When Ben held her hand with both strength and consideration, a tingle of awareness shot up her arm.
Sample Savage Romance
This story deals with the loss of a loved one from suicide from the point of view of the female lead in a way that might be disturbing to some readers.
Chapter 1
Ben Dennehy strode through the hotel lobby without altering his pace. Beside him, hotel manager Ronald struggled to keep up with Ben’s steps while continuing to fire questions. Ben bit back his irritation, keeping his impatience in check. Refraining from rolling his eyes, he kept his tone level while he replied, “Even I know that Gus takes care of the baby when his wife is working, so you should have taken his schedule into consideration when planning next week. I suggest you find a substitute instead of trying to convince Gus to work that shift.” Cutting his eyes to his employee, he added, “Or trying to convince me to fire him.”
The incompetent manager had made him late already and was keeping him from poker night with his inane questions, stupid decisions, and petty complaints.
As if finally understanding his manipulations were getting him absolutely nowhere, the idiot bid him good night, and Ben could start his own evening. He really hoped Ronald would do his job for once and leave him alone.
As he and the hotel manager separated ways, Ben’s shoulder muscles unknotted, and his strained polite smile relaxed into a real one. It netted him some interested stares from about every woman in the room and even one or two guys, but he wasn’t intrigued. Dudes didn’t heat his blood and he tried to stay clear of women—at least women without a clear agenda. Ben preferred his women upfront about their whoring ways and liked to negotiate terms and deal with the monetary exchange beforehand. At least with an escort both parties could be transparent about their expectations. By keeping his sexual escapades confined to escorts, he could be upfront about his more adventurous proclivities. Got to love NDAs. He wasn’t about to make apologies for his darker needs but recognized not everyone could handle them.
With a conscious effort, he relaxed his shoulders again. This was poker night, and he was determined to enjoy it. Although he hadn’t liked Randall and Connolly, who’d started the tradition, Ben liked the game. Playing with high rollers from Kansas City and with high stakes was so much more fun than playing in one of his own casinos with all its rules and regulations.
Turning the corner, Ben reached the door to what his friends jokingly called Dennehy’s Den, and he stepped inside.
His eyes did a quick sweep of the room as he entered. On his right, already seated at the table, Nash Hatfield, Conrad Bentley, and Jaxon Yates were enjoying their whiskeys from crystal tumblers along with some Danablu, a favorite blue cheese from Denmark while discussing the Royals’ chances this season.
At the floor-to-ceiling window at the far end of the room stood Ezra Stone and his business partner Mitch Hill quietly conversing with Doug Witherspoon. The first two were happily married real-estate moguls and a good ten to twenty years older than Doug. The young man was an eSports millionaire and YouTube celebrity and the latest addition to their group. Despite their differences in age and background, they appeared to be having an animated discussion.
Off to the left side, Tyler James Prosser and Byron Nolan seemed to be getting along well.
Marvelous.
Ben let out a sigh of relief just as the tall dark-haired man on his left spotted Ben’s entry.
“Finally!” With his distinctive limping tread, Nolan prowled forward with an outstretched hand.
Ben grinned and accepted the handshake. “Nolan, how’s Charlotte?”
The intelligent eyes in his scarred face lit up with pleasure at the mention of his wife. “Excellent. She’s gained a few pounds and is healthy and strong. She’s so much more relaxed nowadays.”
Ben bobbed his head as he listened. Byron’s wife had been through hell before she met Ben’s friend, and she deserved every piece of happiness she now had. “How is she coping with managing Randall’s estate?”
Liam Randall had been Charlotte’s husband, before his nasty character and poor choices had landed him in prison where he’d managed to get stabbed to death within days of his arrival, leaving his crumbling affairs to Charlotte. The woman Liam abused and humiliated for years stepped up to the challenge and turned things around. She was now CEO of her own company and had also recently married Byron.
A proud smile softened the billionaire’s face. “She’s doing excellent. Even better than I could have done in her place.”
“Married life seems to agree with you,” Ben remarked, and they exchanged a few pleasantries before heading to the card table.
As the others joined them, they cut the cards and Byron turned out to be the first dealer. Ben leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh as he studied those seated around the table. Although these men had different backgrounds and personalities, they had two things in common: they wielded a fuck ton of power in the Kansas City community, and they liked to play and played ruthlessly. This had the makings of a great night.
Ben took a sip of his sparkling water—only a fool lowered his guard by drinking alcohol during the game—and tried to hide his smile at the sight of the two aces in his hand when a knock on the door sounded.
“Enter.” Ben’s voice was cool and composed despite his displeasure at the interruption.
The door creaked open and light and chattering from the hotel trickled inside and—
Is that someone yelling? Wait, was that Ronald’s voice? Is he… wailing?
“Mister Dennehy, sir?” The young waiter from the Lusso Lounge stood in the doorway uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
What on earth was wrong? “Yes, Walter?”
“I’m sorry, but Ronald just had some kind of seizure or something. We’re already understaffed tonight. Now we don’t have a manager, and we need someone to take care of Ronald.”
Well, fuck.
Ben threw his cards on the table and scowled. Not only was his poker night ruined, but he was also going to have to look for another manager. Ronald wasn’t cut out for this job.
Chapter 2
A gust of wind blew icy rain in Zoe’s face as she took the RideKC metro toward River Market, disembarking on Main Street right in front of the hotel. Although the temperature was about average for November, the wind and rain made Zoe shiver.
Why couldn’t Mikey have chosen a nice Florida or California city to live in?
Zoe walked quickly to the hotel entrance to get inside as soon as possible.
I love doing job interviews with my hair all frizzy.
Although pointless, she tried to smooth her curls with her palms as she used the automatic sliding doors to enter the lobby.
The place had a modern almost minimalist ambiance without being cold, with modern artwork on the walls and inviting seating areas in browns and grays that might have been dull if not for the golden cushions scattered around. The decor was sleek but still had an inviting quality to it, and Zoe could admire that at least. Dennehy might be a ruthless bastard, but he had excellent taste.
His staff on the other hand…
She frowned when she spotted two employees on her left who clearly had more interest in each other than in helping the guests.
What kind of crappy hospitality policy is that?
Her perusal halted on a haggard-looking woman behind the reception desk who seemed to be having trouble with the hotel’s computer system.
Forget about the lack of hospitality, let’s talk about lousy collegiality! Something is definitely wrong with the morale in this hotel... But should it be any wonder with an owner like Ben Dennehy?
Ben Dennehy might wear a suit and a pleasant smile, but he was a ruthless opponent at the poker table and a cutthroat businessman. Zoe had done her homework. Dennehy’s great-grandfather built the Dennehy empire, his grandfather enlarged it and his father almost ran the business into the ground, spending his time, money, and energy on booze and women. Within three years after taking over the business, Dennehy not only reclaimed the possessions his grandfather once owned but exceeded his ancestors’ wealth.
Determined to find the men who wronged Mikey, she’d investigated and found two names, Byron Nolan and Ben Dennehy. Then she discovered Ben Dennehy needed a new hotel manager. Zoe had always been excellent at managing people and problems, and although overqualified, she applied for the job.
Continuing her brisk pace, Zoe walked up to the reception desk and waited for the woman to deal with the two customers in front of her, frowning as the young receptionist butchered the first hotel guest’s name and handed the second customer a keycard without first activating it.
While the bumbling receptionist tried to correct her mistake, Zoe glanced around the hotel lobby. The gossiping hotel staff had grown to three people and still appeared oblivious of the guests waiting in the lobby or how their colleague behind the desk was struggling. The staff didn’t seem up to par, and she almost hoped she would get the job for a different reason than getting even with Dennehy.
Chapter 3
Ben crossed his legs and studied the woman who’d introduced herself as Zoe Jones. With a dusting of freckles on her nose and cheeks and a mop of unruly hair, she looked young for the amount of job experience stated on her resume. She wasn’t exactly small, but then his six-eleven, bulky frame dwarfed most women. So, when he shook her hand, he’d been extra careful not to crush the delicate bones and elegant long fingers.
Intriguing woman.
Although she wasn’t exactly his type, quite the opposite since he preferred to date tall, blonde, Norwegian-model-type women, something of masculine interest stirred inside him. Suddenly he was picturing her… tied and blindfolded with her ass high up in the air. He shifted in his seat to release the pressure from his zipper and concentrated on her resume instead.
He drew his eyebrows together. Things didn’t add up. She looked excellent on paper, even over-qualified but what motivated her to come to Kansas City to manage a medium-sized hotel wasn’t clear, and she skillfully evaded all his questions toward the subject.
“Listen, Mr. Dennehy, I don’t understand these personal questions. Might I also point out personal questions are mostly illegal to ask.” She leaned back in her chair and met his gaze boldly. “I’m here because you need a manager, and I’m the woman you need.”
Apparently, she wasn’t going to budge on the subject. While he liked her tenacity and her apparent strength, her evasiveness irked him more than it should. Something about this woman had him off his game somehow. It was time for another approach.
The man oozed alpha energy and sexual magnetism. Zoe fought the urge to squirm in her seat and tried not to falter under the intense scrutiny of Dennehy’s gaze.
Ignoring the fluttery sensations in her chest and stomach, Zoe locked eyes and gave the man her most impassive expression. For several seconds, utter silence hung between them. Tingling and pleasurable aches flooded her body, and she braced herself for another barrage of questions about her reasons for being here. If only he wasn’t this attractive, I might find it easier to concentrate.
“So, Ms. Jones.” Dennehy leaned forward in his chair. He braced himself on his forearms, and Zoe swallowed as she stared at his masculine hands and muscled arms.
She forced her gaze back to his to discover his eyes held a challenge.
“What do you think of my hotel?”
Taken aback by the turn and a little unsettled by her reaction to him as a man, Zoe hesitated and considered the merits of lying. Buying time, she hedged, “You strike me as a person who prefers upfront answers over flattery.”
Narrowing his eyes, Dennehy cocked his head. “I’m a busy man, Ms. Jones, I have no time or tolerance for bullshit.”
She blinked at the crude word but begrudgingly admired his straightforwardness. Time to give some brutal honesty of her own. “Okay then, your hotel sucks.”
Long moments ticked by, before he wiggled his fingers in a “give me more gesture”. Relieved by his acceptance and ecstatic to finally be able to talk freely, Zoe leaned forward herself and dissected all the blunders and flaws she’d noticed, concluding with, “These aren’t huge problems and will be easily fixed with some proper management, because since I’m being honest, I can see great potential here. The building is situated at a prime location and the decorators did an excellent job in creating a modern elegance that’s also inviting.”
Equally frustrated and mortified that she’d blurted all that out, Zoe closed her mouth and folded her hands in her lap. Under normal circumstances, she was more diplomatic, but somehow Dennehy evoked a candor in her she didn’t recognize.
When Dennehy suddenly rose, she almost squeaked but managed to stay silent and stood up as well.
“Normally, I would check for references and credentials, but it didn’t do me much good when I hired the last manager. I’ll go with my gut here.” He held out his hand. “Ms. Jones, if you still want it, the job is yours. When can you start?”
“There’s no time like the present. Give me an hour to freshen up and settle in.” She reached out to touch her brother’s killer’s hand and shook it briskly, expecting revulsion. However, when Ben held her hand with both strength and consideration, a tingle of awareness shot up her arm.
Oh, no. No, no, no. Just… don’t!
Chapter 4
Ben sank back in his chair and tried to ignore her twitching ass as she strutted out of his office. Miss Zoe Jones was a compelling package of delicious curves, attitude, and long unruly hair. Uncomfortably hard, because—since the monster in his pants first stirred—his cock hadn’t gone down, he imagined burying his fist in those soft-looking strands and holding her in place as he took her. Ben slammed a heavy metal door on his wayward thoughts and forced himself to open his laptop.
I am not interested in women other than the escorts I hire, and I’m most certainly not interested in starting something with an employee. Talk about unwanted complications!
He cursed for the second time as the “Could Not Sign In” message popped up, and he tried to focus on entering the right code, but the connection between his brain and his fingers seemed broken.
She would look stunning in black ropes.
Damn, she was already messing with his head.
He rose from his chair and paced his office a few times.
Had it been a mistake to hire Miss Jones?
He folded his hands behind his back. His gut didn’t think so. Competent and not afraid to lay it all out before him, she’d impressed him almost as much as she’d charmed him with her cute little freckled nose.
Abruptly, he halted in his tracks. How she looked or how she made him feel was insignificant. In less than an hour, Miss Jones would start as his employee. He didn’t shit where he ate, and he didn’t date women who weren’t professional escorts—ever!
Determined to keep his mind off the annoyingly hot woman, he marched back to his desk and settled in for a few hours of hopefully productive and distracting work.
