Mortal Siege
Page 6
“Oh, I know.”
Lips pursed, he nods, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows on the right side of my office. “So this isn’t an actual business meeting. You’re up to something.”
“Guessing your experience dealing with your brother is what gave me away?”
Uncle Richard scowls at my light tone. “You have no idea how many times I had to help clean up his messes, Drew.”
“Well, then, as I said. You have experience, Uncle.” The beep of my intercom sounds out on my desk. Before Lexi’s new assistant starts talking, I can already see it’s her from where she’s sitting at the second desk I had installed out there.
This one much smaller and directly across from Lexi’s.
“Mr. Drevlow, your 9:30 is here,” Ms. Rhines announces over the speaker.
“Let her in as soon as she’s here. Thank you.”
With a slow exhale, my uncle slides the papers with the fake Providence specs across the dark surface of the boardroom table. “What is your goal here, Andrew? Might as well tell me before she arrives. At least that.”
“She’s spying for Menahan and thinks I don’t suspect,” I reply as Kaylee comes into view at the entry to the hallway leading to the elevator bank.
Uncle Richard curses under his breath.
In true privileged fashion, she ignores Ms. Rhines, even as the shy girl rises to her feet to greet her. Head held high, body encased in a dark purple business suit, she walks straight to the glass wall, already knowing it’s going to open for her.
“Good morning Ms. Whittacker,” I greet in a flat tone, making damn sure she doesn’t find anything in it that could be construed as an invitation.
Lexi’s only been back in my life half-a-week, but she’s it for me. It. Stating that I’m faithful to her is an understatement. As I told Asad when I tried to warn him off her, it goes farther than that.
“Good morning Ms. Whittacker,” my uncle parrots, standing as he greets her.
Kaylee nods in his direction, barely glancing his way.
Those dark blues eyes are fixated on me.
“I was wondering when the CFO would make his appearance,” she says, sitting at the other end of the table.
My uncle and I follow suit, taking our own seats.
Kaylee’s gaze flitters around the room. “I was expecting your right-hand to also be here, Drew.”
The glass wall slides open once more.
“Oh, I am.”
Startled, I watch as Lexi walks into the office, her baring even more regal than Kaylee’s.
Her outfit’s white and hugs every curve. That’s all I can make out of it. My eyes are glued to that beautiful face—to the riot of big, loose curls around her head.
My curls. The ones I missed to death and was dying to see.
Smiling at me, Lexi keeps on walking. At first, I think she’s heading for her seat, already instinctively knowing she belongs at my side.
But the way she’s looking at me.
Fuck, those lips.
Tilting my head back, I watch her come close, my heart pounding.
Then, in front of both Kaylee and my uncle, Lexi stops next to me, cups my jaw, and leans down to cover my lips with hers.
chapter 15
i ’m a livewire of pure sex in two-point-five seconds flat.
Lexi’s slick tongue slides into me and my hands curl around the armrests as I struggle to remain seated.
To control the horny sounds echoing in my throat.
To not slam her right onto this boardroom table, in front of both my uncle and my ex, and give her this dick until she can’t see straight.
She eases away, planting soft kisses on my lips that make my insides curl into themselves, leaving me a panting, confused mess.
My uncle is glaring at both of us.
Smiling with those kiss swollen lips, Lexi turns to Kaylee.
“Little inappropriate, don’t you think?” Kaylee asks archly.
Without missing a beat, Lexi drags my own printouts her way and makes quick work of flipping through them. “I apologized. I get carried away when I’m left missing my man.”
Fuccccckkkk. My dick’s hard enough to leave me completely addled. Even worse, if my uncle just happens to move a few inches to his right and drop his stare, he might just see it tenting my dress pants.
Clearing my throat, I lick my lips, tasting Lexi on them. “I apologize as well, Ms. Whittacker. I’m sure you know how it is.” Leaning forward, I grab the small remote next to my right hand and press the button to turn on the projection on the black wall behind me. When I take her in again, she’s busy fighting back the bitterness that wants to break through.
Ah. Thinking about me, is she?
Odd, that. Our relationship was nothing but sex, problems, and the understanding that she wanted to marry me a hell of a lot more than I wanted to marry her. I was just doing what my father wanted back then.
But we cheated on each other. Constantly. She even fucked my friends during one of our off-periods. Why this hang up, this seemingly obsessive rumination of what we once were, is beyond me.
A small hand lands on my knee beneath the table.
Lexi.
My attention would never stray from her like that, but her possessiveness does nothing but ramp me up to an insane level. Fine tremors spread from my fingers to my hands as I try to get my mind back in the game. “If you’re ready to begin, I’d like to give you the breakdown on the Providence goggles and what we’re trying to achieve here.”
Finally lowering her stare, Kaylee grabs the papers I left her to flick through them.
Lexi arches an eyebrow at me, already aware that those aren’t the real specs.
Uncle Richard is alternating between analyzing Kaylee, Lexi, and myself, and I don’t need to be a mind reader to know that dangerous mind is working at the speed of light.
I’ll deal with that later.
Usually, I’d stand for these types of presentations, but that’s not happening with the way my dick’s pounding.
I twist my chair to half-face the projection and Kaylee before beginning my false rundown of what the goggles consist of, which software language we’re using, and what our goals are. Kaylee brings out a tablet at some point, taking notes, yet there’s no doubt in my mind she has a recording program running on that device.
It’s okay, though. When my eyes move in Lexi’s direction, she’s staring down at her own tablet, and although it takes all my willpower not to get sucked in by the vision of her face surrounded by those curls, I can’t help but internally smirk.
There’s no way my girl isn’t attempting some sort of hack into Kaylee’s software. No way.
I close the presentation with a quick list of all the things I’d like Kaylee’s company to develop for the platform.
Kaylee lowers the tablet, nodding, and takes me by surprise when she turns to my uncle. “And what do you think of all this?”
She’s a fool. An inexperienced fool that suspects something but doesn’t understand one very basic fact: my uncle isn’t the weakest link here. He’ll never be. Even if I wanted to force him into the role, there’s too much Drevlow in him.
“I believe your company is especially suited to create the user experience we most desire for the goggles,” he answers, not missing a beat. “The question is if you can develop what we need within the timeframe we request.”
Another nod and a low hum that raises my hackles. “Of course, we can. It’s dependent upon your development team, mostly. Tell me”—smiling a sweet smile, she turns her chair in Lexi’s direction—“will your ex Paul be able to get my team the basic code for the platform by end of today?”
Lexi’s slow inhale barely penetrates.
My uncles wide stare, as well.
An avalanche of contradicting impulses falls over me, heart pounding with disbelief, fury, and a jealousy so vile that the world is warped around me.
Under the table, Lexi’s hand squeezes around my knee.
She wanted this.
She succeeded.
She’s just unleashed an evil in this building that nothing might be able to contain.
An irrational, greedy force we’ll all have to deal with later.
But I’ll be damned if I give her the satisfaction of knowing that.
“Paul isn’t my ex, Kaylee. Thank you for your professionalism.” Expression eerily calm, Lexi smiles at her. “I’ll make sure he gets it to you by later today. Just make sure your lover Stephen doesn’t get his hands on them, as per our contractual agreement.”
Kaylee’s jaw twitches, no doubt annoyed by Lexi’s curt tone, but she’s still analyzing me.
Looking for my weakness.
A cold smile, one as cold as the blood in my veins at this moment, stretches across my lips. “You heard her, Ms. Whittacker. Have a good day.”
chapter 16
s econds tick by after Kaylee’s departure.
My uncle hasn’t moved from his seat and I can feel his stare on my face.
Lexi’s hand remains on my knee.
Neither one of them have said anything. Both waiting me out.
Do I look that fucking scary right now?
“Uncle Richard, I’ll meet you downstairs in your office before lunch.” My voice is steady as hell considering how unnatural my reaction is.
Paul’s words earlier this week ring between my ears. “I’d follow that girl anywhere and she knows it.”
“Drew, if you don’t mind, I’d rather discuss this plan of—”
“I mind,” I interrupt my uncle, eyes fixed straight ahead.
“Drew,” Lexi admonishes softly, squeezing my knee.
The sound of her voice is another flashback-inducer. I’m catapulted to the night I injected her with the tracker. “Tried to feel something with someone else, but felt nothing.”
Uncle Richard pushes back his chair and stands. “Twenty minutes, Andrew.”
I have no response to offer him. It’s taking all my effort to contain myself. I watch him make his way out of my office, past the reception area, and take the right turn to the elevator bank.
Lexi whispers my name again.
“Paul, Lexi? Fucking Paul?” I ask her, envisioning the lanky, blue-eyed, lead-developer of my software department.
“Drew . . . it didn’t happen recently—”
“Paul, Lexi?” I’m in complete disbelief, my insides churning. It’s a sickening sensation, one I have no right to feel.
Not after the last four years.
What I did once I could no longer turn to the drugs again.
Lexi obviously remembers this. With an angry exhale, she spins away from me and shoots to my feet. “Be fucking reasonable—”
“Reasonable?” I hiss, right hand curling into a tight fist.
Light gray eyes narrowed behind her thick, black frames, Lexi spins back in my direction, curls bouncing.
The possessive heat in my veins slams straight into my cock. It pulses, distending, and all I can see is myself deep inside her, flooding her with come.
“I can’t even begin to imagine how many there’s been since I disappeared . . .” Lexi trails off, throwing me the mother of all glares.
Then, before I can react, she snatches her tablet and phone off the board table. She’s stomping towards the sliding glass door in red-bottomed white heels next.
I snap.
I’m at my desk before she makes it to the door, my hand pressed to the button that controls the glass. I hear the exact moment she realizes it won’t be opening for her.
Her low, feminine growl sends a lick of heat through me. “I’m going to ask you just once: leave Paul alone. It wasn’t his fault.”
“So you fucking went after him?” I shoot over my shoulder, incredulous. Can’t kill him. Can’t kill him. Can’t. Fucking. Kill. Him.
“It doesn’t matter how it happened!” Lexi shouts at me.
Slamming my left fist into the repaired, glass surface of my desk, I face her. “Don’t you fucking tell me it doesn’t matter!”
Lexi’s tablet goes skidding along the boardroom table. “How many, Drew?”
I press the button to fog the windows before Ms. Rhines realizes what’s happening in here.
Fuck it, she probably already did.
“None of them are here, Lexi. None. Of. Them.”
Cheeks flushing, Lexi cuts her hand through the air. “One of them just was!”
“I never slept with her after tasing you. I left her for you! That night, right before you left me!”
Ah, fuck. I realize too late what I’ve just done when her eyes flash with remembered pain. She’s still processing the fact that she left for no reason. That had she just stayed behind with me, asked me about it, maybe things would’ve turned out differently.
Perhaps Stephen wouldn’t have abused her.
“God, I’m sorry.” Running a hand down my face, I fight the maddening images in my head. “But how many times, Lexi?” I ask in a hoarse voice. “How many times did Paul have you?”
The pain vanishes, replaced by her indignant fury. “Nowhere near as many times as you probably fucked Stephen’s toy from last night. Because it must’ve been more than once if she remembers it and wants it again so badly!” she shouts back.
“I’m going to ruin her for you. Even Kaylee. I’ll destroy any of them you ask me to in order to make this better for you . . . yet here you are defending him and asking me to leave him alone!”
“Drew . . . he’s been so loyal—”
“Because he’s fucking in love with you, Lexi!” That’s what I saw in his gaze that day when I met him. When he spoke about following my girl anywhere. The thought is a spinning blade along my mind. Reason shouts that Lexi is right, that I’m the biggest hypocrite here, but all I can think is that there’s a man working in this building—my building—that I pay an insane salary to . . .
And who’s still in love with the only woman I’ve ever needed!
I slam the button to unlock the glass wall.
“Drew? Drew! Where are you going?” Lexi cries out, watching me walk by with wide eyes.
Ms. Rhines does her best to avoid staring, but no one can fault her for the way her stare flickers towards us.
Lexi follows me to the elevator bank, her heels clicking in rapid succession behind me. “Andrew Drevlow, what are you planning on doing?”
I walk into one of the waiting elevators without a responding and press the button to close the door.
There’s a flash of white, then Lexi’s there, forcing her way past the sliding doors.
Cursing under my breath, I ignore her, pressing the button for the lowest level of the building.
“Drew, what the fuck are you planning on doing?” she snaps as we begin our descent.
“You allowed your lover to follow you here, Lexi. Now I’m going to make damn sure he understands some very important facts.”
chapter 17
“h
e’s not my lover!” Lexi yells at my back as we exit the elevator. It’s the third time she’s repeating it. She spent the whole ride down here reiterating it.
“He still wants to be,” I growl, eyes already locked on the scanner that’ll open the doors to the software division.
Lexi speeds up to catch me. “Andrew, stop. Please. Listen to me. You can’t do this in front of all the employees. What if word gets out to Menahan?”
Good. Then he’ll also understand why lusting after what belongs to me means a one-way ticket to sheer hell.
As luck would have it, the doors slide open just as we approach and Paul Rundlett himself walks out. His eyebrows rise with surprise at seeing us. “Mr. Drevlow. Lexi. How can I help you?” The doors slide closed, leaving only us in this hallway.
I’m Mr. Drevlow but she’s just Lexi.
Irrational. I’m aware of this on a deeper level.
Doe
sn’t mean I’m not coming at him.
He has a split second to realize what the expression on my face means, to see that I’m gunning for him with clenched fists, and he stumbles back a step.
Fisting his blazer, I yank him first into him, then push him back into the wall.
Lexi fists my own blazer, tugging on it, trying to get me away from him—trying to protect him. “Andrew!”
The shock has fled Paul’s face and he meets my gaze head on. “I’m guessing you found out about us.”
I’m in his face just like that, teeth bared, blood pumping with madness. “There is no ‘us’ when it comes to you and her. That’s step one for you when it comes to our new understanding.”
Lexi rushes around me, trying to put herself between us. “Stop this. Now. It’s not his fault.”
Lip curling with disdain, I stare the man up and down, fists tightening around his jacket. “And that’s a serious problem for you, Mr. Rundlett.”
Something must’ve shifted in my expression, because I see the first hint of trepidation flash through his own. “With all due respect, Mr. Drevlow, I don’t think this reaction is the healthiest.”
Lexi groans, knowing that was the worst thing he could’ve said.
I pull him off the wall before slamming him back on it. “Your obsession with my woman isn’t the healthiest either, is it?” I ask him in a calm, silky tone. “When’s the last time you had her?”
“Don’t answer that, Paul!”
“He’s going to fucking answer it if he wants to live.”
Again, that slight sense of panic invades his gaze. “You’re crazy,” he hisses, reaching for my wrists.
I slam him back into the wall. “Answer me. Now.”
His face reddens on impact. “A year ago! It was a year ago!”
Lexi grunts, her attempts to get between us doing nothing but making my determination that much larger.
Teeth bared, I lean closer to his face. “And how many times?”
He begins struggling in my grip, clearly accepting the fact that his well-being is in serious danger. “Why does that—”