Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
XANDER
T he current of energy coursing through my body could power the entire city. Even as my gaze lands on her—on London’s stunning face—it doesn’t ease the unsettling feeling crawling beneath my skin. If anything, it’s like inviting gasoline to the party.
With my back against the bar, my eyes trained on her, they fuse with hers the second she turns in my direction. Her brows shoot up, a look of panic painting her features before she schools them into a smug smile.
Blocking out the squealing and screeching, I keep my eyes trained on London. She turns to another woman at their table as they laugh and finish their drinks. And I silently count to ten, willing myself to cool off before I walk over there and pull her into my arms and demand she never leave again.
Finally standing, she saunters toward us looking like all my kinkiest dreams come true. Dressed up as if she knew I’d be here to salivate all over her, she’s my favorite boss babe fantasy. Her fitted black dress resembles a tuxedo jacket and it’s holding on tight to all those dips and curves. Hitting mid-thigh, it shows off long smooth legs, the lapel a rich leather that frames her tits perfectly, and her strappy shoes lacing up her toned calves are sinful.
But I keep my eyes on her face, her pouty lips tantalizing swathed in a shiny red gloss, because I refuse to be distracted by all the tricks and treats that I know are under that dress. Not until I have a few words with Little Ms. Runaway .
Walking past me she hugs Eli, Drew, and Ty, who whispers something in her ear, before she turns to me.
“Thank you for dinner. We appreciate it,” she says softly, without meeting my eyes.
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do when my girlfriend leaves without a word and I have to hunt her down across the country.”
She snorts, finally meeting my eyes. “Oh, really, boyfriend ?” She goes to move away, and I stop her.
“Alright, babycakes. You ran, I followed. You’ve got me here. What are you going to do with me?”
Narrowing her eyes, she gives another onceover. “You crashed our party, so you’ll get what you get.” That fucking mouth is all sass, and my dick thickens as thoughts of all the ways to fill it, keep it busy, spring to mind.
“But you’re right.” She raises her voice. “Let’s go, guys. Let me introduce you to my city.”
Without waiting for a response, she struts through the restaurant, head held high, and my eyes aren’t the only ones that trail her hungrily.
“Xander?” A voice calls from my left and I practically have to tear my eyes from London’s swaying hips.
Glancing over I'm face to face with Zuri, London’s best friend. I've heard good things about her but from the look on her face she's heard less favorable things about me. Tall. Model thin. Her serious face is framed by bleached blonde hair trimmed into a short buzz cut, a nice contrast to her dark skin.
Flashing her my most charming smile, I say, “You must be the infamous Zuri. It's so nice to meet you finally.”
“Infamous? I like the sound of that. But you are correct, I am she and she is me. That little exchange between you two, I’m here for it. From what I've seen so far you get under her skin, shake her up a little bit, she needs that. Keep it up, but remember, I have my eyes on you.”
An ally? I’m grabbing on to this with both hands.
“Well,” I extend my elbow to her, “walk and talk with me before the future Mrs. Grant bites my head off. She said you had plans tonight?” She takes my arm, allowing me to lead her toward the door everyone else has exited through.
Joining our group in front of the restaurant, everyone is speaking excitedly to each other, but then there’s London. Standing off to the side a bit, just watching the chaos ensue, her expression blank. Her sudden change in demeanor makes me wonder why she isn’t enjoying the moment. Maybe being back here carries a heavier weight for her than I realized.
I can't help but remember the anguish in her words as she cried in my arms or even as she smashed her bat into everything within sight, impressively sending objects flying as she cursed her life with the douche that shall remain nameless. I wonder how much Zuri knows. Was she there for her to talk to, to confide in, to allow for some of that stress to be taken away from her shoulders and let her just be?
Glancing over to Zuri, she meets my gaze. “How is she?” I ask, nodding toward London as she waits at the curb.
“So far, so good,” Zuri whispers. “We haven't gotten to the real reason she's here, but I think she's struggling. With what? I’m not sure. For the next few days, tonight even, I think she just needs to let off some steam. But she'll talk when she's ready. I think she thought she needed to talk to me, but the fact that you’re here makes me think that maybe she should talk to you.”
Smiling softly, a surge of protectiveness hits me in the chest as I continue to watch her. “I'd love for her to confide in me, to see me as more than just an outrageously rich and handsome fuckboy,” I joke, knowing that’s how she’s probably described me. “We'll get there. I’m working hard to prove to her who I really am but for right now, I just want her to have fun. I want her to learn to just live in the moment.”
Zuri laughs. “Now I see what she was talking about, but I like you. We're on the same team, but…” She stops and I follow suit as she turns to face me, head on, eye to eye. “If you hurt her, I will cut off your balls, put them in a brownie, and send it to your mother.”
“Shit, thank god my mom doesn’t eat brownies,” I mutter, my hands moving down to protect said balls. “But you had nothing to worry about before that weirdly specific threat, and you damn sure have nothing to worry about now. I’d never hurt her.” I quirk a brow. “Well, not in the way you’re thinking.”
“Hey, everyone,” London calls out, as we all gather around her to figure out transportation to the next spot.
Drew saddles up to Zuri, pulling her attention away from me just as London speaks. “Okay, party crashers. We had plans to hit up a bar for a few drinks. Are you guys in?”
“Absolutely,” Ty chimes in. “We go wherever you go.”
“Obviously.” London laughs. “Well, we have this Sprinter van. We should all be able to fit in it. What do you think?”
“Actually,” I call out, “I decided to go a little bigger.”
Pulling out my phone, I shoot off a text. “With a group this size, we need additional space and a few more dark corners. We may not be here for a long time, but we’re damn sure here for a good time.”
The silver tour bus pulls up as I turn to the group. “Ms. London, your chariot awaits.” I give her a little bow.
Everyone hoots and hollers as we board, and London gives the bus driver our destination, and sends a text to the other driver to follow us.
The music fires up and the strobe lights shine as we pull away from the curb. The dancing doesn’t start immediately, surprisingly. The couples are coupling in those dark corners and Mia, Drew, and Zuri are huddled together in discussion.
Closing the space between me and London on the seat, I turn, staring at London’s profile.
“Anything you want to say to me?”
Her brows shoot up as she turns to me with a frown. “What would you suggest?”
“How about an apology?”
She rears back, face scrunched in confusion. “Why would I need to apologize to you? Please enlighten me.” She crosses her arms, looking me up and down.
Moving closer, I whisper in her ear, “You left me.”
Pulling back, her hands come to rest against my chest, sending warmth and comfort through me. Comfort I’ve needed since the moment I heard she was gone.
“What?”
“You left. Without a goodbye. No warning. I don’t know if I want to put you over my knee or kiss you senseless.” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I tilt her chin up so I can look into those hazel eyes, eyes that have cracked something deep within me.
“Ty told me you were in Seattle, and I thought maybe you decided to move back. Because of me. Or back to him.”
My face heats at my words and it suddenly feels too warm in here. This bus is too small to hold all the things I want to say comfortably. My lungs too tight to pull in enough air to breathe.
She swallows. “The thought of me leaving…”
I nod. “Leaving me. I didn’t like it.”
“So?”
“I’m here. To bring your ass home.”
“Home?”
“Yeah, home, with me, us. You don’t belong here anymore.” You belong with me floats through my thoughts, but I’ll unpack what that truly means later. “You’ve outgrown this place.”
She stiffens, slipping through my fingers in the next breath as she pulls away.
“You flew all this way to tell me that? Let me guess, you just decided that while you tagged along on Ty, and probably Eli’s, little mission to see the girls? Are you so bored without me around?”
I shake my head. “There you go again. Fighting me at every turn. That’s fine. You’ll learn. To answer your question, yes, my life would be hopelessly empty without you.”
Laughing, she shakes her head. “I’m not doing this with you.” Standing, she jumps on the stripper pole in the center of the bus to the sound of cheers and whistles from the girls.
“No,” Ty yells. “Absolutely not.”
Everyone roars with laughter as Ty and Eli avert their eyes. “Don’t do this to us, London,” Eli calls out.
“Fine, you babies.” She laughs before the other girls join her. “We have a bit of a drive. Drinks instead?” she says, holding up a chilled bottle of her favorite wine.
After the drinks are poured, she doesn’t return to her seat beside me, instead preferring to sit on the bench seat near the rear of the bus with Zuri and Mia for the rest of the ride.
Twenty lonely minutes later, we pull up outside a brown brick building, but there’s no signage or indicator of where we are.
“We’re here,” she calls. “ Nowhere . Our favorite cocktail lounge. It’s dark and sexy, I’m sure you lovebirds will appreciate the vibe.”
Before she can turn, my hand shoots out to grip her waist. “Y’all go ahead. London and I have a few things to discuss,” I tell everyone.
She scowls adorably as we silently watch everyone file off the bus, before turning to each other.
“I want to continue our conversation before we head inside. I meant what I said earlier. Home is Chicago. I’m happy to have fun here with you for a few days as long as that’s what it is, just a few days. Then you’re coming home, with me.”
She crosses her arms, always in defensive mode and fuck, I want to lift that burden off her.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, while I love those guys, I’d like to spend more time together, just us. I want to get to know you better… to see what this thing between us is.”
“There’s an us?”
“I’d like there to be. You can’t tell me you don’t feel this pull between us. This undeniable spark that flares to life every time I’m near. Tell me I’m not alone in this?” I say, leaning forward, nuzzling my nose into her neck.
Her responding hum and tilt of her head builds my confidence, and a sliver of relief flows through me. I’ve got her.
Placing soft kisses along her neck, I inhale the sweet fragrance of her skin, my hands slipping into the silky strands at her nape.
“I’ve missed this face. This snarky mouth.” I kiss along her jaw. “Why’d you run away? What happened?” I whisper into her skin.
Moaning, her arms wrap around me, pulling me closer as if she’s seeking my support or the feel of me before she speaks.
“I don’t know. I was feeling out of sorts and needed some sense of normalcy, to decompress with one of the people who know me best.”
“How are you feeling now?” I ask, feathering her with kisses. “Do you need a little stress reliever until I can get you home and take care of you?”
She moans, arching into my touch, and that's just what I need to unleash this ungodly feeling that's burning under my skin.
“Turn around, on your knees.”
Those eyes blaze as they hold mine.
“It’s cute that you think you’re in charge.”
Yanking her to me, I growl against her lips, “It’s cuter that you think I’m not.”
The tension between us crackles and my heart pounds in anticipation of her next move. But as her eyes slowly drift close, I have my answer, she’s mine for the taking.
This kiss is different from all the others. It’s fiery, the passion all consuming, but the acquiescence I taste on her lips is my undoing. She’s ready to take what I give her. Sucking her bottom lip into my mouth, I give it a bite before releasing her.
“Turn around and get on your knees,” I repeat, softly.
Her movements are jerky as she snaps out of the trance, but soon she’s facing the window, knees spread wide. The wanton look on her face as she watches me over her shoulder has me biting my lip.
“What about the bus driver? What if he hears?” she whispers.
Stepping up beside her, I can’t keep my hands to myself, and they roam up and down her exposed skin when I ruck her skirt up to find all that ass encased in wine red lace.
“Don't get shy now. Slutty girls tell us how much they like it. Let us hear you,” I lie. I told him to beat it once we parked, but she doesn't know that. My little exhibitionist craves the attention, loves fucking where people can hear and see her. I’d never let that happen, she’s mine and mine alone, but I’ll play this game for her.
She whimpers and it’s like music to my cock and he stands up even taller.
“You like that, don’t you, baby? You want everyone to hear you fall apart?” I growl. “Open your legs wider, let me see it.” She obliges, the sound of her desperate pants synchronizes with the beat of my heart.
“Look at this ass,” I say, giving it a slap. “You look amazing tonight, all dressed up, and this cake looks good enough to eat. One of these days you’ll let me fuck you in a bed, legs spread wide, where I can feast on you, and taste and savor every inch of you.” I’ve never wanted someone with me, beside me where I rest my head, the way I want her.
My hands continue to wander, kneading and caressing the smooth expanse of heated skin. “But that will come in due time. I wanna punish this little ass first. For making me worry,” I say as my hand comes down, the sound echoing through the quiet bus, and she cries out in surprise. But I soothe her with soft kisses.
Moving her barely there panties to the side, I go to my knees, finding her pussy already wet and ready for me.
“I just need a little taste to tide me over. It’s been too long since I’ve had your pussy on my tongue,” I murmur before my mouth closes over her.
Her gasps fill the empty space around us as she pulls away, but my hands shoot up to grip her hips, keeping her right where I want her.
“No, right here. Next time, it’ll be your ass but for now, this pussy is mine,” I say, my tongue delving deeper. Spearing her and tasting everything I’ve been missing. My fingers join the party and she takes two easily as I continue to lick and suck her sensitive flesh.
“That’s right, sweetheart,” I say at her moans. “I’ll give you everything you could ever want, if you’d just let me.”
Adding another finger, I push in, rocking in and out, and my dirty girl spreads those legs even more so I can suck her clit deeper, harder. Scraping my teeth over her tight little clit, she comes with a cry, shuddering and gasping above me. Pulling my fingers from the delicious heat of her quivering pussy is tortuous, but I need to get deeper inside her.
“Are you still too proud to say sorry? For making me worry, for making me wonder where you were?” I ask, unbuckling my belt.
My baby doesn’t give me the words I want to hear, but we’re both too far gone to care.
“I’ll fuck it out of you. Just know this is your fault. This is gonna be fast and hard. You should be thanking me for my restraint and for letting you come first. I’ve wanted to rip your clothes off since the second I saw you.” Pulling a condom from my back pocket, I tear it open and slide it on even though it’s the last thing I want to do. I want her bare, to feel the heat of her body as she milks every drop of cum from my balls.
My dick fucking throbs as I line up with her wet pussy, my eyes locking with hers as she breathes. “ Please .”
I barely hear it, the blood rushing like rapids in my ears, but it’s all I need, and I plunge into her. She screams at the intrusion, the sound reverberating through me as her warm heat sucks me right to the hilt.
“That’s right, babycakes. Let them hear you,” I grunt.
I pound into her, gripping her shoulders for leverage and her hand flies to the window for support before I send her through it. With each deep thrust, her ass jiggles and bounces as it slaps my hips and my hand comes down in quick succession, heating her ass with each loud slap. My baby doesn't disappoint, arching and pushing back into me taking every thrust with a groan and gasp.
“Tryna run away from me? Thought I wouldn't chase?” I rasp, pistoning into her.
“No,” she moans. “I-I wasn't running. I’d never run,” she cries.
“Good. Glad to fucking hear it,” I growl. “I can tell you’ve never been fucked like this. But I’m here now… to take care of you and put you in your fucking place.”
Her moans fill the space when I murmur, “That’s my greedy girl.”
Pulling her up so her back is against my front, I grind against her, growling in her ear, “You cut your hair?”
“Huh?” She's clearly floating on cloud sex, unable to grasp what I'm saying.
“I love your hair. You’re so fucking beautiful. This body in this tight little dress. And don’t think I didn’t see these sexy as fuck shoes. Damn, baby, I’m gonna shoot so fucking hard,” I groan, my hands moving to her pussy, feeling myself glide in and out of her silky, tight heat.
“You wanna come, don’t you? Be a good girl and give me your hand. Touch me, baby, feel how I’m stretching you.”
She scrambles to do as I ask, her hand finding mine between her thighs as she whimpers, head thrown back against my shoulder.
“I wanted to punish you. Thought maybe I wouldn't let you come. But you feel too good, and I’d never deny you. Rub that little clit. Just like this.” I circle my fingers as she bucks against me.
“Yes, please,” she cries, her fingers moving with mine relentlessly as her body tenses.
Lifting my hand from her hip, I bring it across her chest, holding her closer to me, as my hand circles her throat, stroking along her pulse point. It’s thundering beneath her skin, and I know she's close when her cries hitch, her body stiffening before she bursts around me. Her scream rattles the windows before she’s quaking and quivering, triggering my orgasm, and sucking every drop of cum from me.
Holy shit. I expel a few breaths. My brain and my balls are empty and I’m holding on to her for dear life.
Giving her neck a squeeze, I maneuver her to kiss along her jaw and cheek.
“Damn, you smell so good.” My nose is buried in her hair as I inhale her deep into my marrow. Offering her one more kiss, I pull out, discarding the condom in my pocket square and zipping my pants. London’s still where I left her, ass up and head down as she catches her breath.
“Come on, baby. Let me help you.” Lifting her to standing, I crouch to help her clean up. She’s still slick between her thighs and I lick it all up with my greedy tongue. Pulling her panties down, she must still be in a daze because she doesn’t protest, but instead lifts her foot as I give it a tap so I can remove these pretty panties. Shoving them in my pocket, my eyes meet hers when she giggles. Fucking giggles.
“What?” I ask, pulling her dress down over her hips. Thankfully, it’s fitted enough, those sinful thighs stretch the material just enough that the wrinkles aren’t as noticeable.
“Did you just put my panties in your pocket?”
Standing, my lips brush against hers in a soft kiss. “These are my panties now. I have a nice little collection and they’re my favorite good luck charms.”
That sparkle is back as she holds my gaze with the warmest smile on those delicious lips. Shaking her head, she latches my belt, adjusts my collar before those hands run up and down my arms and when her bright eyes meet mine again, I almost stumble.
As if the ground quakes, I’m unsteady, my legs are weak and shaky, as if they’re going to give out. My mouth goes dry as my gaze flows over her beautiful face then meets her eyes again and everything rolls through me.
Lust. Infatuation. Passion. Fascination. Protectiveness. Obsession. Devotion. Love.
I’m in love with London Cameron.
Bringing my forehead to hers, I allow her to steady me, prop me up when her hands clasp at my back.
“I’m so happy to see you, London. You are the brightest part of every day.”
My lips find hers, cutting off any reply, because I need a moment. Just one to pull myself together.
Turning, I offer her a hand, giving her a tight squeeze as we step off the bus. “Where to, gorgeous?” I ask, looking up and down the dark street.
She gives a nod of her head toward the alley. “We're on the road to Nowhere .”
Not liking the sound of that, I shake my head and plant a kiss on her hand.
“I hope not, sweetheart.”
Glancing over to me again, there’s that soft smile on her lips as she studies me. Sometimes, I wonder if she truly believes me when I’m being nothing but honest. Maybe she’s so used to my playful, flirtatious side that when I’m sincere, she doesn’t know how to accept it. But I’ll show her.
I always get what I want, and I know in my heart, I’ll never want someone more than I want her. But when I finally catch her and she sees just how serious I am, she’ll be mine and I’m never letting her go.
Hand in hand, I escort her to the hidden door and fling it open with a flourish. “After you, beautiful.” She walks by and I can't help but bring my hand down on that ass and she yelps.
Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her close and whisper in her ear, “I can't get enough of you.”
“Hmm,” she says. “You better not, especially since you still have my panties in your pocket.”
I chuckle. “You know these are my favorite pair, right?”
She turns to me, eyebrows raised.
“Oh yeah, from your ‘ back in the saddle party .’” I can’t help adding the little quotation marks. “When you let me finger your tight little hole. Those were pretty and at the top of the list, or the ones from lunch, but these are even sweeter.” I give my pocket a light tap. “I’ll have to compare them to the ones in my suitcase. Maybe we can do that tonight?”
She whips around, mouth gaping. “You travel with them? Xander!”
I can only grin. “They're my prized possessions. Anything I can get from you is.”
She just shakes her head with a laugh. “You're so strange.” I chuckle, not embarrassed in the least.
Because apparently Nowhere is in a fucking basement, I head down the stairs first, making sure I’m in front of her in case she loses her footing in those sexy ass shoes. Sliding open the heavy black door exposes a dimly lit space. Brown brick walls, shiny black floor, candlelit black lacquer tables, are filled with people while exotic green plants hang in every corner and from the ceiling.
“Whoa, this feels a bit like an undercover oasis. Or maybe we're spies and we're meeting to exchange some encrypted device.”
She laughs, just like I knew she would. “Of course you would create a whole crazy story. But there’s something about this place, right? The sexy music, dark lighting, the private booths. It's perfect for a little...”
“Rendezvous?” I supply.
“Exactly.”
The hostess returns to the tall black stand and London supplies her name adding she has a private room for a party. We’re hand in hand as another staff leads us to our private room, and I take in the space around us. There's a long, black and copper bar backlit along the far wall, the shelves packed with greenery and every bottle of booze imaginable, with five bartenders busy dancing around each other, mixing drinks. This place is a vibe. Chicago is home and it's amazing, but I didn’t expect something like this in Seattle, not sure why. The server stops outside a… is that a bank vault door?
The door swings open and London looks over her shoulder with a big smile, her eyebrows raised in triumph.
“This is fucking awesome, babycakes.”
Stepping through the circular door, everyone’s seated around black leather couches and overstuffed chairs perfect for two. One wall is covered in an expansive aquarium, colorful fish swim through the bubbling water. There is an impressive sound system along one wall along with a few rows of records.
“Ty, this is your fucking shit, right?” I call out as my eyes adjust to the dim lighting. He has an extensive record collection himself, so I know he's enjoying the setup.
“Oh yeah, they even have a few special editions we don't. I'll have to look into adding them to our collection.”
“Hey,” I say, bending to whisper in London’s ear. “I'm going to run to the restroom to sadly wash the scent of you from my hands. Do you need anything from the bar?”
Smiling up at me, she shakes her head. “No, we have a waitress who should be back in a sec.”
“No, I can grab you something. I don't want you to have to wait.”
“Oh, no worries. We already ordered a couple bottles,” Mia chimes in, pointing to the sidebar.
London’s favorite white wine sits uncorked on a round tray. Grabbing a glass and filling it to the brim I sit it on the table beside her seat.
“For my baby,” I say, brushing a kiss to the top of her head.
Heading back out into the main room of the bar, I navigate through the crowd to the restroom to do my business and wash my hands. Staring at my face in the mirror I wonder again if I’ve done the right thing, even trying to convey how I'm feeling. I'm still working on putting my thoughts into words, but I couldn't let the moment slip by without letting her know that she's been on my mind.
Stepping out into the dim hallway, I almost run into a guy outside the door.
“Oh shit, dude, sorry.” What's up with me, random guys and restrooms?
Moving to the left to step around him, he does the same and we do the same bit to the right, and we’re doing a dance when I finally realize he's not stepping out of my way, but he's stepping into it.
“Let me guess. A beautiful woman sent you in here to fuck with me.”
He frowns. “Did I just see you walking here with London Cameron?”
I chuckle. “Why? Are you a fan?”
He snorts. “I'm definitely not a fan. But I am concerned.”
The derision in his tone has tension creeping into my shoulders and I’m immediately on guard. “Why don't you tell me why you're concerned and then maybe I'll answer your fucking question.”
“I know London very well. Probably better than anyone, definitely better than you.”