by Zara Cox
She fought a strong urge to run a quick hand through her hair and sucked in a breath at Enzo’s hiss of impatience. Shifting her gaze to him, she saw his lips pressed together in a tight, formidable line. “Get in the elevator. You’re going down, so are we. We’re all adults here.”
Insisting on taking the stairs would be childish on Lexi’s part. Her eyes darted to Cara, but she’d turned away, her dark hair covering half her face.
On shaky legs, she stepped forward and entered the elevator, then turned her back on its three occupants. When the doors shut, locking them in, she held her breath and silently urged the ancient contraption to move quicker.
She jumped when Enzo’s voice sounded right next to her ear.
“Which floor? First?”
The heat of his breath against her bare shoulder raised gooseflesh all over her body, reminding her of how he loved to blow on her clit before he tortured it with his tongue. When he leaned forward, one finger poised over the buttons, she forgot to breathe. Cold green eyes slid over her face, one eyebrow cocked in cool enquiry.
With a swallow, she nodded and stepped away slightly when he straightened. Expecting him to take his place back at his sister’s side, her temperature rose further when he remained next to her. Behind her, she could feel Cara’s hatred wash over her. Damn, she really should have taken the stairs.
Unable to take it anymore, she broke the silence. “It’s good news about Fiona, isn’t it?”
Enzo’s lips tightened. A deep, “Yeah, it's great,” rumbled from his chest. Cara remained silent.
The doctor, obviously seizing a chance to lighten the mood, stepped forward. “Ah, are you talking about Miss Harding? The news of her amazing recovery is all over the hospital. Are you also a friend of hers?”
“No, she’s not,” Cara snapped, her voice raw with loathing. “She’s—”
“Cara.” Enzo’s sharp warning ramped the tension to breaking point. So much so that when the elevator jostled to a stop, Lexi first thought her nerves had snapped. Sensing freedom, she stepped forward to escape from the unbearable box only to realize they were on the third floor.
“Right, this is us, I think.” The doctor’s relief was blatant. “It was good to meet you, uh…?”
“Lexi. Mayfield,” she supplied after clearing the lump in her throat.
“I’m Dr. Hopkirk.” He gave her a puzzled smile as he stepped out.
Her smile slipped as Enzo speared her with another heat-filled look. Hot lust tightened the knots in her belly. He inclined his head, exited, and waited for his sister. Cara slipped past her, the side of her scarred faced averted as the three disappeared down the corridor.
The hand Lexi raised to stab the button trembled uncontrollably. The doors slid shut and, for the second time in a very short time, she sagged against the wall of the elevator.
Helpless tears rose in her eyes. With sickening clarity, she realized that no matter what good came of the tragedy, Enzo and Cara would never forgive her for the accident. It seemed not even Fiona’s miraculous recovery was enough to soften the hearts of the two people who had once been the center of her world.
How could Enzo look at her as if she he couldn't stand the sight of her while at the same time fucking her with his eyes? Knowing he hated her for the almost fatal attraction they seemed to have for each other hurt deeply, but somehow in the privacy of their Friday night trysts, it had been…not okay, but almost tolerable.
In the glaring light of day, however, his barely veiled animosity was unbearable. A fat tear rolled down her cheek; she did nothing to stop it. She knew she wept for the lost love she’d secretly nurtured, the love which had once held so much promise, so much hope.
She could’ve made him so happy, she knew it in her bones. Her tongue thickened as more tears fell. A flood of shame swamped Lexi when she realized part of her had prayed for Fiona’s recovery because she’d secretly hoped that it might heal the rift between Enzo and her. Now, that particular dream had shown itself to be just a figment of her imagination.
The elevator finally touched down. With each step toward her car, she knew the decision had to be made; she had to face the hard truth and walk away from Enzo once and for all.
Enzo stood at the third floor window to the private visitor’s room and watched Lexi approach her car. Anger and savage lust raged through him in equal measures. How could she have callously ruined something so beautiful as the love they’d shared and still manage to look like the wounded party?
Seeing her outside the elevator just now with deep shadows under eyes, dried tracks of tears on her face, had nearly ripped him in two. Never before had he fought such a forceful instinct to take her in his arms and soothe away her pain. He forced himself to remember that she’d been the author of her own pain - of all their pain. By fucking someone else, giving away what he'd thought had been exclusively his, she'd broken something he'd thought was precious.
But a few minutes ago, she’d looked as if her whole world was about to cave in on her.
He also knew he was being delusional. Her weariness was most likely from her trip to Vegas. And if she’d cried over Fiona, then at least it showed there was some humanity in her after all. Any sympathy he had should be directed to his sister and the huge decision she faced right now.
Lexi didn’t need him, nor did she deserve any support from him. Hell, even with her tiredness, she still managed to look a knockout. He’d barely managed to stop himself from ripping Dr. Hopkirk’s eyes out when he'd seen him checking out Lexi's ass in the elevator.
It seemed any man who came within a mile of Lexi immediately got a hard on. And yeah, the thought more than pissed him off.
With clenched fists, he watched her sinuous body slide into her car and drive off, then immediately wished he was with her.
Shaking his head at the sheer lunacy of his thoughts, he whirled away from the window.
He really needed to have his head examined. His sister needed him now. With Fiona waking up, the past would be dredged up again, and Cara’s sensitive emotions would have to be handled with kid gloves. His sister had been through enough pain to last her a lifetime.
But dammit, right now every foolish nerve in his body yearned to be back in the penthouse with Lexi, never mind that it was only Tuesday and not Friday.
He craved her with a hunger that was slowly driving him insane. Many times over the last couple of days he'd toyed with calling her just to hear her voice.
How fucking needy and pathetic was that?
Crossing to the coffee machine which dispensed burnt, tasteless coffee, he poured himself a cup. He stared into the dark liquid and finally admitted it - the woman was a drug in his blood, and the cure was rarer than he’d imagined. The past five days he’d thought of little else but her, even when his mind should’ve been on business.
Larry, his long-suffering partner, fed up with his lack of attention to his job, had read him the riot act after a disastrous business meeting this morning with a stern warning to get a grip. That he’d grasped the opportunity and immediately contemplated meeting Lexi’s plane at the airport had angered him so much he’d driven in the opposite direction to his gym, intent on pounding the shit out of a punching bag until one of them broke.
He’d never made it. The call from Cara about Fiona had come as he’d walked through the door of his gym. He expected his sister to be a basket case when he arrived. But she'd been the opposite.
If anything, Cara had seemed to emerge, albeit in a small way, from the embittered state she’d inhabited for the last year. She’d even smiled for the first time today.
And then she’d dropped a bombshell at Enzo’s feet.
Which was why he was here in a waiting room, drinking crappy coffee, supporting his baby sister as she took the first tentative steps toward a possible corrective facial surgery she’d decided to undergo.
The door opened. He looked up in relief as she entered, followed by Dr. Hopkirk.
“Everything all rig
ht?” he directed his question at the doctor.
“I’ve taken some skin samples and I’ll run some tests overnight. We should know more tomorrow. But at this stage, I’m hopeful.”
“You sure about doing this, sis? The decision was rather sudden, wasn’t it?”
The look that passed between doctor and patient tweaked his radar.
Dr. Hopkirk cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s not. I’ve been seeing your sister for a few weeks now.”
Enzo started. “Seeing her?”
The young doctor flushed. “No, no, not that way. I meant, we met when I treated Miss Harding’s leg burns. I saw your sister’s injuries and…well, I’ve had a hard time convincing her to let me take a look.” His eyes strayed to Cara and stayed. “She approached me today and agreed, finally.”
Enzo followed his gaze. “Just like that? Cara, are you sure?”
She nodded, hesitant at first, but then a rare light of determination shone in her eyes. “If it’s possible, I’m willing to give it a try.”
Hopkirk smiled. “That’s the spirit. I’ll give you a call tomorrow when I have the results and we’ll schedule you for another consult, all right?”
She nodded.
Enzo shook hands with the doctor and turned to her. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
In silence, they walked out into the corridor.
“I’m really proud of you, you know. Whatever help you need, I’ll be there for you.” He pulled her close into a hug.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she murmured before pulling away. “Let’s take the stairs. That damn elevator takes too long.”
Enzo fell into step beside her, but with the mention of the elevator, his mind flew miles away. Or not far enough away, depending on which way he looked at it. He shouldn’t be wondering whether Lexi was home by now; shouldn’t be wondering what she was doing. It was Tuesday, not Friday.
But maybe he could call her. They’d made an exception last week, maybe she’d be too hot for him to wait until Friday.
“…don’t you think?”
He tuned and found Cara’s quizzical gaze on him.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, Lexi had a lot of balls showing up here today, don’t you think?”
He suppressed a sigh at the familiar belligerent tone. “I’m sure she came because she was contacted by Fiona’s parents, much the same way you were.”
“Yeah, but she could’ve said no. She could’ve waited until tomorrow. Anyone with an ounce of sensitivity wouldn’t have turned up. Talk about rubbing it in everyone’s face.”
He frowned. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“But Fiona’s parents are still here. The last thing they need to see the very day she wakes up is the person who put their daughter in a coma. I mean how insensitive is that?”
“Technically, the accident wasn’t her fault, Cara. The truck came from the other side of the road and hit her car, remember? Besides, with things looking up for Fiona, maybe her parents are ready to put the tragedy behind them?” he suggested, hoping she’d drop the subject.
“Or maybe Lexi just doesn’t know when to quit.”
Frustration ate at him. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he stopped. “I don’t understand you, Cara. You were upset last week when you thought she was leaving town. Now you’re upset because she’s still in LA. What exactly do you want?”
“I want to be able to turn back time. For me not to look like this!” She shoved her hand in her face. “For everything to go back to the way it was! Is that too much to ask?” she shouted as tears swam into her eyes.
Swallowing his anger, he enfolded her in his arms, her cry of pain ripping through him. “No, it’s not, and I’m sorry for what happened to you. But we can’t turn back time, Cara. All we can do is move forward. Look, the main thing is that she came because Fiona woke up. Fiona is who we should be concerned about. She’s out of her coma and signs show she’s going to be all right. Let’s be thankful about that, okay?”
She sniffed, bunching her hand in his T-shirt. “Yes, but all I’m saying is, Lexi could’ve shown some tact. And did you see what she was wearing, showing off her body like that—”
He dropped his arms, knowing what was coming next. “Enough already. Seriously, I don’t want to fight about Lexi again. All right?”
She shoved him away, aggression ramped high. “Who says I want to fight?”
“Well, somehow we always end up fighting when her name comes up.”
“That’s because you always defend her when I talk about her.”
He suppressed another sigh. “No, I don’t and you know it. You’re my family. You’re the most important person in my life. And because I know she upsets you, I don’t want you to get riled up talking about her. So can we drop it?”
“I’m just saying, she could’ve left it till tomorrow. And what was with those fake tears?”
Enzo didn’t think it was the right time to point out they hadn’t seemed fake to him. Instead, he took a breath and tried to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. “Come on now, she’s gone. Forget about it. You’ve got far more important things to think about. Let’s focus on that instead, all right?”
Her hand immediately went up to her face again, where the thin but deep scars criss-crossed her temple and cheek. As had become habitual, she arranged the hair to cover the scars. The action tore at his heart. God, he hoped the test results came through okay.
Cara’s decision to undergo plastic surgery to remove the scars had been a huge and surprising step. He hoped for her sake it succeeded. He hated to think what would happen to her emotionally if it failed. He saw the shadows under her eyes and pulled her into another quick hug.
He adored his baby sister, even though at times, in his deepest private moments, he despaired about whether he was doing right by her.
She’d been diagnosed with manic depression after their parents died when she was nineteen. Her boyfriend dumping her for her best friend soon after hadn’t helped.
Adored as a child by parents who’d thought they wouldn’t have any more children after Enzo, she’d been devastated when they died in an interstate pile up. Being betrayed by not only her boyfriend, but also her best friend, had dealt her a blow she’d almost not recovered from.
Overnight, she turned from a bubbly fun-loving college student to a clingy, suicidal, sophomore drop out, living in the house he shared with Roxanne, his girlfriend at the time.
Her unpredictable tantrums had eventually driven Roxanne away, and every subsequent girlfriend had run a mile, until Enzo had finally admitted he couldn’t handle his sister’s care on his own.
He’d convinced her to see a therapist and, in just a year, Cara had undergone an immense change, almost returning to the way she used to be. He’d even hoped she might go back to college and finish her law degree. When he’d broached the subject with the therapist, she’d suggested they get away from LA for a while instead, take a trip somewhere, give Cara the chance to meet new people and form different relationships.
And so, what had started out as a three-week vacation to Thailand had ended up as an eighteen-month adventure around the world, ending in London, where he’d met Lexi, the woman of his dreams. Or so he’d thought.
Tired of living in faceless hotels, he’d suggested they rent a house for the month-long stay they’d planned in London. The last thing he’d expected when Cara had dragged him along to view the rental house her so-called Relocation Expert had found was to fall hard and fast.
He’d known how it felt to literally feel your heartstrings being plucked by love. The sensation, coupled with Lexi’s amazing beauty, had left him reeling in the entry hall of the house they were viewing that long ago winter morning.
When his less-than-subtle questioning of Cara had revealed Lexi’s love of salsa, the dance she indulged in every Wednesday night at a salsa bar near their hotel, he’d made sure to plant himself there the very next Wednesday
. And the relief when Lexi walked in had given way to a blood-draining hard-on at the sight of her sexy dress and stunning body.
The same hard-on which had led him to foolishly propose three months later with his heart on his sleeve and high on love, mind-blowing sex, and happiness.
Only to be brought crashing down by hard reality, his dreams turned to ashes.
Never, ever again.
From now on, Cara was what mattered in his life. Nothing else.
He pulled her close. “Everything will be all right. So, what say we go and grab some early dinner? How about Mexican, your favorite? Then you can tell me more about this doctor of yours.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Cara nodded, her gaze softening as she looped her arm through his and recounted what the doctor’s prognoses were.
But Enzo was only half-listening. A greater, crazy, part of him was wondering why he felt as if he’d let himself down by not defending Lexi more.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Déjà vu. Some believed there was no such thing. So why then did she feel as if she’d relived this moment, this day, before?
Lexi shut the door behind her, lobbed her keys onto the coffee table, and undressed as she went through her apartment to the bedroom. Again, her case stood just inside the door. She kicked off her shoes next to it.
Again, she took a shower which cleansed her, but didn’t manage to completely get rid of the hospital smell.
At any moment, she expected her cell to beep a message from Enzo.
Fat chance. Besides, even if he did call, she intended to follow through with the decision she’d made on the way home from the hospital.
They couldn't go on like this. The sex was mind-blowing. But the pain that came with it was too much to bear.
It was time to end things.
But can you do that? Cut him off just like that? Cutting off her own arm would be easier, but somehow she had to find the strength to do it. Fiona was on the mend. There really was no reason to stay in LA. She could relocate. That was her expertise after all. Vegas would be a blast. New York even better. Or maybe she could go back home to London.
