Persuading the Billionaire (Sweet Billionaire Romance Book 3)

by Eliza Boyd

  Alexis balanced the black binder in her lap, her pen hovering above a clean sheet of paper so she could take notes as Maxwell talked out loud. The driver, a teenager working part time at the resort while he went to college, pointed out all the hot-spot areas, where guests tended to congregate the most: the beach, the poolside bar, and the cliffs where hiking and snorkeling took place. Maxwell noted which areas he liked and which ones he thought would need improvement.

  As he spoke, Alexis wrote. It seemed to help that she wasn’t in the mood to talk, because then she didn’t miss anything by adding her own two cents. Though he couldn’t help but wonder what she thought.

  Ana would have stayed quiet, so it wasn’t like he was missing out on anything business-wise. He just didn’t want Alexis to be in bad mood while they were enjoying such a beautiful day.

  “So, what do you think, Alexis?” he asked, hoping to get her to come out of her shell.

  Sighing, she said, “I think you’d get a better idea about this place when you’re not in the back of a moving vehicle.” The words came out in a grumble before she lifted her head and spoke more loudly, though less genuinely. “But it seems great.”

  Taken aback, he stayed silent for a few moments, letting her words sink in. He wasn’t sure if he liked the sound of that, but he did like that she was taking action. Speaking her mind. Not afraid to tell him what she really thought. She didn’t hold back, and he appreciated that.

  And he had to admit that he liked her even more when she told the driver to stop the car.

  “What?” the teen behind the wheel said as they crested over the far end of the beach on the way back.

  “Stop here,” she repeated, sitting up in her seat more.

  The kid peeked in the rearview at Maxwell. “I’m supposed to take you back to the lobby, sir.”

  Maxwell turned his head toward Alexis, who gave him a look that said it didn’t matter what the kid was supposed to do. “It’s fine,” he answered without taking his gaze off his assistant. “We can make our own way back.”

  Looking pleased as punch, Alexis nodded once, happy she’d gotten her way.

  That made Maxwell happy too. He’d get to know more about the resort as Alexis perked up and came out of her shell. It was a win-win as far as he was concerned. But he wouldn’t let her know that.

  “Are you sure about this, sir?” Phillip asked as the car came to a stop.

  “Absolutely.” Alexis reached forward, tapping Phillip on his shoulder. “Feel free to come with us.”

  Phillip turned in his seat to face Maxwell, a question in his silent gaze. Maxwell simply shrugged.

  “I think I’ll go back to the hotel,” Phillip replied. “If you need anything, sir, just call.”

  Maxwell nodded, putting his hand on the car door to get ready to leave.

  “Would you like me to be a tour guide?” the teen asked as Maxwell and Alexis opened their doors.

  “Nope,” Alexis answered. “We can handle it. Thanks though.” She hopped out of the car, handing the black binder to Phillip. “You’ll be missed,” she told him before leaving him with a wink.

  The teen looked concerned, but Maxwell stopped by his open window once he was out of the car and slipped him a tip. “Go ahead and head back. Let them know that we stayed out here. And thanks for showing us around.”

  He took the money, his expression morphing from concerned to grateful. “Thanks.” Then he rolled his window up and drove off, leaving the two of them alone on the sand.

  Maxwell hoped Alexis had a plan. A few seconds later, he discovered that her plan was nothing more than taking her shoes off and running down toward the water.

  “Come on!” she shouted, waving for him to follow her. When he didn’t right away, she froze in place, throwing her hands into the air. “You’re never going to get a sense of this place if you don’t experience it.”

  She had a point, but she was coming more and more out of her sad mood as he resisted her. Part of him wanted to keep resisting because this was ridiculous. He’d get to know the resort through the other things they were going to do that week. But if resisting was helping her feel better, he didn’t mind playing it up a bit.

  “Fine,” he grumbled, holding his smirk back. He stomped over to her, collecting way too much sand in his shoes. That bothered him, but as her brown hair shone in the Hawaiian sun against the backdrop of a crystal-clear beach and a bright-blue sky, he couldn’t find it in him to be that upset about it.

  Something about her happiness was rubbing off on him. And something about that seemed okay to him. He’d been so wound up lately with business. The Hartford deal needed to be locked up perfectly, and buying this resort would help put his company on the vacation map. He’d had to be so focused lately. Watching her stroll along the beach, running away from the water before it touched her toes… That felt good.

  It felt like that emotion he hadn’t recognized the day before. He was starting to think it was some kind of attraction to this woman.

  “Get over here!” she squealed, her shoes long forgotten. As a wave licked at her feet, she laughed and jogged away. “Ahh, it’s cold!”

  While she wasn’t watching, he cracked an actual smile and took his shoes and his socks off. After placing them next to hers, he met her down by the water. But she hadn’t been paying attention to him, so when he reached her, she squealed again, giggling and enjoying the moment.

  He liked seeing her this way: happier and carefree. Whatever had been getting her down was gone while they spent a few moments alone on the beach.

  “Come on. Put your toes in,” she urged, reaching out for his hand.

  Even though he allowed her to drag him down to the water, he countered with, “But you just said it was cold. Why would I do that?”

  “To immerse yourself.” She gave him a duh look. “You want to buy this place—well, this is the place. Come see for yourself what it feels like in April at the beach.” Her teeth gleamed as she smiled at him in the bright sun.

  After a big breath of salty air, he felt his body relax a bit.

  Until the icy water brushed over his toes and soaked the bottom of his white linen pants.

  “Holy—” Biting a knuckle, he jumped away from the tide, sand sticking to the wet part of his clothes.

  The sound of Alexis’s giggling made the chilly wind along his ankles bearable for the most part, and when he caught sight of her pointing and laughing at him while the breeze whipped her hair around her face, he didn’t mind at all.

  Especially when an incoming wave made payback sweet.

  It lapped at her calves, drenching her pants. Her mouth stretched wide open as she sucked in a surprised breath, and her hands flew in toward her body as she clenched her fists and jumped away on the tips of her toes. Her shocked shouts made him chuckle as he ambled back toward her.

  When he was within two yards of her, she started laughing and calming down. “You okay?” he asked.

  Her laughter turned into teeth chattering. “Y-yeah. Just-t c-cold now.” But her grin never left her mouth. “This is d-definitely not something I c-can do in Mont-tana.”

  “No, it’s not,” he answered, unable to hold his own smile back.

  A moment later, her face changed from amused to… He wasn’t sure what expression that was anymore. Shocked? Focused? Concerned? He mirrored it himself after a few seconds, thinking something was wrong.

  “What’s that face for?” He pinched his eyebrows together.

  Shaking her head slightly, she cleared her expression. “Oh, n-nothing.” She waved a dismissive hand and said, “I just… You…” When she dipped her head, her words trailed off. And when she raised it again to look at him, she opened her mouth.

  But he didn’t hear another word because a second unexpected wave splashed against both of them, surprising them with a freezing blast of water.

  It knocked Alexis over, making her stumble. Maxwell reached forward, trying to catch her before she landed in the water and soake
d all of her clothes. But instead of keeping her upright, he had to drag her right into his arms to steady her as she swayed on her feet.

  “Whoa,” he said, holding her to him. “Are you okay?”

  When her green gaze landed on him, no words came out of her mouth. No thoughts lingered in his head, either. He should have cared that his expensive pants were being ruined by the saltwater. He should have noticed how cold the skin on his legs was as the wind whipped around them. He should have understood that he was doing more than simply making sure this woman didn’t fall.

  He should have seen that he was starting to fall.

  All he could see was her though.

  Her pink lips, less red than they’d been the day before thanks to her lack of lipstick.

  Her cute nose, rounded at the tip and slim at the bridge.

  The way she helped him have fun during work.

  Before he could think better of it, the words tumbled out of his mouth. “I like that you didn’t wear that lipstick today.”

  “Really?” she whispered, sounding surprised.

  “Yeah,” he answered, his mouth curling up at the corners again.

  His arms tightened around her when he should have been letting her go. His heartbeat sped as she stared up at him. She was frozen too, not pulling out of his grasp, so he wondered if she was feeling the same thing he was: this attraction. This strange emotion he couldn’t name and shouldn’t have been focused on.

  But he wouldn’t find out that day. Not when a man’s voice hit his ears before hers did when she started to speak. It made them jump apart. And what he heard made alarm bells go off in his head.

  “Lexi? Is that you?”

  7

  Alexis could not believe it. Gabe had had the audacity to follow her down to Hawaii after what he’d done. After the pain he’d caused her, he couldn’t simply let her have a week of peace? No, that was apparently too much to ask for.

  She didn’t answer his question on the beach. Instead, she stormed off, dashing over the sand and snatching her shoes up on her way back to the resort. In reality, she didn’t care what he thought he was doing there. She wouldn’t let it get to her. She’d go back to her room and shut herself in for the week if it meant avoiding Gabe Williams at all costs.

  During the whole march back to the resort, Alexis could sense him on her heels. She could also feel Maxwell’s disappointed gaze on the back of her head, but she couldn’t deal with that right then. Her first order of business was to get away from the man who’d ruined her whole life. And with the slam of the honeymoon suite door, she did just that.

  Until a beep followed by a mechanic click sounded and the door opened without her permission.

  Gabe pushed it open, peeking around until his irritated gaze fell on her. “What are you doing, Lexi? Why did you come here?”

  “I could ask you the same question!” she fired back, tossing her shoes into the floor.

  “I came to this room because I got a key,” he answered, shutting the door and poking a finger against his chest. “My name is on the reservation, you know. Because I’m the one who paid for it.”

  Turning her back to him, she said, “I’m well aware.”

  He came up behind her and put a hand on her arm, spinning her back around. “What were you thinking? We were supposed to get married just last week. You’re already falling into another man’s arms?” Then he scrunched his face. “Are you not wearing any makeup?”

  Fuming, Alexis found herself speechless. And motionless for a few seconds before she yanked out of his grip. How dare he touch her or speak to her that way. After a breath, she found her words. “You have no room to talk about what I do anymore,” she gritted out between clenched teeth. She stared him down with narrowed, angry eyes and then entered the bathroom, slamming on the door closed in Gabe’s face.

  Gabe pounded on the door with his fist. “Come on, Lexi,” he pleaded through the wood separating them. “You know that meant nothing. I want us to work past it. It won’t ever happen again.”

  “I don’t believe you.” She braced herself with her arms on the edge of the sink. When she gazed in the mirror, she found the same woman she’d seen in Maxwell’s bathroom. The difference was that, up there, she’d been able to overcome her thoughts. Now, her thoughts were being overpowered by the man who’d put them there in the first place. “Just go back home.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he insisted. “Not until we work this out.”

  “There’s nothing to work out, Gabe! This is over. You made sure of that.”

  She heard him suck in another breath to begin a second tirade, but instead of his voice, another round of pounding on the door hit her ears. Except, this time, it wasn’t Gabe’s fist on the door next to her.

  It was Maxwell’s on the door to her suite.

  “Alexis? Let me in,” he boomed, his voice comforting against the confusion zipping through her head.

  It shouldn’t have been, but in that moment, having a buffer between her and Gabe was the best thing she could grab on to.

  Storming out of the bathroom, she pushed past Gabe on her way to the door.

  But he wasn’t having it. “Don’t, Lexi. This is between us.”

  His words made her freeze halfway to the door. As Maxwell knocked forcefully again and shouted her name through the it, she felt the pull to open it so he could see Gabe out. But she also felt like she needed to be strong enough to do this on her own. Being in Gabe’s presence made her squirm as she thought about how he’d stepped out on her. How he’d thrown their relationship in the trash by thinking a night with another woman would be worth it.

  But she couldn’t move. And that made Gabe pounce.

  He stepped closer to her, daring to put his hand on the small of her back. “See? You don’t want this to end, either. And it doesn’t have to.” He brought his face within inches of hers. “All you have to do is say the word and I’m yours again.”

  The way he’d said that made her flinch. But it also made something click in her brain. She’d said those words to Maxwell in a business sense. A platonic sense. So she could be his assistant for the week. That’s what she’d agreed to, and she’d honor her commitments. Unlike the slime ball touching her.

  Alexis couldn’t move away from him fast enough. As she whipped the suite door open, Maxwell’s fist connected with it one last time. He had it poised for another, but that’s not what caught her attention.

  It was the panic in his eyes. His other hand pressed against the doorframe. The way his hair was a bit disheveled, which was unlike the put-together way he’d looked the day before and earlier that morning. It was as if he’d been raking his hand through it. It could have been from the wind while they’d been on the beach, but she didn’t think it was that.

  Had he been worried about her?

  A small part of her wanted him to be, but a larger part of her thought that was ridiculous. They’d only known each other for twenty-four hours. It didn’t matter how wonderful it’d felt to be in his strong arms. It didn’t matter that he’d caught her before she’d fallen in the water. It didn’t matter that she’d had a better time with him in ten minutes on the beach than she’d ever had with Gabe.

  In the midst of everything, he probably just wanted to make sure he wasn’t losing her in an employee capacity.

  Authoritatively, Maxwell breezed through the doorway, coming between her and Gabe. “What’s going on in here?” he asked, his gaze on her.

  Gabe put his hand on his hips, displacing his suit jacket. The action made Alexis realize how out of place he looked at a Hawaiian resort, which made her realize how out of place they’d always been together. “It’s none of your business,” he said to Maxwell. “This is between me and Lexi.”

  She cringed at that name. Gabe had been the only one to call her that, and she used to love the sound of it. She’d always preferred Alexis, but the moment he’d started using that nickname was the moment she’d fallen in love with him—or what s
he’d thought was love. Now, she wasn’t sure. But she was sure that she never wanted to hear that name again.

  “And I think Alexis,” Maxwell said back, emphasizing her name in a way that made her heart take notice, “can tell me that herself.” He gave Gabe a challenging look.

  It made Alexis shiver inside. She never wanted to be on Gabe’s end of Maxwell’s current expression. Maxwell was a man who got what he wanted—that’s what that look said.

  The shiver made her remember that her clothes were soaked. In the air conditioning of the suite, she felt chilled to the bone. Without shock coursing through her or the need to keep Gabe away from her, reality came crashing down. And the reality was that she was wet and freezing. As goose bumps pebbled her skin, her body quaked with a real shiver—one visible to the two men posturing in her suite.

  When Gabe noticed, he simply slid his attention back to Maxwell. But Maxwell did a double take at Alexis and rushed over to the chair in the corner to snag the blanket off the back of it. When he returned, he draped it over Alexis and gave Gabe another look that would have killed him if they could do such a thing.

  To Alexis, he said, “Pack your things if you want. You can stay with me.” But he never looked away from Gabe.

  “Wait a minute here,” Gabe said as Alexis marched past him to her suitcases. “You can’t just run off in the middle of this, Lexi. We’re having a conversation.” He reached out to touch her again while she bent to zip her bag.

  Maxwell swatted his arm away before he could reach her though. “I don’t think she wants you to do that.”

  “Let her decide. This has nothing to do with you.”

  “Actually, it does,” Maxwell insisted. “She’s mine for the week, so I suggest you keep your hands off her and let her do her job.”

  The way the word mine felt as it slid over Alexis’s skin… It was indescribable. Mostly because she enjoyed the way Gabe bristled when Maxwell had said it. But also because she liked the sound of that.

  It must have been the way he was keeping her safe from Gabe. That was it. It had nothing to do with how amazing his dark eyes were. Or how strong his arms were. Or how safe she’d felt in them. She’d barely known this man that long, but she could already tell he was more of a man than Gabe could ever dream of being.