Restless (Fractured Farrells: A Damaged Billionaire Series, #4)

by Mallory Crowe

  And she sure as hell didn’t act like a fifteen-year-old. He remembered seeing her climb out of the ocean. She’d seemed so serious, so sad. The kind of jaded sadness that was beyond her years.

  And her body was— Nope. Not thinking about her body.

  The yelling downstairs stopped, and he didn’t want to guess what ended it. Most likely one of them had left the house in a rage. Hopefully things would be calmer now, but it was only a matter of time before the arguments started again.

  Ashley’s head fell back against the headboard and she closed her eyes.

  Alex took a deep gulp as he looked at the expanse of exposed neck. “If you’re tired, you don’t have to stay.”

  She softly shook her head. “No. I don’t want to go back. It’s—” She shook her head once more. She turned her head and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. “Am I annoying you?”

  “What? No. You can stay as long as you want to.”

  “I know you never wanted me here. And I know that you were mad at me for—”

  “I was worried about you, Ashley. I didn’t want you to drown.”

  The corners of her mouth tilted up. “We might be the most functional relationship in the family.”

  Alex let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t know about that.”

  Ashley sat up and her eyes widened. “Oh,” she said, the disappointment clear in her voice. “I’m sorry. I thought we—I thought—” Her face scrunched and she jumped off the bed. “I should go.”

  “Ashley—” He got off the bed and was able to get to the door before her. Not that he meant to keep her from leaving, but he could tell he hurt her feelings. “I didn’t mean I don’t like you.”

  She shrugged but didn’t meet his eyes. “You don’t have to like me. You made it clear where we stood when Mom and Walter got married. I wasn’t expecting anything else.”

  “I was an asshole, that day, okay? I said that to hurt you, and if I could take it back, I would.”

  Ashley then looked up again, her bright blue eyes connecting with his beneath long lashes. “You were right, though. The marriage isn’t going to last.”

  “I wasn’t right to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you. I want you to be—” He clenched his jaw, but decided to go on with it anyway. She deserved to know that at least one person cared. “I want you to be happy.”

  He’d expected a soft smile, or a little thanks, but instead Ashley grabbed his shirt and pulled him close.

  And any little piece of control he’d had snapped when she kissed him. He didn’t care about their parents’ volatile relationship or the age difference.

  When she kissed him, she was a woman and he lost himself in her. The kiss was hesitant at first, but when he tilted his head for better access, she pressed herself fully against him. He groaned at the contact and slowly ran his hands down her side. He started from the top of her ribcage where his thumbs were just below her breasts and traced the curve of her waist to the flare of her hips.

  God, her body felt good against him. His cock was ready to do a whole lot more than just touch.

  A minute of sanity hit and he pulled away. “I can’t—”

  Ashley set a hand on each side of his head and held him steady. He gave in and kissed her again, and she pushed things to the next level. Her lips crushed his, and her tongue tangled with his even as she started to walk backward, leading them both to the bed.

  As they fell, Alex ended up on top of her with one knee between her legs. He pulled at her shirt, and they stopped kissing for a few brief seconds as he pulled it off and took in the view. Her breasts might be smaller, but they were perfect. The rosy nipples were pert and pebbled and he couldn’t keep himself away. He kissed his way down her collarbone and to the valley between her breasts; Ashley took in deep gulps of air. Once he started to tease the nipples, he took pleasure in listening as her breaths came faster and more erratic. As he moved from one breast to the other, he reached down and pressed a hand between her legs, pressing firmly against her mound, his palm right where her clit would be.

  Even though he couldn’t be precise through the pants and panties, he must’ve given her something, because she let out a soft little yelp and shuddered in his arms. He smiled at her reaction and decided his mission in life would be to make her come as much as possible. Was she a screamer? God, he hoped she was a screamer.

  He adjusted the hand between her legs and started to slip his fingers beneath the waistband of her pants.

  Then the relative silence of the room was broken up and screams came up the stairs. He and Ashley both froze in place as Walter and Nadia reached the top of the stairs. They both held their breath, but the voices grew fainter.

  They must’ve turned in the other direction. Alex let out a breath; he pulled his hand from Ashley and pressed it flat on the bed before pushing himself off her. He turned as he stood so he wouldn’t see her topless. “You need to go.”

  He heard rustling and hoped like hell she was putting her shirt back on.

  “Alex—”

  “I’m sorry. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

  “No. I wanted it.”

  She set a hand on his back, and he tensed every muscle in his body as he kept himself from turning around. “You should go.”

  He didn’t need to turn because she walked around to face him. Fully dressed, thank God.

  “You like me too. I’m not crazy, right?”

  Nope. She was definitely not the crazy one. “If I start again, I’m never going to be able to stop, and if I don’t stop, I’ll never be able to forgive myself. You wouldn’t forgive me either. Trust me.”

  “I know what I want, Alex.”

  Something broke inside him and he lashed out, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the door. “I know what I want too, and you should be thanking me for doing this.” He opened the door and stuck his head out, making sure no one would see her leave. The last thing he needed was for Nadia to get upset at Ashley.

  Walter probably wouldn’t care. Hell, he’d probably be happy for Alex, bastard that he was.

  Ashley’s big blue eyes looked up at him, and he could see the fading desire mixing with the rejection. Damn, he’d never felt so much like Walter.

  She set a hand over his on her arm. “Why can’t we just—”

  Alex leaned in close and kept his voice low so no one would hear. “Because if we start, I’m not going to be able to stop again. I’ll never be able to stop—do you understand? I’m never going to stop wanting you, Ashley. So go now before I do something I can’t take back.”

  Now, all these years later, Alex was ready to cross that bridge. To take that last step he knew he could never come back from. The gate to the Connecticut house seemed to swing open in slow motion, as though even the house knew that after tonight nothing would ever be the same.

  Who was he kidding? Ever since she’d shown up a few days ago, everything had changed. Everything had been leading to this moment. The life-and-death situation back in the city with Logan had just solidified things.

  As soon as he was inside, he stopped the car and watched the gate latch. He already had a security system on the house, but it was rarely on because Jones lived there all year round. Now that Tate Gallagher was running around and probably out for blood, he’d already made an appointment for the security company to install cameras. He’d feel better once he made this place into a fortress.

  Because Tate wasn’t just dangerous in himself. He had the kind of money that could hire help. The FBI was in the process of freezing his accounts, but Alex knew there were probably millions hidden in other accounts.

  He knew he had a few secret accounts for a rainy day. He had to assume a guy doing as much shady shit as Tate had to be as, if not more, paranoid than Alex.

  As the gate finished closing and latched, he continued up the driveway. He put the car in park right in front of the doors and left his luggage and the work he’d brought with him sitting in the backseat. It could wait.

&n
bsp; He took the porch steps two at a time and smiled slightly when he turned the knob and the door was locked. Good. At least Jones and Ashley were being careful. He’d warned Jones about the new threat, but waited to tell Ashley. Because of who Tate was to her, he didn’t want to tell her over the phone.

  After unlocking the door, he immediately started to call for Ashley, but he never got her name out.

  There she was. Standing right at the base of the staircase as though she was waiting for him.

  Well, that was exactly what she’d been doing. She had been waiting for him. And if they went through with this, she’d always be there for him when he got home.

  She looked like an angel. Her long blonde hair was loose, but away from her face as though she’d just run her fingers through it. He’d seen the careless gesture hundreds of times, and it never failed to make him want to touch that hair.

  Her little dress hid as much as it showed, and her bare feet were one more reminder that she wasn’t just a passing guest, but here to stay.

  “Hey,” she said with a tentative smile on her face. “Jones told me you were coming back today.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything. There was a lot he wanted to say, but he didn’t know what she expected from him now. This wasn’t an emotional thing. She needed a husband, and he wanted her like a drug he’d been in withdrawal from for years.

  Hell, he had been in withdrawal. He didn’t know it, but now that she was back, all he could think about was the nine years they’d been apart. All the time he’d missed. “I’m going to do it. I’m in.” In hindsight, it wasn’t the most romantic proposal, but he wasn’t feeling romantic right now. He was on edge. Even though she’d asked for this, he kept waiting for her to realize exactly what it meant and change her mind. He didn’t want her to know that it was too late. She couldn’t change her mind. He wouldn’t let her go.

  Which probably made him just as bad as the guy she was running from.

  Her eyes widened and then narrowed as she took in the words. “You’re in, in?”

  “Yep. How soon should we get it done? I can pull some strings and get a rush on a license and meet with a judge by the end of the week.” Before she could try to back out.

  “Yes. All of that. That sounds great.”

  The corners of her mouth tilted up, and he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. That was it. Ashley was going to be his. Without any more hesitation, he closed the distance between them and picked her up in his arms. She gasped and set her arms on his shoulders as her legs reflexively wrapped around his waist. He started up the stairs. Even though Ashley was small and all lean muscle, the stairs should’ve been hard. Should’ve slowed him down. But it didn’t matter. The only important thing was getting her to his room.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  Even though he was the one carrying her, he took it as a good sign that she was out of breath. Because if she didn’t want him still, he was going to lose his fucking mind.

  “I’m sealing the deal.”

  “I, um, I thought we were going to wait until we were married.”

  They reached the top of the stairs and he turned right, toward the master suite. “You have my word. I can’t wait any longer.” Just saying it, he felt like an ass. But he couldn’t stop himself from carrying her to the bedroom and dropping her on the bed.

  Not sneaking glances like they’d done so many years ago. Now he had her there for as long as he wanted. No interruptions. No Walter to get in his way. Even the age difference wasn’t a barrier anymore.

  Except for a few pieces of clothes, there was nothing keeping him from being with his Ashley. He kept on waiting for her to tell him to stop. To tell him that until she wore a ring, she wasn’t giving him a thing.

  But she was silent as she looked up at him. Her fingers ran along the white down comforter on the California king-size bed, and her breaths were still coming faster than normal, her lips slightly parted as she waited for his next move.

  She didn’t have to wait long. He bent down and cupped the nape of her neck, tilting her head back for his kiss. This time he went slow. Took his time as he reveled in his victory. He let his eyes close, and he focused on the taste of her mouth, the soft lips, and with his tongue, he showed her exactly what he wanted to do to her.

  Ashley moaned into his mouth and reached up to hold onto his biceps through his shirt. Then her hands moved toward his front and started to work at the buttons.

  She wanted him. Thank fuck.

  He moved farther on the bed, all the while still kissing her and pushing her toward the center. Once she was where he wanted her, he ran his fingers down her bare arms before he intertwined his hands with hers. He pushed their hands up and out and pinned her to the bed. He straddled her hips. Not the position to do what he really wanted to do with her, but that was okay. He wanted to hold himself back as long as possible, and that might mean keeping her legs closed.

  But now she was his to do whatever he wanted to, and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.

  He started slow, working his way up her jaw to her ear. She made some soft noises and wiggled under his grip but didn’t moan yet. Yet. He’d change that.

  He moved down her neck, taking a minute at the dip of the collarbone. He had to let go of her hand then, but it was worth it as he pulled the strap of the dress and her bra over her shoulder to expose one of her pert breasts to the cool air of the bedroom. Whether it was desire or the temperature that pebbled her nipple, he didn’t care. It was beautiful.

  He repeated the process to her other shoulder; this time Ashley pulled her arm free from the straps. For a moment, he simply took in the view, but then he couldn’t hold back from touching any longer. He started with one breast and then the other. He felt the weight and met Ashley’s eyes as he learned what she liked and what made her back arch in pleasure.

  Then he replaced his hands with his mouth and repeated the process. His cock got harder with every moan and gasp she made. By the time he moved lower, she was gasping for air, and he was so hot for her.

  But this was their first time together. If he was going to claim her, he was going to do it right. Especially considering he didn’t trust his control once he was buried deep inside her.

  So once she was free from her dress, he pushed the silky material up and over her hips and slipped his fingers in the waistband of her panties.

  They were a pretty pink thing, but he didn’t care at the moment. He wanted them gone. Ashley lifted her hips to help him as they went down her legs. He kissed along her thigh and knee as he went, feeling the soft skin and toned muscles of her legs. God, he would never get enough of her body.

  Then the panties were gone and he parted her legs. He made it his life’s goal to make her come. He kissed her clit as two fingers slipped inside. She was already wet for him, and her entire body shook as he continued his education in her body. Her desires.

  He didn’t let up as she kept jumping and knew she was getting close when she put her fist over her mouth and bit down. Except he didn’t want her to hold back any of those screams. They were his and he wanted them, damn it.

  He pushed in a third finger, and his tongue ran over her clit as his other hand gripped her ass tightly to hold her steady for him.

  Then she reached down, twisting her fingers in his hair as she finally screamed. Her head fell back, and her back arched as the orgasm ripped through her. And Alex didn’t stop. He kept pushing and demanding more from her, stroking the flames higher and higher.

  Only when she finally started to come down did he pull away from her. But not for long. Even as he pulled back, he undid his belt buckle and the zipper of his suit pants, freeing his hard and, fuck, pulsing erection. He wanted her so bad at this point, just the wait as he settled between her legs and positioned himself at her entrance seemed excruciating.

  Ashley met him with her mouth, pulling him in for a deep kiss. The world seemed to flow in slow motion as he fell w
ith her, covering her mouth with his even as he pushed inside in one long, slow stroke. This time they both groaned, and she broke the kiss as her head fell back, eyes closed. God, she was pretty. Pretty and his. He was the luckiest man on earth, and he didn’t care whether he was going to hell for it.

  She ducked her head into his shoulder and held tightly as he thrust. He started slow. He really tried. But as quickly as it started, the slow motion feeling was gone and was replaced with an urgency he didn’t know existed. His body took over and his mind shut down. All he knew was the feel of her skin against his and her wet cunt on his cock, and it all felt so damn good that he didn’t think there was one thing on the planet that could’ve gotten him to stop.

  And then in one big flash, he came. He held her impossibly close and kept his forehead pressed against her shoulder as the orgasm rocked his body.

  Holy fuck, it was a good thing she was marrying him. Because he was right. After that, there was no way he’d ever let her go.

  Ashley stepped out of the bathroom only to see that the bedroom was empty. She frowned as she wrapped the towel tighter around her. Alex had been there a minute ago when she’d walked in to wash off. Did that mean she was supposed to leave?

  That didn’t seem right. He wasn’t the kind to kick a woman out. Unless she didn’t know him as well as she thought she did.

  She heard footsteps approaching and took a step back toward the bathroom. She didn’t want Jones walking in on her mostly naked in Alex’s room.

  “Ashley?” called Alex.

  She let out a sigh of relief as she came back into the bedroom. He wasn’t gone. “Here.”

  His eyes went up and down her body but then met her gaze. “I brought us some water. Figured you might be thirsty.”