by Alexa McLean
Title: The Irresistible Connection
Subtitle: A Billionaire Bad Boy Second Chance Mystery Romance
By Alexa McLean
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© Copyright 2018-All rights reserved.
It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
EXCLUSIVE OFFER
Chapter 1 (Kylie)
Chapter 2 (Roy)
Chapter 3 (Kylie)
Chapter 4 (Roy)
Chapter 5 (Kylie)
Chapter 6 (Roy)
Chapter 7 (Kylie)
Chapter 8 (Roy)
Chapter 9 (Kylie)
Chapter 10 (Roy)
Chapter 11 (Kylie)
Chapter 12 (Roy)
Chapter 13 (Kylie)
Chapter 14 (Roy)
Chapter 15 (Kylie)
Chapter 16 (Roy)
Chapter 17 (Kylie)
Chapter 18 (Roy)
Epilogue (Kylie)
Bonus Story
Chapter 1 (Julia)
Chapter 2 (Robin)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Chapter 1 (Kylie)
As much as I love to travel, I hate plane rides. They’re incredibly stuffy. The food sucks. And somehow the people sitting next to you always end up being the most disgusting human beings on the face of the planet. I mean, a few weeks ago a guy thought it would be okay to take off his socks and start picking at his toe fungus. I nearly threw up – twice.
And yet, here I am. On another plane ride, flying alongside an obnoxious couple. They haven’t stopped giggling. Forehead to forehead. All that lovey-dovey jazz.
Get a room, will you?
Click.
The in-plane movie I was watching stopped (and just at the good part, too). Sighing, I slipped my headphones around my neck and listened to the announcement.
“Attention, everyone, this is your captain speaking. We are just moments away from making our descent. We will be arriving in Monterey Peninsula Airport at approximately 7:45 A.M. Pacific Time. It is currently eighty-eight degrees with sunny skies. We hope you enjoyed your flight and that you’ll consider booking with us again. Thank you.”
Click.
“I’m so excited!” The girl sitting next to me squealed with delight. “We’re going to have such an amazing honeymoon.” With a big smile plastered on her face, she flung her arms around her husband and suffocated him with her lips.
Gag.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against relationships. I think everyone has the right to be happy. Hell, I even believe in the whole soul mates thing – there’s someone out there for everyone. But, there’s no need to act like you’re straight out of high school. There’s something called maturity.
Trust me, when I find a partner, he’ll be worth my while. I’ll make sure of it.
Speaking of which...
There’s this rather handsome individual up in first class. Dressed to the nines, too. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll catch up with him in baggage claim, strike up a conversation and snag his number. Worth a shot, isn’t it? I’ve been single for way too long. It’s about time I get some action going. I’m starting to collect dust down there.
I leaned into the aisle, trying to steal a quick peek in his direction but the dividing curtain between first and business class had been drawn. Sigh. Oh well. We’re almost there, anywhere.
“I love you, baby.”
Before I could throw up in my mouth listening to the two lovebirds, I settled back into my seat and continued my movie. It was some stupid rom-com, a rehash of every other rom-com out there, but there was just something about it that kept me hooked. It probably had something to do with the dog that was determined to get his owner laid.
As I watched the dog take the hero on a wild goose chase to the girl’s house, I felt the plane dip forward, heading toward the ground. My heart leaped into my mouth, swelling with fear. Oh, and another thing I hate about planes – you can never quite get the thought of crash landing out of your head. When you really think about it, planes are an impossibility. Those engines shouldn’t be capable of lifting literal tons of metal into the air.
Shiver.
I don’t even like to think about it.
The plane dipped even further. This pilot’s taking us down fast – too fast.
I tightened my grip on the armrests, toes curling within my shoes. Besides me, the woman I had come to dislike clung to her husband, eyes shut. At that moment, I envied her, wishing I had someone by my side to comfort me, to make me feel safe.
Rumble. Rumble.
Through the window I watched the wings shake as we sliced through the clouds. California came into view in the shape of large, verdant planes and a splattering of houses. As we got closer to the airport, the city materialized, divided by an intricate maze of roadways.
Rumble.
This time, the wheels popped out from the bottom. I held my breath, waiting for the moment when we’d make contact with the runway.
The seconds ticked by, moving at a snail’s pace.
Man, I really wish I could hold someone’s hand right about now. To lay my head on someone’s chest, listen to their heartbeat, and know, without a doubt, that everything would be okay, so long as we were together.
Skid!
Rubber against asphalt squealed together. Every passenger in the plane flew forward in their seats as the pilot jacked on the brakes.
For a split second, I feared they had stopped working.
But then we slowed, eventually coming to a complete standstill. Thank God.
I glanced at the seatbelt sign, just like everyone else. Once it was shut off, the plane filled with the noise of unbuckling. Eager to leave the confined space, people rose to their feet, stretching their cramped muscles and retrieving their bags from the overhead compartments. I patiently waited for the commotion to die down before grabbing my messenger bag and slinging it over my shoulder.
As people shuffled through the aisle, I quickly glanced through my belongings, making sure everything was still with me. Phone, check. Headphones, check. Journal, check. Old candy wrappers, double check. Seriously, hadn’t I cleaned this thing before leaving? How was it already filthy? Guess it’s true what they say: a girl’s purse is just a giant black hole that attracts anything and everything – especially candy wrappers.
Finally, it was my turn to leave. I followed the crowd through the gangway. Inside the building, I was welcomed by the refreshing breeze of air conditioning. Ah. I stood underneath a vent for a moment, letting the cool air wash over my skin. A few more hours
cooped up in that plane and I would have melted for sure.
“Ma’am, please move along.” A security officer prompted, waving his hands toward a set of double doors.
Knowing I would rather avoid becoming the victim of a strip search, I obediently followed directions, reinserting myself into the crowd.
While passing through security, I noticed the hunk from first class. He was in an expedited TSA-approved line with a bunch of other rich-looking people. Meanwhile, I was in the regular-people line estimating my time of completion to be about a hundred years and approximately thirteen days. Jeez, could these officers go any slower? By the time I get to the counter I’m going to look like a grandmother and they are going to think I’m committing fraud or something.
“Next, please!” Everyone shuffled forward a foot. Only nine hundred and ninety-nine more to go...
SOMEHOW, I MADE IT out of there alive. The baggage claim area was packed making it impossible for me to see my backpack. So, I waited for an opening, leaning against a nearby support beam, casually scanning the place for Mr. First Class but he was nowhere to be seen. Guess it just wasn’t meant to be.
Buzz! Buzz!
My smartwatch started to vibrate against my wrist.
Incoming call: Billy.
Seeing the notification, I fished my phone from my bag and answered it. “Hello?”
“I just checked United’s website. It said you landed an hour ago. Why didn’t you send me a text? I was getting worried about you.”
I scoffed. “Billy, please, the only thing you worry about are those video games you play. Let me guess, the server is down for maintenance again.”
Silence.
“Hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?”
“Okay, maybe they are but that doesn’t mean anything.” He protested.
I laughed. “Billy, I appreciate you calling to check up on me, I really do. It’s sweet. Now, if you could only use that charm on the ladies, you’d get laid in no time.”
“Why is everything about sex with you?” I could hear the blush in his voice. If I had to guess he looked like a tomato right about now.
“Oh, come on, everyone wants it. And those who say they don’t are just lying.”
“But don’t you want a loving relationship?”
“I didn’t know I was getting a call from Dr. Phil.” The last thing I needed was relationship advice, especially after a five-hour flight with the newlywed couple. “Anyway, I’m sure you called for a reason. Hit me.”
“Yeah, I just wanted to go over the game plan.”
“Jade Cove Trails, right? In Big Sur?”
“Bingo.”
As he laid out the logistics of my trip, I crept forward, catching a glimpse of my bag on the carousel. It was moving fast and seemed to move even faster every time I got close enough to reach for it. Finally, a middle-aged grabbed it off the belt for me and handed it over with a smile. “Here you are, miss.” He said with a heavy southern twang. I guess southern gentlemen really do exist. Maybe I should make that my next travel destination...
Before I could check the luggage tag, I spotted Mr. First Class. He was walking toward the exit, his stride long and confident, shoulders pulled back, posture straight. Mmm, he was quite the sight to behold. I couldn’t possibly let him slip away from me.
So, I slung my backpack over my shoulders and started after him. He disappeared behind a set of automatic doors just as a family of six cut in front of me. As I tried to get past them the kids seemed to multiply, turning into a tiny army.
Oh, come on, he’s going to get away!
Honestly, now that I think about it, I don’t know why I was so adamant about this guy. For all I knew, he could have been a first-class jerk. Still, I continued after him, determined to make him mine.
Swoosh!
The doors opened.
Eager family members stood in a semi-circle around the gate, waiting for their loved ones. A couple of people looked my way before realizing I wasn’t who they were searching for. No one bothered to pick me up at the airport.
Not that I care.
Well, maybe a little.
I’ll admit that it would be nice to have someone look happy to see me – someone who would miss me when I was gone – and then greet me with the biggest hug and kiss in the world. A girl can dream, right? But that doesn’t mean that dream will come true.
I elbowed my way through the crowd, struggling against the sea of people. In the distance, I spotted the exit sign. There! I was so close.
And then... wham!
Someone barreled into me. I stumbled back, nearly falling. I squeezed my eyes tight, preparing myself for the incoming collision with the ground but it never came. A pair of strong, muscular arms wrapped around my waist. Our bodies were inches apart. A radiating heat penetrated against my body. My face was swallowed by the inferno, cheeks turning into a couple of tomatoes.
I blinked and standing right in front of me was the hottest man I had ever laid eyes on. No. Hot wasn’t even enough to describe this guy. Blazing stare that melted right through me. Thick, luxurious black hair. A chiseled jawline. Broad shoulders. My heart skipped a beat just looking at him.
“I’m...” I tried to speak but my tongue felt like it had swelled to the size of a watermelon.
“Are you okay?” He asked, voice smooth as whiskey. Slowly, he leaned forward, face gravitating toward mine.
I held my breath, lips tingling with the urge to kiss a complete stranger.
“Miss?”
“S-Sorry...” I stuttered over my word.
With his hand on the small of my back, he steadied me on my feet. For a split second, his fingers brushed against my bare skin.
My God.
Dazed, I didn’t quite notice the preoccupied look on his face. “I apologize for my carelessness but I must get going.”
To my surprise, he pinned a strand of my hair behind my ear and smiled.
My knees knocked together, immediately weakened by that gorgeous face of his. Jeez, is this guy even real or is he just some hunky angel? Okay, maybe I’m overreacting but he had to be a model or something.
Before I could react, he excused himself and disappeared into the crowd. I sighed. Well, there goes my chance. Downtrodden, I headed toward the exit and hailed a taxi. Silently, I uttered a prayer that the taxi wouldn’t smell like vomit like the last time. Seriously, don’t they ever clean those things? You’d think that charging people an arm and a leg to go down the street would make detailing their car more affordable. I guess not.
Outside, the crisp morning air brushed against my cheeks. I tightened the straps on my backpack as a line of yellow passed me by. Apparently, the taxi association was boycotting me or something. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, noticing that my bag felt slightly off. I didn’t quite know what it was but I didn’t quite feel like opening a black hole in the middle of the sidewalk.
So, while I waited, I tried to mentally review everything Billy had told me. As a nature blogger, this week’s assignment involved exploring the Jade Cove Trails, a scenic walking path filled with the potential precious gems underfoot. Most people found only slivers of green here and there but I was determined to find something much bigger.
But, it didn’t take long for my mind to wander. Who was that man? The way he looked at me it was almost like he knew who I was. Even now, it felt like someone was tugging at the strings around my heart. Was this what it felt like to find your soulmate?
And I let him slip away from me.
Just my luck...
A streak of yellow crossed into the corner of my vision. I stepped to the edge of the curb and raised my arm into the air, waving it about.
The taxi cab stopped right in front of me. A heavy-set man got out from behind the wheel, took my backpack, and threw it into the trunk without so much as a word.
Well, he made this weird grunting noise but that hardly counts as communication.
“Jade Cove Trails,” I said, le
aning toward the front.
Another grunt. “You sure you want to go there?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He shook his head. “Haven’t you seen the news?”
Chapter 2 (Roy)
That girl...
Who was her?
Even on my way home, she lingered in my mind. The curve of her lips. That sparkle in her eyes. Her beautiful hair.
I blinked and suddenly I imagined her in my arms again. The warmth of her body. The beating of her heartbeat. For a second, I imagined her in my bed, running my fingers along her spine, watching the goosebumps rise on her skin. Oh, to kiss her neck, to make her back arch with pleasure.
My fingers stilled tingled from those few seconds of contact. It had been electric. No. It was more than that. It was a straight shot to the heart.
I shook my head. This was insane. I didn’t know that girl and yet, I still felt this impossible attraction to her, like she belonged in my life – the missing puzzle piece I’ve been looking for all along.
Have I seen her before?
“Sir?”
Those eyes. We only made eye contact for a moment but it was enough to get my blood pumping, my heart beating like a racehorse ready to make his way around the Kentucky Derby.
“Sir, you’ve yet to tell me where we’re headed.”
“Hmm?” I answered, absentmindedly. My driver glanced at me through the rearview window. His lips were pressed together into a thin, straight line.
“Sir. Unless you want to drive around in circles...”
“Robinson, have we had any new female workers lately?”
“Sir?” He tilted his head, obviously confused by the question.
“Any new female workers,” I repeated myself. “I bumped into this girl at the airport. She looked so familiar... I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
“Not that I know of, Sir. Housing staff hasn’t changed for the past ten years.”
“Right...” I nodded. He was right. It couldn’t possibly be someone I saw around the house. She had to be someone a little more distant. But, who?