A Tropical Rendezvous: A BWWM Interracial Bad Boy Billionaire Multicultural Romance (African American Romance) Read Free Page A

Makes me feel young,” she laughed, her lilting English heavily accented. “Come and go as you please. Here is your key but we don’t lock doors here.”
    Briana nodded and smiled at her. “I’m looking for work, but in the meantime, if you need anything Maman , just ask. Okay?” She wanted to help in any way she could.
    The older woman nodded and smiled. “Okay. Now you go out and enjoy the beautiful day.” She shooed Briana out the door, both women laughing as she did.
    So Briana did. She stopped at every little convenience store, every eatery and all the shops in the marketplace and came up with nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. All the local jobs were done by local people, usually families. So her only hope was one of the resorts. Not his resort. Definitely not.
    She stopped at one of the marinas to see if anyone needed a cook or a first mate or anything else, but it was fruitless. The few crews with an open spot expected her to be a full-service employee, which she wasn’t interested in. If I were, I’d take Maddox up on his offer, she thought . However, as soon as the thought came, she shook her head knowing that wasn’t an option either. Well, it’s a last resort kind of option . She laughed out loud at her own pun.
    “I do love to see a gorgeous woman smiling, although I am usually the reason.” Maddox chuckled when she groaned. “You don’t look so happy to see me.”
    She shrugged. “I’m not. What is it that you want from me, Maddox?” He apparently wanted something, and she was pretty sure it was to be buried between her legs.
    “What an interesting question.” His hand stroked his chin while his mouth curved into the most enticing smile. “I want two things actually. Your name and for you to work for me.”
    She didn’t believe it and even if she did, his cat that ate the canary smile proved him a liar. “That’s it?”
    He shrugged. “If you were inclined to make our business relationship personal, I would agree also. Wholeheartedly.”
    This man was the most frustrating person she had ever met. “Do you ever answer a question straight-on?”
    Even before he opened his mouth, she already knew the answer.
    “If you listen, you’ll always hear the answer.”
    Briana rolled her eyes. “What’s the salary and when would this job start?” He opened his mouth to speak, but she fired off more questions. “Is this a contract position? What are the work hours?”
    Maddox bit back a smile. “Come to my office tomorrow at nine and we’ll discuss the details.” Smoothly he handed her a business card with his details.
    She looked down at the thick cardstock with his name emblazoned across in bold black letters. Black Diamond Resorts .
    “Sounds fancy.” She looked up at him as she wondered why he was so insistent on her working for him. “Fine, see you tomorrow.”
    ~
    Maddox sat at his desk on the top floor of the main building, looked out at the clear blue water of the Pacific and smiled. It had taken more than a week but the little spitfire — whose name he still didn’t know — would now be his personal assistant. She might think she didn’t want him, but Maddox was confident that she’d change her mind once she realized how much he had to offer.
    “Maddox, a Ms. Hargrove to see you,” his executive assistant announced. After receiving the okay, the young man escorted Ms. Hargrove in . Maddox’s attention was so focused on her, he barely heard as the boy asked if they wanted something to drink.
    “Water, please,” she said, smiling at the young man who blushed.
    Once they were alone, Maddox pointed at one of the plush chairs in front of his desk. “Have a seat, Ms. Hargrove,” Maddox purred her name, looking for a reaction. And he’d gotten one.
    It was small, just the dilating of her pupils, but he’d seen it. She felt it too. He couldn’t take his eyes off her while he rambled on about salary, work hours, benefits and housing.
    “So basically I’m on call all day, every