Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

“It’s been two weeks, Charley. Two weeks of almost kisses, platonic touches, and business meetings where the ass-face actually listens to what I say,” Maggie growled over the phone to Charley Maccon.
“Oh no, not that,” Charley mocked.
The two had struck up a friendship over the last year, and she chatted with the woman often despite the fact her triplets were giving her fits. Imagine three children all walking, talking, and starting school at the same time!
Maggie didn’t think she could handle that. One younger sister was enough to contend with at the moment. Besides, with Alex Kensington hounding her every move, it wasn’t like she had the time to do anything but think of the confounded man.
“Well, go on, spill girl!”
“What?”
“I wanna know if that Tiger is as good-looking as everyone says he is,” Charley laughed.
“Who said he’s good-looking?” Maggie asked and wondered at the homicidal rage that rose inside her with surprising speed.
“Just people around town.”
“Well, you can tell them I said eyes and hands off!”
“Really? Well, looks like there is more going on over at the Sunset Inn than I thought. Come on, tell me,” Charley begged, “I know at least three females who are dying to ask him out if you aren’t interested,” she added in a taunting voice.
Mine. Her snarky, inappropriately possessive inner voice wanted to roar at the female mate to the Alpha of the Macconwood Pack. Not a smart move.
And totally weird because it simply was not true. Alex Kensington, Tiger Shifter, and Beta, as she had learned, of the based out of Manhattan, was not hers. That was a big fat NO people.
She was still a virgin. And as far as she knew, he was still single. Maggie had rebuffed every single advance he’d made that second day after her sister had dumped her unholy concoction on his gorgeous head.
Sure, it had been easy to turn down the man when his skin had been tinted an unhealthy blue from the calligraphy ink Jo-Jo had hit him with. It was more difficult as the days passed, and his healthy bronze glow had returned. Alex Kensington, free of ink and paint, was just too hot for words.
“Don’t tell Rafe I said this, but I caught a glimpse of your puddy tat jogging the other day when I had the triplets down by the playground in town, and my eyeballs almost popped out of my head,” Charley whistled, “I mean the dude is HAWT!”.
“Charley,” gasped Margaret, “I’m shocked!”
“That’s cause you’re still a virgin, Mags, but if you saw what I saw in those short little shorts he was wearing, you wouldn’t be one for long. I mean I can’t even imagine how he got it to stay inside those tiny things,” she teased.
Maggie felt her face burning, and she closed her eyes in a wave of embarrassment. Why did her confounded virginity always seem to make its way into conversation?
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said between gritted teeth.
And she really didn’t. The single glimpse she’d gotten of his magnificent cock had made her realize every word she’d said to her sister about penises being ugly was so not true.
Okay. She was a total fucking liar because the man’s dick was glorious. Thick and long, his mushroomed head was begging for a kiss. And what the fuck was that about? She’d never done such a thing, but all she could think about was wrapping her mouth around his shaft and sucking for dear life. What she didn’t know, she would make up for in sheer enthusiasm.
Fucking hell. She had it bad. Maggie had tried to remain professional, and the damn man had followed her lead.
Drat!
“Hang on a sec,” Charley pulled the phone away from her mouth, but Maggie still winced when she screamed at the unfortunate child whom she just caught being naughty, “Valen! Put your clothes back on and stop chewing on your sister’s doll! Ooh, sorry Mags I got to go!”
“No kidding,” Maggie snorted and said her goodbyes.
“By the way, Rafe said to tell you they’ve tracked Edward to the Cayman Islands. Kurt took the jet this morning.”
“Oh, Charley, he didn’t have to do that.”
“Hey, none of that now. You’re Pack, Mags. And Pack is family!”
Maggie sighed and grabbed a bottle of fizzy water before heading outside. She was waiting for the roofers to arrive in the hotel lobby and going over the bookings they received for the upcoming holiday weekend.
Memorial Day was the official summer kickoff down on the Jersey Shore, and for the first time in many years, Oasis had managed to sell out of every single room.
The only thing was, it was three weeks away, and the place looked like crap. Alex had been nothing if not thoroughly responsible in his duties. He remained professional throughout every meeting they’d had, insisting that the merger was just that. He’d showed her the papers he’d had drawn up naming her and Joelle the owners, with ISP Inc as the backers of the establishment with equal creative powers. But really, it was just a formality. He let her have her way each and every time, except when it came to how much things cost.
Alex refused to allow her to pick from anything but the best. He insisted it was for the overall bottom line and told her to ignore the money for now. It was his job, after all, he’d said time and again while remaining courteous.
Infuriating professional courtesy, she admitted to herself if no one else.
Never once had he attempted to get familiar with her. Not since backing her against the wall. After Jo-Jo had rushed in, he’d stepped away and pretended interest in their vision board.
At least, she’d thought it was all pretend. The next day, he’d returned with Taylor ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches on everything bagels from the bakery in the center of town, and the second thing he did after joining her and Jo-Jo at their crowded table, was take the vision board to the office.
“My office,” she muttered, recalling how he’d commandeered it.
That wasn’t quite true either. He’d very generously split the space equally. Even refurnished it first with two space-saving desks, brand-new computers, a multifunction scanner, fax, and printer, and everything else an office could use.
He’d even gotten her a soft and cushiony pink office chair with lumbar support and a foot swing beneath the desk that she adored.
Of course, that was after the floors had been redone. The old, carpeted floors had been the first to go throughout the entire hotel. And next, he’d had new AC units installed.
Alex insisted on cleanliness and overall health, refusing to tell her about their budget. He insisted she pick everything, but she had to choose from the high-end commercial tiles and samples books only. So she did. Falling under his spell and Jo-Jo’s enthusiasm, especially once he announced the hotel would henceforth be called the Oasis Beachside Resort.
Maggie could not fight with that. Sigh. So, she’d chosen a luxury vinyl tile that looked like white oak flooring for the rooms and office space. The pool tiles were exchanged for some high-quality non-slip tiles with lovely teal on white designs.
The overall look was beautiful and clean. Plus, the new flooring was a dream to maintain. She’d been thrilled with it after his army of employees had installed both floors within twenty-four hours.
Next had been wall repairs and new paint. The palate was clean and fresh, but representative of the familiar beachside motel. It was a place families would feel at home in. Exactly the kind of advertising she’d wanted to explore with her app.
That was the other thing Alex did that frustrated the pants off her. She wished. But seriously, once Joelle had let it slip that Maggie was actually a software developer and was working on an app for smaller motels and hotels to advertise to their clients on an intimate basis, he’d been intrigued.
Once she had his attention, he wanted to know everything about it. Then he’d gone and pitched the idea to ISP who’d offered to be partners in her endeavor with an enormous bonus check for signing on.
The fucker had made her professional dreams come true. But first, she wanted to get the Oasis squared away. Joelle had chosen most of their palate, and in a matter of weeks, it would be finished.
It was mostly clean whites and creams, with bright teal accents, and various shades of slate gray to go with the flooring. It was stunning. The true miracle, however, was the amount of work they’d pulled off in such a short time.
But all work and no play made Maggie a very dull girl. Yesss. She shook her head at the insistence of her inner voice.
Her dang alter ego was going bananas lately. Hell. She’d been going nuts ever since he’d appeared on her radar.
Maybe she should try to find some time alone later? But nope. Not even her not-so-virginal toys were appealing. What good was cold silicone when she had a real live, flesh and blood man just a room away?
No! Bad girl. Besides, she didn’t have anything. Alex was not hers. What the heck was wrong with her? Sure, her libido had been put on hold since forever. Coming home and taking her position as her sister’s guardian took up lots of her time the last year. And then there was the hotel.