“No, I told her I’d call her, but you know how that goes.” She heard a man laugh.
Oh great, Starling was in his bedroom.
“She wanted more than that.” The man laughed again.
She glanced up, rolling her eyes. Please don’t make me listen to an old man talking about sex. She paused and frowned at the underside of the desk, tilting her head to the side. There was a portable hard drive taped under the desk.
If I was going to hide my dirt, where would I put it? Using her thumbnail to remove the tape, she peeled it off as quietly as possible while listening to the man at the same time.
“Nah man, I’m gonna chill out here. I need a day off from that shit.”
She frowned. He was either talking on the phone or talking to himself. She peeled off the last bit of tape, and the hard drive dropped into her hand. Gotcha!
The man laughed. “Unless the hotel burns down, I won’t be getting off this couch for the next twenty-four hours. I need some R and R after last night.”
Shit.
Ellie slipped the hard drive down the front of her dress, wedging it under the side of her bra. Even if they patted her down, they’d probably miss it there.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she listened to the man talking on the phone. For a Manchester gangster he had a sexy voice and no discernible accent. He just sounded English with a slightly southern lilt. It’s probably part of his front. Let’s see how nice he sounds when he’s talking to the staff.
She ignored her thumping heart and gripped the bag inside the wastepaper basket while quickly standing up holding it.
Her plan had been to appear surprised, which worked out wonderfully when she widened her eyes at the man on the couch with actual surprise. It wasn’t Jerry Starling. It was a half-naked young man with blond hair and bright green eyes. Is Starling gay? That guy’s too hot to be straight.
“Oh! Sorry sir, I thought the room was empty,” she mumbled when he jumped up from the couch in surprise. She headed for the door, trying not to stare at his bare chest, which was lightly tanned and had muscles in all the right places.
He frowned, standing up from the couch. “I’ll call you back, Jake,” he muttered into the cell phone before dropping it on the couch and striding toward her.
She stopped when he came to halt between her and the door. She glanced up at him. There was an expensive fragrance of aftershave emanating from him.
“I er, can clean the room later,” she said, feeling a blush heat her skin. He was standing awfully close to her. Since he was half-naked, she was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything other than his bare skin.
“You’re not the usual maid,” he said, frowning at her.
“I er, just got told to start on this floor.” She stepped back, trying to control her racing pulse. Who is he? He’s a bit bold for a rent boy.
“By who?” He tilted his head to the side as he studied her.
“My team leader, I’m sorry, I’m new. I can go and ask her…” She tried to ignore the bubble of panic that seemed to be expanding in the back of her throat.
His eyes trailed down her body from head to toe, and his mouth turned up at one corner in a wicked smile that caused a shiver to tremble down her spine.
Okay, he’s definitely not gay.
“Nah, carry on. It’s okay.” He folded his arms and continued watching her.
“What?” She widened her eyes.
“You can finish cleaning the room. I’ll just be on the couch.” He turned and headed back to the couch. He sat down, lounging on it before stretching and running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair.
She gulped as she stared at his long legs, which were encased in denim jeans. She tried to avoid staring at his bare chest, but when her eye’s inevitably traveled up his body to his face, she noticed a sparkle of mischief in his eyes as he watched her.
“Oh, okay.” She nodded, breaking the stare and heading for the other trashcans in the room. She glanced back over her shoulder as she emptied the kitchen bin. He was still watching her.
Unsure of what to say, she decided to remain silent as she worked. The suite was clean, so luckily there wasn’t much that needed doing, which was fortunate since she had no idea how to clean a hotel room.
“So, you’re new then?” His voice caused her to jump.
She turned to face him, nodding. “I just started today.”
“How do you like it so far?”
“It’s good.” She nodded again, trying to find the right words. It should have been easy for her. This was her job after all, but for some reason, she was tripping over her sentences instead.
“Seriously, cleaning rooms is good? I’d hate it. You know you can do better, right?”
“I er, huh?” She frowned at him.
“You wanna go to the concert with me tonight?” he asked, pointing to the flyer on the coffee table.
She glanced at the leaflet. It was advertising a rock concert in the hotel. “Um, are staff allowed to go to that?”
“Don’t worry about it. My dad owns this place. You’ll be fine if you come with me.” He winked, and her skin heated up.
He’s Starling’s son! He was undeniably attractive, but she had a job to do. On the other hand, this was Starling’s son. Finding dirt on Starling would be so much easier if she knew him, plus his son was hot. Why not have little bit of fun?
“Ellie, do not do it. That’s Matt Starling. He has a bad reputation.” Her father’s voice echoed through the ear bud.
Ellie studied Matt for a moment. He looked bad with that wicked smile on his face, but something about it excited her. I’ve got a bad reputation. It doesn’t mean I’m not a great date. “Sure, why not?” she said, ignoring her father’s warning and listening to her libido instead.
Ellie hurried across the hotel grounds toward her living quarters. The staff accommodation was in a small block of apartments that were behind the spa. She frowned as she crossed the manicured lawns. Maybe I shouldn’t have said yes to a date. Although the rebellion had felt good at the time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d just done something royally stupid.
She rolled the ear bud between her fingers, glancing down at it. I really should put it back in and talk to Jimmy and my dad. She continued rolling the device between her fingers. She loved her family, but she wanted to be a bit reckless. She knew she was supposed to be responsible now, but she never went on dates. Hot dates just didn’t happen in her existence. One night off can’t hurt, right?
She crossed an ornate, Japanese-style bridge, smiling down at the coy pond beneath it. Being free to date without Jimmy or her dad in her ear was a nice break from the crazy. And Matt seems like fun.
Okay, he wasn’t causing the wild and crazy thrill that scaling buildings and breaking into vaults did, but the room certainly heated up when he was around. It was something that she wanted to experience.
She narrowed her eyes for a moment. As long as it didn’t interfere with the con, why couldn’t she be a girl for once? Making a decision to live a little, she dropped the ear bud into the pocket of her apron. Then she double-checked that the portable hard drive was still in there, breathing a sigh when she found that it was.
She needed the check through the hard drive, but assuming it contained what she’d been looking for, she could enjoy a rock concert tonight and worry about her job in the morning.
Determined to enjoy her newfound freedom, she headed toward her temporary accommodation, smiling at the thought of a date. Sure, it was some girly shit that she was feeling, but Jimmy and her dad would just have to get used to it. She was a girl. It was about time she felt like one. They weren’t girls. They’d never understand.
Ellie jumped when there was a knock at the door. She quickly checked her outfit in the mirror. She shook her head. Why didn’t I bring more clothes with me? Her skinny black jeans and leather biker jacket were great for breaking into things, but she wasn’t sure they were ideal for a first date. She che
wed her bottom lip as she glanced down at her scuffed biker boots. Fuck it. He’ll like me as I am, or he can get lost.
She hurried to the door, trying to control her racing pulse. At least I’m not wearing that bloody maid’s uniform. She swung open the door, hoping that her nerves would calm down. It was ironic that she could break into a guarded building without breaking a sweat, but a date with a boy caused her body to go into nervous shock.
Matt lounged in the doorway, wearing a loose white shirt and blue jeans. He looked as if he’d stepped out of a magazine. His hair curled around his collar, which was open, revealing a small V of tanned collarbone. She met his seaweed green eyes, and then shyly glanced down as her pulse began to race at the sight of him. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?
“Hey.”
She glanced up at the sound of his voice, blushing when he flashed a wicked smile.
“Hi,” she said. She tried to think of something to say, but clearly his presence had given her an instant lobotomy.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
She nodded, grabbing her keys off the nearby dresser while trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make her sound like a total idiot. The problem was that she knew nothing about him. Shoulda done my research.
“You look amazing.” He smiled, brushing his fingers across the lapel of her jacket.
“Oh, er, thanks. You too.” She closed her eyes for a moment. Jesus fuck, will you say something interesting before he goes into a coma? “Um, do you like leather?” She froze after the words came out of her mouth. Oh god, no.
His eyes widened, and he coughed out a laugh. “That’s the best first date line I’ve ever heard.” He laughed again. He slipped beside her and placed his arm around her waist, leaning close and winking at her. “Do you want me to?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“That’s not what I meant!” Her face burned with embarrassment.
“Hey, I’m open-minded.” He grinned.
“I’m not!” She thought she might be about to have some kind of seizure. Please god, let me say something that isn’t slapped with the stupid stick first. “Maybe I should lose my clothes.”
He exploded with laughter.
“I meant change my clothes, wear a different jacket…” She trailed off, trying to find the right words. “Sorry.” She shook her head. Great. He’s going to think I’m a dumb cow rather than a sexy minx.
He squeezed her waist, offering her a warm smile. “You’re perfect, just as you are.”
Ellie giggled as she stumbled against Matt, and he caught her in his arms. She’d had the most amazing night. Admittedly, she might have had a bit too much champagne, but who cared. For the first time in her life, she felt young and alive.
As they stumbled across the hotel gardens toward her room, she loudly belted out the lines to one of the songs from the rock concert, stretching her arms up to the sky while twirling around. She breathed in the scent of the rose bushes nearby and smiled up at the stars. She continued twirling straight into Matt’s arms.
“Careful, I don’t think you were born to neck a bottle of Dom like you did.” He smiled down at her, brushing a wisp of hair away from her face.
“I was born to handle anything.” She grinned as she staggered sideways. “As long as the world stops spinning, I’ll be back on top of it real soon!” She closed her eyes for a second, and the world twirled around her.
He tightened his grip on her to stop her from falling. “You really don’t get out much, do you?” His voice seemed far away.
“Sweetheart, I get into all kinds of places.” She laughed and opened her eyes, but her laugh trailed off when found herself staring at his lips. Her pulse raced as she realized how close he was. She could feel his hard, muscled body pressed against hers. His hot breath warmed her neck. She bit her bottom lip, staring up at him.
“What kind of places?” he mumbled, leaning closer until his lips were just inches away from hers.
“Oh, you know, dark ones,” she muttered as if in a trance. She leaned closer to him, hesitant and unsure of what to do. The adventure-filled mood of the evening had changed so rapidly.
“Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t be in dark places,” he murmured as he brushed a soft kiss across her lips.
She shivered, kissing him back and parting her lips.
He hauled her against him with a growl, cupping the back of her head as his lips mashed against hers.
She melted against him, tightly gripping his shoulders for balance as she stumbled back when his hard body ground against her.
Without warning, he lifted her off the ground and pinned her up against the door of her apartment, crushing her body beneath his. His relentless kisses stole her breath away as his hands roamed over her body.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. Then he left a trail of hot kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.
She leaned back against the door, resting her head on it while his kisses caused goosebumps to pop up on her skin. Oh god, what am I doing? She tried to gather her senses, but her head felt cloudy with alcohol, and her body was busy responding to his touch.
What is he doing? She glanced down in surprise when she felt her blouse become loose. She frowned down. As if by some kind of magic, he’d unbuttoned her blouse with one sweep of his hand. What is he, Houdini with buttons? She tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, er, Matt…” She was unsure of what to say.
He smiled up at her with that wicked grin of his as he trailed his fingers down her flat belly from her exposed bra to her waistband. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her breasts, his hands hovering around the waistband of her jeans.
She widened her eyes when she felt the top button unfasten, and her jeans begin to slide over her hips. “Hey, hold on there!” She grabbed the side of her jeans and tried to pull them back up.
He glanced up, frowning at her. “What’s wrong?”
“That’s a bit too fast for me,” she muttered, feeling her face heat up with a blush.”
“Okay, we’ll go slower,” he murmured with a smile. His warms hands cupped her breasts as he leaned over and kissed her lips again, grinding his hips against hers. She almost melted into his hot kisses—almost.
She pulled back, peering into his smoky green eyes. “I um, think I want to go slower than this too.”
He paused, a small frown crinkling his brow. “How slow are we talking here?”
She shrugged. “Have you ever watched a snail make its way across a garden?”
He flashed a smile. “I can’t say that I have, but it sounds very slow and dull.” There was a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.
“There’s something quite special about watching them carry their little houses on their backs across a vast landscape,” she said with a grin.
He leaned over her and planted soft kisses on the side of her neck. “There’s something quite special about an exhilarating fast ride.” His voice sent tremors shivering down her spine as his hot breath warmed her ear. “Your pulse races, and your skin heats up…”
Her skin was already heating up just from being near him. She inhaled sharply when she felt his hand stroke the inside of her thigh. “Your heart pounds in your chest—”
As his hand traveled up her thigh, she gripped his wrist, pulling his hand away from her leg. “And then you crash into a wall, and the car explodes,” she said with a wry smile.
He stepped back, frowning at her. “Seriously?”
“It’s how most car wrecks happen.” She nodded as she fastened her jeans and then buttoned up her blouse.
She warily glanced up at him. She really liked him. He was fun and sweet, and sexy as hell, but as the alcohol wore off, she realized there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she was here to do a job. Tonight had been a nice break from reality, but she couldn’t have sex with the mark’s son. It’s better if he thinks I’m a tease or something.
“Okay, fine.” He nodded.
She expelled a shaky sigh. Here it comes, the fuck you very much for wasting my time speech.
“We’ll start slow,” he said.
She glanced up with wide eyes. She hadn’t expected that. “Really?”
“Yeah.” A lazy smile appeared on his lips. “Maybe you can show me what’s so great about slow.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. “Maybe I can show you something you haven’t seen before.”
He leaned over and softly brushed a kiss across her lips. “I bet you can,” he said as he let her go, turning on his heel and walking away.
“Aren’t you going to see me safely into my room?” she called after him.
“Nah,” he called back over his shoulder. “Not when you use aikido to move my hand off your thigh.” He winked.
Shit, did I use a martial arts move on him?
“That’s not very gentlemanly,” she shouted.
He turned and winked at her, walking backwards as they conversed across the moonlit gardens. “I never said I was a gentleman.”
She grinned and turned to open her door as a thrill of excitement tingled under her skin. “It’s a good job I like bad boys then,” she whispered to herself.
She swung open the door, feeling excited at the prospect of seeing him again. This job had just got a whole lot more interesting.
She hitched her breath when she stared at her room. The furniture was tipped over and torn apart. Her drawers lay overturned on the floor with the contents scattered across the carpet. Every part of her abode had been violated.
She swallowed as she silently stepped into the room. Someone had broken in and turned the place over.
Ellie’s head instantly cleared as she scanned the room with narrowed eyes. Cold anger settled over her, calming her initial reaction of shock. The cheerful blue couch had been turned over and ripped open. Its springs and yellow foam were poking out through the jagged gashes in the material. The dresser drawers were scattered across the floor with the main cabinet lying in pieces beside them. It looked as if it had been knocked over on its side and trampled into pieces.
Hustlers Page 2
