Taming The Boss (Billionaires In The City Book 7)

by Crowe, Mallory

  “You wanted to see the photos?” Carter held up a large manila envelope.

  Cali glanced hesitantly over to Rourke. “Let’s take a look at these in the hall.”

  Rourke let her retreat for the moment. He’d deal with her later. Once he had more control over his emotions and his not so subtle erection.

  ~~~~~

  “So who are you?” Cali shoved the photos back into the envelope.

  Colin frowned at the question. “Umm...Colin. Carter,” he said slowly.

  For the love of... “I know who you are. But what are you to Walter? Obviously you’re not exactly a personal assistant.”

  “I get things done that other people don’t want to do,” he said simply.

  Obviously he didn’t want to go into detail, but Cali felt a bit ballsier than normal. “So Walter does a lot of...questionable activities?” Colin stared her down and she knew she’d started to wander into fragile territory. “That’s what this is all about, right? Easson knows something about the Farrell family and he’s holding that over Walter’s head to get a payout. His boss is in jail now and that revenue source is drying out. Maybe he’s going in for one more big bang before taking off for good.”

  “I think that he’d have to have something pretty big to get Walter to open up his wallet.”

  “I think that’s why Walter has you.” Cali could tell from the small, sardonic smile that twisted Colin’s mouth that she’d hit something.

  “Walter has a lot of old, dirty, nasty skeletons in the closet. It’s better for everyone if those stay hidden.”

  Cali thought about what she knew about the Farrell family: four sons, with one in prison for insider trading. She’d never been to any events with them together, but if Colin was brought in to clean up family messes, it was safe to assume that they weren’t all that functional.

  “So, when you find Easson, what are you going to do?” she asked.

  Colin pulled out his phone and checked the screen. “It’s getting late. I think I should be off.”

  Well, there was her answer. She took a breath as she thought about what that meant. She wanted Easson out of her life, but Colin seemed so...cold. A shiver raced through her as she thought about Rourke just on the other side of the door. Rourke, who was protective, warm, and willing to do anything for her. At least, according to him.

  It was hard to believe, but he’d already proved himself. He’d come back to the city. He’d sworn that he’d never reconcile with Luke or Michael and here he was. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why. There was nothing she’d said to convince him Luke and Michael were ready for him to come back.

  Which meant he really had come back for her. Because he cared about her safety and, judging from the little distraction routine he’d pulled before Colin had arrived, he cared about her feelings too.

  This would’ve been fantastic if it weren’t for the timing of the whole thing.

  “Tell Rourke I’ll be in touch,” said Colin as they headed back down the hallway to her room.

  “Um...be in touch about what?”

  “He said he wanted to be included in the search. Figured it couldn’t hurt.”

  She halted, shocked. “Couldn’t hurt? It could hurt him. What the hell is he supposed to do if he finds Easson?”

  Colin chuckled. “Don’t underestimate him.”

  Underestimate? “Hey, Rourke is one of the most intimidating men I’ve ever met. But that doesn’t mean I want him out hunting for crazies. Especially when he’s doing it because of me.”

  “That sounds like a conversation you need to have with him. I’m not turning down another set of hands who knows their way around the city and a gun.”

  The gun thing again! “This wouldn’t happen if I had a gun,” she muttered. “You’re terrifying. Do you have one I could borrow? You probably have extras stashed all over the city.”

  “Nope. No guns stashed all over the city. And I have a feeling you should stay as far away from firearms as possible until you get a few lessons.”

  Great. Nothing more fun than being dependent on a bunch of testosterone-overdosed men to take care of her. She crossed her arms over her chest. “How much is Walter paying you for all this anyway?” Considering Easson probably wouldn’t make it to a fair trial if Colin found him first, that meant Colin was planning to go pretty far for one old rich man.

  “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to ask for someone’s salary?”

  “Says the guy who broke into my apartment. I didn’t realize that the rules of normal people manners applied.”

  Colin’s blue eyes bored into hers as though he was sizing her up. “Walter Farrell is offering me a future. When the old guy kicks the bucket, I get a one-fifth stake.”

  Cali tried to hide her surprise. No wonder he’d been reluctant to say what he was getting. But there was no harm in telling her now. It wasn’t as if she was going to be rubbing elbows with any of the Farrells any time soon. She’d have to assume that Walter’s four sons wouldn’t be happy when they found out that someone who wasn’t in the family got the same amount as them, but that was one fight she was going to stay out of.

  But it also made her wonder exactly what Colin had done to earn that big of a stake in Walter’s fortune. She’d read in some article featuring the billionaires in New York that the eldest Farrell had a net worth of over eight billion. And here she was, all happy over her two million.

  “My advice? Stick with Rourke. Don’t buy a gun. Lay low for the next few weeks.”

  “Weeks?”

  “Hopefully days. Just lay low, okay?”

  “Shouldn’t be too hard. It’s not like I have a phone to contact anyone. You’re the only one who has our phone number right now.”

  “Walter and I,” corrected Colin. “He insisted on knowing how to get in touch.”

  Cali really wanted to be surprised but couldn’t muster up the emotion. “He still thinks I’m working with Easson?”

  “I told him I think you’re clean, for what it’s worth. But all the coincidences keep piling up against you and he’s rather paranoid.”

  She was on a paranoid billionaire’s radar. This just kept getting better and better. “Fine. I guess I’ll be looking into getting a new phone then.”

  “He’s eccentric, but Walter isn’t dangerous. Just use the phones we gave you for now.”

  She couldn’t tell whether she was being paranoid or whether all her fear was justified. But if you knew there was a murderer hanging around your apartment, didn’t it make sense to be a bit paranoid?

  The door to the hotel room opened and Rourke stuck his head out. “Are you two done yet? How long does it take to look at a few pictures?”

  Cali took a step back from Colin and glanced between the two men. “We’re done here.” There was nothing else Colin could do for her here, and she should at least try to get some sleep.

  “I’ll be in touch,” said Colin. “Call me if anything comes up.”

  With that, he’d turned and made his way down the hallway to the elevator.

  Rourke held the door open wider for her. “Did you get what you wanted from him?”

  “He told me that you were going to be working with him.” She pushed past him.

  “I don’t think that should really be a surprise.”

  No. It wasn’t a surprise. He’d promised to protect her and now he was. “Let’s just try to get some sleep. Maybe I’ll be less pissed off in the morning.”

  “Pissed off? No. There’s nothing to be angry about. I’m going to protect you. I’ll always put you first.”

  “Yeah. I got that,” she snapped as she bent down to unzip her bag and pulled out an oversized t-shirt to wear to bed.

  “So what the hell do you expect me to do? Step aside and just hope everything gets sorted out? Because that’s not something I can do.”

  “I said, I got that.” She really wished he’d stop explaining it to her as if she were deaf. Standing, she tugged her blouse over her
head and dropped it to the floor. She kept her back to Rourke and pushed her pants over her hips. “Can we just stop talking about it?”

  She jumped when she felt his breath against her neck. “Are you trying to distract me?” he breathed as the tips of his fingertips brushed against the curve of her hip.

  “I’m trying to get into my pajamas.” She tried to stay calm, but her voice cracked as his other hand joined in, tracking delicate patterns along her back.

  “I think you can sleep in this.” He flattened his palm against her stomach and pulled her tightly back against him.

  Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the feel of his hard, hot front against her back. The sensation of his rough jeans and flannel shirt against her bare skin undeniably erotic. “I just want...”

  His hand dipped lower and sneaked under her panties, and she wasn’t able to speak as she held her breath, just waiting for him to touch her where she ached to be touched.

  “If you want me, this is what you get. One hundred percent.” His breath was hot on her ear and she rubbed back against him. It wasn’t even on purpose. It was as though some animalistic urge took over her and she needed to rub against his cock, letting him know exactly what she wanted.

  And then his fingers brushed her clit and she shuddered in his arms.

  “So do you want me or not?” He slipped his fingers lower and into her.

  She moaned as an electric shock seemed to shoot through her. This had to be some sort of blackmail for him to be asking her serious questions now. “This isn’t fair,” she squeaked out as he moved his fingers within her and adjusted his thumb to press against her clit in just the right way.

  “And whatever gave you the idea that I play fair?” With that, Rourke moved his hand to hook his fingers in her panties and pulled them down. He knelt with the movement, trailing kisses down her spine until the panties were on the floor. She stepped out of them, and Rourke’s hands were on her hips, turning her in place before he pushed her back against the bed.

  As soon as her ass hit the covers, he pushed her knees apart, baring her completely to his view. He leaned in; his tongue and teeth tortured the sensitive skin of her inner thighs before he reached her wet folds. His tongue was wickedly talented, and all Cali could do was twist her fingers in the sheets and hold on. She bucked uncontrollably as her orgasm got closer and closer, and Rourke’s grip on her hips tightened as he held her in place.

  She reached down and laced her fingers through his hair. She was so close to the edge. All she needed was one...little...push...

  Rourke pulled away and looked up at her. “You never answered.”

  Cali blinked wordlessly at him. There was a question?

  “Do you want me or not? Because if you say yes, you’re getting everything. Especially my protection.”

  Cali let her head fall back and rubbed a hand over her eyes. This couldn’t be happening right now. “I want you, you moron! I just want you alive! Is it really so hard to get it through your thick skull that I love you?” Her eyes snapped open as she realized what she said. “I mean—I was confused and...”

  Rourke shot up, wrapping her legs around his waist, and pulled her up against him. “You love me?”

  “I, um, something you.” Shit. That sounded bad.

  “Like something big or something small?” A small smile twisted his mouth.

  Great. Now he was mocking her. “I think I’ll something really, really bad you if you don’t finish what you just started.”

  “I love you, Cali.” His dark eyes bored into hers as he held her closer. “I’ve loved you from the second I first saw you. I was just too stupid to realize it at first. But now I know better and I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Ever.”

  Her mouth went dry at the confession. “Rourke, I—”

  He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You don’t have to say it back. I know it’s fast.”

  She let out a soft laugh. “I do love you. It’s inconvenient and unprofessional but also undeniable.”

  “And you want me?” he asked with a wicked smile.

  “And I want you very badly,” she whispered as she moved to kiss him back.

  Rourke kissed her deeply. Fiercely. So fiercely that when he pulled away, she blinked in confusion at the sudden loss. But when she saw him strip off his shirt and undo his pants, she was very okay with his departure. She slid back onto the bed before he crawled over her body.

  Cali set a hand at the back of his neck and pulled him in, the kiss alternating between sweet and hot every few seconds. She couldn’t get enough of him. Somehow knowing she could have as much as she wanted opened the door for her. She was starving and desperate for more.

  More that Rourke was willing to give. He set a hand at the crook of her knee, widening her for him as he positioned himself at her entrance.

  And then he was sliding fully inside her. Cali finally broke the kiss as her head fell back. She took a moment to savor the delicious pleasure...the fullness of having him within her.

  His lips found her neck as he started to move. Slowly at first before going faster...harder.

  He gripped her impossibly tighter as he kept thrusting. The orgasm hit her like a freight train and he went with her. His muscles tightened, and he rested his forehead against her neck as he held her tightly in his arms and trembled with his release.

  They took a few moments to catch their breath. Cali allowed herself to close her eyes and savor the feel of him in her arms as the relaxation from her orgasm combined with the exhaustion from the day started to take over.

  As she started to fade out, he murmured a soft “I love you” against her skin, and she fell asleep with a smile on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Cali rolled over and reached for Rourke, only to find herself alone in the bed. Her eyes snapped open as she sat up, pulling the silky sheets to her chest as she glanced around the room. Sun streamed through the semi-sheer curtains, removing any doubt that Rourke was actually gone.

  If he snuck out while she was sleeping, that probably wasn’t a great sign. Not that she thought he was the type to sleep with a woman and leave her high and dry. He’d already proved more than once that he was the staying type. But more than likely he was out doing something she wouldn’t approve of.

  Cali ran a hand through her hair and let out a sigh. Nothing she could do about it now except for think of ways to pay him back later.

  Pushing the sheets back, she climbed out of bed and padded to the shower. After a quick hair wash and soaping up and down, she dried off and moisturized. There wasn’t much in way of clothes in the bag she’d packed so hastily, but she managed to pull an outfit out: a cashmere green sweater, a looser pair of boot-cut jeans and her tennis shoes. Not fancy, but it wasn’t as though she had any pressing plans with the upper crust of society at the moment.

  Well, Rourke kind of counted as upper crust considering his pedigree, but it was so hard not to think of him as the wild man she’d found in Maine.

  Right as she was lacing the second shoe, she noticed a note he’d left her on the desk across from the bed. She let out a laugh as she read it. He wrote in all caps, the letters rushed out and masculine. She wondered whether he knew what all caps meant in emails. The joys of not working in an office, she supposed.

  “MEETING COLIN BUT I’LL BE BACK SOON.

  LOVE,

  ROURKE”

  Cali smiled to herself. He’d said “love.” She’d thought she’d been crazy to even entertain the idea of love with him, only to find out he felt the same. It almost took the edge out of her anger at him teaming up with Colin.

  Almost. She’d just have to keep repeating to herself that Colin knew what he was doing and he’d probably be okay. But probably didn’t seem like enough at the moment. She glanced to the cell phone charging next to the bed. Maybe Rourke had actually given her an update on where they were going.

  She picked up the phone and saw that she’d missed about fifteen phone
calls from an unknown number. Which was strange because only Colin and Rourke had this number. Well, that wasn’t true. Walter Farrell had it too.

  There were three voice mails, all telling her abruptly to call him as quickly as possible. There was nothing she hated more than vague voice mails.

  But when Walter Farrell requested your call, you didn’t say no.

  The phone was answered on the third ring. “Ms. Carson, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” he said without any form of greeting.

  There were a lot of reasons she liked working for Luke, and his phone manners were one of them. She was half surprised there wasn’t an assistant answering the phone instead of the man himself. Which meant he was calling from a private line.

  “I would’ve answered sooner, but the ringer was on silent.” Because she and Rourke hadn’t wanted to be interrupted by anything last night. Knowing how much earlier Rourke would’ve woken up if she’d answered, she was relieved they’d made that call.

  “I need you to come over. I’d like to go over a few details about the relationship between you and Mr. Harper.”

  For the love of... “I’ve been over this a thousand times. There’s nothing I have that can help you find him.”

  “Well, I’m sure you can indulge an old man, right? Come on over to my penthouse. I’ll have lunch brought in.”

  There were thousands of other things she’d rather be doing, actually. For one, only arrogant assholes referred to their apartments as penthouses. Also, Walter Farrell wasn’t all that old. He’d gotten around enough to have three ex-wives and four sons all before the age of sixty-five.

  “I really would be more comfortable staying here.”

  “Stay there holed up in a hotel room all day? Come on. If anything, you’d be safer here with me than there by yourself, and I can promise you I’ll be a hell of a lot more entertaining.”

  Oh God... “If this is some way for you to make a move on me—”

  “No! I promise you, this will be completely innocent. You know how important it is to me to find Mr. Harper, and from what Colin tells me, it’s important to you too. Why not work together while the boys are out doing the dirty work?”