by Calista Fox
He poured himself a brandy and then turned to Lex. “You didn’t tell me our butler was stunning. You said beautiful.” He sipped, clenched his jaw, then added, “Not fucking breathtaking, for Christ’s sake.”
Lex grinned. “So, you met Lily.”
“Met is not exactly the word I’d use. Instantly lusted after is much more appropriate. Jesus. She’s . . . ah, fuck.” He downed a big gulp. Stalked over to the wall of doors and windows. Stared out at the bay below.
Lex said, “I thought I’d leave it to you to get the full effect of her. I was shocked by her beauty, too. Pleasantly so. I’m thinking of telling Greta to have Lily’s things moved to one of the suites in this wing, with us. Since her primary responsibility is this floor.”
Spinning around, Jax said, “I was thinking of telling Greta to fire her.”
Lex dropped his fancy silver Montblanc pencil on the papers resting on the ledge of his piano, where he sat. He stared at his longtime friend, hearing the troubled tone.
Jax looked deeply disturbed. And highly aroused. Lex recognized the signs. He’d seen those emotions etched across Jax’s face often enough when they’d been with Katarina, either darkening or lighting his otherwise pewter-colored eyes, depending on the situation.
“This is unexpected, yes,” Lex conceded. “But she’s here, Jax. And Greta carefully vetted all the applicants. Liliana Hart was a shoo-in given her family history. Greta said showing her the ropes was a piece of cake because Lily caught on so quickly. You really want to send her away?”
Jax sipped some more before saying, “Wait’ll she comes in here in a few minutes. She was working in the kitchen to help out and kill time while we were gone. She is an absolute hot mess, complete with smudges on her face. And it’s damn provocative. A perfectly fucking beautiful, breathtaking disaster.”
Ah, that word.
Disaster.
Jax had used it on purpose.
Going back to his arrangement, Lex simply said, “She’s not Katarina. Don’t doom her from the start.”
But even as he tried to placate Jax, Lex felt dread skulk around the fringes. They’d both been thrown for one hell of a loop the evening Katarina Karlsson had joined the orchestra in Stockholm, not long after they’d celebrated their twentieth birthdays. The delicate blond-haired Swedish singer had mesmerized them with her ice-blue eyes, soft smile, and pure, crystalline voice that seeped into one’s soul and stayed there forever.
They’d fallen for her almost immediately. Hard.
And had ridden the roller coaster of a lifetime emotionally and physically with her.
Jax said, “Since Katarina, neither of us has met a woman we wanted to introduce to each other—a woman we wanted to share. Sharing Lily was one of the first things to pop into my head when I saw her with her ass in the air alongside my bed.”
Lex’s hand stilled. He glanced up at Jax. “Yeah. Thought crossed my mind as well.”
“So it’s settled. Greta cuts her a severance check in the morning.”
“Let’s not be too hasty here,” Lex insisted. “Give her a shot at doing her job.”
“Doing her job isn’t the problem, Lex.” He swooped in so that he could lower his voice. “Wanting to fuck her upon first sight is the problem.”
Once again, Lex set aside his pencil.
“You didn’t have the same reaction?” Jax challenged.
“Impossible not to. She’s sensational. And I’m damn sure she doesn’t even know it. From what I gleaned, striving to be the perfect butler is the only thing that really registers.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s the only thing. I was half naked when she was in my room. It didn’t go unnoticed.”
Lex grinned, despite the intensity of the conversation. “Not saying she didn’t like what she saw when she met me.” He winked.
Jax drained his brandy. Then said, “A complication such as this is the last thing we need. We’re on deadline, or have you forgotten?”
“I haven’t forgotten. But maybe,” Lex ventured, “a little inspiration is exactly what we need. A muse, if you will.”
They stared at each other.
Lex couldn’t deny that he’d felt the rare knee-jerk response when Lily had turned to face him in the hallway. Her eyes were the most amazing color—and completely spellbinding. She had an artistically crafted face, a stunning figure, sculpted legs . . . and she oozed an alluring sensuality that had gripped him from the get-go. Especially when she’d been so breathless at the sight of him.
Admittedly, the visual of her had been stuck in his brain since she’d dropped the tea tray in the corridor.
He’d been serious about his reason for not elaborating on her when in the limo with Jax on their way into San Fran. He’d wanted Jax’s reaction to her to be predicated solely on instinct. Not swayed by anything Lex had to say.
Of course Jax was right that they had neither the time nor the luxury to dabble in an affair. But that didn’t mean Lily couldn’t provide precisely what he’d thought of earlier—creative inspiration.
Lex’s mind was already buzzing with thoughts on this when she entered the room.
The first thing out of her mouth was, “I’m so sorry—”
“Stop apologizing,” Jax cut in. “I already told Lex you were working downstairs. Your appearance is fine, Lily. Now, if you’d kindly pour me another cocktail . . .”
He didn’t exactly smile at her, but Lex caught the glint of appreciation in Jax’s eyes. For her services, sure. But more accurately, for her considerable assets.
And damn, Jax had been right. All that shiny onyx hair in fat, loose curls, and her sparkling eyes, crimson lips, and—again—that sudden breathlessness made Lex’s groin tighten.
He couldn’t take his eyes from her as she crossed to the butler’s pantry at the far end of the room. She rolled down her sleeves, regardless of what Jax had said, buttoned the cuffs, and then donned white gloves. She poured two fingers of brandy in a Baccarat snifter, set it on a round silver tray, and delivered it efficiently to Jax.
Her hands didn’t even shake.
Then she turned to Lex. “May I pour you a scotch?” His drink of choice.
He gave a slight nod. “Thank you. Then you can retire for the evening. We’ll be at this through the night.”
And inspiration versus distraction was a very fine line.
She returned to the wet bar.
They began to play as Lily served. Lex found it even more enticing that she responded visibly to their music—and to them.
He slid a glance Jax’s way. The other man raised a brow.
Lex snickered under his breath.
Okay, lusting after Lily wasn’t entirely sensible.
But Lex already knew it was . . . inevitable.
Chapter Three
Lily pushed the cart out of the service elevator at precisely ten o’clock the next morning. She continued along the hall, not directly down the middle, so the wheels moved smoothly over the marble rather than roughly over the rugs.
She was having huge reservations about this gig. All wrapped around the erotic thoughts of Lex and Jax that she couldn’t banish from her mind.
Good Lord. Lex was wildly charismatic with his gorgeous smile and even more gorgeous visage and bulging biceps.
And Jax . . . yes, intimidating as hell. But when he’d been standing before her in nothing but a towel . . .
She tamped down a moan as the vision of him flashed in her overactive brain. Tall, commanding, and seriously, seriously hot. Chiseled to perfection, as she suspected Lex was under his polo shirt and dress pants.
Lying awake in her room the previous evening, she’d found it impossible not to fantasize about the two of them. She’d like to say it was because she hadn’t had an actual boyfriend in forever—hadn’t had sex in just as long. But the truth was that no man had turned her inside out so quickly, so vehemently. Not to mention no two men.
Yet Lex and Jax had sparked her libido. And Lily hadn’t missed the
spark in their eyes.
Though . . . that spelled trouble in a lot of ways.
Especially since her initial fantasy had started with Jax dripping wet. He hadn’t left much to the imagination when he’d surprised her in his bedroom. She’d caught a glimpse of his erection beginning to tent his towel.
In her reverie, she’d envisioned skimming her fingernails over the hard swells of his pecs, lightly scraping his small, beaded nipples, and continuing downward, the pads of her fingers flattening against the ridges of his abs to absorb every quiver of his flesh and flexing of his muscles beneath her touch.
Then she licked a few drops of water from his warm skin before she stripped away the material at his waist, sinking to her knees in front of him and taking him in her mouth. Feeling the weight of him on her tongue as his shaft glided along, her teeth gently grazing velvet-covered steel, just enough to make his hips jerk and his breath come in heavier pulls.
As she palmed his balls and gently rolled them, she sucked deep, until he growled low and primal.
Then Lex had stepped from the shadows of her mind. Naked and hard. And she couldn’t resist him. Had released Jax and repeated the process with Lex. Switching between men every few minutes until she’d felt their releases build. She’d gotten Jax off first. Then Lex.
All the while, in reality, Lily had been snuggled between her sheets, her fingers sweeping back and forth over her slick folds, then circling her clit as the pressure mounted.
Thinking of the powerful duo of Jackson Sterling and Lexington Alexander coming because of her ministrations was what had sent her over the edge. And it’d been one hell of an orgasm.
Now she passed through the open doors of the music room, fighting the flush creeping up her neck to her jaw and cheeks over her naughty thoughts about her bosses.
She skirted the grand piano and the four violins resting on stands along the wall of windows and stopped just shy of the terrace.
It was a beautiful California day. Bright-blue sky, waves rolling onto the shore below, a balmy breeze. The two objects of her wicked desire sat at the large glass-topped table along the curved railing. Lex was scribbling madly in a notepad. Jax was reading the San Francisco Chronicle.
Lily expertly set out their first-course brunch selections. Served orange juice and coffee. Then stood off to the side while they ate, awaiting any requests they might have.
The air was a bit different between them this morning. Last night, there’d been palpable tension and disconcertion. Now there was quiet harmony. Suggesting they were very attuned with each other physically. Knew each other on a level she couldn’t quite fathom. Best friends. Brothers. More?
They didn’t need to speak. Went about brunch innately knowing when to pass the salt and pepper, not disturbing the other, each lost in his own thoughts.
But there was something else that she couldn’t fully decipher. It was as though they were connected viscerally. And it fascinated her.
Lily didn’t interrupt them as she refreshed their beverages. Whisked away empty plates. Reset the napkins and flatware for the next course. She could do all of this with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back, she surmised. Had that much experience. But while her movements were blissfully graceful and her duties easily executed, there was an electric current running through her veins that had her nerve endings snapping and sizzling.
Lily had never been attracted to two men at the same time—and so intensely. She hoped like hell they couldn’t tell. Hoped they didn’t even notice her, so engrossed were they in their own activities. Because that was the safe and sane road to travel.
Not the one that conversely told her she wanted them to notice her every single time she walked into a room.
The way they’d both looked at her upon their individual meetings, and then when she’d poured cocktails for them, had her thinking the attraction wasn’t just one-sided. But three-sided.
Though after her ruminations had run wild last night and she’d also contemplated if Lex and Jax actually were accustomed to love triangles—still considering that fallout from years ago—she had to admit it really wasn’t wise to speculate about any of this. Certainly not to fantasize about it when her paycheck hung in the balance.
So dial down the lust, girlfriend.
Lily needed this income to supplement the savings she’d almost depleted with a broken-down car, a huge spike in rent the last time her lease had been renewed, and a dental emergency her insurance hadn’t covered.
To say she was a bit desperate financially was putting it mildly. Not that she couldn’t have weathered the storm while still working at the Cliff House. She’d made a decent salary, and tips had been very good. But Lily had been scrimping for years as she’d planned an epic trip-of-a-lifetime to Europe, and she didn’t want to miss out on it. Particularly the month in Paris she’d dreamed of since she was a kid. The only gift she’d given herself, but there was more to it than that.
So she had to keep this new employment arrangement in perspective.
Unfortunately, Lex was disinclined to let her quietly blend into the background.
He said, “Greta tells us you’re originally from River Cross, Lily.”
“Yes, that’s right. My father works for the Angelini estate.”
The Angelinis were considered royalty in the elite wine country community, along with another, the Catalanos. The two families were embroiled in a feud to rival that of the Montagues and Capulets over a massive piece of property they jointly owned but could neither sell nor develop.
Lily’s father had always contended it was a waste to let such prime real estate sit, undeveloped, because of an argument. But both heads of household were stubborn and stuck to their guns.
Jax, still perusing the paper, said, “That’s a long drive up to the Cliff House.”
“Little over an hour once you reach the coastal highway. I only worked the weekends until I turned eighteen, and then I moved into the city to make it an easier commute and so that I could sign on full-time.”
“You must have gone to school with Rogen Angelini and Vin D’Angelo in River Cross,” Lex guessed.
“They and Jewel Catalano are three years older than me, so I didn’t see them in school after the sixth grade, but certainly at their estates. Scarlet Drake, as well, whose grandmother is—”
“L. C. Seymour,” Jax casually interjected. “The bestselling mystery writer.”
“A lot of her novels have been turned into movies,” Lily added.
“Do you also know Christian Davila?” Jax asked.
“Sure. He owns Bristol’s. The Angelinis hosted my graduation party there, and he and Rory St. James made an appearance. Chef St. James flew in a pastry chef from Paris to make my cake and other desserts, on behalf of the Angelinis.”
It’d been an incredible evening and she’d be forever indebted to Rogen’s family for treating hers so well. Lily knew the party was mostly a show of respect to her father for his years of loyalty and discretion; she’d been grateful for their generosity nonetheless.
“Well, then,” Lex mused as he closed the cover of his notebook. “The New Year’s Eve party Jax and I are throwing will be like a reunion for you, because all of the aforementioned people have RSVP’d. With the exception of Anthony, Sophia, and Jewel Catalano, who are apparently ringing in the New Year in Vienna.”
A convenient out for them, Lily mentally contended. Because the Catalanos wouldn’t be caught dead at the same party as the Angelinis. The wounds ran that deep.
Lily said, “This’ll be a treat for me. I haven’t been home in a while, so I never see anyone—and Rogen and Vin have been working in the Italian headquarters up until recently, I heard.”
“Just returned a couple of months ago,” Lex said. “That’s when Jax and I met them for the first time. At the Bayfront Yacht Club. They were sailing that day.”
“A favorite pastime for them both.” Lily smiled brightly at the prospect of seeing Rogen and Vin, who’d been goo
d friends to her while she was growing up. As well as Scarlet and Scarlet’s bestie, Bayli Styles.
Lily had lost touch with everyone when she’d moved to the city. Mostly because she’d chosen to rent an apartment in the Outer Richmond District, close to the water and the Cliff House. Jewel, Scarlet, and Bayli had lived in San Francisco during their college days, but might as well have been a million miles away in North Beach, so Lily had rarely seen them.
She was looking forward to some quick catch-ups while she served them all at the party. Naturally, she felt a familiar tinge of inferiority about being the hired help among her glamorous and jet-setting acquaintances, but it was no secret to anyone in River Cross that she came from humble beginnings and would stay there. Lily had always been a hard worker, and no one had ever discounted that. So she could let it roll off her back that she’d be the girl handing out the glasses of expensive champagne, not the one drinking them.
Lex and Jax polished off their plates, and Lily cleared the table again. She left the terrace with the cart. In the kitchen, she assured Greta everything had gone beautifully with the brunch service, and the house manager was pleased.
Over the next couple of days, Lily fell more comfortably into step with her tasks, not disrupting her bosses as they immersed themselves in their project. And she sensed the two men were finding a more productive creative channel.
Sure enough, on New Year’s Eve morning, Greta informed Lily, “Evidently, things are heating up with the new compositions, so I’m moving you to a suite upstairs. You will have to be available to Lex and Jax at all times.”
It came as a warning, though Lily was already well aware her duties weren’t limited to the hours of eight to five.
“I’m fully prepared for that,” she insisted. “Was expecting it, actually. My family lived in ancillary housing for servants on the Angelini estate, and my father spent the majority of his time in the mansion. I’m completely amenable to the commitment involved.” And it was just two months out of her life. With one hell of a big payoff—if she didn’t fuck it up by visibly drooling over her employers.