by Sarah Tork
“You’re drunk,” he stated softly, jerking his face back. “You can have the room, I’ll leave.”
“No!” I yelled and he stopped in between the doorway. “Don’t leave me, I don’t want to be alone tonight!”
“What do you want me for?” he turned and asked, warily.
“Take care of me. That’s it. I’m not asking much, am I?” I whimpered, pouting to him. I could see him greedily scour my body with his beautiful blue eyes, hungrily, as if he were in pain.
“You like what you see Liam?” I asked him, pointing my leg towards him. He walked over to me, grabbing my leg, caressing the skin with the tips of his fingers.
“You’re drunk Marisa, your wound is cleaned. Just go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” Liam said, lowering my leg back down.
“You don’t want this,” I asked him, pushing my hips up. “I know you want this.”
“Who wouldn’t?” He smirked, shaking his head. He leaned down and whispered. “Go to sleep, baby.”
He kissed me on the forehead, and caressed the side of my jaw before turning the lights off, closing the door and leaving me to instant sleep.
*~*~*
“Wake up!” Xander laughed, tugging a strand of my hair lightly. On a normal day that would have been fine, but not after getting into a fight where my hair was pulled repeatedly.
So much for having the only key.
I groaned loudly in pain. “Don’t do that!”
“I’ve been thinking.” Xander started. “Tonight after dinner, we should have a pyjama party.”
“Fuck off.” I muttered into the pillow.
“I’ll wear my tight black Armani boxers and you can wear this little number again, unwashed. Then because you’re a good little girl, you’ll give your uncle Xander a turn with your delectable undergarments.” Xander purred.
“You’re disgusting and that’s not going to happen.” I replied nonchalantly. I’d heard all this shit before from him and it didn’t affect me as much as before. I was becoming immune to his speech, slowly.
“We’ll see.” Xander murmured. “By the way, your boobies look fucking uh-mazing in that lace bra, my compliments to Maria, her taste as always is divine.”
“That would probably be the closest thing to a compliment that’s ever going to come out of your mouth that’s not completely disgusting. Thank you.” I said then cringed after brushing my fingers over my wound.
“You hurt yourself last night?” Xander murmured, caressing my forehead. I wasn’t all there right now, so I didn’t fight his touch since it was in innocent territory.
For now at least.
“Yeah, got into a fight last night at ‘The Round View’ bar last night.” I explained.
“Oh really, well I’ll have to go there later and ask for a recording. Knowing you, it was probably entertaining. Then again, you’re not supposed to be fighting, it’s violating the agreement my lawyer made with the judge handling your case. But tell me now, who won?” Xander grinned.
“Who do you think won?” I replied, eying him.
“My trusted little sidekick that’s who!” Xander yelled joyously. “I knew I picked well, choosing you as my closest confidant, my most beloved ally for a reason. There’s no job, no task you can’t do, no obstacle that you can’t take down with your own bare hands.”
“Yeah, something like that. Can you close the curtains and go away, I want to sleep.” I said, tucking myself back into the pillow.
“Absolutely not! It’s two in the afternoon.” Xander exclaimed.
“So, I’m a free bird, I can sleep in if I want.” I mumbled into my pillow.
“Agent M,” Xander smirked. “I’m calling you in tonight again, you better be on your best game tonight.”
“I’ll be good for tonight, let me sleep.” I groaned.
“Darling you’ve got five hours to get ready.” Xander explained.
“I can get ready in two, there, happy. Now let me sleep.” I groaned again.
“What about the wound, how are you going perform with a big gash on your forehead?” Xander asked.
“It’s fine, you should have seen it before, it was much worse. Thankfully, with the room mix up, all was good.” I muttered into my pillow.
“What are you talking about?” Xander asked, sounding confused.
“You said no one used this condo, but this is Liam’s room. You put me in his room.” I explained.
“What are you talking about? Liam never takes rooms on the fifteenth floor anywhere, that’s my territory. His territory is on the sixteenth. After I bought my condo’s here, older brother decided he wanted one too, but he bought his a floor higher. It’s his lucky number.” Xander explained. “He was really in here?”
“Yeah, I guess I forgot to lock the door. He cleaned my wound for me.” I explained. The bed bounced and all of a sudden Xander pushed me on to my back, pinning my arms down while straddling me.
“Did he see you in lingerie?” His eyes widened, looking furious.
“Yeah, I had blood on my clothes, why?” I squinted through sunshine. “Close the fucking curtains!”
“I’m the only one allowed to see you in this!” Xander growled.
My eyes rolled. “Fuck off, you’re not my man! You’re just my ‘best friend’, sort of.”
“He’s not allowed to see you like this, only I am. You belong to me!” Xander fumed.
“I belong to no one. Now get the fuck off of me before I have you arrested for sexual assault, you bastard! Or, before I kick you in the balls!” I snapped.
He jumped off the bed and adjusted his shirt, then turned around and adjusted something else.
“Liam is not who you think he is. Stay away from him and don’t talk to him.” Xander demanded.
“Why?”
“Because, he’s out to get me. He thinks he can get information out of you by playing prince charming!” Xander explained.
My eyes rolled. “He’s out to get you how?”
Xander snorted. “Trust me, you wouldn’t understand, but it’s a little something called jealousy.”
“I’m sure he’s not jealous of you, why would he be jealous of you?”
“Because, I am a God!” Xander grinned, closing the curtains. “You have a few hours to sleep, then I’ll be back to prep you for tonight!”
Xander exited the condo and I went back to sleep, pretending our conversation never happened.
But not before a few pressing thoughts plagued my mind.
Did I come on to Liam last night?
Shit!
I did….
CHAPTER 32
After sleeping for a few more hours, I woke up around 5pm with sweaty hair peeled against my face that smelled like shit. Taking a shower with a healing wound turned out to be more difficult than expected, as the hot water splashed over it, I cringed from the pain. After getting dressed, I covered the wound by wearing my hair down with the headband Xander gave me yesterday over it.
“You look cute tonight.” Xander purred next to me in the back seat of the SUV. We were on our way to his hotel for a ‘special’ dinner.
That’s all the information I was given about tonight’s event.
“Thanks.” I eyed him warily, smoothing the skirt of my short sleeved, ivory cream dress.
“You look like a sexy Librarian in it.” He smirked and then bit his lip, running his finger along the hemline. “Are you wearing anything special underneath?”
I slapped his finger away. “What difference does it make, it’s not like you’ll be seeing anything, anytime soon.”
He grimaced, adjusting the cuff of his navy suit jacket. “What about the lingerie you wore this morning?”
“Oh those, I put them in the washing machine before showering.” I explained, stifling a smile.
“Why?” His jaw dropped, looking horrified.
“They were dirty.” I explained, smiling.
“I can’t believe you.” Xander hissed, shaking his head slowly, l
ooking out the window. “How could you?”
I chuckled. “They were really dirty.”
“So!” Xander yelled, facing me again. “That’s how I like them, have you forgotten already?”
I laughed at his sullen expression.
“It’s not funny!”
“You’re right, it’s not.” I grinned.
“It’s an outrage!” Xander roared.
Was he being serious?
“I’m too nice.” Xander exclaimed, scowling at me.
I snorted. “You and I have two different definitions of what ‘nice’ means then.”
He leaned in. “Oh I know what nice means, and you’re not it.”
My jaw dropped. “Fuck you, I’m not mean. I’m the nicest person you’re ever going to meet.”
“You’re right actually, you’re not mean.” Xander nodded. “You’re cruel.”
“I can work with that.” I smirked.
“We will be discussing this later.” Xander promised.
“Sure,” I shook my head at his over exaggeration. It wasn’t funny anymore. “Anyways, I’ve been meaning to speak to you about all this.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “What about all this?”
“I can’t just go out with you any time you want, I need to find a job.” I told him.
He waved me off. “You have a job. It’s me.”
I shook my head. “I need to make money.”
He jerked his chin back. “Why, I’ve taken care of your accommodation and I’m also paying for your phone bill and your food.”
“I need to have money saved after the year is over.”
“Well, I was going to give you an allowance.” Xander said.
My jaw dropped. “An allowance, fuck you, I’m not your child.”
He smirked. “Aren’t you?”
“Fuck no.” I growled.
He sighed. “Whatever you’d like to call it, allowance or pay, I’m okay with that. As long you’re available whenever I need you.”
I snorted. “That’s just great. I’m another version of a whore.”
“That’s a lie.” Xander snorted.
“Excuse me?” I scowled.
“At the end of the day, a whore is still someone who spreads her legs at the end of the date or the beginning. You don’t spread your legs, unfortunately. You’re my companion, my most trusted ally and my trusted little sidekick.” Xander explained.
“I’m too trusting.” I sighed.
“I know, me too.” Xander added in a similar tone.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What’s my pay?”
Xander smirked. “Well that depends, how much of a good girl you are.”
I let out an exasperated breath. “This is bullshit.”
“No it’s reality.” He grinned. “You do Uncle Xander favours, proving his trust for you, a suitable reward will follow.”
“It better.” I muttered.
He leaned his head forward and whispered. “Who got you out of jail again?”
“Fine!” I snapped.
He leaned back, grinning. “Just reminding you, if it had not been for moi, you wouldn’t be here in this very comfortable environment.”
“Comfortable environment?” I cringed at him.
“That’s right! Your delectable bottom would have been in those nasty prison sweats, sitting by yourself on one of those flat cots, wondering how fast three months could go by.” Xander reminded, smugly.
Well shit, I was speechless again.
He leaned forward again and whispered. “You owe me.”
I gulped. “For a year.”
“For a year.” he repeated, leaning back, eying my dress again. “By the way, I really, really love that dress. Your legs look fucking amazing.”
I shrugged, stifling a smile, remembering Liam all of a sudden. “I see, but maybe you’re not the only who thinks my legs are amazing.”
“Who?” he demanded. “Liam?”
“Maybe.” I smirked, crossing my arms.
Boom!
He snorted. “Don’t tell me, you like him?”
“He’s nice.” I grinned, smugly.
“He’s not nice, I’m nice!” Xander hissed, pointing to himself.
“Okay, whatever you say.” I sung.
“Don’t ‘okay’ me. You don’t know Liam. He’s not nice, far from it.” Xander hissed again.
“Why?”
“Why? You saw it with your own eyes, he was in my condo last night without my permission, snooping about.”
“Why would he be snooping around your condo?” I asked.
“He’s always looking for ammo to nail my coffin shut, once and for all.” he explained bitterly.
“Why does he hate you?”
“He doesn’t hate me, he loves me.” Xander grinned and then burst out laughing. “Okay, that was a big fat lie! He can’t stand that I have better ideas than he does. Growing up in our father’s eyes, it was always him who was the serious one about the family business.”
“And what were you in your father’s eyes?”
Xander looked away, not answering.
“The party guy?” I guessed for him.
He turned back, facing me. “You could say that. Anyways, I became serious about the business six years ago and older brother didn’t like that.”
“Because that was supposed to be his thing?” I suggested.
“He didn’t like that all of a sudden, I was putting my nose in our families business, even if my ideas were better.”
“Ahhh, I get it, it’s a spotlight issue. Who’s going to get daddy’s attention by doing the better job.” I concluded.
“Bingo. That weekend, he thought he finally got me when he barged into my room with the three of you.” Xander said.
“Didn’t he? That night was really messy.” I reminded, shivering at the memory.
“It was also in the privacy of my own room where he had no business being in. If there’s one thing our father believes in, it’s respecting the privacy of one another.” Xander explained.
I cocked any eyebrow. “Oh really, is that a motto you follow too?”
Xander smiled guiltily. “With my father and Liam, yes.”
“And with others?”
“Then it’s open season all year long.” He grinned, wagging his eyebrows.
“Great,” I rolled my eyes, sinking into my seat.
“Enough, this conversation depresses me.” Xander groaned.
“Fine, what’s on the agenda for tonight?” I asked.
“A special dinner at the hotel, my father is hosting it with his PA/Mistress, Cheryl. It’s really a birthday party for her.” Xander explained, crossing his legs.
My jaw dropped. “But he’s married.”
“So he is.” Xander shrugged.
“Does your mom know?” I gulped.
“She does.” Xander nodded.
My eyes widened. “Doesn’t she care?” I asked, astounded.
“I don’t know!” Xander moaned, shaking his head. He took a deep breath and continued. “Anyways, let’s discuss tonight’s mission, Agent M. You have to hang around Eugene.”
“Why do I have to hang around him?” I jerked my chin back, confused.
“Because it’ll make him nervous.” Xander smirked, his shoulders shaking next to me. “Did you notice he was off and on last night?”
“Yeah.” I answered warily.
“Well there’s a reason why. Before arriving to the restaurant last night, he took a special pill.” Xander chuckled.
“Why’d he take them?” I grimaced.
Xander grinned. “Because I told him to.”
I shook my head and slid down to the door. Daniels pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the Ogall Hotel. Surprisingly, my door was opened first again.
“You told him to?” I asked Xander as he rounded car, joining me on the sidewalk.
“Yes, he expressed a desire to let loose and relax for an evening.” Xander explained, buttoning his suit jacket.
“And you told him to take drugs?” My jaw dropped.
“Yeah.” He shrugged as if there were no other answer.
“Why?” I screeched.
“Because, it had the desired effect he wanted. And now that I’ve scratched his back, he’s going to scratch mine.” Xander said.
“And me?”
“You were a witness to the after effects of his drug use. He’ll realize that once I introduce you again to him.” Xander smiled slyly.
“That’s mean.” I told him as he grabbed my arm delicately, pushing us towards the doorman.
Xander burst out laughing. “That’s mean? Look who’s talking.”
My jaw dropped as we entered the hotel. “Fuck you, I’m the nicest person you’re ever going to meet.”
We headed down the front lobby to their in house restaurant ‘Fire’. In the back of the restaurant, we entered a private room filled with red roses and guests standing around bar style tables filled with an array of cocktails.
“That’s your dad?” I whispered, noticing an older version of Xander and Liam wearing a black suit jacket over a white button down shirt, standing within a group of suits across the room.
“It is.” Xander murmured, not taking his eyes of his father.
Standing beside his father was a tall woman with dark red hair and big boobs, grinning from ear to ear.
“That must be Cheryl.” I noticed, staring at her giant jugs, which were out for full view in her tight black cocktail, spaghetti strapped dress.
“How observant of you, what gave her away?” Xander asked, leading us around groups of suits, smiling and saying hello every few seconds.
“Her jugs,” I answered, fighting a smile. “They’re massive.”
“They are, just the way daddy dear likes them.” Xander sneered.
“He’s a boob man.” I declared quietly.
Xander faced me and winked. “We all are.” He bit his lip suggestively, making my face heat up. We were in a room with his colleagues and he was acting like this.
Had he no shame?
Wait, this was Xander I was talking about. The answer was obvious.
