Xavier O’Brien

by Ingro, Jessica

  “It was no one,” he evaded.

  “You can tell me,” I cajoled. “It will be our secret.”

  He shook his head in annoyance and leaned closer. “It. Was. No. One.”

  “Fine, if you don’t want to tell me.” I slumped back in my chair with disappointment.

  He made an aggravated noise and swiped his hands through his dark hair. His head turned to the side and he gazed out at the garden. When he looked back at me I saw resignation on his face.

  “There was no one. No one else I’ve wooed.” I fought back a giggle at the mighty Xavier O’Brien saying that word. “Just you.”

  “Wow,” I said in disbelief. I mean, I knew he was a badass that lived a dangerous life for a really long time, but he couldn’t have always been a badass.

  “Bitches didn’t stick around past a fuck or two. No one even remotely close to being someone I’d share my life with. Only you.”

  “Only me,” I whispered and tears sprang into my eyes once again. He really did bring out the softer side of me.

  Xavier reached over and cupped my cheek. His thumb tracing my lower lip.

  “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved. The only one worthy of my time.”

  “I love you,” I whispered, too filled with emotion to say anything more. He had to have known how very honored I was to mean that much to him. Most days I felt unworthy of a man like him loving a woman like me the way he did.

  “I love you, too.” Then looking to lighten the mood, he added, “Now where’s the waiter? I’m starved.” He gave me a crooked grin and then snapped his fingers. Vincenzo hustled through the patio doors and I laughed at how easily people did my man’s bidding.

  Well after the bottle of wine was polished off and our five-star dinners eaten, Xavier and I picked at a piece of chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. By far, this had been the best date of my life. It was laidback and fun, with good food and even better company.

  My phone buzzed on the table next to me. I picked it up and saw a picture from Carla, our babysitter. It was Sophie dressed up like a princess holding court with her stuffed animals. I smiled and ran my finger over the screen. She was so precious and getting so big. It made me sad knowing how quickly she was growing up.

  “Aurora,” Xavier called my name and I looked up to see what appeared to be uncertainty and apprehension on his face.

  “I’m sorry. Did you say something? I wasn’t really paying attention.”

  I set my phone down and focused on him, wanting to know what had him looking so nervous.

  He cleared his throat and adjusted his collar before speaking.

  “I was saying that I’m grateful that you found your way to The Den that day because the last few months have been arguably the best months of my life. You and Sophie are…” He trailed off and cleared his throat again.

  “You two are the bright spots in an otherwise dark existence. I hadn’t had a reason to get up in the morning in a really long time. Not since my sister…”

  I reached over and grabbed his hand where it rested on the table not wanting him to think about the hell he went through when both his sister and mother died.

  “I feel the same way and you taking me out like this on top of all the things you’ve already done for us means more to me than you can ever know.”

  “Good,” he smiled and reversed our hands so it was his holding mine. His thumb was stroking over my ring finger and he looked thoughtful for a moment before he continued. “What I’m trying to say is, I—”

  His phone began ringing on the table, cutting him off. He cursed and silenced it before taking a sip of his water. Returning his attention back to me, he picked my hand up again.

  “What I mean is—”

  His damn phone began ringing again. He swore louder this time and released my hand again. Picking it up, he actually looked to see who the caller was this time.

  “Shit, I better take this.”

  “Okay.”

  He got up from the table and barked into the phone, “What?”

  With his back to me, I sipped the dregs of my wine as he listened to whatever the caller said. His stance becoming more rigid and annoyed with each second that ticked on.

  “Fuck. I’ll be there in a half hour.” He listened again before saying, “Fuck no. I’ll handle this.”

  When he came back to the table after ending his call, I tried to hide my disappointment. I had a vulnerable Xavier before we were interrupted. I lived for a vulnerable Xavier. The things he said to me were magical. He was mine and mine alone.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but we have to go.”

  “Is everything alright?” I asked as I stood and slung my purse over my shoulder.

  “Don’t know,” he huffed and led me into the restaurant with a hand on my lower back.

  The hostess gave us a smile on our way out along with his friend Mauricio giving a thumbs up while shouting a farewell.

  Once I was settled in the passenger seat of Xavier’s car and he had folded in behind the wheel, I asked, “Should I wait up for you?”

  “Don’t know,” he all but growled.

  “Surely you aren’t mad at me,” I noted firmly. I didn’t deserve to be his punching bag. There was no way I was going to let him ruin this evening with a sour mood.

  “Fuck.” He punched the steering wheel then turned toward me and softened his voice. “No. I’m not mad at you, baby. I’m mad that our evening is not going according to plan because of some shithead idiot.”

  “How was it supposed to go?”

  “Not like it is.” He grinned. Reaching over and bringing my hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

  “You’re something else.” I shook my head with a grin of my own, his earlier snit forgotten.

  “I know,” was his only response.

  He was acting weird.

  I’d eventually find out why. I always did. In the meantime, I’d enjoy what was left of our time together.

  * * *

  I couldn’t help but replay the evening as I soaped up under the steaming hot water of the shower. Everything had been perfect. Almost like a dream come true—from the scenery, to the flowers, to the food, to the company. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

  The more Xavier and I spent time together doing “couple” things, the more in sync we were becoming. Our relationship, while on its face may have seemed unconventional, was turning out to be one of the healthiest and richest I had ever experienced.

  Sure, he was my pimp at one time. And I guess you could say I was his whore, but we were so much more than that now. We were partners, lovers, friends and confidants. If you had asked me the first time I met him if it would be possible, I would have unequivocally said no.

  My hands faltered when I remembered what Xavier had been saying before he got the phone call that ended the evening abruptly. It wasn’t so much that he was tight-lipped about the issue plaguing him, whatever it might be. It was what he was struggling to convey when he was interrupted that had me freezing up.

  Forcing myself to resume my task, I tried to block it from my mind. It would do me no good to fixate on the possibilities when he wasn’t here to confirm them one way or another. No, I needed to think about other things and wait for him to return home.

  And that was what I was doing—or rather attempting to do. Let’s face it, I was failing spectacularly—when I jumped and yelped at the feel of strong hands circling my breasts from behind. Spinning quickly, I whopped Xavier on the chest as I struggled to regulate my erratic heartbeat.

  “You scared the shit out of me,” I chastised.

  “I called your name three times. Not my fault you were lost in that pretty little head of yours,” he returned, completely unrepentant.

  “Whatever,” I mumbled and then turned back to face the water, intent on stewing in my annoyance of being startled.

  Xavier had something else entirely in mind.

  His hands went back to my breasts, cupping
and then kneading them. His rough fingers plucked my nipples, sending tingles down my spine and straight to my core.

  My head fell back on his chest, my weight resting on his body when one of his hands ventured south. With deft fingers, he immediately hit the spot between my legs that had me aching for more than just a touch.

  I would never cease to be amazed at how quickly he turned me on. How in tune with my body’s needs and desires he was. You would think we had been together a lifetime, when in actuality it was just a mere moment in time.

  “I need you,” he murmured right before sinking his teeth into my earlobe. Judging by the hard-as-steel cock pressed against my ass, I’d have to agree.

  With a hand on my back he guided my torso forward before pressing my hands to the tile. With one swift glide, he was inside me. Needing more, I tipped my ass up and was rewarded by a rough groan of satisfaction from him.

  With his hand on my hips, he pulled out slowly then thrust back inside, setting a rhythm that quickly had me going out of my mind. I braced myself with one hand, while using the other to rub my clit.

  “Oh God,” I moaned at the first impending sign of my orgasm.

  “That’s it, baby,” Xavier encouraged. “Give me everything.”

  And I did.

  Over and over, my inner muscles clenched as pleasure radiated through every inch of my body.

  Coming was the most delicious feeling any one person can experience. I’d do it day and night if it were possible.

  When I came back to my senses, it was in time to feel cool metal sliding over my finger. It was then I realized Xavier had stilled his motions.

  Glancing down at our joined hands, tears filled my eyes and poured down my cheeks.

  “Is this?” No more words would form as I took in the simple solitaire diamond ring. It was at least three carats and twinkled whenever it caught the recessed lights shining down over us.

  “I asked you to give me everything,” he replied in a gruff voice.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I saw his eyes were glassy and I was completely humbled to know that I affected him this way.

  Slowly turning around and instantly missing our connection when he slipped from my body, I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his mouth down to mine.

  “It would be my honor to give you even one iota of what you’ve given me.”

  He smiled and promptly closed the distance between our lips. The kiss was sweet and promising. It was everything people would least expect from this big, scary man who loved me enough to make me his wife.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “I can’t believe you’re getting married.” Candy released my hand after her inspection of my engagement ring with a wistful sigh. “I really wish I could find a man to put a ring on it.”

  Candy and I were hanging out in my office at The Den. She had stopped in to say hi before her shift started and never left after hearing the news. Needless to say, she was a little surprised by my... well… surprise engagement. No one had expected me to go on a date with Xavier the night before and come out a future bride.

  Except Sophie, of course. The girl had taken up residence on cloud nine right next to me, babbling on about how the knight belongs with the princess. Then she made me promise her dress would be pink and that it would sparkle.

  “It’ll happen.” I glanced up from my own study of the ring. I would never tire of looking at it. “You just have to believe it.”

  “Right,” she scoffed. “All I know are men who are dicks or men that only think with their dicks.”

  I hated knowing how cynical she was, but between her past with her baby daddy and the life of a high-end prostitute it was sadly expected.

  “What about Jay or Jake or whatever his name was… the guy from a few weeks ago?”

  Her eyes darted to the side and she suddenly seemed on edge. “Oh… um… That was nothing.”

  “It can’t be nothing,” I pressed. “You were screaming his name at the top of your lungs in that video I accidentally saw on your phone.”

  “I said it’s nothing,” she bit out defensively.

  “Okay. Geez. What crawled up your ass today?”

  She sighed and looked sad for a moment. It seemed like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. It made me feel guilty for not paying more attention to my friend. I had become so wrapped up in Xavier and Sophie and the life we were building that the rest was just background noise. I was going to have to remedy that.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little jealous about your ring and… You know what? I don’t really want to talk about it. It’s complicated.”

  “Okay,” I acquiesced. I knew complicated just as well as I knew not wanting to talk about something. “But I’m here for you if you ever want to talk. Why don’t we do a girl’s night next week? Just you, me, drinks, some really skimpy dresses and some banging music?”

  “Thanks. I’d actually really like that. Maybe Carla could watch Sasha too?” She asked, referring to her daughter.

  “I’m sure that can be arranged.” I got up from my chair and hugged her. When she pulled back, she looked a little less sad.

  “I better get going. I have a regular coming in in fifteen and he likes it when I come to him with a butt plug already in.” She shivered a little and my smile widened. “Gets me so wet, he just buries his face in my cunt.”

  That made my own cunt throb a little. I chanced a glance at the clock. I really hoped Xavier got there soon. Now that I had sex on the brain, I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I had some.

  “Go get ‘em tiger,” I yelled out as she left the room.

  She stuck her hand in the door and flipped me off, leaving me with the sound of her laughter as she sashayed down the hall. I sat back in my chair and stared at the computer screen for a moment. I was ahead of the ball in terms of workload and was debating calling Xavier to see where he was when there was a brief knock on the door, followed by Ghost filling the doorway.

  “You good?” He asked.

  At his rather strange question, I cocked my head to the side and studied him. He looked watchful and I wondered what was going on. Things had been quiet lately. Maybe too quiet.

  “Yeah. Are you?” I returned.

  “Yeah,” he answered slowly and in a tone that said he didn’t understand why I was asking, so I decided to clarify.

  “Ghost, why are you asking me if I’m okay?”

  “After last night, I wanted to make sure you weren’t pissed at me for calling the boss away when he was about to pop the question.” He had an uncharacteristically sheepish look on his face and dare I say a bit of a blush?

  I chuckled under my breath. Ghost was a huge and menacing man that almost made me pee my pants the first time I saw him. The fact that he was worried I’d be upset with him spoke volumes to the softy underneath that brusque exterior.

  “Honestly? I didn’t even ask where he went. All that mattered was that he came home and well…” I held up my left hand and wiggled my finger.

  He gave me an unexpectedly brilliant smile when I did that. I’m talking white teeth and all. It transformed his face into a thing of beauty.

  Holy shit.

  Ghost is a hottie.

  “Then I guess I’ll let you get back to work. Boss called and he’ll be here any minute.”

  “Thanks,” I semi-stuttered as I tried to recover from the beauty of Ghost.

  He shut the door behind him and I leaned back in my chair. He was an enigma. I knew he had a daughter, but I wasn’t allowed to ask questions about her. Xavier had made it perfectly clear that she wasn’t to come anywhere near this life. Being told no only made me want to go after it. I wondered if it were possible to gather more intel without getting my hand slapped.

  Knowing Xavier would be there soon, I stood from my chair and rounded the desk. Leaving my office, I headed down the hall to his closed door. His office was more secluded than mine, which was a necessity for what I had in mind.

  Usi
ng the key on the ring around my wrist, I unlocked the door and flipped the lights on. Biting my lip, I considered the possibilities of how I wanted him to find me. Decision made, I shimmied the skirt of my dress up a bit and sat on the sofa, legs spread wide, waiting.

  * * *

  “What are you doing?” Xavier asked when he finally came into his office.

  I had been waiting nearly twenty minutes for him. My panties were drenched considering my hand was in them not two seconds before and my mind was visualizing it was his tongue and not my fingers dancing across my clit.

  “Waiting for you,” I said a bit breathlessly.

  “Fuck, are you turned on?” He dropped his keys on the desk and turned to face me.

  “Very,” I confirmed. “What are you going to do about it?”

  Instead of answering, he began unbuttoning his shirt.

  Game on.

  Deciding to give him a show, I hooked my fingers in my panties. Drawing them down my legs slowly, I pulled them off before tossing them in his direction.

  With his shirt hanging open, he bent down to pick them up. Putting them to his nose, he inhaled deeply.

  “I’m going to fuck you into next week, you dirty little girl.”

  His words had their usual affect. I squeezed my thighs together as the throb that had abated was back in full force.

  His shirt fell to the floor and my eyes greedily raked over all that delicious skin and muscle. He was such a fine specimen of a man. My lips and teeth wanted to explore him again and again.

  When his strong hands unbuckled his belt and slowly lowered the zipper of his black dress pants, I stopped breathing with anticipation of what lie beneath. It was always such an erotic sight when he unveiled himself to me. The way his cock sprung free and pointed straight at me—like it knew whom it belonged to—made me want to worship it.

  Seeing to Xavier’s needs was as satisfying as seeing to my own. Which is exactly what I did when I dropped to my knees in front of him. His inhale of breath was sharp when my mouth engulfed him in one fell swoop. He was so hard and velvety, I could have spent hours pleasuring him.