Wicked Lovers 07 Ours to Love (15 page)

On the other side of the wall, the toilet flushed. Javier would be coming out soon.
He and Luc needed to settle this quickly.

“It doesn’t matter.” Xander shook his head. “I saw her first.”

“That’s mature,” Luc pointed out.

“I’m not ready to let her go, especially to Javi. He’s a mess!”

“Maybe, but I don’t think you’re ready to be a one-woman man. It would be better for
her if you left her alone.”

As the tap water in the sink in the bathroom on the other side of the wall began to
run, everything inside Xander rebelled. “I can be good for her.”

“She doesn’t have enough experience to deal with you,” Luc argued.

“I’ll handle her carefully.”

“But you’ll still leave her someday, probably soon.”

Normally, he’d agree, but now? “You don’t know that. Either way, I’m not relinquishing
her. I can give her an experience to remember.”

Luc cocked his head to one side, considering. “And who’s going to be there for her
when the orgasm fades?”

“Why are you acting like you’re a father and she’s your teenage daughter? I’ve sworn
that I’ll be good to her. I’ve said that I’m interested in her. I can’t commit to
more than that. I only met her about three days ago.”

With a bob of his head, Luc seemed to ponder that point, then he changed tactics completely.
“You know, I think your brother really needs you.”

Xander bristled. “Not to hear him tell it.”

“As you pointed out, he’s weighted down by anger, guilt, and booze. What the hell
does he know? He needs a stable force in his life. If you’re not even willing to commit
to your own brother, what makes you think you can do any better with London?”

“
Not willing?
I brought Javi here to try to stabilize him.
He
threw me out. Now he’s latched onto Alyssa’s cousin like a life preserver. But I
won’t give her up.”

“I doubt Javier will, either,” Luc pointed out. “You know the answer to this, don’t
you?”

The tap water in the hall bath turned off. Javier would be out here in seconds.

“What?” Xander asked.

“Share her.”

Xander’s jaw fucking dropped. He’d heard Logan’s drunken rant about Deke and Luc sharing
his sister, Kimber, once upon a time. A virgin taken by two men . . . until she’d
finally chosen Deke and married him.

“Two minutes ago, you didn’t want me touching her.”

“I still don’t. But you’re not going to give up. I saw the way your brother has been
watching her all afternoon. He’s not giving up, either. London doesn’t need to be
in the middle of your argument. She’s got enough problems of her own. Share her, and
when you’re ready to move on, she’ll probably still have Javier.” He shrugged. “No
one gets hurt.”

Sucking in a breath, Xander’s thoughts raced. Did he want to fight to keep London
until death do them part? Probably not. Hell, he barely kept a woman longer than a
few hours. From now until the day he died should be a long damn time. He could enjoy
her for now . . . But sharing her? Leaving her to Javier?

The lock on the bathroom door rattled. He snapped his fingers impatiently, trying
to untangle his thoughts as Javier swung the door open.

“You’re insane,” Xander muttered to Luc, then headed for the front door, determined
to beat his brother to it—and the girl.

Chapter Eight

X
ANDER
used the key to open the door of his brother’s darkened house. London wrapped her
arm around Javier’s muscled torso as he leaned on her for balance, secretly reveling
in his closeness. Despite what he’d said under the influence of vodka, Javier was
too refined to start any sort of torrid affair with his assistant. A man of his stature
in the business world would want someone sharp, witty, at the top of her game. His
equal. That wasn’t her, and she had to get the foolish idea that she could help him—and
that he might want her in return—out of her head.

Once inside, Xander flipped on lights. The foyer looked into the living room. Both
sumptuously decorated and spotless. White marble floors and expensive throw rugs all
added elegance, as well as accented the huge picture windows along the back of the
house. They looked out over the pool glimmering in the backyard. A chandelier glittered
overhead. The space was every bit as sophisticated as Javier himself.

“This way.” Xander directed her through the living room, then down a little hallway.
He opened another door, turned on a light inside the room, and stepped back.

London gasped. The bedroom was enormous. A contemporary version of a four-poster bed
dominated the space with clean lines and dark woods. An off-white comforter in a downy,
textured fabric covered it. Throw pillows in greens, golds, and rusts decorated the
pristine surface. French doors, flanked by two sizeable windows, led out to the patio,
lit by the last rays of dusk. Along one wall rested a fireplace. Right beside it,
a sitting area with built-in bookshelves gave one a cozy place to curl up with a book
or a loved one and enjoy a relaxing evening. On the far side of the room, double doors
stood open, leading to a shadowy bathroom. She had an impression of size and luxury.
The standing glass shower seemed to glow in the near dark.

“I’ll take him. Pull back the bed. He needs to lie down,” Xander ordered.

When he came to support his brother, however, Javier balked. “I don’t need to fucking
lie down. Piss off,” he told Xander. “You’re welcome to stay, little one.”

London gnawed her lip. As tempting as that sounded, it would be a bad idea. She had
no idea why Xander had insisted on coming along, but she was both glad he had and
worried he could make more waves.

“If you want to go, I’ll be fine.”

Xander frowned at her as if she’d lost her mind. “I’m not leaving you. I’ve handled
him like this before. I know what to do.”

And she had no clue. Sad but true.

“Thanks.” She turned to Javier. “Lie down for me, please.”

“He’s going to be a bastard to deal with until he’s had a shower and a meal. I’ll
get him in the shower if you’ll whip him up some soup in the kitchen.”

She nodded and turned away. Javier would probably feel more human—and be more like
himself—once he’d washed away the drunk and put something better in his stomach.

London made her way back through the house, then groped her way through the darkened
kitchen until she found a light switch. As she illuminated the space again, she gasped
at the beauty of the modern dark wood cabinets, stainless steel everything, and lovely
Carrara marble counters. Everything in the house looked like it belonged in a magazine
spread.

It didn’t take her long to make Javier something. There wasn’t much to choose from.
She microwaved some soup, made a grilled cheese sandwich, then poured a tall glass
of water to combat his dehydration. Once she’d gathered everything, London rummaged
through the cabinets until she found a tray on which to put it all.

Loading it up, she balanced her way to the bedroom at the back of the house and found
Xander waiting. The shower still ran in the background.

He took the tray from her and set it on the dresser, then gathered her up in his arms.
As he pressed her against that commanding, muscled body, she peered up at him. Her
knees went weak. He really was gorgeous and smelled insanely good, too. A bit muskier
than his brother. Intense. He kissed that way as well. No doubt he’d make love with
that same relentless focus.

Xander controlled himself, holding back the dark side she could feel straining against
its internal leash. Even across a room, she was painfully aware of him, but when he
touched her like this, she completely melted.

She shouldn’t want Xander. He wasn’t going to stay with her. He’d probably never fall
in love. But that was all right. He’d bring her pleasure and help her see possibilities.
That was the most she could hope for.

“I’m sorry about earlier, at Luc’s place. I didn’t mean to embarrass or upset you,”
he murmured in her ear, kissing her temple, her cheek, angling toward her mouth.

London reared back in surprise. She’d never expected an apology. Logan’s other friends
had always depicted him as a playboy who jetted from one bed to another, and often
bailed out his buddies from their scrapes with danger because he liked the edge. But
the man in front of her didn’t seem shallow and adrenaline-seeking. He brushed his
lips across hers, the kiss lingering for a heartbeat, opening up something in her
chest, before he pulled away with a regretful sigh.

“I know.” London couldn’t resist filtering her fingers through his soft, inky hair.
“It’s . . . complicated. I just started working for your brother today. He’d probably
fire me for even telling you that. He was adamant about keeping you out of the loop
about the business.”

Xander clenched his jaw. Something painful tightened his face. “He won’t fire you.
He might say that, but . . . he’s just mixed up right now.”

London nodded. “Do you have any interest in the business?”

“Absolutely. I didn’t have to get an MBA, but I did, thinking that I could be useful
to my brother and the board of directors.”

Xander didn’t say more, but she could guess that Javier had shut his younger brother
out long before now. While she’d like to believe that wasn’t the boss she knew, the
first thing she’d realized about Javier, after she stopped staring at his beauty,
was that he sought total and complete control of everything in the office. In the
bedroom, too? Alyssa had already mentioned that Xander was a Dom, and London had done
a few Google searches to get an idea of what that meant. But Javier seemed to fit
the bill, too. The thought of being at either man’s mercy made her absolutely weak-kneed.

It’s not relevant. Focus!

London gnawed on her lip and got back to the subject at hand, trying to decide how
much to say. Javier didn’t want Xander involved. But Javier might
need
his brother. Family, along with their love and support, could save a person. She
knew that firsthand. Her parents had been there for her every step of the way after
her accident. She might never have pulled through if not for them and the unflagging
strength they’d lent her day after day, year after year.

Since the brothers weren’t really communicating now . . . maybe she could help.

“Javier might also fire me for divulging what I’m about to tell you. But he needs
you more than I need this job. I want him to get better.”

Xander cupped her face in his hands and stared down into her eyes, into her soul.
“Tell me. Help me to help him. I dragged him here to Lafayette against his will, hoping
to find something or someone to make him want to live again without burying himself
in work and vodka. I’m out of answers,
belleza
.”

Seeing Xander’s concern, his heart, London nodded, then explained Nick Navarro’s visit
earlier and the resulting binge. Xander listened in absolute silence, but she sensed
the shock rolling through his body. He tensed, shifted, his face gathering into a
scowl.

“Jesus Christ! An assassin? And Navarro didn’t even have a theory about why anyone
would hire this bastard to kill Francesca?”

“If he did, I didn’t hear that part, but did you know that she was pregnant?”

Xander clenched his jaw again, his face stony with pain. “No.”

“Your brother lost a beloved wife and their child all at once. And after all that,
he learned that she’d been unfaithful and—”

“Is that the story Javier told you?” Xander scowled. “Because that’s an utter load
of bullshit. They had a corporate marriage. It was a condition of a merger. Francesca
was beautiful, but an annoying pain in the ass. Unless Javier wanted to talk to her
about Prada or Tiffany, she had no interest in him. They were married six years, but
they were more like strangers.”

“I never loved her. She knew that, and she didn’t care.” Javier stepped out of the
bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and his short hair finger-combed in
inky waves against his scalp.

London felt her mouth go completely dry. Wide shoulders bulged with muscle. The hard
swells of his pectorals were dusted with dark hair that joined just at the top of
his abdomen, bisected the ridges, then disappeared into the snowy white towel. She
was dying to know what lay underneath.

The moment she had the thought, London ripped her gaze away. Her boss was telling
her something important, and here she was ogling him like an idiot. She jerked her
gaze up to meet his. His deep blue eyes held a hint of mirth, but his stern expression
made her wonder if she’d imagined it.

Then his words sank in. He’d never loved his wife.
Wow.

“I-I didn’t know.” She shook her head. “I just assumed because you’re so . . . upset
that you must have been madly—”

“No.” Javier raised a brow as he stepped back into the bathroom and turned the shower
off. “I thought it wise to listen to you two gossip about me so I’d know exactly what
you were saying behind my back.”

His words made her feel two inches tall. “I’m sorry, sir.”

She dropped her gaze in shame. He’d explicitly asked her never to discuss anything
with Xander, and she’d violated his trust on day one. She worked for Javier. He’d
asked her merely to follow directions, not exercise her own judgment. “If you’d like
my resignation, I understand.”

“Why did you tell him, little one?”

“Because she’s worried about you, jackass,” Xander butted in.

“I’d like to hear her say it, if you don’t mind,” Javier said stiffly, then turned
to her. “Is that the truth?”

She still couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “Yes. You were so upset after Mr. Navarro
left. I genuinely believe that family always helps during difficult times. I don’t
know you well, but I’m gathering that asking for help doesn’t come easily for you.
I believe Xander will always be here for you, if you’d let him.”

“You don’t know him at all, little one. Watch yourself.”

“Don’t you
dare
go down that road. I couldn’t have saved Francesca,” Xander snarled. “You know it.”

London watched, stunned and blinking, as Javier growled and charged his younger brother,
all but bumping chests. How was Xander supposed to have saved the woman? Why were
they both so angry? London didn’t understand at all, but she sensed they were getting
to the heart of the matter.

Javier bared his teeth. “You could have fucking tried.”

“You’re being irrational about this because it’s easier than dealing with your own
guilt. You didn’t love her and you didn’t want to deal with her. Instead of divorcing
Fran, you tried to foist her off on me. I might be a hell of a Dom, but she didn’t
need a Master; she needed a heart.”

London opened her mouth in a silent gasp. Javier had
given
his wife to his brother? For what? Sex?

She glanced at her boss, who wasn’t denying it. He merely clenched his fists and sent
his brother an inferno-hot glare.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Xander growled. “Fran self-destructed. That’s not your
fault. That’s not my fault. She knew what kind of marriage this was and she still
agreed. She made bad choices all by herself and paid for it. You can’t take the blame
for her shit, brother. And I won’t, either.”

“Get the fuck out,” Javier snapped.

“Fine.” Xander gnashed his teeth together. “Do whatever the fuck you want with your
life. I tried to save you. I tried to help you. I volunteered to work with you, to
listen, to be your rock. You threw it all back in my face. You want to kill yourself
with booze? You’ve made it clear that I can’t stop you, so I’m going to stop trying.”

Xander pivoted around and stormed toward the bedroom door. London knew, just knew,
if she let the brothers separate like this, they stood a good chance of being estranged
forever—and that presumed that Javier didn’t recklessly manage to end his life first.
Her money was on him doing just that.

“Stop it, both of you! You’re acting like children!”

They turned identical expressions of gaping surprise on her. It would have been easy
to buckle under the weight of those stares, but London stood firm. They’d both unwittingly
given her so much just in the span of a few days. If she could help them find their
way back to one another, then she’d consider the debt repaid.

“I don’t have any siblings,” she said, forcing a calm note into her voice. “I’ve always
wanted some. And if I had them, I would love my brothers or sisters no matter what.
You’re one another’s flesh and blood. How much family do you have left?”

Neither answered. The silence was telling.

“Exactly. Is your pride so important, Javier, that you’re willing to alienate your
only brother? You need to learn to think with your heart a little. I didn’t know Francesca,
but I know women. If you didn’t love her and tried to give her away to another man
for . . . whatever, I’d be hurt and do terrible things, too.”

“It isn’t what you think. It had nothing to do with sex.”

She raised a brow. “If you tried to make Xander her Dom . . . doesn’t that mean you
were giving your brother command of her body?”

The two brothers glanced at one another before Xander sighed. “It’s not unheard of
in the BDSM community for Doms to have subs they never have sex with. Some subs want
and need boundaries. Francesca could certainly have used them.”