Falling For The CEO: BAD BOY ROMANCE Read online

  Flirting With The Ceo

  Billionaire Bad Boy Romance

  By

  Anya Palvin

  © 2017 Anya Palvin. All rights reserved.

  When Diana Jones gets trapped in an elevator with the sexiest man she has ever laid eyes on, she doesn’t put much thought into their innocent flirtation. Then she realizes that the stranger is William King, her new boss; CEO of Grace Hotels and resorts.

  William is drawn to Diana like no other woman before, but she knows things between them could never last. How will they, when William doesn’t know she works for him?! She knows the truth will risk both the job she loves, and the man she is crazy about. But to her surprise soon she discovers that she isn't the only one hiding secrets...

  Content

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

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  1.

  "Please hold the elevator!"

  Diana Jones rushed to the closing doors; she’s now running late and had to rush to an empty room to get dressed after her shift at the hotel had ended. Her brother would definitely kill her if she can’t make it at the welcoming event that will soon be starting in the next few minutes and as much as how she wanted not to angry her brother, she ran with all her might to get into that elevator.She released a deep sigh of relief when she successfully get into it and nonchalantly rushed in, not minding the person she had almost hitwhen she entered in. She had meant to say thank you immediately, but as she looked at him, her mouth dried and she was all of a sudden loss of words to say to the man looking over her.

  Diana thought he must be the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He has a dark hair which seemed to be wind-blown on his head as if it had travelled through whirlwinds to get there. He has the most beautiful pair of blue-green eyes. He was a full head taller than her thus she had to look up to appreciate the striking features of his face. Each angle was shaped perfectly, as though it had been sculpted with the intention of causing every woman who looked at it to be caught in involuntary attraction. Her eyes fell to his lips as they curved into a smile, and she felt her heart fluttered wildly. It was the kind of smile that transformed his entire face into a sexy, casual expression that stood out against the sophistication of his perfectly tailored suit. It took her a while to realise that she was amusing him by staring, and she forced herself to snap out of it.

  "Thank you." She said, aware of the husky undertone her evaluation of him had brought.

  His smile widened as he responded to her, "No problem. Which floor would you like?"

  Diana almost slapped her hand against her forehead at the deep baritone of his voice. Was there anything about the man that was not sexy?

  "Um, ground floor, please."

  "Then it's already been selected." He said, and pressed the button to close the elevator doors. "So you're also going to the event downstairs, then?"

  She frowned. "Yes. How did you know?"

  "Well, I'd like to think that this hotel doesn't require its guests to dress up in formal wear to have supper." He gestured to her clothing, and Diana once again resisted the urge to slap herself on the head. She was wearing one of her mother's formal gowns – one of the few Diana didn't think was absolutely ridiculous – and nodded.

  "Of course. Sorry, it's been a long day." Diana wished she believed that herself, but she knew better. She wasn't sure why, but he threw her off balance.

  "I can relate. This isn't the most ideal way for me to spend the evening after a long work day."

  Diana was about to agree, when the elevator came to an abrupt stop and the lights went out barely a second later. Diana lost her balance making her head knocked into the back of the elevator. The world spun for a bit, and she felt strong arms hold her and lower her to the ground.

  "Are you okay?" He asked, and Diana had to take a moment to catch her breath before she answered. She wasn't sure if it was because she was in his arms or because of the blow to her head that she felt dizzy. Or, she thought as the situation finally caught up to her---she had a great fear in being trapped to enclosed spaces that it makes her unable to breathe.

  "I'm alright." Her breath hitched, but she forced it out slowly. "I'm sure it's just a bump on the head." Inhale, exhale, she reminded herself.

  "Are you sure? You're breathing quite heavily." Her eyes had now adjusted to the darkness, and she could see the concern ran all over his face.

  "I'm a little...claustrophobic."

  "Ah." He nodded his head and stood. "The electricity must have gone out, but I'm sure it won't take long before someone realises we're here." He removed his phone from his pocket, and pressed a few buttons. A light shone dimly between them, and Diana could only see his face, disproportionate in the poor light. She felt a strange mixture of disappointment and satisfaction that she couldn't make out his features clearly, but she managed to make out the grimace on his face. "I don't have any reception, so I can't call anyone to help."

  "You could press that button over there." She said helpfully, pointing to the red emergency button on the control panel. Her breathing was coming out a little easier – as long as she won’t pay much attention about the fact that she was trapped. She wanted to stand up, but didn't trust her knees to be steady. And the last thing she wanted was to fall into the arms of her companion for a second time within a few minutes.

  "Of course I can." He pressed the emergency button, and quickly conversed with the static voice that came through the intercom. As it turned out, he had been right. There had been a power outage in the entire grid, and the hotel's generator had for some reason gone out as well. They were assured that it was being sorted out, but that it could take up to 30 minutes before they would be rescued. He sighed and sank to the floor next to her, and Diana squeezed her eyes shut. She thought it would make his proximity less overwhelming. Instead, the smell of him filled her senses – a musky, male scent that almost made her sigh in satisfaction. She swore she could hear her heart throbbing in her chest, but she told herself it was because of the confines of the elevator. She opened her eyes and looked at him, and before she could become mesmerised by his looks, she forced herself to speak.

  "I wonder what's going on downstairs. There must be mass panic." She couldn't quite keep the scorn from her voice.

  "I take it that you're not a fan of tonight's celebrations." He said wryly.

  "I wouldn't say that." Actually, she could, but Connor, her brother, would not be impressed if she said it aloud to anyone other than him. She wanted to support him in welcoming the new general manager of the hotel that they worked in, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do so. Not when the man's arrival held implications that she wasn't quite ready to face yet. "Are you here to meet the new general manager?"

  "You could say so. Are you?"

  "I suppose."

  "What does that mean?" The intrigue in his voice was not lost on her.

  "I – don't want to bore you with the details." There was silence for a bit, and then she said brightly, "Your date must be worried about you."

  He smiled at her words. The dim light that still shone from his phone hadn't lessened the effect of his smile since she had seen it first, but now, instead of politeness, it was amusement that curved hi
s lips. "She probably would have been," he agreed, "if I had brought one."

  She let out a little laugh, and was pleased when it didn't sound nearly as breathy as she had expected.

  "I guess so. I hope that didn't sound too much like prying." She said, even though she knew it was most definitely that.

  "I don't mind." He shifted his head so that they were face to face. "As long as you return the favour."

  Their eyes locked and Diana wondered at the slight sizzle that shot between them. This was so far from anything the steady, closed-off Diana that she believed she was would do. No, that Diana would never entertain such stupidity. Not for someone she barely knew. But despite that, she answered, "I don't have a date here."

  "So your... boyfriend couldn't make it tonight?"

  She turned away from him and leaned her head back against the elevator wall. She didn't want to succumb to the magnetism that surrounded him, and the surest way to prevent that was not to look at him. But as soon as she looked away, the walls began to close in on her. Her breathing staggered, and she tried to focus on inhaling and exhaling again. But it was stuffy, and she couldn't quite get the air into her lungs completely. She turned when she felt him grab her hand, and he smiled at her. Even in the dim light she could see his eyes were patient, steady. "So?"

  "No," she let out a breath, "there's no boyfriend. Just little old me." She cringed at the cheesy words.

  "That's good then. I'm sure he wouldn't be happy with you being stuck in an elevator with a strange man."

  "I'm not sure I'm happy being stuck in an elevator with a strange man."

  His laugh rung out in the small space, and Diana couldn't help the smile that it evoked. It sounded with abandon, and left her feeling even more off balance.

  "Are you staying in the hotel?" She asked quickly, before she could spend more time thinking about his laugh.

  "For the next while, yes. Are you?" a tingling sensation run through her skin as she felt his gazes on her. She wondered if there was some kind motive in his remark.

  "No, unfortunately I am not. I’m staying with a little house along the ocean that I inherited from my mother." Diana wasn't sure why she let that little fact slip. She rarely spoke about her mother – or father for that matter – and here she was, casually opening up such things to a complete stranger.

  "Inherited?"

  The question hung in the air, and Diana felt the weight of it on her chest almost as heavily as the lack of oxygen in the elevator. She tried to look for the right words, but her brain doesn’t seem to cooperate with her. Before she could think out some kind of excuse, the elevator lurched and the lights went back on. He stood and offered a hand to her, a slight smirk on his face. It would have been stupid not to take the offer, she thought, as she looked at her dress sprawled inelegantly on the floor around her. So she ignored the voice in her head which is stopping her to accept his hand. Before she knew it, he had pulled her up with a little too much force that she fell to his chest, her own pressed against his. Her breath caught as their eyes met, and she wondered if he could feel the throbbing of her heart. A soft ping sounded as the elevator doors opened, and she stepped away with her trembling legs. She cleared her throat, and assured the small crowd of bystanders that she was okay. Then she turned to the man she had shared less than half an hour with and said,

  "I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening."

  She released a breath of relief and that must be because she’s no longer enclosed in that tiny space---that’s what she convinced herself to believe in and ignore the little voice in her head telling her it’s a complete lie.

  * * *

  William King stopped at the doors of the banquet hall, and resisted the urge to walk away. He had never been a fan of his father’s richness but sometimes he did have a choice in the matter. Which was fine, he supposed. In his business, events of such a nature were integral to success, and the welcoming event for him tonight was an excellent example of that. He would be introduced to the Grace Hotel in Cape Town in a way that would keep the hotel's name at the forefront of the media's attention while he fixedout troublesome operations. He gracefully walked into the room and got a flute of champagne off the nearest waiter's tray before he took over the whole scene in. Glamour spread from the roof to the floor like a wind as fairy-lights and sparkling chandeliers twinkled like stars against the midnight-blue draping. Black-and-white clad waiters surround the crowd while men in their tuxedos and women in evening gowns air-kissed and wafted around on clouds of self-importance.

  William almost rolled his eyes until he remembered the guests were there in his honour. The thought made him empty the entire champagne glass and exchange it for a full one from the next waiter. He noted that the power outage hadn't seemed to discouragetonight’s event. When he looked at the guests with the eye of a manager, he could see the slightly worn-out and tired staffs weave through the crowd doing damage control. He managed to get the attention of one of them, and took the frightened young man to a less populated corner of the hall.

  "What happened when the lights went out?"

  As William spoke, the man's eyes widened and William thought that "boy" may have been a better word to describe him. "It was only a few moments, sir. As you can see, everything is running smoothly again. Enjoy your evening." The boy made to move away, but William’s inquiring like madehim pausedonceagain. "Do you need anything else, sir?"

  "Yes, actually I was wondering if you brush off all the concerns of your guests, or if you reserve that for a handful of people."

  If the boy looked nervous before, he was terrified now. "No...no, sir. I'm sorryif you feel that way. We're just a bit busy, and I have to make sure that everything is fineuntil Mr King gets here."

  "That would be me." The words were said in a low voice, softly, but the effectof it to boy may have been earth-shattering.

  "Mr...King?" The boy stuttered. "Sir, I am so sorry--–"

  "It's fine." William said when he thought the boy may passed-outdue toa heart-attack from the shock. "You can answer my original question." At his blank look, William elaborated. "The power outage?"

  "Oh, yes. Well, it wasn't such a train smash here. The candles gave sufficient light that there wasn't much panic, and Connor – Mr Jones, I mean – managed to calm whatever concerns there had been."

  William was surprised the boy could string enough words together to give him such a thorough explanation.

  "And that was it?"

  "Yes, sir. The generator was backafter 30 minutes, it wasn't too long for them to be worried. Although I did hear there were people trapped in the elevator."

  William thought it best not to tell the boy he had been one of those trapped. He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle another shock. "When was the last time the generator had been checked?"

  "I...I don't know, sir."

  William nodded and left it at that, listing to his mindthat he needtocheck that out when he officially started on Monday. The list of what he would have to do at the hotel seem to grow the more time he spent there, and it worried him. His father had insisted that he take over the control of the hotel in Cape Town after a few years of it struggling. Although his father seemed content with Connor Jones’s wheeling, he seemed to think that the regional manager still needed some guidance. Especially after how much mess the previous regional manager,Landon Meyerhad made. But that wasn't tonight's problem, William thought, as he scanned the crowd. He knew it would only take a few minutes before he would be recognised, and would have to start doing the rounds as guest of honour. He paused when he saw the woman he had been stuck in the elevator with a few moments ago. She was standing near a table towering with champagne, and before William knew it, he was walking towards her.

  As he came closer, he saw that the time spent in the elevator didn't do justice to what he saw now. He had noticed that she was attractive when she'd walked in, but he had managed not to stare. And with the darkness that had descended only a few moments later, he had
n't been able to look at her as she was now. She’s wearing a red dress which was clinging only to her chest and flowed regally down from her waist to the floor. Her black hair looks strikingly beautiful against the dress and her golden skin looks vibrant against it and for some reasons he resisted himself to let his fingers ran through it.Her round face speaks of onlyinnocenceand her green eyes coaxed him to consider pursuing her. That surprised him, as there was nothing in her expression to prompt that thought. There was also nothing in his past that encouraged him to trust another woman again. Yet now, he seemed to forget everything that was behind him and felt an intense desire to get to know this woman---the one he had just met in an hour.

  "I think that after being stuck in that elevator, the least we could do is to have a drink together."

  A deep baritone voice got Diana’s hearing as she reached for a glass of champagne. Her hand freezes on mid-air and then she continued, hoping that her pause didn’t much catch his attention.

  "I don't know if I should agree with the idea." She said and took a sip of her drink. "I never have drinks with strangers."

  "Really?" He gave her an amused look. "How do you date then?"

  "I don't."

  "This would explain the lack of a boyfriend."

  Diana aimed a level look at him. "I suppose. But it would also explain why I won’t have to deal with conversations like this very often."

  "Touché." He smiled, and lifted his glass to her in a toast. Her lips almost curved in response, but then she resisted herself. What was she doing? She was not there to flirt, or get involved with anyone no matter how attractive she that person may be. An image of them in her mind flashed back---he was sitting with her in the elevator, patiently talking to her to distract her from her fears.

  "What's your excuse then? What explains your single status?"

  Diana frowned when his expression dimmed, and she wondered if what she did was a wrong thing to say.She knew she may have seemed resistant to his flirting, but she kind of liked the cat-and-mouse game they seemed to be playing. She didn't want to be the one to halt it by saying the wrong thing.