Taming The Boss (Billionaires In The City Book 7) (17 page)

“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.

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?”

She winced as she thought of her and Walter being in the same category. Even though the idea made her sick, she was considering it. For one, she and Walter both had strong motivation to find Easson. And she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious to know what sort of lavish place THE Walter Farrell lived in.

“I don’t work for the Devereauxs anymore,” she warned. “If you piss me off even a little bit, I’m out of there.”

“I knew you’d see things my way.” Judging from his cocky tone, he said that a lot. “I’ll inform the doorman and you can come right on up. I’m on the sixty-third floor.”

No need to tell her where. He lived in Farrell Tower. She glanced in the mirror at her still wet hair and makeup-free face. At this time of day, it would only take her a twenty-minute cab ride. “I’ll be there in an hour.” She’d be damned if she was going to rush over for him.

Walter hung up without so much as a “see you soon,” and Cali shook her head. Crazy rich people. Speaking of crazy rich people, she found Rourke’s temporary phone number in the contacts and put the call through. She knew he probably wouldn’t want to answer, but considering the precarious situation she was in with Easson, she wanted to assume he would rather keep her safe than protect his ass from her anger.

He didn’t let her down. “Good morning,” he said after the first ring. “I hope you had a chance to sleep in.”

“That tends to happen when the guy you’re sleeping with sneaks out on you.”

“Colin and I got the rental records from the apartment Easson had that we found yesterday. He wanted some backup to go with him.”

“Backup? He really doesn’t have any friends he can call?” Not that Colin seemed like the type to have lots of friends, but couldn’t he have at least a few buddies who weren’t her boyfriend?

“It’s no big deal. I’ll be back in a few hours, safe and sound. Promise.”

“If it’s no big deal, he wouldn’t need backup,” pointed out Cali. “But, I’ll accept that I’m not going to get you to change your mind as long as you accept that I don’t appreciate being blatantly ignored.”

“And I fully expect to pay for it later.”

“Well, Walter Farrell just called and he wants me to come over to his place to talk about Easson.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“I’d think his place is one of the safest locations in the city. I’d ask you to escort me, but...”

“I get it. I get it. Take a cab, not the subway. Have Farrell send a car to take you back. Or, you know, don’t go.”

“And pass up the chance to figure out why Walter Farrell’s panties are in a twist? I don’t think so. They say knowledge is power for a reason.”

“You can take the girl out of the corporate gladiator pool, but can’t take the corporate gladiator pool out of the girl.”

“Something like that. But you don’t want to get this corporate gladiator on your bad side. Come back to me tonight in one piece, you got it?”

“Got it. I’ll be calling you every half an hour on the dot, so you better be answering your phone.”

She wanted to tell him where he could take that overprotective caveman attitude, but she didn’t mind having someone checking up on her. “Fine.”

“I’ll make this up to you tonight,” said Rourke in a low voice. “You can count on it.”

“Is that right?”

“I’d tell you more, but Carter is giving me the evil eye. I better get going.”

Cali laughed at the visual of a disgusted Colin. “Talk to you later.” She hung up. She frowned as she looked at the phone in her hand. Should she have said I love you? Damn, she was new to this whole relationship thing. He didn’t say the three words either, but she’d hung up too fast.

All the more reason for her not to spend all day holed up alone in the hotel room.