.
It was a cross I bore willingly because I truly loved this company. I actually gave a shit about our guests’ experience. Sure, I was competitive by nature and wanted to be the best, but making my father proud, providing for my future children, helping my employees provide for their families, that was my top priority. That was why I worked so hard.
“Ronan, where’d you go?” Quinn was waving her hand in front of my face.
“Sorry, I was trying to picture what you looked like under that dress,” I lied.
She wore a simple black cotton dress with sandals. Her long hair fell freely down her back and the only makeup she had on from what I could tell, was some light pink lip gloss. Everything about her was understated, but in my opinion, she was magnificent.
Her chocolatey eyes twinkled with humor. “Well, you’re going to have to keep wondering. I’m hungry.”
I grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into me, catching her off guard. “Me too.”
Quinn placed her open palms on my chest as she caught her balance. “What are you doing?”
“This.” I clutched the back of her neck and closed the remaining distance between us. There was nothing gentle about the kiss. It was pure possession—a prelude to all the naughty things I planned on doing to her tonight.
“Wow... um...” She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers. “What was that for?”
I took her hand in mine and led her to the elevator. “Just getting it out of the way so I didn’t have to think about it all through dinner.”
“Oh. Okay, then.” She gave me a soft smile.
I didn’t want to worry about being interrupted in one of the on-site restaurants, so I decided to take Quinn to a nearby establishment. Waikiki Beach had a high walkability index, so instead of getting our rental from the valet, I threaded her arm through mine and guided her to the main drag that ran parallel to the Pacific.
I nodded to the entrance once we reached our destination. “Here we are.”
Surprise registered on her face when she saw that we had stopped at a local bar & grill. “Huh. Not what I was expecting.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Would you prefer we go somewhere else?”
“Not at all.” She shook her head. “This is perfect.”
I placed my hand on the small of her back and guided her into the restaurant. We were seated on the back deck which overlooked the ocean. Since it was dark, our view was limited, but you could see the waves crashing against the shore and smell the salty air.
“God, everything looks amazing.” Quinn looked up from her menu. “What are you getting?”
“I’m thinking the Kalua pork tacos.”
“Ooh, I was debating between that and the macadamia crusted Mahi Mahi. How about you give me one of your tacos and I’ll split my fish in half?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
> Whenever we worked through dinner—which was fairly often—Quinn almost always sampled some of my food. My lips curved into a smile when I recalled the first time she’d done that. We had ordered takeout and halfway into our meals, she reached across my desk and swapped her drunken noodles for my pad thai without saying a word. I sat there, speechless, as she dug into my entrée with gusto. When she looked up and saw that I wasn’t eating, she shrugged and said, “Deal with it.” It was the first time she’d ever shown sign of a backbone with me. It was also the first time I’d imagined throwing her on my desk and fucking her into oblivion.
“What are you smiling about over there?” She took a sip of her pink cocktail.
“I was just picturing you naked again.”
Quinn shook her head. “You and the nakedness. Is that all you ever think about?”
“Lately, it does take up the majority of my thoughts,” I answered honestly.
She laughed. “Well, to be fair, I can’t exactly blame you. The naked time is fun.”
I grinned. “That it is.”
I liked how effortless this was. As much as she fought me on it, Quinn seemed to have no trouble setting business aside. There was no need for propriety. Our constant bickering was nonexistent. The drinks flowed as we ate and the more alcohol she consumed, the flirtier she became. By the time our plates were cleared, I didn’t think the sexual tension between us had ever been higher. I couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel so we could actually do something about it.
The elevator ride to our floor was painfully long. We had to stop on almost every level to let someone out. When we were finally inside her room, my patience snapped.
I pushed her against the door and started trailing kisses down her neck. “How drunk are you?”
She moaned as I bit down on the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “Not drunk enough to not know what I’m doing.”
I pulled back to verify the truth in her statement. I knew consent wasn’t an issue; every other time we’d been together, we were both stone-cold sober. And while drunken sex had its merits, that wasn’t what I was going for. Tonight, I wanted this woman’s full attention. I needed to know that she would remember every little detail of what was about to happen. When every muscle in her body ached tomorrow morning, I wanted her to visualize all the dirty reasons why.