Reckless (Fractured Farrells: A Damaged Billionaire Series Book 2)

by Mallory Crowe

  She raised a skeptical brow. “Fancy. So who’s the president I’m kicking out?”

  “Me,” he said simply.

  “I thought you said—”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll move out as soon as they can get a room ready for me.” Specifically, the room next door. “But at least now you have somewhere to relax.”

  The elevator doors opened and he led Malia to his hotel room. Not exactly the way he’d imagined leading her to his room when he’d been thinking about her in the shower last night, but it was a win in a roundabout way.

  He inserted his room key and the lock slid free, allowing him to hold the door for Malia. She walked in slowly; her eyes bounced over every little detail of the room. He was always meticulously neat when staying at his properties. The employees tended to gossip about his habits, so nothing he left out could be considered safe. He liked to leave the room whenever he went out as though he had never been there.

  “This is”—Malia looked around the corner to see the large king bed, sitting area, conference table, and oversized balcony that overlooked the beach—“too much.” She turned to face Robert. “I really don’t need all this. Even a normal room here is probably more than I could ever afford and the idea of taking something for nothing just makes me feel wrong.”

  “I told you, I want to do this for you.”

  “It’s not even the fact that it’s you giving it to me. I’ve never been handed anything and I’m not comfortable getting help from anyone.”

  “What if you give me something in return?”

  She set her hands on her hips. “I’ve told you before. I’m not sleeping with you.”

  Robert smiled. It was somewhat comforting to know her mind was always in the gutter when it came to him. “That’s not what I meant. I’ve been thinking about what we talked about when you took me out on the tour. I think a really well-publicized fundraiser could be the key to some of my reputation issues.”

  “If you can get enough press to attend, I’m sure it could be great for you.”

  “Well, one of the best ways to get rich people to come to an event is to have it at an amazing location, and the best way to plan a party is to have someone who knows the location well. So you could be something like my Oahu liaison.”

  “That sounds like a bullshit title.”

  “It is, but I will need help if I’m going to do this.”

  She bit her lip as she glanced around the room. “I still don’t buy it. You have weddings and conferences here all the time. What good would I be?”

  “Well, when Farrell Enterprises throws an event, it’s not like anyone else’s party. There will be amazing packages for everyone involved. We can have tour options for every guest to choose from. Maybe they’re included in the ticket price. Maybe they can purchase the tours separately, maybe with a markup of a thousand dollars that would go to the charity?”

  Malia’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, did you say a thousand dollars?”

  “I don’t think we could go higher for the extras. It would probably be five grand a head to get into the main reception. Maybe the island escape week could be an all-inclusive package for twenty. That’s where you come in. Assist my staff with the details, the nitty-gritty, the connections. Make the whole week so unforgettable that people will finally stop talking about how the devil is getting my room in hell ready.”

  “I’m the last person who should be working on rehabbing your name.”

  “You hate me more than anyone. Who better to help my image problem than you?”

  She let out a little laugh. “I don’t hate you.”

  That was news to him. “I knew the presidential suite could win over even the coldest hearts.” She looked as if she was about to snap out a retort, but he continued, “Make sure you spend some time on the balcony. It’s my favorite part of the room.” He led her to the sliding doors, where there were two plush chairs and a small table. The balcony itself stretched the entire length of the room, giving plenty of space to sunbathe when the sun was at the right angle or whatever else it was that people did on balconies. He usually used the space to work and catch up on emails, but he assumed most people didn’t come to his resort for work.

  Malia took a deep breath of the warm, salty air. “It is beautiful here.”

  The mid-afternoon beachgoers were in full force, and from their view, they could see hundreds of people on the sand and in the clear blue waters of the beach. On land, the sprawling, packed city of Honolulu was laid out before them. “Wait until you see it at night.”

  Malia smiled and looked over her shoulder at him, but her face immediately fell. “Oh no!”

  He stepped back, trying to figure out what she’d seen to upset her. “Is something wrong?”

  “Your suit!” She pressed a hand to his chest, right over his heart. “I got paint on you.”

  He glanced down at the barely visible red smudge. Now that he was paying attention, her clothes were spattered with splotches of red here and there. “You were painting?”

  “A side job from this morning. Come here.” She took his hand and he followed her into his bathroom. He had no idea what she was planning, but when she started to take off his suit jacket, he didn’t stop to ask questions.

  Once she had the jacket off, she froze. “Damn it,” she muttered, and handed the jacket back to him. “Hold this for one second.”

  As soon as he held the fabric, she pulled off her oversized denim shirt, dropping it on the floor next to the sink. “Okay, hand me the jacket.”

  “As much as I’m loving this situation, is there a reason we’re stripping?”

  She smirked at him as she turned on the sink to run cold water. “I’m trying to get this off your jacket and I didn’t want to get even more paint from my shirt on the jacket while I’m cleaning.”

  “Should we make sure I don’t have paint on my pants?” he cracked.

  “You’re SOL on the pants. I might not even be able to help with this. But it’s worth a try.” She ran the spot under the water, letting the stain get soaked for a few seconds before she turned off the water, set the jacket on the black marble counter and grabbed a clean washcloth from the towel rack. “And now that I think about it, I hope water doesn’t ruin this. What are the washing requirements for this?”

  “Dry-clean only. Does that mean it can’t get wet?”

  Malia’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know. I’ve never owned anything dry-clean only before.”

  “Well, I guess we’ll learn together.”

  Malia shook her head as she dabbed at the jacket. “I can’t believe I might’ve ruined this. It probably cost thousands and thousands of dollars.”

  “I have lots more where that came from.”

  “But it was expensive, right?”

  Well, there was no use even denying that. “If you ruining my jacket directly led to you taking your top off in front of me, that sounds like a win.”

  “God, you’re a hornball.” She dabbed at the jacket one more time before she stepped back. “Well, that’s all I can do here. I’m really sorry, Robert.”

  “It’s fine. I’ll send it down with the dry cleaning department and they’ll have it good as new. Promise.”

  She stepped back and frowned. “Wait. Did you just say there’s dry cleaning here?”

  “Well...yeah. But you didn’t give me a chance to say that before you...” He motioned to the tight tank top she wore. “And once that was there, thinking straight suddenly became more difficult.”

  “You’re a dog.” Even as she said the words, there was a hint of laughter at the situation in her eyes. They really had made progress.

  “No use denying that. Now come here.” Leaving his jacket on the counter, he took her hand and led her back into the room. He felt her tense as they reached the bed, but he just tightened his grip as he pulled her to a stop. “Sit down.”

  She narrowed her eyes even as she did what he asked. Once she was down, he crossed to the curtains and pulled th
em shut. The bright Hawaii sun still creeped in through the cracks in the curtain, but the room was dark enough. Once it was shut, he picked up his laptop and charging cord.

  “I’m going to catch up on a few things, but I want you to spend the next few hours relaxing. I’ll have someone grab some clothes for you and we’ll regroup later tonight.”

  Malia nodded and ran her hands over the soft white comforter.

  Robert’s cock hardened at the sight, and he wished like hell that he wasn’t leaving. “I’ll be back later,” he promised. And then they would have a serious talk about the sleeping arrangements.

  He started to leave, but Malia stood.

  He turned to face her. “I’m not playing around. You need to rest and—”

  Malia twisted her fingers in his shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. Any noble intentions flew out the window and off the balcony as he crushed her body against his. He ran his hands along her back and toned ass as he let her lead the kiss. She took out her frustrations of the day as she nibbled on his bottom lip and raked her nails along his back.

  “Fuck,” he muttered. Her animalistic side was sexier than he could’ve imagined. Somehow in his fantasies, she’d been timid and shy, but this reality was so much better.

  He knelt and, tightening his grip on her ass, he lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. The second he pressed into the juncture between her thighs, he almost thought he was going to explode. Luckily it was only a three-foot walk to the bed until he had her underneath him.

  He immediately turned his attention to her neck, taking his time as he tried to figure out what spots drove her crazy. A soft nibble where neck met shoulder, a quick nibble at the collarbone and she was squirming in his arms.

  He moved lower, pulling at the low-cut tank and bra until her breasts spilled free. He took a moment to appreciate the sight. Her breasts were firm and tight and absolutely perfect. They were the same tan color as her legs and face, letting him know that was her natural color. The very thought made him want to get the rest of her clothes off.

  But first things first. He cupped one full breast in his hand while he bent his head to the other one, teasing and taunting the nipple between his lips and mouth.

  Malia made these small, soft moans as she ran her hands over his shoulders and neck, urging him on.

  His free hand reached up; his fingers intertwined with hers as he held her to the bed, and he kissed back up her neck until he reached her mouth again. One of her legs hooked around his thigh as she rubbed herself against him. Between her bare breasts against his chest and the sexy as hell moans, it was all he could do to not rip off the rest of their clothes.

  But if she was taking a chance on him, he was damn well going to make this good for her.

  As he moved back down her body, the shrill ring of the hotel phone cut through the sounds of their breaths and they each froze in place, the haze of tension broken in one abrupt second.

  The phone rang again. Then again. “Umm...it’s probably for you,” said Malia from under him.

  He looked down at her. Her chest rose and fell with her breasts and the slightest pink blush crept behind her tan skin. “If it’s important, they can leave a message.”

  Malia hesitantly met his eyes. “I don’t want to be the reason you miss anything.”

  She’d changed her mind. Mother— Robert leaned back and snatched the phone off the receiver. “What?” he snapped. It was Lindsey, one of his employees in finance. Apparently there was some emergency that came up and his attention was needed immediately.

  If there was one ounce of him that thought Malia would let him pass the time with her in bed, he would’ve told Lindsey that if she called him again, she’d be fired. But from the tension creeping into Malia as the seconds passed, he knew she’d changed her mind.

  “I’ll be right there,” he bit out before he stretched to hang up the phone. “We’re not done here,” he warned Malia as he pushed off her and stayed still on the bed for a moment. He couldn’t go anywhere until his cock calmed down. Judging from how turned on he was, he might not be going anywhere for days.

  “I think this was—”

  “Christ, Malia, if you say this was a mistake, I’m going to punch a hole through the damn wall. Considering I have to pay for all damages, I want to avoid that.”

  She stayed quiet, but still on the bed. For a few moments, they stayed like that before Robert finally pushed himself up and out of the room. He was coming back though, and the next time he did, he damn well wasn’t stopping for anything.

  Malia had done a few stupid things in her life. More than a few, actually. But this might take the cake.

  What the hell had she been thinking? Had the nice, luxurious room completely taken over her inhibitions? No, that wasn’t it. It was Robert being so...nice. Even if his niceness had an ulterior motive, she was just so overwhelmed with how generous he was being.

  Was that a sign of how starved she was for basic human decency? Or was Robert’s reckless pursuit of her finally chipping away at her persistent hatred of his family?

  Whatever it was that led her to break every rule she had about Robert and, hell, men in general, she had full on kissed Robert Farrell. And it wasn’t like their time on the beach when she hadn’t known who he was. And it wasn’t like the time behind the boat when she could blame it on him because he’d started it.

  No. She’d been overcome with stress, and okay, maybe she was horny too. It was hard not to feel that way when she spent so long around someone as ruggedly handsome as Robert, who was so completely into her. Why the hell would Robert Farrell be rugged? He was supposed to be some pansy daddy’s boy who’d never had to work hard for anything in his life.

  Instead, he burst into her life with a ripped six-pack, deep voice, a jawline models would kill for, and a tongue that would haunt her fantasies.

  “Ugh!” She screamed as she took a pillow and pulled it over her head. Not that there was anyone in the room to hide from. No matter where she ducked her head, she would never stop judging herself for what she’d just done with Robert. For what she totally would’ve finished if he hadn’t gotten that phone call.

  She was seconds away from pulling down her shorts and ripping off Robert’s pants so she could finally get the relief that he’d been so close to giving her. Considering how skilled he’d been at merely kissing her neck, she was willing to bet he’d relieve her multiple times.

  She moaned again and turned onto her stomach. This was bad. Like, so mortifying she never wanted to leave this room bad. Except this room was owned by the guy she wanted to hide from and her only other option had just burnt to the ground. A tent on the beach started to look better and better.

  After a good half an hour of wallowing in her own self-pity, she finally drifted off into something that almost resembled sleep. The stress of the day must’ve caught up, because one second it was early afternoon and then it was four p.m.

  It was only as her eyes were adjusting to the room and she tried to read the alarm clock that she realized what woke her up. Someone knocked on the door.

  “Damn it,” she muttered as she rolled off the bed and ran for the door, pulling it open without even looking through the peephole. It was only as she stared at the strange woman on the other side that she admitted that probably wasn’t the best idea.

  Just one more sign of how off-kilter she was. She blinked a few times and tried to look cheerful, even though she had a feeling she failed miserably. “Hello,” she managed to get out.

  The woman, for her part, didn’t seem that flustered at the totally unkempt person opening Robert Farrell’s door. “Hey there. Mr. Farrell sent me up to make sure you’re doing okay. He’s going to be in meetings for at least a few more hours, so I can get you some dinner and your immediate care package is ready for you at the front desk if you want me to bring it up.”

  Malia blinked a few times, her mind still a little foggy. “Umm...who are you?”

  The woman l
aughed. “I’m sorry! I completely forgot to introduce myself. I’m Lindsey Shaw. I work in finance with Mr. Farrell.”

  Malia nodded, not too surprised. Lindsey looked exactly like what she’d imagine a Farrell Enterprises accountant would look like. She was tall and thin, with long black hair that looked amazingly shiny pulled back in something she almost hesitated to call a ponytail because it looked so pretty. People like Lindsey were the reason Malia was a moron. Those were the types of women Robert should be passing his time with. Malia was a mutt compared to the purebred in front of her.

  “I can see that I interrupted a nap. I’m going to have one of the bellmen bring up the package for you and we can reconvene in...half an hour for dinner?”

  She’d rather order in something, but she couldn’t manage to bring out her normal, more outspoken self. All she could manage was a little nod.

  “Great! Meet you in the lobby in thirty minutes!”

  Malia nodded again as she shut the door. Good grief. She padded into the bathroom and managed not to scream in horror when she looked in the mirror. Her hair was a hot mess; the ponytail it had been in was now pushed to the side, with bits of hair frizzing out all over the place. The main saving grace was that she hadn’t worn makeup to the painting job at Dean’s, so her face still held up okay.

  Robert’s jacket was still on the counter. Damn. In their sexual haze, they’d forgotten to call dry cleaning. She ran her hand over the stain, which had actually mostly come off. Maybe it was more a smear of dry paint chips. Lord knew she hadn’t worked any miracles on it.

  She continued to run her hand along the soft fabric, all the while imagining what Robert’s hard chest would feel like. Not that she had to imagine much considering that she’d felt it firsthand just a few hours ago.

  There was another reason she might’ve lost all control around Robert. Maybe she actually liked him.

  She shuddered at the thought even as she couldn’t think of any logical denial. His seduction routine of acting like a decent guy was actually working on her. No. She’d have to remember all the grief his family had caused her. How he’d showed up at her home that morning and practically ordered her to leave and come stay with him. Which he’d gotten.