His Challenging Lover (10 page)

Why had she run away the last time they’d been together? What had he done wrong? His other lovers over the years had told him that he was a good lover, and he knew with absolute certainty that she had enjoyed their night together. But ever since that morning, she’d pulled back, put space between them. It was as if she were now embarrassed that she’d given in to the temptation. Which really rankled since he hadn’t regretted a single moment. Except, perhaps, that it hadn’t lasted longer. Fifty years longer, he thought with irritation.

She shook her head about some political viewpoint he’d just discussed and told him point blank that he was wrong. He laughed, but didn’t contradict her claim, enjoying the confidence that was such a part of who she was. She hadn’t spoken to him like this in…years! Ever since she’d been the receptionist, not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. She’d been so fresh and eager back then. Well, she still was, he thought as she laughed at his comment about the latest politics. But there was something different about her now. A hardness about her eyes and her mouth that had evolved over the years. And every once in a while, he saw something in her eyes, a hurt that made his stomach clench. When he saw that look, no matter what angry words she was spewing in his direction, all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and make her tell him who or what had hurt her. He wanted to protect her, to make her life happy and erase all the anger and frustration, except when it was directed towards him!

He picked up the bottle of wine, intending to fill up her glass again. He’d only had half a glass, enjoying her laughter too much to muddy his focus by drinking wine. But when he realized that it was empty, he knew that it was time to leave.

Hell, he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to lift her into his arms and make love to her right here on the soft grass of her back yard. And then he wanted to carry her into her house and make love to her on every horizontal surface he could find.

“I’d better head home,” he said instead of pulling her out of her chair so she would land on his lap. When she looked down at her hands instead of at him, begging him with those warm, chocolate eyes, he got the message. “Get out of here,” he read in her body language.

Damn! After that kiss in the conference room, he’d thought that perhaps she might be as interested in exploring this chemistry he knew they were both experiencing. For so long, he’d wanted her. Initially, she’d been too young. Fresh out of college, wonder in her eyes and excitement at all the world had to offer her. He’d stayed away. But she wasn’t fresh out of college any longer. And the way she’d looked at him earlier today after their kiss, not to mention the way she’d responded to his touch… No, he chided himself. She hadn’t been herself that day. He’d taken advantage of her after the fight. He knew perfectly well how the adrenaline rushed through one’s system after a fight and he’d kissed her right after that. She’d been reacting to the fight, not to him.

But this afternoon…there hadn’t been any fight. There hadn’t been any adrenaline. Well, until he’d walked away from her. He’d wanted to fight someone, to punch them so hard he could actually do damage when he’d had to walk away from that conference room.

With a sigh and a groan of determination, he rose from the chair. “I’ll leave you alone now. But thanks for the wine,” he said. “And I enjoyed talking with you. It was just like old times.”

He got out of there as quickly as he could, almost running from the house now. Because if he didn’t get out now, he wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to do it later. Not when she was looking so sweet and sexy sitting there in the big chair, her legs curled underneath her with those cute pink socks. She always looked so sophisticated at work with those killer heels and her skirts so tight that they left nothing to the imagination where her legs or bottom were concerned.

Actually, correct that! Her butt was even better when it was uncovered, he remembered. He hurried faster, almost diving into his car before he changed his mind. He could easily convince himself to turn around and drag her into his arms. He could get her wanting him again. He was sure of it, but would that be fair? She didn’t want him normally, so pushing his attentions on her was inconsiderate.

His tires almost squealed as he pulled out of her parking lot and drove home. His hands gripped the steering wheel, white knuckling it all the way home until he reached his apartment complex. When he finally reached his own place, he went straight to his great room and… stopped in his tracks.

“What the hell are all of you guys doing here?” he demanded as he realized all three of his brothers were sitting in his apartment. And they were drinking his best scotch!

“We’re celebrating!” Ash called out, standing up and handing him a glass.

Xander didn’t hesitate. He took the glass and downed the amber liquid, then held it out for his brother to fill it up again. “Why was my place the designated celebration zone?” he asked, downing the next glass as well.

“Because it was closest,” Ryker responded as if that were the most obvious answer, lifting his glass up for Ash to fill it as well.

Xander sat down in one of the deep chairs, his brothers draped over his sofa or the other chair. “And?” he prompted, needing more of an explanation. Although, it wasn’t like his brothers to need much of an explanation to celebrate anything. There had been occasions when they’d all congregated simply to celebrate Tuesday or whatever day of the week it happened to be.

All four of his brothers looked like he felt and they were all slamming down the scotch at an alarming rate. No one explained why they were celebrating, but they joked and teased each other just like brothers were prone to do. It felt good, drinking like this after being in Autumn’s company. He needed the release, the ability to just kick back. It was either get drunk with his brothers or head right back to Autumn’s townhouse, picking her up into his arms and making love to her against the wall. He didn’t think she would be very receptive to that option so he kicked his feet up onto his coffee table, forcing himself to stay put.

He laughed as the four of them got drunk, ribbing each other for the way they lived their lives or the lack of a lady love in their lives. When that subject came up, Xander was silent, staring at the liquid in his drink while he thought about the most frustrating woman on the planet. He had women throwing themselves at him at social events, showing up at the office constantly. Rarely could a business meeting be conducted at a restaurant now because women would stop by his table, dropping barely veiled hints that he should ask them out, or not even bothering to wait, but offering themselves up for one party or charity event or another. It was irritating, especially since Autumn was the only woman he wanted on his arm.

“Well, it isn’t like the resident monk would know anything about that,” Axel was saying.

Xander had no idea what they were talking about, but he looked up and all three of his brothers were looking directly at him. “What?” he asked.

The three of them rolled their eyes. All of them knew about his infatuation with their office manager although none would come out and say it for fear of Xander’s anger at the sensitive subject. But they also knew that Xander had rejected women’s advances ever since Autumn had walked into their office and started working for The Thorpe Group.

“When was the last time you got laid?” Ash asked.

He wasn’t about to tell any of his brothers about his afternoon and evening with Autumn that had surpassed all of his fantasies. They might be close personally and definitely professionally, but his relationship with Autumn was private. “You’re a crude ass, did you know that?” he said. Turning to Ryker, he brought up another subject, not bothering to wait for an answer from Ash, nor did he expect one.

“Hey, whatever happened with that altercation in the deli where Autumn was hurt?” Ryker asked. “I got the police report, but I think the police were still waiting for you and Autumn to go down and make a statement.”

Xander had completely forgotten to take Autumn down to the station. “Did that jerk get released?” Xander asked furiously, sitting up straighter in his chair. “If he so much as comes near her…” he left the sentence hanging since all three of his brothers were quick to reassure him that the culprit that had started the fight had been sentenced to community service and anger management classes as well as two years’ probation.

In Xander’s mind, he didn’t think that was strong enough of a punishment, but he couldn’t really go to the judge and demand something worse. The jails and prisons were packed already with criminals; they wouldn’t pay much attention to a guy who took a swing at a woman.

Maybe Xander could. He mentally made a note to have their lead investigator, Mark, look into the guy’s background. Anyone who was willing to pick a fight in a public place in the middle of the afternoon had to have some skeletons in the closet. Perhaps it was time to become the fellow’s worst nightmare. In Xander’s experience, someone like that had a lot more issues that had been swept under the rug. It was time to bring them out, make the man accountable, he thought with relish.

“Any idea why Autumn didn’t fight the new accounting software decision today?” Axel asked, shooting for what he thought might be a less explosive subject.

Ryker looked over at Xander who was staring down at his glass. Xander had no idea that his brothers were waiting for a response. He was too caught up in his plans to make the brutish man’s life a living hell. So when he lifted his glass to drain the remaining scotch, he realized that all three of his brothers were staring at him oddly.

“What?” he asked, standing up and pouring himself another glass of scotch. He needed something to dull the memory of Autumn, both last Monday as well as this afternoon when she’d looked so soft and warm sitting in her tiny but cozy backyard.

Ash chuckled at his brother’s irritated expression. “We were talking about the staff meeting earlier today,” he said. “Obviously you’re as much aware of our current conversation as she was this morning.”

Since the four of them had killed the first bottle, Xander was grabbing another from the sideboard where he kept the liquor. But at the first mention of the staff meeting, he dropped the bottle of scotch. The very meeting after which he’d kissed Autumn for the first time since he’d made love to her.

He looked up at the others warily, trying to hide his reaction. “What about it?”

Ash, Axel and Ryker all looked at each other curiously, then back at Xander who was wiping up a puddle of thirty year old scotch before he got another bottle out from his stash. “What’s going on?” Axel asked, voicing what was on everyone’s mind.

“Nothing,” he snapped back and slapped the next bottle of scotch down in the middle of the coffee table so no one had to exert any effort to get up to pour their next round. Himself included. “Why do you ask?” Had he revealed something? He didn’t want to do anything to make Autumn feel uncomfortable. Their afternoon and evening together was their private secret. If anyone knew, she’d feel awful. She’d never said it in so many words, but he knew her well enough that it would be an issue in her mind.

Ryker raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think it was strange that the accounting software was approved?”

Xander shrugged and took another sip, not looking any of his brothers in the eye.

Ash tilted his head as he said, “The less expensive software? The one she didn’t want us to get?”

Xander’s hand froze in mid-air with that news. Had that really happened during the meeting? Damn! He’d really been out of it. He’d been watching Autumn during the meeting, noticing that she was unusually silent. Obviously, he hadn’t been very attentive to the meeting agenda. “I think she had something else on her mind. We’ll have to run it by her again next week.”

Ash laughed and shook his head. “I can’t imagine what she was thinking about,” and looked over at his brother, trying to prompt him into a reaction. But after so many years of taking sides, Xander was silent. Another indication that something important was going on.

Ash glanced at his brothers, concern written on all of their faces as they surveyed Xander’s silence.

Xander knew exactly where this was going. “Not going to talk about it. I have no idea what’s on her mind,” he said honestly. She might be thinking that their liaison together had been fantastic and she didn’t want to ruin it by a second go, or she might have thought he was a complete ass. He had no clue. “So don’t give me that look.”

“Did you fight with her this week?”

Xander laughed. “Actually, this is the first week we haven’t fought about anything.” Which, in itself, was odd.

“Do you think she was more badly hurt in that fight than she’s letting on?” Ash asked, concern obvious in his eyes.

Xander thought about that, remembering the way she’d moved while in his arms on Monday after the altercation. Yes, she’d been bruised. No, she wasn’t more wounded than they all thought. He ruthlessly suppressed his body’s reaction to those images and quickly shook his head. “She’s not physically hurt. As for mentally?” He shrugged, honestly not sure what her mental state was at this moment. He couldn’t even guess which, was part of the problem.

They moved away from personal issues after that. Apparently, all of the brothers were wary of discussing what was going on in their lives and they fell into their old habit of teasing each other over the cases they were handling.

By the time midnight rolled around, all of them were too drunk to head home so each of them found their respective bedrooms while Xander fell into his own bed. But even all the scotch he’d imbibed during the evening hadn’t dulled his need for the one woman who constantly drove him crazy. Who had driven him insane with need for years.

Something was going to have to give, he thought. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could be a gentleman about the woman. Perhaps he would start his own firm somewhere. Far away from Chicago so he wouldn’t be tempted by her sexy figure in those killer heels every day of his life.