Taming The Wild CEO novel Chapter 35

C H A P T E R 3 3 : H I S W A K E U P C A L L A N D W O R R I E S

E L L A S T A N F O R D

After her brief meeting with Joseph, she had picked up her book and beach towel and gone back to the hotel. Not surprisingly enough, there was no sign of Javier. Almost as soon as she laid her head on the pillow, she fell asleep.

After what felt like a few hours later, she woke up and stretched her body. It seemed that the rest had swept away some of her tiredness. Fluttering her eyes opened, she saw him. Against the open french windows, his body taut, Javier was standing, staring at her. For a moment they looked at each other in silence. From complete relaxation Ella felt herself plunge into breathless awareness. His face was an expressionless mask. All traces of the desire, rage, and frustration he had shown last night were gone.

“I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up,” he said flatly.

She stretched, her arms lifted over her head. Under her lowered lashes she saw the blue eyes move swiftly over her as the movement outlined her body under the sheet covering her. “What time is it?” she asked casually.

“Ten in the morning,” he said tersely, turning away, his hands thrust down into the back pockets of his jeans. He was wearing a black shirt.

“I slept for more than twelve hours?!” She was astonished. “As late as that? Why did you not knock hours ago?”

“I did,” he said grimly, “but there was no reply.” His profile was taut. “So in the end I came round to see.” He broke off whatever he had been about to say.

Curiously, Ella probed the unyielding profile. “See what, exactly?” she asked lightly.

He turned to her, his eyes icy blue. “I-I thought—” He seemed unable to put it into words.

She frowned, more than puzzled by his response. “Thought?” Her eyes widened. “What did you think, Sir? That I had left you?”

He let out a sad sigh. “That, or—how did I know? There was not a sound from you, and the desk clerk told me you had not checked out. Your key was not down there, so you could have gone out. Ella, you have no idea what a torment it had been for me. There were at least a hundred different possibilities existed in my head.”

“Such as what?” she asked, smiling with amusement.

He did not look amused. “You could be sick,” he said grimly. “Or worse.”

Ella watched him through the veil of her lashes. “Did you, perhaps, think I might be dead, Sir?” The question was softly teasing.

He turned towards the french windows. When he finally replied to her, it was for something else. “Get ready. We have to drop by Roberto’s place again. There are some things that we need to discuss with him.” His jaw tightened as he added, “I have left him a message and he rang an hour ago to find out when we would be there. You have gotten him mesmerised, he can not wait to see you again.”

She asked his retreating back, curious what he might have thought and she decided to go for the craziest idea that came into her mind. “You did not think I might have committed suicide, Sir?” Her tone was as smooth as silk.

“Don’t tease me, Ella.” He turned around and the pain in his eyes caught her by surprise. “That is not even funny.”

“I know and I am sorry. But I am just surprised,” Ella swung her legs to one side and folded the bedcover. “You never seem to worry what might have happened to me and yet here you are saying you were worried and having some worst case scenarios.”

Flame invaded his eyes. Ella suddenly saw a new look on his features, a bitter menace and hostility mingling with tormented desire. She understood what he intended to do even before he began to kiss her again, uncaring now if he hurt her, wanting to hurt her, his hands savagely insulting as he handled her body. His mouth burned on her skin with violent insistence. She could hear his heart pounding, the raggedness of his breathing as he moved against her. Then almost as soon as his earlier move to pulled her to him, he pulled away. “I care.”

That was all he said before he walked away and were gone through the joint bathroom. Fully aware of the importance of this meeting with Roberto, Ella quickly got dressed and joined him ten minutes later.

“What about breakfast?” Javier asked her curtly, seemingly still annoyed by what had happened earlier. “I already had mine hours ago. Do you want to go and grab something to eat?”

“I am not hungry,” she said truthfully. “But I would kill for some coffee.”

“I am sure Roberto will provide some,” he said unpleasantly as they walked towards the hotel lobby. He signaled the hotel staff and soon a cab pulled over at the front.

“We are taking a cab?” asked Ella curiously. After all, he had a car he could use and if she recalled correctly, he enjoyed driving.

“It is a wonder that I am fine to be inside a car,” he muttered under his breath thus she could only hear the sentence partially. “Yes, we are. I am not driving today.”

Javier glanced over his shoulder at them, his piercing blues could cut anything.

“I will go and change,” Ella said hurriedly, ducking into the small building beside the pool.

When she emerged a while later both men were in the water, tossing a red beach ball from one to the other. She dived into the pool, her slender body cutting the water cleanly. She swam the length of the pool slowly, then trod water, watching as the men continued playing their game.

“Come and play.” Roberto invited.

Ella shook her head, her wet hair flicking across her shoulders. For a while she lazed, drifting on the water, then she climbed out and lay down on a low blue lounger, staring at the incredible blue sky. A few moments later the two men joined her. Javier sat down under a red umbrella, beside a white table, and poured himself a glass of lemonade. Roberto took the lounger adjacent to hers and grinned at her. “Would you like a drink? Whiskey or wine, maybe?” He gave her a wink.

“She hasn't had any breakfast,” answered her boss for her. “I suppose there's no chance of some coffee?”

“No,” Ella said quickly. “It is nearly lunchtime now. It does not matter.”

“Are you sure?” Roberto asked. “My maid could bring you some croissants and coffee, if you want.”

“I am sure,” she replied with a polite smile.

“Fine. But you are going to have lunch here, right?” asked Roberto.

She glanced at her boss, who surveyed her with no smile then decided to enjoy the sun and closed her eyes.

“Why, thank you,” he replied pleasantly in her stead, but his expression was far from pleasant. “We still have a lot to talk about, Rob. This is very enjoyable, but we have to talk some time.”

“Yeah,” said Roberto, leaning back, his slim shoulders settling against the lounger. “Laters.” His hand moved and trailed over her naked thigh. “Are you awake, Sleeping Beauty?”