[Cole]
Still reeling from the assault on my foot, I watched as a crazed Ryan snatched his phone back from me and made a run for it. Just as I was about to go after him, I bumped into Harmon, who brought me to an abrupt halt.
"Whatever it is, it's going to have to wait. It's time for your interview with the mainland reporter," said Harmon, attempting to calm me down as we returned to a more public setting.
"Fat chance." I hissed, trying to maintain my cool as we strode through the lobby, making our way back to the restaurant. "Where the hell is he?" I asked, as we entered the restaurant.
Harmon and I looked around, both coming up empty.
"Beats me. He was here a second ago. Couldn't wait to talk to you," Harmon rambled, still looking around.
"What part of keep him here did you not get?" I snapped, grabbing onto Harmon's jacket. Even he knew when it was best to stay silent. "Why the fuck is there an unauthorized phone on my island, Harmon?" I persisted.
"He has a phone? Apologies, Mr. Hunter, I'll deal with it posthaste," Harmon replied.
"No." I grunted through gritted teeth. "When you find him, bring him to me."
I made my way back out of the restaurant and took the elevator up to Brianna's floor. Everyone knew me as a cool customer. Very few things got to me. Being me meant expecting a few slaps from women here and there. Once I even needed stitches after one of my dalliances ended with a vase being thrown at me. I took it all in stride. After all, they weren't wrong. I was a scoundrel.
This time, however, I didn't do a single thing wrong yet. Brianna Chase was absolutely infuriating and it was high time she knew it.
Impatient man that I was, I glared at the numbers as the elevator crawled up to the floors. When at last I made it to her floor, what I saw completely redirected my anger and I started running.
"Get the hell away from me, you pervert," Brianna screamed, clinging onto my jacket for dear life as a means of covering herself.
The flash of Ryan's phone continued to go off. I couldn't imagine that this was going down well in her head, what with the nudes scandal still lingering about her.
What the fuck was my problem anyway? From the moment she got on that plane and I learned about her predicament, I kept trying to save her. It hit me like a ton of bricks straight to the balls as I ran to her aid once more. I thought it was all one big joke. That my attention to her was just me trying to get a lay.
That was still the case mind you, but it was more than that. My chest tightened when I saw her struggle. I wanted to claim her. Hold her. Shield her. Make everything okay for her. That shit wasn't normal for a guy used to just wanting a fuck.
"Just one question… Please Miss Chase. Anything to say about the rumor that the nudes are from you having sexual relations with your sister's boyfriend? Is Star Agency trying to cover up your indiscretions by inventing a lookalike? Is Bianca Holt a real person?" Ryan rambled off.
One fucking question, my ass. He was a vulture, raining down questions as accusations upon her vulnerable self. It made me want to rip his dick off and shove it up his ass.
The anger drained from her face. She stilled and went pale. "How do you know about Jason?"
Now at her side, I steadied her as she staggered backwards. I wanted to beat Ryan to an unrecognisable pulp and I would, but my first concern was for her wellbeing.
"Are you okay?" I said to her, my voice husky but gentle.
She ignored me, fixated on getting the reporter to answer her question.
"No one knows about that," she screamed, lunging towards Ryan.
I shoved her behind my back, then advanced on Ryan and punched him square in the face. I was so enraged that the impact of the blow had the man down on the ground, crying out. Satisfied with my handiwork, I clawed the phone out of Ryan's hands.
"Did she send you here?" The screech that came out of her was ear piercing. "Tell the bitch to come and get me herself if she has something to say."
Brianna stepped out from behind me and made a second lunge towards Ryan. She got in a few solid kicks to the gut before I could restrain her again and throw her over my shoulder.
I knew there was more to the scandal than she was saying. Then again, it wasn't my business or anyone else's. So I whispered a few words to my guests about shutting the fuck up and leaving her the fuck alone when she wasn't present. Anyone caught talking shit about her or the scandal would be asked (so made) to leave immediately.
Now I regretted my actions as curiosity started getting the better of me. What the fuck was the truth behind the damn nudes anyway?
"My phone." Ryan groaned. "You can't take my phone."
"Get the fuck out of here before I finish what I started," I roared at Ryan, while trying to get the kicking and yelling woman under control.
"Let me go. I'm not done with him," she ranted, angry fists pounding on my back.
"I'm fucking trying to help you. Shut up and stay still," I spat back at her, resisting the temptation to smack her ass.
The rumours surrounding the nudes were many, but fuck knew what the truth was. If she helped some asshole cheat, that was one thing, but there was pain in her eyes. There had to be more to it. Was she upset about betraying her sister?
Ryan hesitated only for a moment before he fled, stumbling through the corridor. Once he was safely in the elevator, I set Brianna down and backed away slowly.
"Is this what you do, billionaire bad boy Cole Hunter? Send reporters after your guests to catch them in a vulnerable state?"
She was crying, her chest heaving. Her makeup was all over the place. Despite having just gone head to head with that asshole Ryan, she wasn't about to back down. Not even for the likes of me.
My blood was still boiling, but long gone was the man who wanted to put Brianna in her place. Now, all I could think of was ripping Ryan's throat out. Why? Not because I gave a shit about my reputation or what bullshit he would write. Instead, because of what he'd done to her.
Fuck me, I was back to wanting to comfort her and it was starting to piss me off.
"You know my no phones policy. We did check him before I brought him back from the mainland. Obviously not well enough. I'm really sorry this happened to you," I said, doing my best to keep a lid on my anger.
Surprising me once more, Brianna threw her arms around my neck and gave me a tender, brief kiss on the lips.
"This is what you want, right? You wanna fuck me?"
She took my free hand and slid it between the torn pieces of fabric, guiding it up her outer thigh, onto her hip then around her waist.
Of course, she was completely right. I did want to fuck her. I thought of nothing else since meeting her. My brain told me that, just like last time, now simply wasn't ideal. I wasn't in the mood to listen though, passionate emotions coursing through me.
Instead I let my dick dictate my actions as I grabbed onto her thighs and lifted her up. I pressed her back up against the wall, grinding my crotch against hers.
Leaning into her as hard as I could, I brought my mouth down on hers just as she was about to let out a sound. My anger mixed with an urgent need to have her. Fucking two years was along time to wait for a fuck.
"That's right, fuck me. Fuck me like you would any random woman off the street," she said, egging me on.
That foul mouth, her shameless, raw display of desire. She was exactly my type. It was going down just as I envisioned it. My tongue swirled and glided alongside hers, seeking out the depths of her mouth, craving her eager moans of satisfaction. I was rock hard by now. Nothing was going to stop me from having her. Sweaty, hot, kinky sex here we come.
"Why shouldn't you want to fuck me? I'm the great Brianna Chase," she cooed, in the same seductive tone she used to ask me to fuck her.
My up until now roaming hands stilled on her hips and I did the last thing I thought I was capable of. I pulled back. Maybe the uber slut didn't want to be just a one night stand anymore. Maybe I was projecting and I was the one that didn't want that for us anymore. Who the fuck could say? Curiosity reared its ugly head once more.
Her face when Ryan asked about her sister flashed before my eyes, haunting me. I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth.
"Did you really sleep with your sister's boyfriend?" I asked.
What the fuck did I care? It didn't matter. Close the fucking deal, damn it.
Except it did matter, because whatever went down was still actively destroying her. Not knowing what it was ate at me.
She unwrapped her legs from around my waist and dropped onto the ground. A thousand emotions played across her face as she looked up at me, before she finally pushed me away.
I watched her walk to and open the door of her suite. She turned around and took the phone out of my hand. I just let her. Of course she wasn't going to open up to the asshole constantly trying to stick his dick into her. From her point of view, all I wanted was sex.
When did that change?
Without looking up, she said, "Yes, yes I did."
Then why did her quivering voice, laced with pain, say otherwise? I wanted to reach out and stop her. Ask more questions. Somehow I knew the moment had passed. We were done for tonight. Whatever needed to happen before she told me what was hurting her, we just weren't there yet.
She turned on her heel, went into her suite and shut the door in my face.
One more time, I knew I could probably get my one night stand if I wanted it. My dick ached with yearning for her fucking cunt. A one and done meant just that though. Once and our little back and forth was over. Permanently.
One knock on her door and I could charm my way into her room, but was that what I wanted?