“Why not?” Becky, Derek’s assistant, asked. “It’ll be good for morale. You know the tech guys downstairs would love to come dressed up.”
Tessa glanced at Lucas. “And you’d be giving them a chance to bring a significant other to meet their coworkers.”
“Oh, now we’re paying for significant others?” Kade asked, his gaze on his wife.
Lexie shot him a pleading glance. “Please? It’ll be so much fun.” She turned to face Lucas. “I called Maxie this morning and made lunch plans. I thought it would be nice to get to know her better. And I might have mentioned something about a fun Halloween party here,” she said in a rush, then turned her gaze back to Kade.
“You know you need to rein her in,” Lucas said.
Kade burst out laughing. “Let’s have this conversation in another month or so. Let’s see how much reining in you’re doing then.”
“Dammit, we’re going to have to do this, aren’t we?” Derek muttered, glaring at his assistant, who never quite took him seriously.
“Did Maxie seem interested in the party?” Lucas asked.
Lexie grinned. “She did. She might have mentioned something about wanting to be Catwoman. And that would solve your costume problem. You could go as Batman.” She sounded pleased with herself.
Lucas’ mind immediately went to a vision of Maxie in a leotard outlining her curvy body, a cape, tights on her long, sexy legs, and cat ears on her head. And if she could find an outfit with snaps between her legs like that hot-as-fuck lingerie she’d worn for him their first night, this party was sounding like a better idea by the minute.
“I’m almost afraid to ask what costume that leaves for us,” Kade said, pulling Lucas’ focus back to the discussion at hand.
“It’s a go!” Lexie clapped her hands, and Tessa raised her fingers in a victory sign.
“I can’t wait! Let’s go pick a date.” Lexie raised herself up on her heels and pressed a kiss to Kade’s cheek. “Thank you!”
She turned to Lucas and hugged him briefly before doing the same to Derek, who was muttering to himself about women. And men being whipped.
He was not wrong.
A few hours later, Tessa knocked on his door and entered without waiting to be asked. “Lucas, you need to get out here quick. Kade’s got a guy up against the wall, and I’m afraid he’s going to kill him.”
Lucas shot out of his chair and rushed for the main area, knowing there was only one man who’d get Kade that worked up. He immediately saw the problem. Kade had Julian Dane pinned against the wall near the elevator.
Their one-time friend, former partner of sorts, and the man who’d blackmailed Kade and tried to get shares of Blink or derail their IPO, had his hands in the air. He obviously wasn’t looking for a fight, but Kade wasn’t listening.
“Kade.” Lucas stepped up to them, bracing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, hoping to distract him.
“I just want to talk,” Julian said.
“Well, I have nothing to say to you.”
Lucas understood why. Julian had dated Lexie’s sister, pretending to be in love with her, all the while using her to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, Lexie’s sister, Kendall, had bipolar disorder and was going through a rough patch at the time. Julian’s behavior hadn’t helped Kendall’s mental state and had nearly broken up Kade and Lexie. So no, Lucas didn’t think Kade would take seeing Julian well. At all.
“Then let him go,” Lucas suggested.
They didn’t need Julian deliberately provoking Kade into hitting him so he could file a lawsuit or, worse, have Kade arrested for assault.
Kade dropped him and, still breathing hard, stepped back, glaring at the other man in disgust. “Get the fuck out.”
“I’m just worried about Kendall,” Julian said.
Kade let out a bark of disbelief. “The time to worry about her was before you fucked with her head. Now leave before I call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.”
“I’d go if I were you,” Lucas said to Julian, punching the elevator button to emphasize his point.
“Fine. I suppose it’s too much to tell her I came by?”
Kade started toward him again, and Lucas grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back.
The doors opened and thankfully Julian stepped inside. He glanced at Lucas, and he could swear he saw a hint of regret in Julian’s gaze.
Lucas waited until Julian was safely gone before turning to Kade. Around them, the office staff had gathered, to watch and to gossip.
“Come on. Let’s go into your office and talk.” He slapped Kade on the shoulder and led the way into his friend’s office.
Unlike Lucas’ messy desk, Kade’s setup was stark and clean, courtesy of his anxiety and OCD tendencies. Kade had himself under control, but a confrontation like this wouldn’t be good for him.
“Want me to call Lexie?” Lucas offered.
“No. I don’t want her to know about this. She’ll get worked up and worried that Julian will get in touch with her sister. Which he’ll do over my dead body,” Kade muttered.
Kade ran his fingers back and forth over the glass of his Patek Phillipe watch. It wasn’t just a symbol of success; it meant something to Kade. Julian had known it and targeted him accordingly, going so far as to get Kendall to steal the watch.
Lucas frowned at the reminder. “Can I get you something to relax you?” He didn’t know whether or not to offer Kade a drink.
“No.” Kade reached into his pocket and shook out a pill.
Lucas didn’t say a word. He just waited for his friend to take it with the bottle of water on his desk. “Kendall’s doing better, right?” he asked of Lexie’s sister.
“Much. After she checked herself into the treatment center, she really dedicated herself to life changes and improvement. That’s why I don’t want Julian anywhere near her.”
“We can put security on her.”
Kade shook his head. “She deserves to live a normal life. But I’m warning you—”
“He’ll stay clear. I’ll talk to him myself,” Lucas promised.
Kade had been about to lift the bottle of water to his mouth and stopped. “You’d deal with that asshole?”
“For you, man? You know I would.”
“Thank you,” Kade said.
The three men became friends in college, back in their first-year fraternity days, before Lucas had dropped out due to sheer boredom.
But they’d already started working on Blink, and back then, Julian had been a part of things. Before drugs had become more important to him than anything else. As far as Lucas knew, Julian had been clean for a while. He certainly looked clear and stable today.
Lucas nodded. “Go home to Lexie.” She was the only person who could completely calm Kade down. From the day they’d met, there’d been an innate bond and understanding, though it’d taken them awhile to get past their initial mistrust.
“I’ll do that.” Kade ran a hand over his short hair before packing up his things for the day.
“I’ll head out with you. Just let me grab my things.”
Before he could walk out, Kade asked, “How’s it going living with Maxie?”
Lucas was glad his friend was distracted by something other than Julian. “I wouldn’t say I have her wrapped around my finger. But … it’s going.” And they were sleeping together every night, and she wasn’t complaining. Far from it. He hoped he had the woman in a sex-induced coma.
But that didn’t change her hesitancy about them and relationships in general.
“I remember those uncertain days,” Kade said. “They were a pain in the ass.”
“You can say that again,” Lucas muttered. But regardless, he was eager to get home to Maxie.
* * *
Maxie left work early, courtesy of the head lawyer on the case she was working on. They’d had a few late days in a row, and he wanted to give them a breather. A far cry from the work, work, work mentality she’d had at her old firm, and it was re
freshing.
She was surprised when she heard the key in the lock, and Lucas, too, came home early. He walked into the room looking tired and stressed.
“What’s wrong?” She rose from her seat, concerned about him.
He ran a hand along the back of his neck. “Just a stressful day.”
“Want to talk about it?” she asked, reaching out a hand. He took it and she led him to the couch. They both sat down. “What’s going on?”
“Early this morning, my biggest problem was a Halloween party the office staff wants to have.”
“I heard,” she said, smiling. She was looking forward to meeting Lexie for lunch one day soon.
“But this afternoon we had an incident at the office. You know about Julian Dane?”
She nodded. “Lexie told me and you filled me in.”
“Well, he decided it was a good idea to pay Kade a visit.”
“What? Why?”
He leaned forward, shoulders hunched. “I wish to God I knew. He claimed he was worried about Kade’s sister-in-law, Kendall.”
“The same woman he used and hurt?”
Lucas nodded. “Kade lost it. I had to pull him off the guy. But—”
She leaned in closer. “But what?”
“Damned if there wasn’t something in his eyes. I almost believe he was sincere. Not that I’d admit as much to Kade. And I promised I’d have a talk with Julian. Assess his motives and warn him to stay away from Kendall.” Lucas shrugged. “Like I said, stressful day.”
“I’m sorry.” She pushed herself to the edge of the sofa. “Here. Turn around.”
She nudged him so he pivoted away from her, and she began to massage his tense shoulders, digging her fingertips into the muscles and tendons there. She bit down on her lower lip, trying her best to focus on his need and not the desire created by being so close to him. Or the delicious scent of his masculine cologne.
He hung his head forward and groaned. “That feels so damned good.” The words came out a low rumble.
Unable to resist, she leaned in, pressed her breasts against his back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed the back of his neck. His entire body trembled at her light touch, but she wasn’t finished. Although she’d approached him each time, he’d been in charge. She wanted her turn to make him feel good.
“I know another way to relax you,” she whispered huskily in his ear.
“Show me,” he said in a gruff voice.
She eased herself around him and slid down between his legs. She undid the button on his pants, then slowly and carefully pulled his zipper over the evidence of his desire.
“Lift up.”
He did as she asked, and together they maneuvered his pants, along with his boxer briefs, down to his ankles. She stared down at his straining erection, a drop of precum glistening on top, and need rushed through her at the sight.
She looked up and found his eyes darkened with hunger. No man had ever looked at her with such stark lust before, and it was a heady feeling.
She reached out and cupped his erection in her hand, gliding up and down the thick shaft.
“Harder.”
Her gaze flew to his, but she tightened her grip and began to move her hand up and down, his cock hot and heavy in her hands. He groaned, clenching his fists at his sides, eyes closed, head thrown back, the cords in his neck visible and straining.
She liked having this effect on him, and she was arousing herself as well, but she knew she could do more. She removed one hand, leaned down, and wrapped her mouth around his shaft.
“Oh fuck,” he said on a groan.
Smiling, at least in her head, she swirled her tongue over the tip, tasting the saltiness, licked around the head and beneath the sensitive underside. When she sucked hard, he grasped her hair and began to guide her up and down, the sting a welcome sensation, adding to the ache between her thighs.
She continued her ministrations, her sole focus on giving him intense pleasure. He pumped his hips, his cock hitting the back of her throat. She drew a breath through her nose and managed to swallow around him.
“Not like this.” He tugged at her hair and she lifted her head.
“Skirt off,” he said.
She met his hot gaze and slid the garment down and off, along with her panties. She swung one leg over his lap until his erection aligned with her sex when reality struck. “Condom.”
“Shit. Bedroom drawer.”
The head of his cock teased her mercilessly, and she moaned.
Knowing there was no way she would risk getting pregnant, she ran for the bedroom and retrieved the packet. She ripped it open and rolled it down his straining shaft before resuming her position, straddling him, his cock at her opening, and sliding down.
They groaned in unison, his gaze meeting hers, the connection intimate as he entered her, thick and pulsing, filling her completely.
“Ride me, beautiful.”
At his words, her heart caught in her throat, but she did as he said, lifting herself up and falling back down on his erection. As she rose, his cock slid out, hitting every sensitive spot inside her, then struck again on the way back down. She rocked forward, her clit hitting his pubic bone, and sensation darted through her veins, feeling oh so good.
Instead of lifting herself up and down, she grabbed his shoulders and rolled back and forth, waves of arousal building inside her. Faster. Higher. He met her movement, rocking his hips in time to hers.
He slid his hand between them and rubbed her clit. Stars flickered behind her eyes.
“Look at me,” he said in that commanding voice he only used during sex, his hand, as usual, wrapped in her hair.
She immediately complied, their gazes locked intimately on one another. He pressed hard on her clit, and she flew apart, ripples vibrating through her as she cried out his name. He continued his upward thrusts, until he, too, came with a roar, his big body shaking beneath hers.
His muscles finally went lax, and he dropped forward, his forehead touching hers, his breath rough. “You can relax me any time,” he said on a laugh.
She chuckled, then realized she was the one who’d have to break contact this time. “Umm…” She gingerly rose and climbed off him, knelt down, grabbed her underwear and skirt, and headed for the bathroom.
Just as she turned on the shower, he grasped her hips, pulling her naked buttocks into him. She jumped in surprise, then relaxed against him. “Don’t tell me. You’re joining me.”
“And she reads minds as well as gives one hell of a blow job.” He spun her around and winked, then pulled her into a long kiss.
His cock immediately began to thicken again… and the shower took an extra-long time.
Chapter Eight
Lucas was alone at the gym. Kade had bailed on their weekly boxing because Lexie wasn’t feeling well, and Derek needed to work late with one of the programmers. Lucas had decided to head over anyway. Someone there would spar with him, and then he’d head home.
When he arrived, a lot of the guys were already paired up. Lucas decided to use a bag instead. He pulled on a pair of gloves, and after fifteen minutes, he’d worked up a good sweat.
For the first time in a long time, he didn’t have angry aggression to work out, and it felt good to exercise for enjoyment alone. He’d paused to catch his breath when a guy Lucas had never seen before walked up to him.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” Lucas yanked off a glove. “Are you new here?”
“I’m scoping out the place.” He was a big man, more from food than muscles, and he didn’t look like he’d used a gym much in his life. “Want me to hold the bag?” He gestured to the bigger one he normally worked out with when Derek or Kade was around.
Lucas shrugged. “Why not.” He held out his hand, and the other man helped pull the glove on. “I’m Lucas Monroe.”
“Vinny Bernard. Good to meet you.”
As Lucas began his routine, Vinny began to talk. “You come here often?”
Lucas grunted. There wasn’t much he could say while bashing a heavy bag.
“So I’m new to the area. Any good restaurants nearby?”
Lucas treated him to another grunt, then hit the bag harder before pausing to catch his breath. “A few. I’ll tell you later.”
“This gym is really no frills. You like it though?”
Lucas had had enough of this. “I think I’m going to hit the treadmill for a while.” Maybe he’d lose his new friend.
But Vinny followed him and hopped on the one next to his.
Lucas hit the buttons and started to run, focused on the TV screen on the panel in front of him. He watched the stock market closing numbers run by.
“I like to work out with my brother, but he’s been too busy lately. You got a brother?” Vinny asked.
Lucas groaned. “I have friends I work out with.” He wasn’t going to get into personal shit with a talkative stranger.
“My brother’s older,” Vinny went on, oblivious to Lucas’ irritation with this chatting and prying. “He’s a real pain in the ass in some ways. Thinks he’s king shit because he’s a big deal on Wall Street. But he’s my brother, you know? I’d do anything for him.”
Lucas already regretted getting involved with this guy. He grabbed a towel and shut down the treadmill and wiped his face, which was dripping with sweat.
“I have to get home,” he said, not bothering with pleasantries. He didn’t want to encourage a friendship with Vinny Bernard.
The other man shut off his treadmill and looked Lucas over, as if deciding whether or not to push further. “Right. Yeah. My wife is waiting too,” he finally said. “Night, man.”
“Night.”
Bernard walked away, his big body swaying from side to side.
Lucas shook his head and decided he wasn’t coming back again without Derek or Kade. Too many weird people in this city.
* * *
Maxie was invited to go to lunch and costume shopping with Lexie and her sister, Kendall. Knowing that Lucas wasn’t into the dressing-up part of the party—something he’d mentioned more than once—she’d agreed to buy the costumes for them both. In exchange, he’d consented to dress up as Batman to her Catwoman.
Going Down Fast (Billionaire Bad Boys Book 2) Page 10