Wicked Lovers 07 Ours to Love (29 page)

She flipped her gaze up to Xander’s face, pleading silently. He focused solely on
her, staring at her, breathing with her, consuming her. She cried out around his cock,
the sound beseeching, even as she felt herself tightening around Javier’s thick, blunt
cock. The bliss built again, the high of it starting to overwhelm her once more.

London held her breath as her every muscle tightened, filling until she was primed—and
then she let go. The wave of ecstasy ripped through her body, over her head, making
her jolt and scream and open herself all the way to her soul. Xander cursed. Javier
groaned. Both picked up the pace, then released, cocks pounding and jerking as they
poured into her.

Salty seed coated her tongue. Perspiration covered her skin. Repletion unfurled in
her, a happy, hazy lethargy almost as addicting as the pleasure itself.

As Xander eased his cock from her mouth, she sank to the desk, blazing cheek resting
on the cool wood, and closed her eyes in contentment.

“You all right?” he asked, bending to kiss her other overheated cheek.

Lazily, she smiled and nodded.

He laughed as he uncuffed her wrists with a few metallic clicks. “I think your assistant
might be done for the day.”

Gingerly, Javier withdrew. She heard the gentle whoosh of his condom hitting the trash
can. “We may have worked her hard today, but I’d like to worship her just a bit more.”

With a gentle hand around her middle, he assisted her to her feet. She swayed in his
arms, loving how solid and comforting it felt to be in his embrace, especially when
he called her beautiful and whispered kisses up her neck. She shivered. Xander approached,
sandwiching her in between them and holding her close.

“I need to see you, little one,” Javier murmured. “Undress for me.”

“For us,” Xander said. “I’m dying to see you, too.”

Their request hit her like a splash of icy water into her eyes, shocking and painful.
Something to be avoided at all costs. Brian, a man in the medical field, had seen
her back and been too repulsed to continue dating her. But two beautiful billionaires
catching sight of all her flaws?

London swallowed down bile as she wriggled out from between them and lowered her skirt.
Hands shaking, she held back tears and fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. “No.
I’ll do most anything you ask of me, but don’t ask me for that. Please.”

They turned identical scowls her way, and she felt their confusion and disappointment
like a palpable wave. Her stomach balled painfully, and she pressed a fist to it.
It hurt her to upset them, probably more than it should. But it would hurt so much
more to disgust them with all the scars she couldn’t change. Even the thought of her
horror and rejection was more than she could take.

Shoving the last button of her blouse into its mooring, she gave into her tears as
she ran from the room, grabbed her purse, and emerged into the steamy Lafayette afternoon.

***

“WHAT
the hell just happened?” Javier blinked. He didn’t understand anything except that
London’s stricken, terrified expression made him feel sick to his stomach.

Xander scowled, and Javier understood. They had no idea what brick wall of a boundary
they’d run into. He’d seen London naked this morning in his bed, her beautiful breasts
rising above her soft stomach, tapering down into her plush thighs and the wet feminine
flesh between that hugged his cock so snugly. She’d opened up and given more than
he’d possibly hoped for—until this moment.

“No idea, but I’m going to find out. I’ll be damned if London is going to walk home
in this terrible heat in a business skirt and heels.”

Xander nodded. “Good point.”

Together, Javier and his brother ran for the door and scrambled down the stairs. He
beat Xander by less than a second through the lobby, and saw London making her way
across the parking lot, toward the street.

“London,” he called out to her, every muscle in his gut tight with the need for her
to turn and face him, return and explain—let him hold and reassure her.

She ignored them and kept walking away.

Suddenly, she paused and swayed on her feet, reaching out for something to grab and
steady herself. There were no cars nearby, just air.

With a gasp, she stumbled. Her knees buckled, gave way. Javier sprinted after her
with everything he had. Beside him, Xander did the same.

“London!”

They were too late to save her. They simply had to watch her crumble to the asphalt.
Javier’s heart stopped as her head hit the blacktop with a thud. Worry raced through
his veins. The few feet between him and London seemed like an insurmountable divide.
The more he ran toward her, the longer it seemed to take.

With a curse, he skidded to a halt beside her. Xander did the same, cradling her head
in his hand. London was passed out cold.

The fear scratching through Javier’s veins like a hundred needles bled all through
his body and was mirrored on Xander’s face.

“Call 911,” Javier snapped.

Xander did that as Javier scooped her up in his arms. He debated the wisdom of moving
her in this state. Was this one of the blackouts she’d mentioned the day he’d hired
her?

“They’ll be here in a minute.” Xander pocketed his phone. “Do you know what might
have caused this? She didn’t eat a lot at breakfast.”

“She told me she has occasional blackouts, but I don’t know the cause. We’ve been
strenuous with her today.” And Javier wanted to kick himself for it. “Maybe . . .”

He couldn’t choke out the rest of the words. Dread squeezed his heart as he carried
her across the parking lot and into the lobby. A granite bench sat near the water
feature, and he set her there. Her pale hair spilled over the edge as he knelt beside
her. In the distance, he heard the wail of sirens. Cupping her cheek in his hand,
he stared, willing her to open her pretty blue eyes and look at him.

On the other side of the bench, Xander crouched, clutching her hand. “
Belleza
, we’re here, baby. Come back to us.”

A small crowd had gathered around them, loitering near the elevators. A couple entering
the building stopped in their tracks and stared. Javier ignored them. If they weren’t
able to help London, they were useless to him.

Turning his body to best block their view, Javier pressed his lips to London’s ear.
“Little one, I’m sorry . . .” For pushing her, for overusing her, for making her feel
the urge to leave. For everything. Francesca had proven that he was bad with relationships.
For London’s sake, he should probably put a safe distance between them and leave her
to Xander. Normally, he’d think his brother was far too much of a playboy to be serious
about one woman, but everything about Xander’s behavior with London was different.
He would be better for her. Lighter. He could still be the Dom she needed, but he
came with so much less baggage, so many fewer demands.

If she opened her eyes and recovered, he’d try to do the right thing by London and
leave her alone.

Suddenly, a pair of EMTs jogged into the building, and the gawking couple moved out
of the way to let them pass, rubbernecking on their way to the elevators.

Javier stood aside and let the two men in uniform near London. Xander stood by his
side, watching with grim intent. The EMTs asked them questions about the incident,
and it became clear that they were worried she might have a concussion after hitting
her head. But neither he nor his brother had any idea what had caused her to pass
out in the first place. Exhaustion? Low blood sugar? The mysterious health problems
she’d mentioned?

Xander whipped out his phone and scrolled through his contacts for Alyssa. Before
he could hit the button to dial her, the EMTs stuck a chunk of smelling salts beneath
London’s nose. She came awake with a sputtering cough, her lashes fluttering up and
revealing dazed blue eyes. But she was all right. As she pushed upright, and the men
assisted her, Javier exhaled in relief.

His brother hovered protectively, listening as they asked questions. She fished a
bottle of medication from her purse, and she had a bit more conversation with the
medical people. He couldn’t hear because of the low murmur of her voice and the roar
of his heart. Whatever she said, Xander’s jaw tightened with anger, but he pocketed
his phone and nodded.

As the EMTs packed up and headed for the door, Javier intercepted them. “Is she all
right?”

One nodded. “She forgot to take her medicine, but this isn’t the first time she’s
blacked out, according to her. I gave her an ice pack for that bump on her head, but
otherwise, she’s fine.”

But it wasn’t fine to him. He had too many unanswered questions. Yes, he probably
should leave her in Xander’s hands . . . but he couldn’t stop caring.

As the EMTs left, he made his way over to London and Xander. It would hurt to watch
them together. But he’d always have work. And vodka. It was probably all he deserved.

His brother took one arm to help her to her feet. Javier took the other. She wobbled,
a bit unsteady at first. She blinked and shook her head, as if trying to reestablish
her equilibrium. Then she stepped away from them.

“I’m fine. It happens. It’s nothing. I need to go.”

London looked around for the doors, then headed toward them. Xander flashed a stare
at him that said he was letting her leave over his dead body. She might not be his,
but he agreed with his brother.

“You need to come upstairs and explain,” Javier found himself demanding.

“Right now,” Xander added, blocking her path.

“Taking my virginity doesn’t give you the right to strip me of all privacy and free
will,” she hissed.

About that, she was absolutely right, but that answer didn’t set well with him. And
Xander, always the lover, not the fighter, looked ready to punch something in frustration.

“It doesn’t,” Javier returned smoothly. “But as your boss, I deserve an explanation
about why you intend to walk off the job in the middle of a crisis.”

He was reaching with that argument. And he didn’t care. If it got her to stay so he
could understand and watch over her before he turned her back over to Xander, then
he could relinquish her with a clear conscience.

London gnawed on her lower lip for a tense moment. “Fine. Ten minutes.”

It was a small victory, and he didn’t dare celebrate it now. “Put that ice on your
head.”

She did with a huff as they led her back into the elevator, ushering her into S.I.
Industries’ temporary offices again. Javier shut and locked the door behind them,
then shepherded Xander to take her to his chair. His brother caught on and dropped
her into the thick leather piece, pulling up one of the smaller chairs and getting
right in her face. Javier paced around them.

“Are you really all right? You don’t have to be brave,” he said softly.

No matter what happened next, he cared for her and wanted her to know that her well-being
meant a great deal to him.

She heaved a huge sigh, and tears started to gloss over her blue eyes. As they pooled
then fell down her cheek, a bit of mascara stained just under her eyes. And still
she looked so fucking beautiful that his heart wrenched. He had no idea how he’d ever
manage to keep his distance once he bowed out and left her to his brother.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Look, I didn’t want to vomit out this whole sob story and
make you feel sorry for me. I don’t need more pity. I’ve had nothing else for years,
and I wanted to see if someone actually could like me for me. Usually when I tell
everyone this story, there’s all kinds of sympathy, then people get distant. They
hire and date ‘normal’ people. I won’t be surprised when neither of you wants me again.”

She shrugged like it didn’t matter, but Javier could see on her face that it mattered
very much. He didn’t want to prove her sad theory right, but he wanted her safe and
happy. Xander could give her that.

“Just after school let out for my sophomore year, I was with my friend Amber and her
boyfriend, coming back from a day at the beach. While we were there, Amber found Josh
under the pier with this other girl from school. They were making out, and Amber got
furious. Josh tried to calm her down, but she insisted on leaving. We all got in the
car, and she drove like a maniac. She was blasting music so I couldn’t hear the whole
argument. It started to rain, and Amber missed a red light. We got hit multiple times
by oncoming traffic on the right, which spun the car around and into the path of a
school bus that hit us head on after coming down a hill. Amber and Josh were killed
instantly. I had what the doctors called a traumatic brain injury.”

She swallowed, as if the rush of anger she’d used to get the story out had washed
away, leaving her nothing but pain and a gritty determination to go on. Though stunned,
Javier couldn’t ever remember a time he’d wanted to touch her so badly.

“I’m so sorry,
belleza
,” Xander murmured, gripping her hands. “Go on.”

Her chin trembled as she fought the urge to speak without spilling more tears. “I
had a skull fracture, hematoma, and some nerve damage. My jaw, elbow, and femur were
all broken. I spent nearly two years in a coma. When I woke, everything had changed.
There’d been a war. My parents had aged ten years. I’d missed prom. Graduation was
around the corner, and I was going to be left behind. I couldn’t walk or talk. The
doctors told me I might not ever do either again. At that point, most of my ‘friends’
had bailed on me. But I kept fighting back. I’ve had three surgeries on my back to
repair disk problems. As a result of the head trauma, I sometimes forget things. I
can’t drive and I may never be able to because I sometimes black out, like today.
I’ll probably never be able to be alone with my own child.” Fresh tears spilled over,
along with a whole bunch of anger. “But I
refuse
to be broken!”

“You’re not, little one,” Javier assured her, managing to speak past his own choked
words.