Authors: Ella Celestine
“She does not work for any of the resorts, sir.”
Maddox nodded at Timi, the local kid he’d hired to find out about the sexy blonde firecracker from the beach. He had donuts at the beach for the past four mornings in hopes of running into her once more, but he hadn’t. She was American so odds were she’d be at one of the resorts, but apparently, no luck with that either.
“Thank you, Timi. Try the hostels on the island and any other places tourists might stay.” He pulled a few more bills from his wallet and laid them on the table. “Let me know if you need more.”
Timi smiled and nodded. “Will do, sir. Talk to you tomorrow.”
Maddox hadn’t been this motivated in a long time. Since his search for her started, he’d hardly thought of his family and his twin. His days had been fully consumed by work and daydreams regarding the blonde. Nights, however, when it was just him and the booze, well . . . they were a different story. So instead, he focused on that petite spitfire whose little tirade had caused more of a reaction in him than anything had in months.
He’d honestly thought she was struggling and had tried to be the Good Samaritan, but her correction sure made his blood pump. She was wearing a tiny pink bikini that made her look naked from far away. From up close, it made a man’s mouth water. With her chest heaving from anger and her skin glowing from the sun, she looked like some sort of water nymph that brought men to their knees.
And he wanted to be on his knees in front of her. And behind her. She’d made his body respond and, unfortunately, he had to handle on his own, but only until he found her. He would find her, he was sure of it, and when he did, he
would
have her.
“Maddox your mail.” His assistant sat the items on his desk along with a cup of coffee and quietly left.
He sorted through the mail, barely sparing it much attention. This was the end of the world, and very few things came by snail mail. After all, by the time they arrived the news were already a thing of the past.
As expected, most of it was either junk or people looking to sell their resort and retire early, but one envelope caught his attention. It was cream and made from quality stock with texture. It was addressed to him in elegant calligraphy so he opened it and groaned.
His twin brother was getting married. And he was invited.
Hoo-fucking-ray.
~
Ah, nothing like a morning swim.
Briana had gotten up extra early from her newly discovered sleeping spot to get a swim in before tall, arrogant and sexy came by again. She wasn’t sure if he was resort security or one of Malcolm’s guys and she really didn’t care — although, admittedly, one was far more terrifying than the other. Still, she’d seen him there every day this week and, in the hopes of not bumping into him again, skipped her morning swim for a sunset swim. Surprisingly, it was just as calming and, somehow, twice as beautiful.
But this morning she’d been determined to get her swim in so she could hang with the fisherman. Swimming kept her sane, but it also burned an insane amount of calories that weren’t adequately supplied by her low-calorie fish diet. Still, sanity counted for a lot when one was stranded in paradise.
She stripped down to the red utility bathing suit she got in exchange for a day’s work at the woman’s shop and made her way to the ocean. Although she hadn’t gotten more than a couple hundred bucks in the small jobs she did around the island, bartering was going well for her. She had also changed service for a new jacket to keep the nighttime ocean breeze at bay and gotten a nice hot meal after bussing tables. However, as good as her system was working, she knew she couldn’t live like that forever. She needed to find something permanent so she could get a place to sleep and shower.
Wading out into the water, Briana let her mind clear as the water climbed her body. The lapping waves had a soothing effect she couldn’t describe. It was like a sedative combined with a hallucinogenic drug and made her feel like she was far away, watching and listening to herself. It was splendid. Through the swaying of the waves she formulated her plan, today she would go fishing, cook it and eat it then spend the afternoon in search of a cheap place to stay. Tomorrow, she would get a job, and her life would finally be back on track.
An hour later she walked back to the beach where she dried off. Sliding into her jeans, Briana was startled by the deep voice behind her. “I hear you’re looking for a job.” It wasn’t a question or inquiry, just a statement. Either way, her heart fluttered in the most disconcerting way at the sight of the handsome man she’d spent the last few days trying to avoid.
In an attempt to look unaffected, she shrugged and turned her back to him while she finished getting dressed. “Oh yeah, where’d you hear that?”
His wide shoulders rose and fell effortlessly. “A little birdie. What do you do?”
She tilted her chin and crossed her arms. “I can do plenty. I’m trained to do bookkeeping and accounting, but yuck. I can organize like you wouldn’t believe and I’m a great second in command. Know any place that’s hiring?” She didn’t think he did, not really. It was a line.
“Actually, I do. Where are you staying?” He licked his lips, and Briana wasn’t ashamed to admit she’d shivered just a little, and her core might have tightened — just
might have
.
Regardless of how he made her feel, this guy had some nerve, she’d give him that. “Is that relevant to the job?”
He chuckled. “I like you. You’re fun.” The man took a step closer, and she backed up. He wasn’t
huge
but compared to her five-foot-three frame he was big enough to do some damage.
“I’m not that kind of fun, whoever you are.”
“Maddox. The name is Maddox Davidson,” he said, smugness dripping from every syllable of his name as though she was supposed to know him or something.
“Congratulations. So is the job for real?” She was about to miss her only meal of the day and if this guy weren't serious she would drown him in the ocean.
Maddox nodded. “It’s for real.”
She rifled through her bag just to give her eyes a break from the handsome bastard. Looking at him was almost painful.
Yeah painfully arousing
, her inner hoochie-mama joked. “Here can you jot down the details and I’ll check it out.”
“No sorry, that’s not how this job works. If you want it, you can interview with me. Now.” He stood there all cocky with his arms crossed and a cheeky grin on his face. “What will it be?”
She really wanted to leave. This guy was probably full of crap, and she’d go hungry because of him. However, if there was the smallest chance he was for real she had to indulge the prick. “Fine. Right here on the beach?”
“Why not?” He gave a careless shrug and smiled again.
Arms crossed, she waited for him to speak. He stared at her, smug smile still in place until her body began to respond to the heat of his gaze. Nipples pebbled — the cold air,
not
Maddox — and heat settled low in her belly — hunger, not arousal. Definitely not arousal.
She let out a frustrated growl. “Where is this job and what is the position?”
His laugh was low and deep, some might even say seductive. “The job is at my resort and the position is as a personal assistant to the CEO.” He took a pause then added, “That would be me.”
~
She could tell by the way his chest was puffed out that he was waiting for her to be impressed. “Thanks for the offer but I’m not interested.”
She had a good inkling of what his personal assistants did for their boss, and she was not interested in that kind of arrangement. Sure he was hot as sin, and if she had a way off this island immediately, she’d take him for a spin. But with her stuck here, he was off limits.
His sun-kissed brows furrowed. “Why? It pays well, and my resort is the best on the island.”
Of course, it is
, she scoffed to herself. “Because I’m no one’s whore, that’s why!” Picking up her bag and cooler, she stomped off, mumbling under her breath about handsome, arrogant men.
The sound of shuffling sand told her that he was moving, but she didn’t turn to look at him until felt him beside her. “I didn’t say anything about paying you to sleep with me.”
He sounded offended.
Yeah right.
“Of course, you didn’t. You wouldn’t, would you? But I know this game, and I’m not interested in playing. So thank you for the offer, Mr. Maddox, but I decline.”
Even though she couldn’t see through his dark shades, she could feel blue eyes staring at her, burning her where they landed. “Look. Obviously I’ve offended you in some way, or maybe you’re just crazy, but I really do need an assistant, and the job pays well.”
Of course, it does.
That was an excellent excuse to kept desperate women around, and then they probably stuck around as they daydreamed about changing him and becoming their wives. It was either that or the really great sex. He looked like a guy who gave good sex.
But if it did pay well, then maybe she ought to push those thoughts aside and reconsider. “How much?”
He smiled. “How much do you need it to be.”
Why did I give this guy the time of day?
With a low growl, she turned on her heels and walked away. Why did she let herself be fooled by a handsome face? That was a fatal flaw within her, and she needed to correct it. That was step one in becoming self-sufficient. “Have a good day Mr. Maddox.”
“Actually, it’s just Maddox,” he called to her, amusement and laughter ringing in his voice.
“Whatever,” she grumbled, lengthening her strides to increase the distance between them. He was too tempting, too arrogant and charming, and too much . . .
everything!
She would find a job someplace else, even if it took twice as long to make enough money to get off the island.
“I’ll see you around, beautiful!”
Briana didn’t respond, she just kept on walking. She had fish to catch and a woman to meet about a place to stay. She didn’t have time for him anymore.
All things considered,
things were finally coming together nicely.
“Everyone calls me
Maman
, you do the same my pretty.”
Briana smiled. “Ok
Maman
, thank you.”
Maman
was a big brown-skinned woman with cloudy hazel eyes and a friendly smile. She greeted everyone with a hug and offered food to everyone who came into her house. She’d agreed to rent the guest room out back to Briana at a really cheap rate for which the woman was infinitely grateful.
“Here you go,” Briana said, handing the cash over. “Two weeks paid up front.” Overwhelmed by the prospects of having a roof and a bed, she wrapped her arms around
Maman
’s big body and let herself sink into the sensation. It felt good to be held even if it was just for a minute and by a virtual stranger.
“Thank you.
Maman
loves having young people around. Makes me feel young,” she laughed, her lilting English heavily accented. “Come and go as you please. Here is your key but we don’t lock doors here.”
Briana nodded and smiled at her. “I’m looking for work, but in the meantime, if you need anything
Maman
, just ask. Okay?” She wanted to help in any way she could.
The older woman nodded and smiled. “Okay. Now you go out and enjoy the beautiful day.” She shooed Briana out the door, both women laughing as she did.
So Briana did. She stopped at every little convenience store, every eatery and all the shops in the marketplace and came up with nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. All the local jobs were done by local people, usually families. So her only hope was one of the resorts.
Not his resort. Definitely not.
She stopped at one of the marinas to see if anyone needed a cook or a first mate or anything else, but it was fruitless. The few crews with an open spot expected her to be a full-service employee, which she wasn’t interested in.
If I were, I’d take Maddox up on his offer,
she thought
.
However, as soon as the thought came, she shook her head knowing that wasn’t an option either.
Well, it’s a last resort kind of option
. She laughed out loud at her own pun.
“I do love to see a gorgeous woman smiling, although I am usually the reason.” Maddox chuckled when she groaned. “You don’t look so happy to see me.”
She shrugged. “I’m not. What is it that you want from me, Maddox?” He apparently wanted something, and she was pretty sure it was to be buried between her legs.
“What an interesting question.” His hand stroked his chin while his mouth curved into the most enticing smile. “I want two things actually. Your name and for you to work for me.”
She didn’t believe it and even if she did, his
cat that ate the canary
smile proved him a liar. “That’s it?”
He shrugged. “If you were inclined to make our business relationship personal, I would agree also. Wholeheartedly.”
This man was the most frustrating person she had ever met. “Do you ever answer a question straight-on?”
Even before he opened his mouth, she already knew the answer.
“If you listen, you’ll always hear the answer.”
Briana rolled her eyes. “What’s the salary and when would this job start?” He opened his mouth to speak, but she fired off more questions. “Is this a contract position? What are the work hours?”
Maddox bit back a smile. “Come to my office tomorrow at nine and we’ll discuss the details.” Smoothly he handed her a business card with his details.
She looked down at the thick cardstock with his name emblazoned across in bold black letters.
Black Diamond Resorts
.
“Sounds fancy.” She looked up at him as she wondered why he was so insistent on her working for him. “Fine, see you tomorrow.”
~
Maddox sat at his desk on the top floor of the main building, looked out at the clear blue water of the Pacific and smiled. It had taken more than a week but the little spitfire — whose name he still didn’t know — would now be his
personal
assistant. She might think she didn’t want him, but Maddox was confident that she’d change her mind once she realized how much he had to offer.
“Maddox, a Ms. Hargrove to see you,” his executive assistant announced. After receiving the okay, the young man escorted
Ms. Hargrove
in
.
Maddox’s attention was so focused on her, he barely heard as the boy asked if they wanted something to drink.
“Water, please,” she said, smiling at the young man who blushed.
Once they were alone, Maddox pointed at one of the plush chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat, Ms. Hargrove,” Maddox purred her name, looking for a reaction. And he’d gotten one.
It was small, just the dilating of her pupils, but he’d seen it.
She felt it too.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her while he rambled on about salary, work hours, benefits and housing.
“So basically I’m on call all day, every single day?” Her tone told him that was unreasonable by her standards.
Rolling his eyes with a heavy sigh, Maddox’s voice was cold and short. “Yes, that’s typically how a job works.”
She stood, obviously unhappy. “Actually, a
job
has somewhat reasonable hours, with an end time. Something that never ends, that’s called life. Sorry, but I’m not interested. Good luck on your search, Mr. Maddox.” Grabbing up a green canvas bag, she made her way to the door. “Thank you for the offer.”
Unbelievable.
“Wait, Ms. Hargrove.” He waited until she turned around to speak. “You say you want a job, but you don’t want to work or to have a sexual relationship with me. What gives?”
Green eyes rolled into her head and her arms crossed in a defensive gesture. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to work. I just don’t want to work around the clock for . . . well, I just don’t, so thank you. Goodbye.”
Dammit, would he ever win with this woman? “What do you want, then?”
She sighed as that green gaze tore into him, looking through him almost and finding him lacking. “I just need enough money to get home, and I am willing to work, within reason, for that money. I’d like something I can do well and take some pride in while also enjoying the time I have in paradise.”
She wasn’t like the other women he’d encountered on the island. From jet-setters to backpackers women, for the most part, were all the same as far as Maddox was concerned. He flashed his sexy smile, his wealth and they came running, offering all manner of sexual pleasure for a few days with him and a few trinkets or designer clothes. She, however, actually wanted to work, just maybe not as a career assistant.
“Okay,” he started with a nod. “My casino is hosting a televised poker tournament in four weeks, and my last assistant quit on me. I’ll keep looking for a
real
assistant while you plan this event for me. I’ll give you ten grand, and you can put the expenses on the company credit card. What do you say?”
Plump pink lips spread out and curved into a smile so stunning, Maddox felt something shift inside him. “I say you have yourself a deal, Mr. Maddox.”
His smile dimmed. “It’s just Maddox, no mister.” Walking over to her, Maddox stood too close and extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you . . . ?”
“Briana,” she filled in and took his hand in hers, giving it a firm shake. “Do you have details for me to get started?”
“No. Come back tomorrow at the same time, and I’ll have everything ready for you.”
“Aye, Captain. See you in the morning then.” Maddox chuckled at the way she saluted him. Pressing her body against his so she could open the door, Briana gasped as her bottom brushed against his erection. “Bye, then!”
Maddox laughed as she quickly ran away from him.
“Briana,” he tested the name on his tongue and found he liked it.
Soon I’ll have her on my tongue.
He knew she might make him work for it, but Maddox was confident they would get there.
Eventually.