The Rich List Series: Contemporary Romance Box Set (Millionaire, Billionaire, CEO)

by Hunter, Talia

  She put the champagne back in the fridge, then opened the freezer to peek inside. As well as ice, it held an assortment of ice cream tubs in different flavors. She picked one up. Dark chocolate and caramel swirl. Yum.

  “Hey, my friend Geena owns an adult toy store and knows everything about sex. She told me about this really fun thing you can do with ice cream.” She turned with her eyebrows raised. “If you’re interested?”

  He had his phone against his ear and raised one finger to silently let her know he couldn’t reply.

  “Laura? Did you hear from the insurance agent yet?” He turned his back and walked towards the other side of the large suite as he talked, so his voice grew fainter. “Uh huh. Yeah, get back to him and tell him I’ll make time to see him on Wednesday.”

  Angel put the tub of ice cream back and grabbed two sodas instead. Laura must be Marcus’s assistant.

  No need to feel so relieved, Angel. For heavens sake, don’t make this into something it’s not.

  To distract herself, Angel walked over to take a look at the bedroom. The view was almost as impressive as its size. Top floor. It was nothing like her tiny apartment, with its rotting floorboards around the shower that made the bathroom smell funky, and the cigarette-burn holes a previous tenant had left in the drapes. Marcus’s hotel room probably cost as much for a single night as an entire month’s rent on her apartment. But after paying Pop’s retirement home fees, it was all she could afford.

  When I’m CEO I’ll live in a beautiful home, and stay in penthouse suites when I travel. I’ll buy a place for Pop too, and hire private nurses to take care of him.

  “Okay, Angel?”

  She realized she was staring at nothing, and pulled her gaze back to Marcus. “Yes.” And I’ll keep a gorgeous man on hand to satisfy my every need. She smiled. “You?”

  “That depends.” He walked over and ran his hand over the curve of her hip. “Tell me more about that ice cream thing.”

  6

  Marcus woke up with his morning hard-on nestled into the curve of Angel’s delightfully soft, warm ass. Mmm. Now that was the way he’d like to wake every morning. Angel was sleeping, but his cock tried to convince him to wake her. Tempting. But neither of them had got much sleep. Besides, it would be rude not to let her lie in on a Saturday.

  I told Bruce I’d meet him at nine.

  He checked the time on the bedside clock. Dammit, he had to get up and leave her gorgeous ass behind. Slowly trailing his hand over the curve of her hip, he listened to her soft breathing. Yup, fast asleep. And cute too, the way her face was snuggled against the pillow.

  I could cancel the meeting.

  What was he thinking? Bad enough ditching work yesterday afternoon. He hadn’t got to where he was by letting a soft ass distract him, even one as sexy as Angel’s. Last night had been wonderful, and sweet mother of mercy, the woman had moves. But reality was calling. After his meeting with Bruce he’d spend the day working on the proposal he was going to present to the board. He’d sweated night and day to become CEO of an international corporation, to get as far from his broken past and fucked-up family as possible. No way would he let it fall to pieces now.

  Angel breathed out a sigh and stirred, and the movement of her buttocks against his cock wiped everything else from his mind. Shit, how did she do that to him? How many times had they made love last night? And now his balls felt as tight and hard as bowling bowls again. He wanted to wake her, but that would make him late to meet Bruce. Besides, she was sound asleep, her hair tousled across the pillow, and a curl hanging over her eyes.

  Wake her? Or get up and have time for breakfast before the meeting?

  Angel took a deep breath. Then she shifted again, pushing his cock further between her butt cheeks. Shit. How could he control himself when she kept…?

  A thought struck him. “You’re awake, aren’t you?”

  She chuckled, and this time her movement almost made him lose it. “I was wondering how long you’d wait.”

  “Time’s up.” He reached for a condom. As soon as it was on, he spread her thighs just a little, only wide enough to get his cock into her. Entering her from behind, with no foreplay, not so much as a “Good Morning” felt so wicked he thought a single thrust might finish him off. Especially when he felt how wet she was.

  “Oh.” She lifted her head and gripped the edge of the mattress. “Oh yes. Like that.”

  He shoved himself hard inside her, the way he’d learned she liked it, and she pressed her ass back against him in response. She was tight and wet and beautiful. Could there be a better feeling than pushing his length all the way in? He loved taking her from behind. And from the front, the side, from underneath, and on top. Yeah, she felt like heaven from every angle. Only one thing could make this any better, and that was getting to see more of her beautiful body.

  Marcus glanced over to the wardrobe. Its surface was one big mirror. Perfect.

  He pulled the bed covers off her and tugged her onto her hands and knees. Now he could watch her in the mirror, see his cock pound into her and her breasts sway with each thrust.

  She watched too, her mouth in an O and her eyes half-lidded with pleasure as she moved one hand to stroke herself. Shit that looked sexy.

  She moaned as she rubbed her fingers over her clit. “You like that?” she gasped.

  “Fuck. Yeah.” He clenched his jaw. He couldn’t let himself go. Not yet.

  She threw her head back, her eyes glazed. “Me too.” Then she was crying out as she came. And thank fucking goodness she did, because he couldn’t have lasted another second. He spurted inside her with such force that he let out a shout of relief. Of indescribable pleasure. And his balls felt like they were pumping forever, like he hadn’t come in a year, instead of just a few hours.

  When it was finally over and they lay panting in a tangle of exhausted limbs, he let out a sigh. What are you doing to me, Angel? Good thing he was leaving tomorrow, otherwise he might do something stupid like fall for her. But the safety net of his imminent departure made this perfect. He could relax and enjoy himself. In fact, he felt so good he almost didn’t care he was going to be late to the meeting.

  But he’d put Bruce off once already. Shit. He really had to get up.

  He kissed Angel’s shoulder. “That was incredible. You’re incredible. But I’ve got to go meet Bruce.”

  “What if…?” She stopped and bit her lip.

  “What?’

  She hesitated again, then blurted, “Why not go over next year’s budgets with me instead? You know I’d do better with them. Give me a chance and I’ll make the Sydney office your most profitable branch.”

  This again? Well, he couldn’t blame her for trying. “Sorry, Angel. If things were different, I’d promote you.”

  “If what things were different?” She sat up, challenging him with her gaze.

  “I have to convince the board to diversify. That’s my priority. It’s not that I don’t think you’d be a great General Manager, it’s just bad timing.”

  “I can’t keep working for Bruce, so if you give him the job I’ll have to leave and start again somewhere else. And you know that’s going to be difficult seeing as nobody’s hiring.”

  This would be the perfect moment to tell her that the chairman of the board was Bruce’s uncle. But if she thought that was a factor in the decision, she’d have grounds for a formal complaint. That would be the last thing he needed.

  “The board wants Bruce,” he said instead.

  “Whose decision is the promotion? Yours or the board’s?”

  “Mine. But the board has power to veto it, and I won’t put myself in that position. Not now.” It was a bad decision to have to make, but promising her the job would make what he had to do that much tougher, and it was already going to be hard enough. “You’ve got to do what’s best for your career, Angel, just like I’m doing what’s best for mine. I’m not going to give you false hope.”

  Her disappointed expression stab
bed him with guilt. Shit. The timing definitely sucked.

  What if he could delay the appointment of a new General Manager until after the board gave his proposal the green light? He caught his breath. Could he string out the decision? Rubber stamping Bruce’s promotion was on the board meeting’s agenda, but maybe he could figure out a way to postpone it. It was a long shot, but he could give it a try.

  He got up and grabbed a towel. As he tried to go in the bathroom to shower, she blocked his way.

  “You want to diversify, right?” she asked. “Have you thought about retirement homes?”

  He blinked. She was stark naked, wearing only a defiant look, with her chin tilted up. Magnificent.

  “Should I have?”

  “I had a hard time getting my grandfather into the place he’s in, and it’s a dive. The home I wanted him to move into is more like a country club, but it has a waiting list a mile long. As the population ages, demand’s rising. The premium places are charging a fortune, and the dumps aren’t far behind. Rest homes are sure to buck the market downturn and if Cross Corporation got in now we could do very well.”

  Marcus nodded. “Sounds like what I’m looking for.” If Angel was right – and what he’d seen of her business smarts gave him no reason to doubt her – he could look at adding a case study to the options he’d present at the board meeting. The more impressive the numbers, the greater the chance the board might drag the sticks out of their asses and let him make them some money.

  “It just so happens I’m going to see my grandfather today. I could give you a first hand tour of the place and lay out the possibilities.” She shot him a grin. “I was right about the ice cream, wasn’t I? You’ll be just as impressed with this. Guaranteed.”

  How could he resist? Not only was she razor sharp, but she’d definitely been right about the ice cream. Plus, naked.

  He lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, you’ve got me hooked. I’ll go and meet Bruce, and pick you up after.”

  She looked at the clock. “By the time you shower and change, you’ll be at least half an hour late. How about you give Bruce a call instead? Or Skype him when you get back to New York. Then we can have bacon and eggs in this great café I know, while I tell you what I’d do with next year’s budgets.”

  Pretending to be asleep, then pressing into him to tempt him into being late… had she played him like a violin?

  He frowned. It was one thing to go after what she wanted, another to keep him from doing his job. But his cellphone rang before he could ask her if this morning’s activity had been nothing more than a ruse. He checked the display. Bruce.

  “Hey mate.” Bruce, as usual, sounded like he was talking to a buddy, not his boss. “You called me yesterday? I tried ringing back but couldn’t get through.”

  “You must be mistaken. I was busy with Angel and didn’t call you.” Marcus couldn’t resist – it was the truth after all. He hadn’t been the one to hit the redial button.

  “The call definitely came from your hotel. Weird thing was, the sound on the line was like panting. Not something going on with you and Angel, is there?” Bruce chuckled. “Wouldn’t blame you. Woman’s got the best rack I’ve ever seen. I’d give my right nut to find out if those puppies are real.”

  Marcus’ lips tightened. Was this the kind of behavior Angel had to put up with? He’d have someone from the HR department look into it when he got home.

  “It’s lucky you called, because I need to cancel today’s appointment.” His voice came out so frosty, he was surprised he couldn’t see ice in his breath. “I’ll Skype you next week from New York.”

  He hung up before Bruce could respond, and turned to Angel. “Looks like we’re having bacon and eggs.”

  But they’d only just arrived at the café when his cellphone rang again, and this time the display told him it was the chairman of the board. Shit. He left Angel to order for them and went outside to take the call in private. Sitting at one of the outdoor tables, he took a deep breath before he answered.

  The chairman got straight to the point. “I’ve had a call from Bruce Tanner.”

  Marcus clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to growl a rude response. They might be related, but for Bruce to call the chairman directly was a breach of protocol, especially because he hadn’t been formerly appointed as General Manager yet. Not that I can justify a complaint when I’ve been having sex with the other applicant.

  “He said you’d interviewed someone else for the head position over there,” the chairman said.

  “That’s right. Angel Moore. She’s smart and capable and she’d make—”

  “Don’t waste your time. We need to talk about how we get things back to the way they were.”

  “The way things were?”

  “Well, surely this shopping complex issue has proved this new strategy of yours is a mistake?”

  “What? No, that’s not—”

  “Bruce is my sister’s boy, but she moved to Australia when he was just a lad, so he knows the market there. He’s got some good ideas. If you listen to him, he can steer you in the right direction.”

  Marcus lunged to his feet and started pacing down the sidewalk. “Bruce hasn’t suggested a single investment idea.”

  “Well, he’s told me about them. Maybe you should be making more time for him, instead of getting distracted.”

  He froze. “Excuse me?”

  “I know you’re young, but business has to come first. And I would have thought after the mistakes you’ve made, you’d be ready to focus on the job at hand.”

  “What did Bruce tell you?” A cold wave of fury washed over Marcus. How dare this man imply he wasn’t doing his job? Worst thing was, he couldn’t even deny it. Not when he’d been doing exactly what they were accusing him of.

  “I have to go, Marcus. But hear Bruce out, and we’ll discuss his ideas at the board meeting.”

  Marcus hung up and took several deep breaths. Calm down. Don’t lose your shit. But he punched Bruce’s number in so hard he thought his finger might go right through his phone.

  “Hey, Marcus.” Bruce sounded as though he’d been expecting his call. “Changed your mind about our meeting?”

  “Email me your ideas, and I’ll read them on the plane to New York.” He forced his voice to sound calm. Almost conversational. “And I don’t care who you’re related to. If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you’re fired.” He hung up and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

  “Everything okay?”

  He turned. The concern on Angel’s face helped his rage to fade. None of this was her fault.

  “Fine.” He felt like he had as a kid when his father had come out swinging and he’d try to fight back. Only this time he wouldn’t get beaten. “If you want to do something to help, please show me figures that prove investing in retirement homes would be as good an opportunity as you say. I need something the board can’t say no to.”

  She nodded, her chin lifted with that determined tilt he was starting to recognize. “You’ll see.”

  7

  Even the sign at the gate was battered. Golden Clover Retirement Village. Marcus grimaced. Who had come up with such a cheesy name?

  As promised, Angel gave him a tour of the whole facility, pointing out wastage and inefficiencies along the way. It was a big place, so they did a lot of walking before they ended up in the central recreation room. Like the rest of the buildings, the rec room was shabby, with battered chairs and scuff marks covering the tired linoleum floor. But a big screen television stood proudly in one corner, surrounded by comfy recliners.

  Angel followed his gaze to it. “You should have seen this room when Pop first moved in. The TV was old enough to have come off the Ark. That was just the first of my suggestions, but at least now they can have regular movie nights.”

  Marcus smiled, imagining the facility’s management bowing to her persistence. Given enough time, she’d probably talk them into transforming the entire place.

 
“There’s my grandfather.” Angel led Marcus to a group of four men playing poker. Instead of money, a pile of pills sat in the middle of the table.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” said one of the men to Angel, not taking his eyes off his cards.

  Angel kissed him on the cheek. “Pop, this is Marcus, a friend of mine.”

  “Marcus, huh?” He shot Marcus an up-and-down look. “Well, give me a minute, honey. These scumbags have been cheating me all morning, but now Bert’s thrown his Viagra into the pot, the stakes just got interesting.”

  The other men tore their focus off the cards to object. “Cheating?” repeated one. “You’re losing fair and square.”

  “Can we help it if you stink at cards?” asked another.

  “Angel, sweetie,” said the third. “Do us a favor and take the old fraudster away. He’s embarrassing himself.”

  Angel laughed. “Bert, Joe, Rex, this is Marcus.” She put her hand on her grandfather’s shoulder. “You’re not going to lose all your laxatives again, are you, Pop?”

  “He is,” said the one she’d called Bert. “Because I call.” When her grandfather showed his hand, Bert guffawed and spread out his own. “Three beautiful ladies,” he crowed. “And like most women, they’ll take your last dollar and leave you weeping.”

  Angel’s grandfather groaned and pushed his chair out. “Looks like I won’t get to take a crap this week.” He motioned to Angel and Marcus. “Come on, let’s go back to my room.”

  Angel grabbed his arm to help him stand and passed him his cane. They followed him to a pokey apartment in desperate need of a coat of paint. The living room was small and smelled faintly of pine, as though Angel’s father had just been cleaning. On a side table was a collection of framed photographs.

  “I’ll make us coffee,” said Angel, disappearing into the kitchen.

  As soon as she was gone, the old man rounded on Marcus. “You carrying on with my granddaughter?” he demanded.