Unless he used Luke’s famous private entrance. A rush spread through her, yeah, Luke hit her private entrance.
“I didn’t think I had to say anything to you.” His bossy voice yanked her back. “I didn’t know you guys were buddies.”
“I don’t have fuck buddies like you and that Victoria.” She air quoted with her fingers.
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s low, counselor. I’m talking about something important here.”
“You’re right. Sorry.” She looked away, annoyed she let these dates consume her with angst to the point she couldn’t think straight sometimes.
“Tristan and I already agreed not to drink around him. If you’re gonna be hanging out with him...” He peered at her.
“I won’t be hanging out with him.” She didn’t think for one moment Gray had any actual interest in her. “But I told him I’d give him a hand until he gets his own assistant.”
“You did?” Luke let go, looking at her like she was crazy.
“Why is that so hard to believe?” Her skin cooled way too easily without him touching her. “I’m in law school. Did my high recommendation give you the impression somewhere I was a slouch and didn’t like hard work? Or didn’t like helping people who need it? Did my advisor fail to mention how many hours I worked at food banks during undergrad?”
“No.” He plowed his hand through a perfectly styled coif of hair. He must have realized he was all dolled up when he hit a hunk of gel. The jerky movement of yanking his hand away, snapped one of his cufflinks right off. “Shit,” he said, glancing on the marble floor around them.
“I see it.” She bent down and clasped the gold square. “Give me your sleeve.”
He shot it toward her with a sneaky smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Call me ma’am again and we’ll have a bigger problem than we have now.” Ignoring his chuckle, she fastened the cufflink and smoothed it under his tux jacket. “Those are gorgeous.”
“They were my dad’s.”
She was surprised to hear him mention his dad. The Sterling had been Mr. Hart senior’s hotel, yet no one ever brought him up. Lexi wondered if he was like Voldemort, he who shall not be named.
“Wear them in good health as my Nana would say.” She folded her arms tight against her chest.
“Thank you.” He fingered his sleeves with a satisfied smile. “Look, I’m not making Gray your responsibility. I just want you to understand what’s going on.”
“Why?” she asked because he’d done nothing but push her away, yet there he was drawing her in all of a sudden.
“Because we’re a family. And with Laney now helping with the renovation...” His eyes flickered taking in Lexi’s face.
And...you doing the contract that will help with the survival of the hotel, she hoped came off his lips next.
With each day that passed she grew more attached to the Hart family. The secrets they were each sharing with her.
“Sir?” A man’s voice called out over her shoulder. “Miss Holden is waiting.”
Grrr.
“Right. Thanks, Tom.” Luke dragged in a breath. “We’ll talk more about Gray if you want, on...Monday.”
Another weekend would go by without a word from him. That hurt the most. She was right there. Under the same roof. She couldn’t make it any easier for the man.
“Take me on a date,” she pushed out on a whisper and her heart sank watching Luke’s face fall.
Right away she knew she messed up. If he’d been on the fence at all, it didn’t show. In fact, he looked like she just pushed him over to the other side again. “Lexi, that’s not the best idea.”
“Says you.” She took a breath.
He lifted his eyes to her, but his face turned lethal. “I won’t use you again. I didn’t know where the other night would lead. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Neither was I. That’s why it was so perfect.”
Beneath his open tux jacket, his dress shirt stretched tight against his pecks. The pocket had a little embroidered LH. She remembered the stitching of the button hem on the shirt he wore the night they met, but she never caught the monogram.
Feeling bold, she ran her fingers along the threads now. “Did you wear this shirt that night?” she asked, low and throaty. Feeling possessive and angry that another woman would be taking it off of him in a few hours.
He looked down, not backing away. “I...I don’t remember. The housekeeper drops our shirts off at the dry cleaner. I just grab the next clean one.”
“I can’t wait for the day when I lose track of hundred-dollar shirts.”
“It may have cost more than that.” He gave her a perfect smile.
Now she felt confused. Why was he letting her touch him? She’d gotten used to throwing her line out there and reeling it back in empty.
He lowered his head, but didn’t back away. “Lexi, I’m losing my patience. I’m losing the ability to say no to you. And that will be a disaster for me. It takes days to get over every time we touch. My brother will be furious with me. Can’t you appreciate that?” The pain in his voice made her own heart sting.
She drew a shaky breath. “What if we talked to him,” she whispered. “He’s madly in love, he might appreciate...”
“This isn’t love, Lexi. This is unbridled lust. I won’t risk my brother’s respect for sex with someone I...”
Don’t care about.
Crushed, she stepped back feeling like Luke had slapped her.
“I’m just being straight with you.”
“Please don’t fire me for asking you out.” She dragged a painful breath into her lungs. “I have nowhere else to go until school starts.” A sob formed in her throat. Warm salty tears stung her eyes and she couldn’t believe she was crying in front of this man. Because he wouldn’t sleep with her.
Because she meant nothing to him other than being a competent assistant.
Next his arms were around her as she wept. “The Sterling is your home for as long as you need it. No one will ask you to leave. Ever. You understand me?” He smelled so delicious and his powerful arms wrapped around her made her feel whole.
“This feels so good.” When she let her eyes meet his, she felt the warm tears roll down her cheek.
“Oh, son of a bitch. You’re so beautiful. I can get lost in you,” he whispered.
With a quivering jaw, he pressed her against one of his massive columns then kissed her until she was mindless. She didn’t care what she had to agree with or give up to keep him in that breathless moment.
“Please don’t stop. I need this,” she said when he gasped for air.
“Me, too.” His thumbs brushed away her tears.
She’d fallen into Luke’s bed within hours of having her world blown apart. He’d taken away her pain. And she needed that same fix now.
Pleasure was what she needed. But he’d never give her more than this. Sometimes you just need a kiss. A kiss to make you forget. A kiss to remind you you’re alive.
She stopped herself from acknowledging the rock-hard erection pressed into her stomach. Words couldn’t do justice for what she felt.
“Don’t cry. It’ll be okay,” Luke said between breaths and kisses.
She’d heard a crazy rumor: men liked strong women. Never would she have guessed completely falling apart in front of one would get her the five minutes of paradise she needed.
A throat clearing had Luke yanking her behind him, but his shoulders relaxed seeing it was his driver still waiting and not Tristan.
“So, Monday,” she said, letting him go. Giving him permission to leave her.
After a tight nod, he slogged toward the stairs to head out the door.
Luke
LUKE HADN’T CARED IF Gray was having one drink, he needed an excuse to talk to Lexi. The emptiness of not having her eyes on him or hearing her voice all week had driven him insane. Feeling her hands on his wrist adjusting his cufflink shot that ‘someday’ picture back into his fractured brain. Next, he was kiss
ing her. In the hotel. Jesus, that was close.
Even though all of his dates this week had been her doing, he felt like a real piece of shit for calling her bluff. Each night, he returned to his penthouse via the private entrance, unable to bear knowing if she’d waited for him in the lobby. And he didn’t trust himself not to drag her up to his apartment if she had been.
He made sure the rest of the party invitations had been RVPD’d with a no. And was glad this was the last hoopla event he’d ever have to go to again. How had he managed a party every night of the week for three years? Bringing home a different woman each time.
He didn’t have to turn down Candy, Lulu, and Simi. His sluggishness turned them off first. Candy left the Met Gala with someone else, he found Lulu making out with some guy he didn’t know in the hallway near the kitchens, and Simi threw a drink in his face when he refused to meet her in the ladies’ room two minutes after they reached the fundraiser.
Tonight, he got lucky having Victoria Holden as his date. Whatever Lexi let herself believe, he and Victoria really were just friends. The billionaire fashion designer everyone in Gotham was buzzing about spent the evening mingling and being fabulous. Luke marched in, took his position at the bar, and pounded lowballs of scotch until he was ready to fall down.
“I’m sorry if I was a wet blanket tonight,” he apologized to Victoria while she leaned on his limo outside the Waldorf Astoria. Since she lived in White Plains, he asked Tom to take her home. Even though she was rich enough to hire a helicopter.
Luke was smart enough not to drag Victoria into his three-year-long wreck of a love life. Plus, her father was six-five, and her brother, Carter, was six-two. Together they could wipe the floor with Luke.
“I forgive you being a wet blanket, it’s how you’re treating this poor woman you work with that bothers me.” Victoria not only held her own with her father and her brother, she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind to any man.
“I know.” He dipped his head back. He’d only gotten as far as one block in his limo when he started spilling his guts to her about Lexi. Including how turning down her offer to go on a proper date caused her tears and him almost caving. He still didn’t know how the word no came out of his mouth.
“Did you have to ask all your socialites to meet you at the hotel this week?” Victoria said as he slipped her coat on.
“I paid for that one, believe me.”
Each night, Lexi had sat in the bar area with her laptop. If she watched him with Candy, Lulu, and Simi, he couldn’t tell. But each next morning in the office she’d walked around like a zombie and said very little to him.
She sat at her desk each day with her head down and typed, typed, typed. Working on the Chevalier contract. Her fingers moved so fast, he waited for smoke to pour out of her keyboard.
Victoria tugged on his bowtie. “If you talk to my mom, she’ll tell you life is short, so make the most of it. Sounds like you found someone who shattered that tough exterior you have going.”
He thought about that, but took advantage of the diversion. “How is your mom doing?”
“She’s well, thanks. Loving up her grandson.” Victoria’s face lit up showing Luke a few pictures of Carter’s son on her phone. “And I love being an aunt.”
In between his own whining, Victoria had given him an update on Holden family drama. Carter was the heir like Luke, and he’d defied his father’s wish to marry a business associate’s daughter. The guy got his best friend pregnant and preferred to do the honorable thing and marry her. Now, he had a son and a wife he was madly in love with from what Victoria described.
Carter and his father were slowly repairing their relationship. Luke had mended fences, somewhat, with his father before he died, but Tristan and Gray had been left out in the wind.
“Don’t tell anyone, Tristan’s going to be a dad. So uncleville, here I come. Email me good tips?”
“Absolutely.” Victoria gave a cute yawn. “It’s late. I should get going.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
He liked the easy feel of their friendship.
“Remember, if you need anything, we can convert my ballroom into a runway for a fashion show. Prada’s using it next month.”
“I’ll definitely consider that.” She winked. “I’m sure you’ll be hearing from Carter soon, though. He’s running the Xavier Foundation now for my mother.”
Luke whistled. Bailey Holden’s family trust was mega bucks. If Luke came into Xavier money, he could donate the rest of his.
Walking back to his hotel, he chose not to turn down 47th Street to duck into his private elevator. He wanted a night cap in his lobby bar, soak in some gentle jazz and feel soft heartbeats around him rather than slamming whiskey alone in his kitchen. It was after midnight and he looked forward to a somber scene.
Not even close.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Luke
The cat calls of females woot-wooting weren’t anything new at The Sterling. New York City was the bachelorette party capital of the world. But the woman Luke spotted in a veil looked very drunk, and this wasn’t the scene he wanted in his lobby bar. Time to be a dick and break up the party. When Luke got closer, his fury went nuclear.
A tall shirtless man with reddish blond hair dancing was the reason for all the hooting and hollering.
Gray. At least he’d left his jeans on.
But seriously, this had to stop. Luke quickly regretted the maze of chairs in the bar area. The seating arrangement kept him from getting his hands around his brother’s throat quicker. Gray’s hips swayed back and forth and the bride-to-be had her hands all over his chest. He scooped her up in his arms and danced with her while her legs wrapped around his waist.
Oh hell no. Luke didn’t need an angry fiancé coming into his hotel looking for blood. He envisioned expensive lawsuits and punishing bad press.
As if it happened in slow motion, Lexi strolled out from the elevator bank and made a bee-line for the bar area, her coast crystal clear. Why was Lexi there? Had Gray called her to come join the party?
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
As soon as she got to Gray, he put the bride down and twirled Lexi around. With Lexi tight in his arms now, he nuzzled her against his chest. And grabbed her...ass. You better be drunk.
Barreling closer, Luke caught Lexi’s gaze and her cheeks flushed red. Sensing his fury, she grabbed Gray’s chin to speak to him. Then he...he leaned in to kiss her.
Oh God no.
Lexi allowed the kiss, hopefully to save Gray from embarrassment, then clutched his arm to pull him toward the elevators. Without the bar area maze to weave through, Luke charged right up to them.
“What the hell is going on?” he spat out.
“I wanted to dance,” Gray said, shimmying his hips, but appeared dizzy and almost tumbled over.
“Give him to me,” Luke scoffed, pulling Gray away from Lexi, who looked ready to collapse under his brother’s weight. He didn’t know who to yell at first.
He moved Gray to the elevator. Fast, with Lexi on his six. “I don’t have to ask why he’s down here at midnight dancing with single women. Why the hell are you down here?” he snapped at Lexi over his shoulder.
“Rob called me,” she answered, strong and sure of herself.
“Who the hell is Rob?” he asked, his voice cracking.
“The bartender.”
Oh fuck, why didn’t he know that? Cause I’m not HR.
“And how does he have your number?” The elevator door opened and Luke shoved Gray inside, holding him against the wall. “How?”
“I’m your assistant, Luke.” She followed him into the car. “He knows I live here. And I bet he knew that party would infuriate you. So he called me to do damage control.”
Damn, that made sense. He was terrified she’d given Rob her phone number. This woman made him lose his mind.
“Give me your key card,” she asked when she saw him fumbling inside his tux jacket.
“It’s in my p
ocket.”
She reached into his jacket, her hands not being shy. Patting him. Squeezing him. Her red nails scraping against his dress shirt. He should have told her to watch it, but her touch felt amazing.
“Jesus, you reek.”
“Excuse me?” Lexi gasped at him.
“Not you.” Luke shook his head. “Him.” He looked at his brother, who’d gone incoherent, the walking dead on size fourteen feet.
The dick better not puke on my five-thousand-dollar Tom Ford tux!
Lexi slid the card in the security slot and hit PH2. Then she hit 7. Damn, she wasn’t coming with him.
Don’t leave me.
“How was your date?” she asked.
Considering all the madness that had just fallen around them, her asking about his night crushed him. How much of his week of partying and all his dates had been stuck in her thoughts? Driving her crazy. He hoped the week had been as much torture for her as for him. Then he’d know she cared.
“Victoria is a friend. Not a date,” he tried to assure her.
“Interesting.” She wrapped her arms around her own waist, her back to him. The line of her made him breathless. Her hair was up in a twist again, those bronze strands fading into the soft pink.
When the elevator stopped at 7, the pit in his stomach grew. “Don’t. Go.”
She exhaled a shaky breath and turned to meet his eyes. “Why?”
“Just help me get him into bed. If he starts swinging, I may need you to talk him down. He seems to...like you.” If one thing became clear, Lexi had worked her way into his family. Both of his brothers liked sharing secrets with her.
“Fine.” Her concerned eyes moved to Gray’s sweaty head leaning against his shoulder. “Does that bother you, Luke?”
“I plead the fifth,” he grumbled.
“Interesting.” She turned away from him again.
The additional time gave him a chance to notice more of her. She was wearing a light blue zip-up jacket with Love Pink across the chest in gold sequins. Underneath, the loose ends of what looked like a satin nightshirt flapped against her bare creamy thighs. She wore those damn flip flops again on her pretty feet, her toenails painted with the same lady-killer red on her fingers.
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