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

by Mallory Crowe

  And then he broke off the kiss and started to pull her upstairs. She had no illusions. She knew exactly what they were going to do once they reached the bedroom. Except it didn’t scare her. It excited her. She wanted him to touch her; she wanted to touch him, and God help her, it turned her on to know that he would be the only man who would ever touch her again.

  Hell, if this was what it felt like to get married, she almost understood why her mom had been so obsessed with it.

  Once they reached the bedroom, Alex led her to the bed, but he didn’t set her down on it like last time. He stopped her facing the bed and let go of her. She started to turn to follow him, but he ordered her to stop and stay where she was. Ashley bit her lip and did as he said. As she waited for him to make the next move, do anything, everything seemed to amplify. She could practically taste the tension in the air as she sucked in a breath. She could hear his footsteps as he circled her, and all the clothes she wore felt unbearable against her skin. Why wouldn’t he just take them off already?

  And then he was there. He brushed the hair off the side of her neck from behind and laid a soft kiss on her shoulder; then he moved up until he sucked gently at her earlobe before biting down just enough.

  Once the shock wore off, he pulled at her shirt. She obligingly lifted up her arms to allow him to pull the material over her head and drop it to the ground. He made short work of the back clasp of her bra, and soon it joined her shirt. From there, he took his time. He ran his hands over the curve of her hips, up along her ribs, before he cupped her breasts and rolled the tips of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Her breaths came faster, and she started to lean against him for support. He didn’t give her any leeway. He kissed her neck as his hands started to descend until he reached her shorts. In one quick motion, he undid the button and pushed the material along with her panties over her hips and down her legs.

  After the shorts were down, he went down as well. He kissed and nipped along her spine, causing sensations to shoot throughout her entire body. She’d never been kissed on her spine before. Who the hell knew that’d turn her on so much?

  But then, he bit right at the fleshy part of her ass. She gasped as the mix of pain and pleasure shot through her, only to be pushed higher as he slid two fingers deep inside. She was already wet for him, but the intense mixture of sensations made her knees go weak. Instead of falling backward on him, she leaned forward until her palms were flat on the bed. He took advantage of the position and took complete control of her body. As he kept sliding his fingers in and out of her hot core, his other hand came around her front and ever so softly brushed her clit. But that soft brush was all it took to have her jump back. She heard him softly laugh, but he didn’t stop. If anything, he just pushed her harder, drumming up more and more sensations as his fingers worked their dark magic.

  Ashley closed her eyes and exploded in orgasm. She fisted her hands in the bedspread and tried to hold back a scream as she shuddered in his arms.

  “No, no,” whispered Alex into her ear. “You’re going to scream for me.”

  And then he was behind her, sliding completely in. From this angle, his cock entered her easily, but she groaned at the friction of the entry. One of his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly to him; the other hand fell next to hers on the bed as he braced himself.

  “Are you going to scream for me, Ashley?”

  She didn’t think she was capable of even the most basic words. She just nodded and tried to prepare herself for what was coming.

  Alex pulled out and thrust back in. The impact was enough to send tremors through her body.

  “I asked,” he said as he pulled out again, “are you going to scream for me?”

  He pushed back in once more, except this time he reached down to where their two bodies were joined and pressed the palm of his hand against her.

  “Yes!” she yelled as her head fell to the bed and she pressed her forehead tightly against the sheets. She wanted the torture to stop just as much as she wanted it to go on forever. Her already sensitive body was so close to going back over the edge, and he seemed to know exactly how to touch her and what to say.

  The only saving grace was that as she gave in to him, he seemed to lose control too. Instead of his systematic assault on her senses, he started to thrust wildly. This time, she didn’t censor herself. She let the moans take over and then when her orgasm hit, she let the scream out.

  If she thought Alex had been wild before, he turned into a madman after the scream. He leaned into her and bit her shoulder as he held her steady for his cock to pound into her at a pace she didn’t think possible.

  And then he froze, his fingers biting tightly into her flesh, and he grunted his own release. They stayed still in that position for a few minutes, and Alex rested his head against the crook of her neck before he pressed a soft kiss to where his teeth had so recently been. Then he was pulling away and softly patting her hip. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  Without him to support her, she let the bed take her full weight and shimmied farther up the large mattress. Probably a California king. She sat up and looked around the bedroom for the first time.

  The room was mostly in whites and blacks and grays. Just like in the Connecticut house, there was an abstract painting on the wall over the headboard. It appeared to be by the same artist, except the color scheme matched the monotone of the room. So Alex had a favorite artist? One he liked enough to hang at both of his main homes. Interesting to know.

  She wanted to get up to clean herself off, but she wasn’t certain her legs were going to work if she tried to use them, so she decided to play it safe and stayed where she was. She heard some water running and figured Alex was cleaning off. She fell back against the cool gray down comforter and let her eyes drift shut. She was tired. Bone-weary tired. Not just from the stress of going from the Connecticut home to the New York apartment. Not just from the stress of the past week. And not just from the mind-blowing sex.

  But the stress from her entire life. The past few years, she’d been so restless. Always moving. Never safe. Never home. Maybe now that she had Alex, she could actually sleep through the night.

  He came back in the room, and before she could think of anything to say, he jumped onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. She let out a surprised squeal as she settled back against him. “We’re going to ruin the sheets,” she warned even as she snuggled against him. It was a little cold above the covers, but the heat from his body made all the difference.

  “I’ll change the sheets tomorrow,” he said. “We can change them every day if it means you’ll be here with me.”

  Ashley smiled as a giddiness she didn’t know was possible spread through her. She bit her lip to bring herself back down to earth. The lines between reality and wishful thinking were suddenly becoming too blurred.

  “I got you something today,” said Alex against her ear.

  “You’re not supposed to get me anything. You’ve already given me too much. More than I ever expected.”

  “Well, you need this.” One of his hands came around and he held a small, black velvet box in front of her.

  Oh no... “Alex...”

  “If I’m getting married, my wife needs a ring. Now, this is just temporary. Once you’re more settled, you can pick out something that you’d want to wear. Something good enough.”

  Good enough? He was sorely overestimating her requirements. She popped open the lid and her breath left her. “Alex...” she whispered.

  “I know it’s not traditional, but everything looked the same in the jewelry store. This was different.”

  “Is that a sapphire?”

  “No. Blue diamond. Reminds me of the—”

  “Ocean,” she breathed, completing his sentence. The circular stone was surrounded by gentle swoops and curves of tiny sparkling white diamonds, and she immediately understood the meaning behind the ring. “This is better than anything I could’ve chosen.” How cou
ld he even think that she’d want to replace it with anything else?

  “And now we’re legit.” Alex pressed another kiss against her neck.

  Legit. She didn’t know about that, but this day had been a step in the right direction. Maybe there could be a happily ever after for them after all.

  “What do you mean you can’t stop this?” screamed Geoff. “This is what I pay you for!”

  The private investigator sitting across from him stood. “Hey, surveillance I can do. Digging up dirt, I can do. But you’re not sending me after just anyone. This is a Farrell. If he does have secrets, they’re buried way too deep for me to find.”

  Geoff’s grip on the beer glass tightened to the point that he actually heard a crack. “I told you I could pay you more.”

  “It’s not about the money. I can’t get you what you need. I’m sorry, but I take pride in what I do. I’m not going to make promises I can’t keep.”

  “Any resource you need, you’ll have. You don’t need to go after a Farrell. Focus on the girl and—”

  “Sorry, Mr. Cameron. I can’t help you.”

  Geoff stewed in his anger as he watched the man leave. Son of a bitch. He was going to blacklist him. Tell everyone about the good-for-nothing investigator who had failed him. He would never get another job in the city again. Hell, Geoff would make sure he had to move out of the country.

  Geoff took a deep drink of beer and mulled over his next move. The PI had a point. Alex Farrell was hard to get to, but not impossible. He just had to be smart about it. Smart and fast.

  A man slid into the booth across from Geoff. Even though he wore a suit like everyone else in the bar, the man had a five o’clock shadow and dark sunglasses covering his eyes. His eyeglasses were supposed to make him incognito, but they didn’t work. It only made him stand out more.

  “I’m not in the fucking mood for whatever sales pitch or networking bullshit you want to pull. So you better get on out of that booth as fast as you came in,” said Geoff.

  The corner of the stranger’s mouth hooked up. “Oh no. I’m not here to sell you anything. In fact, I’m here to give you something you want.”

  “That’s what a salesperson would say.”

  “Would a salesperson offer you Alex Farrell on a silver platter?”

  Geoff sat up straighter. “What did you just say?”

  “That’s right. I know about your little obsession, and I know about her running off with the black prince of the city. If you want her back, I might be the only person who can help you.”

  “Why the hell would you help me?” Geoff had been in business far too long to trust any altruistic motives. There was always a catch, and it was only a matter of time before it was out in the open.

  “That’s the beauty of it,” said the stranger. “I want what you want. I want Alex Farrell alone and miserable. I want him to suffer. I don’t give a fuck what happens to the girl.”

  Geoff leaned in. “All right. I’ll bite. Who are you?”

  The stranger lowered his glasses the slightest bit, just enough for Geoff to see his gray eyes. “You might’ve heard of me. Tate Gallagher. You understand why I have a bone to pick with the Farrells?”

  Now it made sense. Gallagher had been in the papers all week. Knowing his hatred for the Farrells now, Geoff was betting that they had something to do with all of the FBI charges being pressed against him. If this was all true, and Gallagher was right, they could work together to get what they both wanted.

  And Geoff was willing to bet that Gallagher wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty. Good. Because he didn’t care how much blood had to spill in order for him to get Ashley back.

  Alex wished he could read minds. He had the thought plenty of times throughout his life, but the need had never been more pressing than in this moment. In the cab while driving away from the courthouse. The woman next to him, now his wife, seemed so far away. He knew she was happy. She must be, because this was exactly what she wanted. But she wasn’t jumping into his arms in joy. She wasn’t wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him until he forgot anything else existed. She was sitting in silence in the back of the town car and twisting the ring around her finger.

  But she liked the ring. She’d seemed so excited about it the night before. She even told him she wasn’t going to get another one. But he couldn’t help but feel that something was off. Something was missing.

  Fuck. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was Alex Farrell, one of the richest men in the world. His wife was supposed to be happy, at least during the first day. He knew Walter and Nadia enjoyed the first day of marriage. Maybe once they got back to the apartment, things would be different. Once he got her in his bedroom and out of her clothes, he could let his body take over and give his mind a break for a minute. That was one place he didn’t need to wonder what she was thinking. Her body and her moans told him everything he needed to know.

  In fact, it was the only place he was certain he made her happy.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”

  She let out a soft laugh. “I suppose we aren’t a normal couple on their wedding day, are we?” She shook her head. “I’m good. I really am happy.”

  “But—”

  “But I know this isn’t going to solve everything. Before Geoff can accept that I’m never going back, he’s going to be angry. I suppose for a while I’m just going to keep on waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “I told you Geoff isn’t going to be a problem. What else is bothering you?”

  “It’s so stupid. I was so distracted this week and I forgot to remind you of something, and now I feel horrible about it.”

  “Horrible about what?”

  “The prenup. I never once brought up the prenup.”

  It was Alex’s turn to laugh. That’s what was stressing her out? “Don’t worry. They make postnuptial agreements too.” It was probably stupid, but Alex hadn’t considered the prenup agreement either. He was a full supporter for anyone else he knew getting married. But he wasn’t anybody else, and Ashley was never going to leave him. He would make sure of it.

  Ashley let out some more nervous laughter. “Okay, good. Because I swear I have my own money. It was never about—”

  “Don’t worry.” Alex reached over to set a hand on her knee. “If I thought this was about money, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him even as a smile tugged her lips. “You’re much too nice to me, you know? I don’t deserve this.”

  “Technically, you’re a Farrell now. So if you ask most of the world, you deserve a lot of shit.”

  “The world does reward people based off lineage, don’t they?”

  Once again, her expression took on a serious tone, but Alex didn’t have time to ask more questions. The car came to a stop in front of their apartment building. Their apartment building. He was going to have to get used to that. His was hers now. Didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would.

  Before the driver got to her door, Alex was already there to meet her. He knew she still wasn’t used to the lavish lifestyle he led, and he wanted her to be used to getting spoiled. He wanted it to be a norm for her and not an exception.

  His hopes of taking her right upstairs to ravish her were dashed when he saw two of his brothers, Nathan and Logan, in front of the elevator.

  Nathan especially looked annoyed. “Hey, brother. I see that the lock’s changed?”

  Shit. He never told Nathan that he changed the key code. Which meant the card he had didn’t get him into Alex’s apartment anymore. “I meant to tell you. Hope you weren’t waiting here long. I wasn’t exactly expecting you,” he said with a pointed glare.

  “I heard you were getting married. Did you expect me to not come and meet your fiancée?”

  No, no, no, no. This was not how she was supposed to see the family after she and Alex got married. Ashley fought the urge to hide farther
behind Alex. She didn’t want to be the one to break the news to Nathan that she was no longer a fiancée.

  “You’ve already met her,” pointed out Alex, not mentioning the marriage that just happened. Alex stepped aside. “Ashley, this is Nathan and Logan.”

  Ashley smiled weakly and forced herself to move forward and held out a hand formally. She had a feeling this wasn’t a hugging bunch. “Nice to meet you, Logan. Good to see you again, Nathan.”

  Logan gave her a tentative smile and returned her handshake, but Nathan didn’t even try to be polite.

  “Any word from Tate Gallagher?” asked Alex. Ashley wasn’t sure whether he was actually curious or whether he was trying to deflect any anger from her. Either way, she was happy that Nathan turned his attention back to Alex.

  “My contact at the FBI said it’s not looking good.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Nathan glanced around them. “Maybe we should have this conversation upstairs. Unless there’s something you don’t want me to see.”

  Alex tightened his jaw but hit the button to call the elevator, using his key to get to the penthouse level. Ashley felt bad for him. He really did seem to want to have some semblance of a wedding day. Maybe she could do something nice tonight to make it up to him.

  “So what did your FBI contact say?” asked Alex as the elevator door opened to the apartment.

  “He said that resources are starting to be reallocated. That means the higher-ups are becoming less convinced that they’re going to find Gallagher.”

  “It’s not like he’s a criminal mastermind. How hard can it be to locate one spoiled billionaire?”

  Alex and Nathan casually walked from the elevator and into the kitchen where Nathan opened the fridge and helped himself to a beer. Logan’s eyes wandered around the apartment, and Ashley was reminded that he’d probably never been there before. Logan was an outsider, like her. Maybe he was the brother she should be sucking up to.