Wicked Lovers 07 Ours to Love (11 page)

“Awkward?” Alyssa shot her a suspicious glare. “Okay, what happened? The
whole
story.”

He stripped me naked and put his mouth on my pink parts and made me scream with incredible
pleasure.
Best not to say that. “We had a misunderstanding. Nothing major. I just think it
would be less embarrassing if we didn’t run into one another again.”

This time, her cousin hesitated even longer. “That’s probably for the best. He’s . . .
way too much for you.”

Her cousin’s words echoed her own suspicions, but it irked London. “What do you mean?”

“Well, if you were going to learn to fly a plane, I wouldn’t recommend that you start
with an F-22.”

“Meaning?” London probed.

“He goes fast, baby girl. To call him a playboy would be a huge understatement, like
saying Luc can boil water.”

In other words, Xander was really talented. Yeah, she already knew that firsthand.
And if he was brilliant orally, it stood to reason that he’d be great with other horizontal
activities. Heck, he could probably wow her standing or sitting or . . . The thought
made her squirm in her seat. “I see.”

“No, you probably don’t.” Alyssa surged into traffic as the light turned green. “Xander
isn’t just a rich, very charming playboy, he’s a Dom.”

“A what?”

Alyssa blinked, looking as if she’d rather not be having this conversation, as if
she was having to explain the birds and the bees to a child. London bristled. She
was naïve, not stupid.

“A sexual Dominant.”

She had only the vaguest idea what that meant from a few books she’d read and some
of the conversations she’d listened in on among Luc’s friends. But given the deep
timbre, the snap in Xander’s voice when he commanded her to do something, Lys’ words
shouldn’t surprise her. “He likes to tie women up and hurt them?”

“I don’t know his particular kink. I’m sure he ties them up. I’ve never heard that
he’s a sadist, just that he likes females in abundant supply and under his control.
Probably best that you didn’t go out with him.”

Probably so, but still she wanted to understand her cousin’s insistence. “He just
suggested lunch. What could he really do to me in a public place?”

“He’s clever. I wouldn’t put much past him. If you’re looking for someone to date,
I’d pick someone a bit younger and less likely to seduce you in the first ten minutes.”

London frowned. Hadn’t she thought the same thing herself? Besides, following Alyssa’s
advice would be the cautious thing to do. But she’d been cautious for as long as she
could remember, staying in her wheelchair until every specialist had given her the
green light to progress, not walking unassisted until her physical therapist had browbeat
her into grabbing some independence. She had skipped celebrating her twenty-first
birthday in favor of studying for finals and not having to go to a bar where she’d
be pitied for her lack of mobility. It had taken her father’s sudden death from a
heart attack two years ago to realize that life was short and she was wasting hers
away by bowing to fear.

“Maybe I want to be seduced,” she admitted softly.

Alyssa whipped her gaze around and blinked at her in stunned silence.

“I’m twenty-five. Most people my age have experienced
some
romantic milestones in their lives by now.” Before today, the highlight of her romantic
past had been a sloppy kiss from Justin Chambers at the homecoming dance in the tenth
grade.

“I know, sweetie. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t date and experience men, just
that . . . with Xander it would be over about an hour after it began.”

She was probably stupid to believe that she could handle such a man for even that
long. No doubt, ending their brief association had been the right move. “But at least
I’d have some experience.”

“Oh, you would.” Alyssa nodded. “But could you live with a hit-and-run?”

Would it be? Probably. When she’d been the one to insist on leaving, she’d probably
thrown him for a loop. But really, out of sight would be out of mind for him. He’d
probably never call her. And even if he did . . . Well, that was that.

The only other man she’d like to date was his brother. But besides being her new boss,
he seemed like a grieving widower leaning on alcohol to make it through the day. Javier
had problems. And she was insane to assume that he would ever think of her as a potential
date. Starting Monday, they’d have a strictly working relationship.

“It’s a moot point. I said no. Xander has no idea who I am. I don’t see why our paths
would cross again.” She winced. “Except that I’ll be working for his brother.”

Alyssa’s face softened. “I feel so bad for Javier. I don’t know all the details, but
that man’s life has fallen apart in the last year. If Xander has forced him to spend
six weeks here to sober up and refocus on his responsibilities, Javier must be one
bottle away from total collapse.”

London believed that. The man who had interviewed her today had been hanging onto
his self-possession by a thread. London had the feeling that as soon as she left the
office, he’d disappear into his bottle for the night. Something about the desperate
yearning on his face made her want to save him. God, that didn’t sound smart. After
her own difficulties, she always wanted to help others climb their personal mountains.
But getting too wrapped up in Javier . . . she could already see that he was too proud
to want her help. If she tried, she’d only crash and burn.

“Well, starting Monday, my job will be to make his work life easier. Hopefully, that
will ease his load some.” She was going to be his assistant,
not
his savior. While avoiding his brother.

Not for one moment did she think that would be easy.

Chapter Six

M
ONDAY
morning, Alyssa dropped London off at S.I. Industries’ office shortly before eight
thirty a.m. She paced the abandoned hallway until Javier arrived a few minutes later,
looking completely put together and so insanely hot that he made her weak-kneed. He’d
gotten a haircut over the weekend. The shorter style accentuated the slashes of his
cheekbones. He’d paired his sharp charcoal suit with a burgundy shirt. Everything
fit like it had been made for his body. Given the quality of the fabric and the stitching,
it probably had.

He approached her silently on Italian leather loafers, his gait relaxed, just like
his smile. She smiled in return. It was a reflex, both because it was polite and because
she couldn’t not turn her lips up at the gorgeous man. She couldn’t read his enigmatic
expression precisely, but the fact that he looked almost happy lightened her heart.
Maybe they’d have smooth sailing today.

“Good morning.” His deep voice pinged inside her.

London hoped Javier didn’t notice the little tremor of excitement that went through
her. He was her boss. She had to remember that. “Good morning, sir.”

Javier handed her a ring with two keys and pressed it into her palm. She blinked up
at him in question as he turned to the office door and unlocked it. “The first opens
the office door. If you’re ever here before I am, let yourself in.”

“Oh, that’s great. Thank you.” The little show of his trust made her determined to
truly earn it and be an important asset to him. Granted, he was only going to be here
for a few weeks, and she would have to earn the right to keep her job longer than
that, but London was determined to do it. If she needed to relocate, she’d figure
it out, but at least she’d be employed.

“You won’t, however, be staying later than me. I won’t have you risk your safety by
working in a deserted office or walking in an empty parking lot alone. Are we clear?”

London nodded. Under his drinking and his problems, he was a caring person. She liked
that about him. “Of course.”

“Excellent. The second key is to my rental house.”

She started, peering at him in confusion. She couldn’t have heard that right. “Your
house, sir?”

His gaze slid away, and he focused on opening the door. “Clearly, you know that I’m
fond of vodka. And now that my playboy brother and I are no longer sharing a house . . .
well, let’s just say that if I ever fail to appear at the office by noon, please come
find me. I’ll be asking for your phone number and texting you the address in the next
few minutes. You don’t have any problems with that, I trust?”

London tried to process all that as Javier opened the door and gestured her into the
office. Shadows clung, and he flipped on all the lights, chasing them away. She hoped
shock didn’t show all over her face.

“N-no, but I . . . I’m afraid I don’t understand. If you failed to appear by noon,
wouldn’t you want me to get in touch with your brother? He’s family, after all. You
barely know me, sir.”

“Xander and I are currently not speaking. I don’t anticipate that changing anytime
soon. I forbid you to call him on my behalf for any reason.” And his tone told her
that was the end of that conversation. Prying now would be a bad idea. But that didn’t
stop the vicious curiosity.

“All right.”

“You’re keeping the thousand questions assaulting your brain to yourself. Good.” Javier
closed the door behind him and strode across the floor to her desk, just outside the
inner office he occupied. “Discretion is a very important part of this job. We’re
often dealing in government secrets. As such, I’ve got some NDAs for you to fill out.”
He grabbed them out of a drawer and set them on her desk in the front part of the
office, along with a pen, then he looked at her expectantly.

She followed him, then set down her purse on the corner of the desk. Frowning, she
looked between him and the forms in question. “NDAs?”

“Nondisclosure agreements. You are not at liberty to say who you work for, what you
do, divulge any information you come across, or photocopy, photograph, or otherwise
record in any way the information you see while working here, blah, blah, blah. It’s
all in black-and-white. Read it and come to me with any questions.”

London nodded. “Um, m-my cousin and her husband already know that I’m working for
you.”

He raised a displeased brow. “Your cousin
and
her husband?”

“Alyssa and Luc? I live with them, and they—”

“Ah, I’d wondered how you knew Morgan. It was too much to hope that she’d worked with
you previously or was one of your neighbors.” He sighed. “Everyone here is some friend
of my brother’s. I suppose you know the annoying shitbag, too?”

London couldn’t help it. A hot rush of blood flushed its way up her face. “He seemed
charming.”

Javier cursed under his breath. “I don’t want the details. I’ll pretend I don’t know
far too much about my brother’s . . . proclivities and we’ll leave it at that.”

Somehow, London feared that she’d upset him. “I-I don’t know him well. We just—”

“I already know. While you work for me, I don’t want to hear a word about Xander.
Understood?”

She didn’t understand it and had the distinct impression that the possibility that
she’d slept with Xander upset him. But she didn’t say anything more. “Yes, sir.”

“Tell no one else who you work for, especially not Xander. I don’t need him to babysit
me, and I won’t let him use you to do it for him. If I find out that you’ve breathed
a word about anything that happens in this office to him, you’re fired.”

Wow. Okay, then.
His words alone communicated the gravity of his command, but the stern expression
on his face really underscored it.
Bad blood much?
London didn’t understand, and she was just here to do a job. But she had to admit
that their intense sibling rivalry bothered her.

“That won’t be a problem, sir.”

“Very good.” He extracted another key and opened the door to his interior office,
then turned back to her. “I tried to stock your desk with everything you might need,
but take a look around and let me know what you’re missing. When you’ve signed the
NDAs, give them to me. Your e-mail should be set up. Please send me a quick message
with your cell number and any upcoming doctor appointments you might have.”

London jotted down a few notes so she didn’t forget anything. “I will.”

“For my edification, do you take any medication for your condition during the day?”

She shook her head, trying not to let that feeling of defeat creep in. She’d refused
to continue feeling broken or letting her limitations stop her from performing the
duties of her first-ever job. “I take most before bed or with breakfast.”

He nodded once. “I expect if that changes you’ll inform me.”

“Sir, even if it changes, I won’t let the meds interfere with my performance.”

His gaze softened. “I believe you. I simply wanted to watch after you. This job is
demanding, and I won’t have you sacrificing your health for it.”

Inside, she melted. Under all that stern control and intimidating mien, he’d twice
shown that he cared about people. It was kind of sweet . . . and he’d probably drop
her with one of those razor-sharp glances if she suggested that aloud. “Thank you.”

With a nod, he disappeared into his office, shutting the door behind him. She quickly
completed all the items on her checklist, stunned by the shiny new laptop and all
the first-rate supplies in her desk. He’d thought of everything and then some. The
matching desk set looked both feminine and expensive. The desk phone was light and
state-of-the-art. Her three-hole punch wasn’t mere plastic. With its sturdy metal
base, it appeared strong enough to transform a tome into a binder-ready document in
a snap.

After sending the e-mail with her phone number, she picked up her signed forms, along
with a pad of paper and a pencil, then knocked on his door.

“Yes.” From the little vertical window along the wall separating them, she could see
that he hadn’t even looked up.

Hesitant, she opened the door and walked to the far side of his desk. “Here are the
forms all signed. I understand completely.”

She set them on the desk between them, and he reached for the papers, scanning each
for her signature. “Thank you.” Just then, his e-mail dinged, and he looked at his
computer screen, a little smile hovering over his lips. “And your cell number. Excellent.”
He input it into his own phone, then looked at her expectantly. “Anything else?”

“I have plenty of supplies. Thank you, sir. I’m settled and ready for work.” She sat
gingerly in the chair opposite him and lifted her pad and pencil. “What can I do for
you today?”

Javier sighed, then paused, clearly sorting through a mental list a mile long. “The
first thing I need in order to successfully work remotely from the rest of the company
is a better communication method with some of my head R & D researchers. Find me a
secure video-conferencing service that isn’t terrible and won’t cost me half my fortune,
if you can.”

She jotted the note. “Any service you’ve tried and ruled out?”

He rattled off a few names, and she noted those as well. “I’ll get right on that.”

“Work on this, too.” He tossed a file folder across the desk at her. “The head of
security is having a conniption about this list of spare system log-ins, but the VP
of R & D says they need all these. I haven’t had time to sort it all out. Why they’re
coming to the CEO with their squabbles, I have no idea. Would you also read through
last year’s statement to our board of directors. Our next one will be due in a month
or so. The previous one was a hot mess. Last June wasn’t good for me.” He cleared
his throat, clearly dismissing the topic. “This year, I’m determined to make the report
spectacular.”

Hadn’t Kata said that Javier lost his wife about a year ago? If he’d been grieving,
of course the report hadn’t been his best work. Why hadn’t someone taken that off
his plate? “Do you have reports from previous years that you’d like me to emulate?”

“Not really. Put your own stamp on it. I’ll give you the name of a contact in our
public affairs department who can help you compile the numbers and facts you’ll need.
She’ll work with you to format something. But if it looks or reads anything like last
year’s, please change everything. I’d like to see a draft in two weeks.”

London gave him a shaky nod. “Understood. Anything else?”

“Not at the moment.” He returned to looking at the stacks of papers on his desk.

She frowned. “Didn’t I file those during my interview?”

“Most of them, yes. I keep referring back to them.” He peered closer, dropping his
massive shoulders, then pulling back to bring the pages into focus. “But they’re damn
hard to read.”

Hmm.
She hadn’t had that problem. “Maybe I should scan them for you so you can view them
on your monitor and make them as big as you’d like. Squinting at them is bound to
give you a headache.”

“Good idea.” He scooped all the papers up and handed them to her. “When you’re done,
you can file them again.”

“I’d planned on it.” She stood and hovered awkwardly. “When was the last time you
had your eyes checked, sir? I could make you an appointment.”

“I may be older than you, but I assure you, I’m not ancient.” His expression warned
her not to speak another word in that direction.

“I wasn’t—”

Javier cut her off by holding up a single finger. “That will be all, thank you.”

She closed her mouth, feeling somewhere between chastised and frustrated. But she
couldn’t get into an argument with her boss on the first day. Normally, she didn’t
have much of a temper . . . but at the moment, she resisted the urge to stamp a foot
and at least demand that he let her finish a sentence. It was for his own good.

London pivoted on one heel and stalked toward her desk. “Bossiness runs in the family.”

“I heard that.” He sounded like he was laughing.

Turning back, she leaned into the doorway. “It’s true.”

Something passed over his face. “You have no idea, little one.”

That comment made her shiver. Xander had said something very similar. What the hell
did it mean? She had the feeling he’d hidden a wealth of meaning there and that if
she dug for it, she could open a proverbial Pandora’s box. “Before I work on the items
you gave me, should I bring you coffee?”

He gave her a longing look, then shook his head. “Tyler—have you met him?”

She nodded. “A couple of times.”

“Yeah, he’s been appointed as my personal trainer while I’m in Lafayette. He’s . . .
an aerobic sadist who’s got me on so much organic and natural food, I think my body’s
gone into shock. If I drank coffee, he’d only have me run an extra few miles.”

London tried to hold it back, but it was no use. She laughed. “You poor man. I’m sure
it’s better for you or something. I’ll think of you while I imbibe my caffeinated
battery acid.”

“If I smell it, you’ll regret it.”

He tossed the words back playfully, but somehow she rather thought he meant them.

Shaking her head ruefully, she shut the door between them and made her way back to
her desk to begin work. The video-conferencing problem wouldn’t be solved in ten minutes,
but it didn’t take her long to find a few viable options. She gathered information
from all of the possible vendors, then compiled it, planning to present it to Javier
at the end of the day. The folder of security’s beefs was a bit harder to understand.
Why on earth were they bothering a CEO about extra log-ins to the company’s major
database that hadn’t been deactivated? Someone very zealous in the security department
had looked at each account and flagged a few with what he called “suspicious” activity.

Frowning, she called the man, Doug Maynard. He explained the situation. London tried
to grasp everything he said.