money and influence than Ric had ever known gave him the time of day, he wanted to do anything to secure his attendance at the fundraiser. Even if it meant spending more time with Alexa-the-pantieless-heiress. Heat simmered in his veins, but he ignored it. Although Santos seemed embarrassed, but mostly amused by Alexa’s outburst, it pissed him off. Ric had been right. She didn’t have a brain-to-mouth filter at all.
Now, she’d lost him Santos. Ric gritted his teeth. He knew it hadn’t been entirely her fault. When Santos’ plaything goaded Alexa, Ric froze and waited for the torrent that he expected would come. Instead, she’d kept her mouth shut, even though he could feel the anger pounding off her in waves. Then again, if Alexa had kept her mouth shut about her underwear—or lack thereof—the incident could have been avoided. Making Alexa work for him would be appropriate punishment and would solve his recent problem.
A little into the conversation, he’d made the decision. His party planner announced this morning that her mother was ill and she had to return to Madrid to care for her for a month. That left him up the creek without a clue how to organise a charity ball.
And he bet if anyone could throw a party, it would be the wild party girl Alexa Green. Of course he’d have to supervise, make sure that the party was classy and not trashy, and the close contact could devastate his libido. Still, he didn’t see any other options at such short notice.
He needed to focus all his free time running the hotel and overseeing the building work. This party was something he needed to do for himself. He’d lived on the streets, done things he wasn’t proud of and had been used. If he could help it, no other child would have to suffer what he had.
Alexa was his only option.
‘No, you’re staying here for the next four weeks, helping me plan the charity ball. I think that’s the least you can do after showing up here like this.’ He ran his finger up the gaping slit at the front, traced the outline of her cleavage. She gasped and tiny bumps rose on her golden skin. Arousal zapped down to his groin. Again, he ignored it.
‘And you’ll behave yourself,’ he added, in a no-nonsense tone.
Her stormy eyes cleared to flinty silver. She slid her hands down his chest and pushed, but he didn’t let go. ‘Don’t cause a scene, Alexa.’
She darted a glance around the room, then scowled up at him. They continued to dance while her eyes shot daggers. He grinned, though he was far from amused.
‘I have a business to run. I can’t drop everything and anyway, why should I? My dress is gorgeous. People have been staring all night.’ Her gaze dropped, but not before he caught the shame there.
He gritted his teeth. Men had been gaping all night at the silky skin on display. That was his point exactly. ‘Staring in disbelief, I imagine. I’m respected in these circles, Alexa and I’ve worked hard to gain that respect. Having a woman on my arm so scantily dressed lowers people’s opinion as Santos changing his mind proved. You will make it up to me.’
He spun her around. By the time she was back in his arms, her eyes flashed stormy black. ‘That wasn’t my intention, but I’m not going to apologise for being who I am. You asked me here. What did you expect?’
‘I expected more class from Robert Green’s daughter.’
‘I’m not, nor will I ever be, anything like my father.’ Steely resolve hardened her eyes.
Ric wondered why she spoke of her father with such barely contained anger. She’d been born into this life with everything. A family and the best start a person could ask for. Ric had been left on the streets, barely a child of five, with a bleak chance of survival.
The song ended and his frustration grew. He didn’t release her. Instead he loomed over her with a hard expression of his own. ‘You owe me for this, and you will work with me to organise the fundraiser.’
Her hands fisted in his jacket and she frowned. ‘No.’
‘Stop acting like a child and take responsibility for your actions.’
Alexa jolted back like he’d struck her. ‘I am not acting like a child.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m twenty-three. Not forty.’
‘At your age I started running Hotel Castillo.’
‘Explains why you’re so dull.’ She placed a hand on her hip, causing the cut down the front of her dress to gape wider. His gaze was drawn to the half globes exposed by the material. ‘It doesn’t explain why you want me working with you. Don’t you have a party planner?’
‘She’s indisposed for a while.’
‘The plot thickens.’ Her sarcastic tone grated on his temper. She glared at him. ‘And my lack of class was the perfect excuse to guilt me into working with you, but you can forget about trying to make me feel bad for losing Santos. I have a business to run back home and no inclination to spend any more time with you.’
‘I didn’t ask. You will work with me, and maybe even rid yourself of your wild-child reputation by doing so.’
She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Ric could see she was considering what he’d said. He resisted the urge to smirk and pulled her into another dance. Alexa’s brows creased, but she didn’t pull away. He smelled victory.
Alexa’s bravado had buggered off. Again he’d called her childish and again it hit her like a hard slap to the face—harder than when blondie had told her husband Alexa was trash. But she wasn’t going to be bullied into working with him, even though she could see what he said made sense. And she did feel a trickle of guilt about losing Santos and wearing the dress.
Not that she cared what everyone thought about her, but if she lost a major benefactor for a good cause, she had to try and make that right. Still, Alexa didn’t know what she could do to persuade Santos to attend. Maybe helping out would prove she wasn’t the spoilt little rich girl everyone thought she was.
She’d started her business, Together, two years ago, but she knew the money she made barely paid the cost of living in London and she wouldn’t touch her trust fund. It was just another reminder that she was her father’s possession.
‘What kind of coverage will your event have?’ She had to ask. If the media didn’t hit London with the news she’d helped organise such an event it was pointless.
Ric grinned down as he swayed her to the music. Still, she could see his eyes were tight with anger. Alexa straightened her shoulders.
‘It depends how much interest we can raise.’ He shrugged. ‘I came here tonight with the hope of convincing people like Santos to come. He’s well known in society and the more people like him who attend, the more media coverage.’ He frowned down at her. ‘And while telling men you meet in London clubs that you have no underwear on may score you a date, it won’t here Alexa.’
He scowled down at her. She was galled at his arrogant assumption and the suspicion that he knew exactly who she was grew stronger, but now at least she understood why he was angry. Ric was all about respect. Plus, if she was going to do this, she’d need as many people like that to attend the ball to benefit her—which meant hunting down Santos and charming him into changing his mind.
But organising a party this big and glamorous wasn’t something she’d done before. Still, she couldn’t let fear get in the way. She had planned lots of parties for her friends and herself, this couldn’t be much different.
‘For the record, I don’t make a habit of informing people whether or not I’m wearing knickers.’ His lips twitched. ‘If I agree to do this, I have a few conditions.’
He cocked an incredulous brow. Alexa smiled. If he thought she was going to bow at his feet he had another think coming.
‘For the next week I get to enjoy my holiday. After, I’ll have to spend some time on my work. I’ll need access to a landline and the internet.’
His expression smoothed out. Alexa thought she saw a hint