Lucas: The Hunter Brothers Series (45 page)

Tyler
flicked off the TV as soon as it was over. “That was truly incredible. Did you
write it?” I asked excitedly as he nodded, a small smirk playing around his
mouth as he looked at Lucas. “Where did you get your inspiration?” He started
to laugh and Lucas joined him.

“What’s
so funny?” Charlie asked, looking at me and then at his brothers.

 
“Where I got my inspiration,” Tyler replied as
Charlie sat back in his chair, shaking his head in bemused puzzlement.

“The
song is about a crazy, fucked up, obsessed sociopath – where do you think I got
it?” Tyler grinned as Charlie stared at him and then at Lucas, shrugging his
shoulders as I watched the situation unfold with increasing curiosity.

“Your
ex inspired every word,” Tyler laughed, staring at an open mouthed Charlie.

“Scarlett?”
he gasped, disbelieving for a moment until the darkness flashed across his
features once again.

“Well
at least something good came out of that car crash of a relationship,” he said,
sipping his brandy and returning his gaze to the fire.

My
ringing phone broke the silence as I pulled it from my pocket and glanced up at
Lucas. “Do you mind if I take this?” I asked as he shook his head, looking over
my shoulder at the caller display.

“Hey, Chas.”
She
almost burst my eardrum with the subsequent squeal that came out of her mouth.

“Is
he there?” she screeched and I could hear Lucas’s low chuckle. God, she was so
loud on the phone.

“Who?”
I asked
with absolutely no clue what she was talking about.

“Tyler fucking Hunter.
Oh my God, I have just watched that video and he is incredible, Jess.
‘Obsessed’ - Tell him from me, I already am,” she gushed as I held the phone
closer to my ear in the vain hope that they couldn’t actually hear every word.

“Yes
he’s here,” I said quietly, risking a quick glance at Tyler who was staring at
the fire again.

“Tell
him,” she shouted as I rolled my eyes.

“It’s
not really the time, Chas,” I whispered and she was suddenly subdued.

“Oh
shit, yeah, sorry. How’s Charlie doing?” she asked and I could hear the change
in her voice, knowing she was genuinely concerned.

“As you’d expect.
Do you want
to speak to him?” I asked, glancing across at Charlie who was looking back at
me. ‘Chas’ I mouthed mutely as he nodded. “Yes,” she said as I passed him the
phone and his face brightened instantly. He was listening intently to whatever
she was saying.

“Will
you come to the funeral, Chas?” he asked suddenly as I risked a glance at Lucas
who seemed as perplexed with that particular question as I did. There was
another long pause until Charlie burst out laughing.

 
“It’s not an after party, babe, it’s a wake and
it’s not really supposed to be fun,” he said as his eyes twinkled with humour. He
was shaking his head and even Tyler was staring now. Christ, my sister was
insensitive. “Think about it, Chas, because I can’t imagine anyone else who
will help me get through that day like you will.”
 

 
I raised my eyebrows, looking up at Lucas who
looked just as perturbed by the comment as a dark, serious frown shaded his
brow.

I
knew they’d met up in the city and called each other regularly, but she’d also revealed
today that she’d been to his house and I wondered again just how close they
actually were. It was certainly closer than Lucas or I had realised. She’d
never mentioned a relationship and I felt certain she would have, hoping the
conversation would end so I could ask Charlie directly. Instead, he rose from
the chair and left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Who
is he on the phone with?” Tyler asked as I smiled apologetically. He definitely
hadn’t missed the ‘after party’ comment, which was far from empathic and
typical Chas.

“My
sister and your new biggest fan,” I smiled, but Tyler’s face was serious. “Are
her and Charlie an item?” he asked as the door to the room opened and we all
looked up to see Charlie smirking and looking between us all, resuming his position
by the fire as he threw me my phone.

“No,
her and Charlie aren’t,” he laughed, looking significantly happier than he had
before.

“We’re
just mates, but I really like her. She’s also fucking gorgeous and that never
hurts. She makes me laugh, Tyler, and no one else will on that day. It will be
hard to get through, and Chas has a way of just making things easier,” he said
as I smiled. I knew what he meant. Life was always more fun with Chas around.

Lucas
threw a stern glare at Charlie as he put his hands up in mock defence. “I got
your warning, loud and clear, Lucas. I want a hook-up and she wants a husband.
I’m not going there. We’re just friends, okay?”
 
I realised they must have had a pretty similar
conversation to me and my sister, but from the look on Charlie’s face, I wasn’t
sure who he was trying to convince the most.

“I’m
taking my girlfriend to bed now. There is a lot to sort out tomorrow. I want
the funeral scheduled quickly, and there are a lot of people still to inform,”
Lucas said.

“Are
you inviting Everett?” Charlie asked seriously as Lucas shook his head.

“No,
the old man hated him, but I can’t stop him from coming. I wouldn’t be
surprised if he brought Scarlett as well, so be prepared for that, Charlie.” My
mind whirled with a dozen questions, all of which faded into insignificance as
he hit me with the most dazzling gaze. Lucas Hunter had just called me his
girlfriend, and it was the first time I had ever heard him say it out loud. He
smiled at me and I wondered if he thought he might get some argument about it.
He wouldn’t today, even if I hadn’t decided yet, which I had. Knowing Lucas, his
timing was probably deliberate.

He
led me to the bedroom, grasping my hand tightly and keeping me close. In the
light of what had happened today, I didn’t want to bring up last night. But
equally, I needed the reassurance that I’d been right to trust him before I
made this monumental leap of faith and put all our hearts on the line.

“Can
I ask you something about last night, Lucas?” I smiled as he held my gaze,
nodding gently. “Why did you want the list?” I asked as he frowned slightly.

“Nothing
gets by you, does it, princess?” he smiled, pulling me into his arms and
holding me tightly. “I destroyed it. That man is gone,” he said simply as my
heart soared and I nodded, smiling up at him.

He
pulled away, stroking his finger gently down my cheek before he disappeared
into the bathroom, looking all of a sudden quite pensive. I knew today had
taken its toll on him. I began to unpack my bag, glancing around and marvelling
at the luxury of the huge bedroom. The whole house was impeccably designed and
the epitome of luxury and elegance.
 
The
room was a blend of creams and gold, huge thick flock curtains finished with
gilt coloured tassels, and a hand carved bed in rich deep mahogany that I was
looking forward to sinking into. I tried to tear my thoughts away from
imagining Lucas gloriously naked in there, remembering I was here to offer
support.

I
stripped, pulling on my soft silk negligee and retrieving the card that Dexter
had made, handing it to him as he padded across the plush, thick carpet,
dressed only in his boxer shorts as he smiled softly. “When did he make this?”
he asked as I smiled up at him.

“As
soon as we got back from the presentation while I was getting our things
together.
 
He was really sad for you,
Lucas,” I said as he smiled gently, reading the inside of the card. “He didn’t
stay sad when he saw what you did for him, though. That room is incredible. He
was speechless, we both were. Thank you, it means so much,” I said as he cupped
my face gently in his hands.

“I
thought you could stay at my place more,” he said with an undeniable hint of
hope in his voice as I nodded quickly.

“I’d
love to,” I grinned as his smile broadened.

“I
had a really good time doing it, Jess.” He pulled me hard against his solid, muscular
body and I could feel his heart pounding quickly beneath olive skin.

I
pushed up on my tiptoes, kissing those soft, firm lips, knowing that tonight I
would tell him how I truly felt. There would be no more holding back. I prayed
that my words would ease some of the troubles clouding those incredible eyes. He
would know he was supported and I loved him with everything I had. Lucas was a
part of me now, a solid fixture that strengthened my fragile heart, and he’d
been there long before I’d even realised it myself. He was there for everyone
else, and I was there for him, an emotional support through torrid times and I’d
love him as much as he’d let me.

I
pulled away, smiling gently and awash with emotion as I made my way silently to
the bathroom. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. Tonight I would be
strong for myself, and even stronger for Lucas.

CHAPTER 35

LUCAS

The
pain in my chest was crushing and I still couldn’t believe he was gone. From my
very first memory the man had seemed indestructible, strong and forceful with a
will of iron and an unswerving loyalty to the family he loved.

He’d
been firm, there was no doubt about that, but he’d always been fair and a
constant source of good advice whether I acted on it or not. I could do with
some now. I hadn’t spoken to him about Jess. I never had the chance and didn’t
want to risk it until I was certain of how she felt. He’d have understood, I
knew that much. With one smile my mother could melt the heart that looked to
the outside world like it was made of stone.

He
took what he wanted in life, but he never took my mother for granted. I
remember him telling me when I was only a child that men don’t fall in love,
they plummet. I was probably four at the time, but it stuck with me. I’d never
known what he meant, but I fucking knew now as I paced the floor, listening to
her move around the bathroom.

I’d
felt it again, the instant I heard the news, that overwhelming need to be in
her arms. Hers was the only voice that could soothe away the crushing hurt, my
emotions so raw and devastating they consumed me whole, just as they had that
day in Hyde Park.

The
strength of feeling then had been as surprising as the events of the day
itself, hitting me harder than I’d ever thought possible. Seeing her that way
had crucified me, and I knew I had to protect her with everything I had. If
someone was out to hurt her or her son, they would have to get through me first.
When I’d seen him standing there I’d wanted to kill him; squeeze the last
breath from his body for what he’d done and only one thing had stopped me.
Dexter.

Everything
else had paled into insignificance when I saw him standing there, smiling and running
to me, calling my name as the old guy looked on in bewilderment. He’d jumped
into my arms and the joy I’d felt in that moment electrocuted me in a jolt of
realisation that had left me reeling. I loved her; loved them.

I
knew what I had to do, but I was here again, lost in that unfamiliar territory
of uncertainty and wondering how she’d managed to put me on the back foot.
 
No one else had ever done it, but it was
every time with this girl.

I’d
wanted her the moment I set eyes on her and tried to trace her straight after
that fateful party. My P.I. had been through every name on the staffing rota
for Elite Entertainment that night and not come up with a match. I’d kicked
myself for not making my move then, but picking up waitresses at parties was
more Tyler’s style than mine and how I’d regretted that decision.

It
hadn’t even registered when I heard the name Evangelista. The photo I’d seen
was of a girl called Chastity and she was a brunette. There was no one that
came close to matching the incredible blonde who’d knelt before me with deep
chocolate eyes and the face of a fucking angel.

I
was pacing around the office on my first day at Capitol, arguing with the
lawyers and trying to get rid of the very woman I was paying someone else to
look for, and the irony didn’t escape me. I’d almost fallen at the first hurdle
when I’d accused her of screwing Turnbull. She’d caused me problems from the
first time I laid eyes on her. It was fair to say that Jess had been absolute
revelation.

Sexually,
she was blissful and sinful, and that I wanted to fuck her hadn’t come as a
surprise. When she’d crouched on that decking, her curvy tits almost falling
out of that tiny bikini, it was all I could do to keep my cock under control.
When she’d agreed to be my submissive, kneeling before me, giving me her trust
like some fallen horny angel, I felt like a fucking God. Emotionally though, she
was a minefield.

I
knew she wasn’t doing it on purpose like so many before her. She wasn’t living
by the rules laid out in some women’s magazine, trying to set the ‘man-trap’ or
manipulate me into feeling something. I recognised that kind of behaviour
immediately, and took great pleasure in thrashing it out of them with a firm
hand or the crack of the whip, and that was if they were worth the effort,
which mostly they weren’t.

With
Jess, everything I thought I knew and controlled had been turned on its head
and I hadn’t even seen it coming. She was everything I’d fought against since
Roberta.
 
I prided myself on my ability
to disassociate; sex without commitment and certainly without the complication
of love. My life had been ordered and perfect, or so I thought, the willing
submission of a string of beautiful women feeding my need.

 
I cared, but never too much. I wasn’t sure how
she’d done it, but she’d got in; broken down my defences with nothing more than
a smile. She’d slain me with her innocent naivety from that very first night,
and the need in her eyes she tried so desperately to conceal.

Jess
had reversed the roles without even knowing what she’d done. In the bedroom I
was her Dom, but outside it, I was on my fucking knees, never knowing what was
next.

My little Cinderella who wouldn’t even accept a
date.
Jesus there’d been times when she wouldn’t even
accept a ride. She’d dived out of the car before we reached her door, or left
with her sister before the twelfth stroke of midnight, and it had been the most
infuriating, frustrating fucking thing I’d ever known. She had no idea of the
dinner dates I turned down, but I couldn’t get her to accept one. Almost every
woman I’d ever met wanted something. Every sub wanted more or longer.
But not her.

Then
there had been that disastrous New York trip and I didn’t even want to remind
myself of that debacle. When Melody turned up at that airport, for the first
time in my life I’d lost control. I had it all planned out, the perfect
seduction of Jessica Evangelista and she’d blindsided me again. I’d never needed
to punish anyone as badly as I did that day. Knowing I couldn’t drove me half
insane.

The
club had been a stroke of genius, born of desperation; a simple ploy to get her
alone and it had worked like a dream. I knew she wanted me, but I’d never
expected her to be so open to the idea of submission and she’d surprised me
again. Even at that point, the work thing was an issue for her. She was
sticking by her principles and assumed I was doing the same. I wasn’t.

It
wasn’t the fifty grand that had stopped me from firing her, it never had been.
It was an easy excuse to sit behind, shielding my feelings from Charlie and
anyone else who asked me questions about keeping her on my payroll. I didn’t
want to fire her because I couldn’t risk losing her, and then she’d asked me
to; those seven words that stirred my soul and I was getting hard now just
thinking about it.

‘I
want you to fire me, Sir’.

I
sat on the bed, manoeuvring my stiff cock, remembering how I’d felt when she
told me she hadn’t kissed anyone for five years. I was a selfish bastard; I was
glad. I wanted to be the first man who kissed her like she deserved to be kissed,
and I want to be the last.

I
thought when she put her signature on those contracts that I’d hit the jackpot,
that I had it all. She’d sent me stratospheric when I screwed her over my desk,
only to blindside me again before the fucking ink was dry. When I found out the
real reason she refused to go on a date I was reeling.

I’d
been furious at first. I hated lies and being kept in the dark, Roberta had
made a fool of me, and I was determined it would never happen again. As I
realised what she’d been through, I knew this wasn’t about me and when she sat
in my apartment, trying to explain herself, it all made sense.

Jess
was hardwired to protecting the one thing she loved above all else and that
inner strength and determination only made me crave her more. She was
inexperienced, young and naive in many ways, but in others she had a maturity
that belied her age and the heart of a fucking lion.

 
I smiled. At one time that had been my main
concern; that she wouldn’t have what it took to take me on and that I’d crush
her under my will like a fragile butterfly in a grip that was just too strong. What
a fucking joke. I was the butterfly, caught in the jar by her tender hand and
flapping aimlessly in a glass prison, waiting for a sign. The only freedom I
needed was the one that would come with eternal capture.

I
wanted to fix every problem she had, protect her and cherish her. I wanted to
hold her as I slept and kiss her when she woke. I wanted all of her, not some
compartmentalised half existence, limited to three times a week at the club and
the occasional fucking sleepover. She came as a package and I wanted in, but
I’d handled it all wrong. I’d reverted to type and used every weapon in my
arsenal to force my hand. I’d demanded, thrown money at it, persuaded, encouraged
and pushed for closure, angry when I didn’t get my way. It was the only way I
could deal with the uncertainty.

It
was only now I was starting to realise that my complex little enigma was
actually the simplest puzzle I had ever tried to solve. Outside the bedroom she
wanted to be asked, not told; needed to do things on her timeframe and not
mine.

Jess
wasn’t trying to manipulate me, it was the other way around, and she wasn’t the
only one in this relationship who needed to learn patience.

Last
night I’d lost mine. I get what I want and I push for it always. That will
never change, but this beautiful girl had pushed back. She didn’t need force,
but to be cared for and cultivated, nurtured and cherished, rewarded for her
trust, reassured about her insecurities and allowed the time to grow. She’d
thought I was fucking jealous of Max and the way I’d responded I wasn’t
surprised.

I
didn’t enjoy seeing his hand on her arm, but it wasn’t that, it was what he
said. “Let me know when you tire of her.” I’d been raging, wanting to annihilate
the man whose reputation preceded him and gave people the right to say that. Maybe
I deserved it for the way I went through submissives, but I hadn’t turned that
anger inwards. Instead, like Jess with her jealousy, I took it out on the very
person who deserved it least.

I
wanted everyone in that club to know that Jess wasn’t just a temporary fling, and
destroying that list had been cathartic. Only later when the anger started to
subside did I realise I might have destroyed her, or us. Christ, I should have
just called her, but I hadn’t. It wasn’t enough. I needed to show her,
demonstrate just what her and her son meant to me, give the grand gesture after
the presentation and leave her in no doubt. I wanted them in my life and I
wanted them there permanently. They’d liked it, but that was hardly the point.

Tonight
wouldn’t be about grand gestures. I needed to be honest and tell her how I
felt. From there it would be her choice to do whatever she decided with that
information. I hated being out of control, but I had to be. With Jess there was
no other way.

I
would utter those three words, take a risk and await the fallout.

I
lifted my head, standing and walking over to her as she exited the bathroom,
trying to read her expression. I’d pushed it for the last time with the
girlfriend comment. I ran my hands over her body, needing to feel her as she
clung on tight.

I
traced my way up her smooth thighs; lifting the sheer silk negligee and feeling
the buds of her nipples tighten against my chest, sucking her bottom lip as she
pouted. There was sympathy for my loss etched in every feature of her face and
there was pain in her eyes, hurt and fear, for everything she’d had to endure
and for me. All I wanted was to take it away.

Jess
would ease my pain with her body, and I would ease hers. When we were done, she
would know how I felt. She’d have it all and I was giving it to her, however
much she protested. She may not be ready to return it completely, but I knew
she felt it too. It was there in those dark brown pools, open and honest,
gazing up at me as she tentatively ran soft hands across my body that was radiating
the same intense heat it always held for her.

She
had that look tonight, the one I loved, as though I was some fucking deity, not
just a man, and the swell in my heart was indescribable. She always told me
with her body what she couldn’t with her lips and with that silky, pale
porcelain skin, she never held back. Physically she gave me everything and
always had.

Tonight
I didn’t want to dominate, just lose myself in that tender flesh and accept the
unique comfort that she offered with her honesty and openness. I didn’t want to
fuck, I wanted to make love; give the affection and take it, accept her into my
soul as I possessed her body and she possessed me.

I
watched her fall under my spell as I fell under hers, drowning in her soft,
compliant lips as I lifted her backwards onto the bed, discarding my shorts and
burying myself inside that hot, tight pussy that was as wet and ready for me as
it always was and it felt fucking heavenly.

 
My cock was harder than it had ever been as I
felt her clench and
tighten
around me. Sweet, breathy
moans escaped her mouth, like a siren’s call to my rawest primal self, making
me drive faster and deeper inside her, claiming every inch of her and making
her mine.