The Billionaire & His Castaway (An Alexa Riley Promises Book 3) (2 page)

I
watch Madeline walk away
, and I have to grip the bar of the chair to keep from going after her. Glancing back at the bartender, I give him a look, and he takes off, mumbling something about taking inventory in the back.

I drop my head in my hands and try to shake off the feelings, but after months of trying, it’s no use. That’s why she’s here, isn’t it? Because I’ve been unable to control anything when it comes to her. My Madeline.

Caldwell security has worked for my company for a few years. They are the best in the business, and that’s all I employ. The best. When the hospital needed security for the fundraiser, I suggested their team. I’d even made sure they had extra tickets in case one of the men wanted to bring anyone from their staff along. I never thought about them having a sister. A sister who was so fucking gorgeous I couldn’t tear my eyes off of her.

I’d embarrassed myself that night with the way I acted towards her. I was so overcome with emotions, I didn’t know how to behave. Emotions I’d never felt before. One look at their baby sister and I was a goner. The times her eldest brother Mark had mentioned her, I thought he was referring to a teenager. But one look at Madeline would ensure no man would ever get it wrong. She’s short with fair skin and dark brown hair. As I looked in her brown eyes, it seemed she had some innocence there, but her body was anything but. Her curves were sinful and spilling out of the black dress she had on. It may have been a few years old, because her breasts had grown beyond what that dress was prepared to hold. The sight of her was obscene, and I felt anger flash through me all night. Every time a man caught sight of her ample cleavage, I felt my fists tighten. Seeing the sway of her big ass and wide hips did things to my cock, and I was ashamed of the images that flashed through my mind. I got so hard I nearly embarrassed myself in front of hundreds of people.

When I finally worked up the courage to talk to her, she brushed me off. I tried to say hello, but I stumbled over my words and made an ass of myself. One of her brothers had stepped in to see if I needed anything, mistaking my talking to Madeline as being related to work. But nothing about my feelings for Madeline was professional. Oh no, I wanted to do indecent things to her that night and every night since.

I come from a long line of famous Monroes. The men before me had their hands in every kind of business, making money since the dawn of time. I’ve done my part to grow our holdings, and as the only surviving heir, I’m what most refer to as
filthy
rich
. But money can only buy so much shit before you start thinking that there’s more beyond it. I’ve never slowed down to think about love before, and what it would be like to settle down. I’ve worked most of my life, and that’s always been the priority. I’ve never thought about anything other than my career, but all that changed that night. The night I laid eyes on Madeline, I understood what I’d been missing. As if she’d flipped a switch to turn on the light, I suddenly realized I was in darkness. And when she walked away, I was thrown into the shadows once again. That night, I knew that I had to have her. I had to have the light.

Normally I’d contract Caldwell for a project like this, but seeing as how this was their baby sister, I didn’t see the four of them giving up any information. And getting around them would be tricky. It took me two agonizingly long days to find out any sort of intel on Madeline. And even then it was just a scrap. I got her email address from a friend who could do some cyber-stalking for me. That was all I had, so I needed to make it good.

After a few more failed attempts at trying to get her near me again, tripping over my own feet and looking like an ass, I knew I needed to try something different. I needed something that would get her near me without her being able to give me the slip. And I needed to ensure her brothers wouldn’t butt in. I’d come up with a two-hundred-word survey for her under the pretense of a free vacation. I was going to get her on the island if it killed me. Away from her family, away from prying eyes. I was going to have her all alone.

I cleared out any guests who had plans to visit, stating a hurricane had made their vacation impossible. I didn’t care if it reeked of bullshit. I wanted this that bad. People didn’t seem too upset when I refunded double their vacation expenses and then told them they could rebook any time after this week. All I needed was a week. I could make her fall for me in that amount of time. Right?

The staff was unaware of what was going on. They were informed there would be improvements to the island resort and it would be closed to the public. They would receive a paid vacation and only minimal personnel would be asked to come in.

So far it’s been a day and I haven’t been able to make any progress. Nothing about me seems to affect her in any way. Madeline is unfazed by my status and what I could potentially do for her. Almost every woman I come in contact with is always looking for an angle to get to me. I think they see me as either an opportunity for them to become rich, or as a challenge to be conquered. I’m not often seen with women for a reason. It’s been a long time since I felt any sort of inclination to be with a woman, and even longer than that since I’ve been physical with someone.

But the night I saw Madeline, all of that changed. I no longer want to avoid being photographed with a woman on my arm. I want the world to see she’s mine, that I’m not up for grabs anymore, but she keeps sidestepping me. Like tonight. I came down hoping to have dinner with her. I’d been watching her all day. She lay by the pool, and I sat hidden away like a lecher, just watching her. I could hear myself growl every time the waiter approached her, but what was I going to do? Put on a cabana shirt and take her order? I doubt she would have wanted that if her behavior tonight was any indication.

Time is running out. I’ve got to make her head over heels for me, like I am for her, by the time she’s wheels-up and headed back to New York.

I’ve got a plan in place, my option B, but it may be going too far. I push away my plate of uneaten food and remember how fast she was to try to get away from me tonight. This is an extreme measure, but one that has to be taken.

I walk away from the bar and look down at my watch. I think she’s had enough time to get to her room, so I can go up. I take the elevator to the top floor and stand in the small hallway. There are only two doors on this entire level, and I have zero guilt about putting her next to me. I look longingly at the door to the right. I walk over to it, and for a second I stand there and debate knocking. Maybe I could try again. I could try to keep my shit under control and let her see that I’m not just an asshole.

Pressing my palm to her door, I take a breath and then let it drop away.

“Stick to the plan,” I whisper to myself and then turn, going into my room.

When I get inside, I take off my white polo shirt and linen pants. I walk to the bathroom, turn on the shower, and step right in. The beat of the cold water is painful, but it’s the only thing that is going to keep me from trying to find release. Again.

I’ve rubbed myself almost raw with as many times as I’ve tried to sate my need for Madeline. I never really cared about doing it before, but since the first night I saw her, my fantasies have gone wild. But the sad thing is, my greatest fantasy about her is probably the least erotic thing I’ve ever jerked off to. I’ve got this vision of her sitting across from me in a coffee shop while I just hold her hand. The sight of her smiling at me gets me every time. Her goddamn smile. That’s all I want. And it’s all it takes to send me over the edge.

Thinking about it now has my cock throbbing under the ice-cold stream, and I grab the soap, giving in to the inevitable. I close my eyes and there she is. She’s wearing a sweater that has fabric bunched up around her neck, and she’s holding a mug of hot cocoa. I reach out and place my hand on the table, palm up, and she puts hers in mine. She looks down at where our fingers are joined, and then for just a second I think she won’t look up at me. But she finally does, and when her beautiful brown eyes find mine, I’m lost in the fantasy.

I stroke myself in long, tight movements, imagining it’s what the inside of her little curvy body will feel like. I feel myself swell and throb as I get closer to climax.

And in my mind she’s right across from me when her full, pink lips part and she smiles at me. Her whole face lights up, and she looks as if she’s in love. She’s looking at me like I feel for her, and the moment is too perfect.

I cum in the shower, letting the thick seed roll down my shaft and over my hand. I keep pumping to the image of her smile, and the pleasure that runs through me isn’t enough. My hand is unsatisfying, but it’s better than nothing. When it comes Madeline, I think the only thing that will ever be enough is when I finally have her under me.

I finish up in the shower and get out, thinking the cold shower was counterproductive. Once I’m out, I dry off and head to the bed. Throwing back the sheets, I climb in naked and lie on my back, looking up at the ceiling.

I go over the plans in my head for tomorrow, and though I should feel a little guilty, I can’t seem to find anywhere inside me that does. I would do anything to have Madeline. Tomorrow, I cross a line I won’t ever be able to uncross, but I hope that, for the both of us, it’s the right decision.

I
stare
at myself in the full-length mirror and debate my choice of swimsuit. I brought two with me. The first is a simple one-piece black swimsuit. I’ve owned it for a few years, but it’s comfortable. The second one is a white two-piece that I’d picked up before coming here. A last-minute grab to remind myself why I’m taking this trip.

I’m here to find myself. Try something new and have an adventure. Not be the normal me who just goes through the day-to-day motions doing what I thought I should be doing, because that was what I had been doing. Never wanting to be too much trouble for anyone. I am thankful for my brothers and all they have done for me. I am always trying to make sure I don’t do anything to upset them or further interfere in their lives. Heck, I still ask myself if they would’ve opened a security firm back in New York if it wasn’t for my parents passing. Someone had to come home and take care of me. I hated thinking that I might have made them leave something behind to do something that they hadn’t wanted to. That’s why I picked a college I knew they would feel safe and happy with. I knew it was where Mark, my eldest brother, wanted me to go. It was close to home, and it was an all-girls school, so I went.

But now we we’re all old enough. I don’t want to be anyone’s burden anymore. I also want to step out of the little box I’ve let myself be put in. It’s a pretty box, one I’ll always be thankful for, but I want out. I want a life of my own choosing.

I turn a little, eyeing the mirror. The lady at the swimsuit shop promised me that the white wouldn’t go all see-through when water hit it, but I’m a little more worried about the strap around my neck giving way and my boobs popping out.
I look sexy
, I think to myself. More like a woman than an innocent girl.

Maybe I’ll get to lose some of the innocence before this trip is over. Kenton’s face pops in my head again, making me groan. I head back to my luggage and dig out things I might need today for the outing I planned at the front desk, putting the items into a small waterproof bag.

That man just can’t seem to stay out of my head. After I’d come back to my room last night and eaten, I’d tossed and turned for a few hours before sleep finally took me, only for him to find me in my dreams. The man is maddening. And yet a thought kept popping into my head.

If Kenton is just trying to get in my pants because I’d rebuffed him and he sees me as a challenge, maybe I could do the same. Maybe I could find a way to emotionally detach myself so I could use him back. He could be my fling. The thought pushes strong on me. Before Kenton, I couldn’t even bring one person to mind in whom I’d shown even a slight interest. Even the bartender last night when I thought he was flirting with me, it was flattering, but still that spark wasn’t there.

Maybe I’m one of the girls who likes jerks. Just my luck. Grabbing my bag off the bed, I pick up my cell and power it on. The screen lights up, showing twenty voice mail messages and sixty texts. All from my brothers. Might as well do it all at once, so I call the leader of the pack.

Mark picks up before the phone can even ring fully.

“Where are you?” he shouts into the phone in a tone I’ve never heard him use with me before. I freeze for a second and hear him take a depth breath. “Maddie, I mean, are you okay?” His voice softens just a little, but I can tell it’s forced.

“I’m fine. Just like the note said,” I reassure him.

“You can’t just take off like that.”

“Why, Mark? I’m 22 years old.”

He’s silent for a long second, and I can picture him grabbing the bridge of his nose as he usually does when he’s stressed. He’s done it for as long as I can remember, and he does it when any of my brothers are driving him crazy.

“I know,” he finally says on a long breath. “I just worry, Maddie.”

“There is nothing to worry about. I’m fine,” I try to reassure him again, and it’s probably not doing any good.

“I don’t like not knowing where you are.”

“I’d tell you, but I’m calling your bluff. I think you know right where I am,” I reply. Working in the military, my brothers have friends in high places. Sometimes I think they even do freelance jobs for the military. That’s just a guess. I don’t ask, and they don’t share. If only they could stay out of my business like I stay out of theirs.

He’s silent again.

“Don’t send anyone down.” I make my voice firm, something I never do. Maybe this bikini has special powers, or maybe it’s being out on my own for once. Really out on my own. “I need to do this, Mark. I’ll be back in a week.”

“Fine,” he finally says. “Keep in touch, Maddie.”

I expect him to say something about Kenton, but he doesn’t, and neither do I. Or maybe he thinks he can use Kenton to spy on me. He’s probably already talked to him, or maybe he doesn’t know Kenton owns the place. He might think it’s just some resort, but that’s unlikely. What is likely is he already has a blueprint of the place.

“Okay.”

“I know I’m overbearing. We all are,” he corrects. “But we can’t help it. You might not think it Maddie, but you are the heart of this family, and we can’t lose you like we lost…” His words trail off. He doesn’t have to say it. I know he was going to say, “Mom and Dad.”

“I’ll call you tonight.”

“Have fun, and I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I say, smiling, before I end the call feeling a little bit better. A weight I didn’t know was on my shoulders has been lifted.

I’d never thought of myself as the heart of the family, but maybe I do hold us all together. I’m always the one setting everything up for holidays, making us have family dinners once a week, and so on. I did it to show them how much I appreciated them, but maybe I was doing more than I even knew.

I place my phone back on the charger and pick up the paper that gives me the details of my island kayaking adventures. I double-check the time and location I’m supposed to meet at, slip on my water shoes, and grab a T-shirt. I pull on the long shirt over my swimsuit before heading down to the lobby. Making my way out to the pier, I look for a boat called
It Takes Two.

It’s easy to spot as only two boats are docked at the pier. A man who looks to be in his early twenties is standing next to it in swim trunks and no shirt. He spots me and gives me a big smile that lights up his whole face.

“Señorita Madeline?”

I nod, and he holds his hand out to help me get onto the boat and follows behind me.

He grabs the little bridge we just used to get on the boat and starts unstrapping us from the dock. I look around the boat and only see one other person, a young woman who looks a lot like the man who helped me onto the boat.

“I’m Selena.” She gives a little wave, but makes no move to come towards me. She’s more focused on reading a tablet in her hand. “We are going to take you to the south islands. The water there should be perfect for kayaking today,” she tells me, looking up from the tablet before placing it down on the small table.

“I’m going to go below and check a few things, then we’ll be on our way.” She turns, walking down into the cabin of the big boat as the man comes to stand next to me.

“Just us?” I ask, looking around the boat again, which is ridiculous because it’s not like it’s huge or anything. I guess I just thought there would be more people going, like a group excursion.

“Just your kayaking partner, and he’s below.” He nods to where Selena just disappeared. “I’m José, by the way.” He holds his hand out, and I take it. I look up into his dark brown eyes as his handsome face smiles down at me. I wait, hoping for some kind of attraction, and I sigh. Still nothing. Not even a freaking spark. I’m hopeless.

Feminine laughter fills my ears, and I turn to see Selena coming back up the stairs with a giant smile on her face. Then my body freezes when I see who she’s laughing with. It’s Kenton. He has an equally bright smile on his face, until his eyes come to mine. Then that hardness he seems to get when he looks at me forms, and it washes that smile away. Selena continues to talk to him in Spanish, so I can’t understand a word. I’m not sure I’d get any of what they’re saying right now even if I knew Spanish. I’m too busy feeling things. Anger, jealousy, and a touch of excitement. I squash that last one fast and go back to anger.

What happened to staying out of each other’s way? It’s clear Kenton has no plans to do that. Being at his hotel might have been a coincidence, but this I can't chalk up to just running into one another.

“Let her go,” I hear him snap. I look down and realize José’s and my hands are still clasped in our introductory handshake. He drops my hand like I’m on fire, taking a few steps back in the process. I glare at Kenton. I have four brothers, and I sure as heck don’t need a fifth. Or maybe Kenton just doesn't share well.

Women can fall over him, but it isn’t okay the other way around? Kenton’s not the settling-down type or even the trying-to-settle-down-type. I’d done my shameless Google search and found nothing about other women, leading me to believe he hops from one bed to another before anyone even knew what happened.

“We’re ready,” Selena says in English, this time placing her hand on Kenton’s bare bicep. Just like José, he doesn't have a shirt on. But unlike José, I can’t look away from his chest. He’s built like a tank. His abs aren't defined. He’s just solid and hard. Everywhere. Like he could wrestle a shark if we come across one. And he’d most likely win.

Kenton says something to Selena, this time in Spanish, and she drops her hand from him. She goes over to the boat’s controls and starts talking to José. She’s speaks to him in Spanish, and I can’t understand either of them.

Looking over, I just stare at Kenton. “Can’t you put a shirt on or something?” I blurt out. The words are out of my mouth before I can think, and I wish I could grab them back. He doesn't need a shirt, but I can’t freaking look away.

“No,” he says lazily, the hardness on his face dropping away, and a smile forms.

How does he do that? Two can play that game.

“I guess you’re right,” I say as I pull off my own shirt, tossing it on one the benches as the boat starts to pull away from the dock.

Kenton glances over to José, who’s next to Selena at the boat's controls. I’m pretty sure they’re brother and sister when I look at them next to each other.

“Put it back on,” he growls, making his way over to me.

I just ignore him.

“Are we really kayaking partners?”

“Yes,” he says flatly, picking up my discarded shirt and handing it to me. I take it and put it in my bag with a smirk.

“Can’t I go with José?”

Kenton growls again, interrupting me. The sounds he’s making make me think he’s maybe part canine or something.

“You can go with your girlfriend,” I dig at him, nodding over to Selena. Damn it. I did it again. Said something I didn't want to.

“Jealous?” He raises his dark eyebrows like he can’t believe it.

“You should know what it looks like,” I snap back.

His hand comes to my chin, making me tilt my head up more to look at him. His touch is soft, and I hate how I melt into him. “You have no reason to be jealous, whereas I have every right.”

With that, he drops his hand from my chin, grabs my bag, and pulls my shirt back out. I’m still in a fog from his touch when I realize he’s pulling it down over my head.