The Hotel 3 (The Billionaire Seduction)

by Darling, Lola

  Dom’s expression changes. His eyes blaze into me, I’m silently praying for him to say something. The silence stretches on, until, finally, he takes a deep breath.

  “Juliet—“

  Another voice interrupts us. “Well, look at you lovebirds. Finally kissing and making up?”

  Xander strolls over, smirking. Dom tenses, and the shutters on his expression slam down.

  “Jesus, haven’t I dealt with you enough today?” Dominic snaps. His face is stony now, and whatever he was about to say to me is history.

  “I’m not here for you, brother. Juliet is the only one I want.” Xander winks, and I want to strangle him.

  “Dom—” I turn, but he’s already on his feet, looking brisk. “See you back at the office,” he snaps, and walks away.

  “Whoops?” Xander offers, not at all concerned.

  “You don’t even know,” I sigh, and follow him out to his car. It’s red – of course – and sporty, with leather seats and a sleek, powerful body.

  “You’re such a cliché,” I tell him, getting into the passenger seat and buckling up. I don’t want to think about what just happened – or almost happened.

  “Me?” Xander laughs.

  “The women, the yacht, the cars… If they looked up ‘playboy billionaire’ in the dictionary, your photo would be right there.”

  “My good side, I hope.” Xander quips, starting the engine. With a wolfish grin, he throws the car into drive and whips into traffic.

  “Are you okay?” He looks over at me – and away from the road.

  “Xander!” I yelp. I grab the dash and watch the road, realizing I’ve been in this situation before. With Dominic. “You know, you drive like your brother.”

  “Ha! You’ve got that backwards. He drives like me. Who do you think taught him?”

  He downshifts and the little car bursts forward. I try to relax, but that’s not going to happen. The light turns red just as we cross an intersection. My heart slams into my throat. “We’re not in a race here.”

  “Sorry.” He slows down, barely. “But what’s the point in buying a car that can do two hundred if you don’t let her rip?”

  “Rip some other time,” I say, as we speed through another intersection. “Seriously, Xander, slow down!”

  “I’m trying!”

  Something in his voice makes me look over. Xander looks pale, he’s flooring the brakes but nothing’s happening.

  “Stop kidding around,” I tell him, my panic rising.

  “I’m not. Fuck—”

  Oh, God. I spot the light go red before I see a truck barreling straight for us. For me.

  I scream.

  Suddenly, Xander yanks the wheel, putting the car into a spin. My body slams into the passenger door as the world tilts on its axis. There’s the sound of impact, shattering glass and groaning metal and screams.

  Then everything goes black.

  Chapter Seven

  There’s a sharp ringing in my ears. I groan, pain throbbing in my ribs. I can’t move; it feels like I’m suspended in space.

  What just happened?

  I open my eyes. The world is upside down: broken glass, and twisted metal, and some kind of airbag…

  Suddenly it all comes rushing back to me. The red light. The truck—no brakes!

  From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of denim and blood.

  “Oh God, Xander!”

  He’s crumpled against the seat and the roof, his body folded like he’s been stuffed there. The airbag blocks my full view, but I spy his arm outstretched as if he’s reaching for me. With a cry, I desperately try to reach him. Pain courses through my neck and shoulders, making it harder to move.

  “Xander!”

  The seatbelt is cutting into my chest and belly, blood rushing to my head. Wave after wave of dizziness assaults me as I scramble for my seatbelt. Everything seems in slow motion. This is all taking too long.

  Why can’t I find the damn belt buckle?

  “Xander!” I scream again, praying for some kind of response. “Move your fingers. Xander, please!”

  Suddenly, I find the seatbelt latch. I tuck my head instinctively as I slide down into a heap inside the tiny sports car. I grab at Xander’s hand, but his fingers don’t move. My vision is blurry, but I look over him the best I can for more bleeding—anything. Then I realize a low, gurgling sound is coming from his lips.

  Tiny pink bubbles form in the corner of his mouth. Oh fuck! He’s so crumbled up that he probably can’t breathe.

  He’s going to stop breathing if I don’t do something.

  Tears roll down my face at the hopelessness of it. How am I going to get him out without help?

  Help.

  Why hasn’t anyone come to help me?

  I attempt to turn and look out the side window, but a misty fog in the air and the airbag block my view. That’s when I hear shouting from outside. Maybe a baby crying? Someone is banging on the car.

  A phone is ringing.

  It sounds close. I find Xander’s cell peeking out from beneath him. Grabbing it, I hit the speaker button.

  “Help!” I cry. I don’t know who it is, and I don’t care. “I need help!”

  “Juliet?”

  The tears come harder along with an overwhelming sense of relief. “Dominic! Oh God. It’s Xander, we got hit by a truck. He’s not moving—“

  “Slow down. Juliet, tell me where you are.”

  “I don’t know,” I sob. “We were driving back to the office. We can’t be far.”

  “Baby, hang on. I’m on my way.”

  “There’s no time!” I cry. “I need to get Xander out! I don’t think he’s breathing.”

  “Jesus! Can you open a door?”

  “I don’t know. The car rolled, we’re upside down.” I try to open the door on my side. “No, I can’t get it open.”

  “Just stay calm,” Dom orders me.

  The banging on the door beside me gets louder, followed by a muffled shouting. The smoky haze seems to have gotten worse, along with the acrid smell of something burning.

  “Are you hurt?” Dominic’s calm voice pulls me back and I take quick mental stock of myself. My wrist and head hurt. My back aches and I think I bit my tongue, but otherwise, I’m in one piece.

  “I’m okay, I think.”

  “Thank God. See if you can break the window. You need to get out of there.”

  I twist around. The window by me is already cracked. I bring my knees to my chest, and kick out. It cracks some more. Again. Finally, it shatters. I kick as much out as I can, and cool air comes rushing in.

  “The window’s out,” I tell Dom, panicked. “But Xander’s still unconscious.” I grab his shoulder and try to drag him, but he’s too heavy. “Dom.” My voice breaks. “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can,” he reassures me. I can hear noise in the background on his end of the call: traffic and sirens. God, I hope he’s close. “You can do this, Juliet. Just stay calm.”

  I gulp another lungful of air and try to focus. Xander’s leg is at a weird angle, trapped under the console. I reach in and lever it free, hoping to God I’m not causing more damage. Then I try to grab his shoulders again. This time, his body moves. I try again, grabbing both shoulders and pulling him toward me. Pain shoots through my right wrist and up my arm. I hold back a scream and grit my teeth. With a pull greater than anything I’ve ever done, I bring Xander toward me and drag the both of us out of the car.

  “Whoa there!” Hands come to help me, more bodies. Passers-by, I guess, but I’m too relieved to think straight. They help pull Xander free from the wreckage and lay him out on the ground.

  “Is he breathing?” I demand, panicked. A guy leans over to check, and then I see it: the tell-tale rise and fall of Xander’s chest.

  “All-clear,” the guy nods.

  “This thing’s burning!” A cry of warning goes up. “Everybody get back!”

  I’m so dizzy I sink to the curb. The car is a mangled
twist of metal and glass, fire licking out from under the hood.

  That could have been us, burning inside. It was close. Too close.

  The last thing I think before passing out is Dom. I need to tell him his brother is OK.

  “Welcome back,” a gentle voice says. I blink awake and find an older man in a white coat wrapping up my wrist. “You’ve broken your wrist, my dear. This is a temporary cast for the next three days until the swelling goes down. Then you get the real thing.”

  I sit bolt upright. “Where’s Xander?” I demand, panicked. “Is he OK?”

  Before he can answer, the door flies open. Dominic bursts in.

  “Juliet. Thank God!”

  He pulls me into a fierce hug.

  “Oww!” I wince.

  “I’m sorry,” Dom eases his grip a little, but doesn’t let me go. “God, I’m so sorry.”

  My face presses into his neck as he strokes my hair. His muscles relax, but he’s still so tense. “I’m safe now.” I hold him tightly, never wanting to release him. But I have to know. I pull back.

  “Xander?”

  Dom’s face darkens. “He has internal bleeding. He’s in surgery now. That’s all I know. I could kill him myself for putting you at risk like that. What was he thinking?”

  “He saved me!” I protest. “The truck was heading straight for my side of the car. If Xander hadn’t spun to get me out of the way…”

  I trail off, horrified by the thought.

  Dom’s expression changes. “I didn’t realize. Fuck.” He takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. “They said he’ll be alright. In the meantime I’m getting you a private room, the best possible doctors.”

  “She’ll be able to go home tonight,” the gray haired doctor says. “You have a mild concussion, a broken wrist, bruised ribs, and some scrapes.”

  Dom nods. “Then I’m taking you home.”

  “But what about Xander?” I ask, feeling guilty. “Shouldn’t we stay?”

  The doctor shakes his head. “His surgery will last several hours. We’ll call as soon as we have an update.”

  Dom deals with the paperwork, then takes me home. The other girls aren’t home yet, so he settles me in bed like I’m made of glass – which I’m feeling right about now. My head still aches, and the pills they gave me for my wrist are making me woozy.

  “Can you tell me what you remember?” Dom asks, as he tucks the covers around me. “About the crash?”

  My mouth feel like an old gym sock has been stuffed inside. It takes a second to work around it. “He was going too fast. I told him to slow down. But then, the brakes didn’t work. He couldn’t stop. And then, the truck… He saved my life.”

  Noise comes from the living room – Callie and Em arriving home. Dom goes to talk to them, and then I’m lying on a cloud. Such a happy, cozy, warm little cloud.

  These pain pills aren’t messing around.

  Dom hovers over me with a small, sad smile. Slowly, his lips brush mine before he claims them completely. It’s tender and sweet and probably a figment of the narcotics. But it feels so good; it has to be real.

  Dom pulls away and runs a finger down my cheek. “I’m going to check on Xander, but I’ll be back soon.”

  I try to reach for him, to make him stay, but all my strength is gone. I hear his footsteps leave the room, but his scent and the taste of his sweet kiss stay.

  As I drift off to sleep, I cling to the hope that he’ll be back with more.

  Chapter Eight

  “Men are idiots.” Callie announces the next morning, when I’ve surfaced from my painkiller haze. I feel raw and bruised, but nothing hurts too badly, just an ache in my wrist. Mostly, I’m just shaken up, but the girls are trying their best to distract me with a schedule of bad reality TV and snacks. “Dominic is a hot idiot, though,” she adds.

  Emily stretches out next to me. “Hot doesn’t make up for him waiting until Juliet nearly died before he’d talk to her.”

  “Hey,” I stop her, feeling a cold shiver. “Let’s not think about that part.”

  “Sorry.” Em gives my hand a squeeze.

  Callie puts a movie in the DVD player, turns the volume down low, and sits on my other side. I’m a roommate sandwich. Since Dominic dropped me off, these two have hovered like the mother hens they are—feeding me, helping me shower, tucking me into bed, annoying the hell out of me.

  I’m grateful for their overprotective company because I don’t want to be alone right now. Every time I close my eyes, I think about the accident and worry about Xander. I really need to focus on something else, for my own sanity.

  Like Dom.

  “The hot idiot kissed me,” I confess.

  Callie and Em whip their heads around.

  “It was probably the adrenaline.” I sigh. “You know, a stress-kiss.”

  “A man like that does not stress-kiss. Everything he does is intentional.”

  Callie has a point. At least, I hope she does. The crash, going through something like that, it made everything clear for me.

  I still love Dom. I need him in my life.

  I can only hope he feels the same.

  We’re just about done with another episode of some home makeover show doorbell sounds. Emily scoots down to go answer, and a moment later, Dom is standing in the doorway. He looks like he hasn’t slept, but he’s never been hotter: sexy two-day stubble on his jaw, his clothing rumpled and out of place.

  “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” he says, but his expression is relieved.

  “Hi,” is all I can manage in response. I’m suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, and it’s all I can do to keep from crying like a baby.

  “Oh. Hi.” Callie’s voice is higher than normal. “I’ll go help Em with… screw it. I’m out of here.” She bolts off the bed and shuts the door behind her.

  I try and sit straighter, but my ribs burst with pain.

  “Don’t move,” Dom rushes to my side and tenderly helps me sit forward so he can reposition my pillow. “Better?”

  “Thanks.” I settle back. “How’s Xander? Is he awake yet?”

  “They repaired his spleen,” Dom says with obvious relief. “He’s out of recovery and already flirting with the nurses.”

  “That’s Xander,” I try to laugh, but a tear slides down my cheek instead. “Oh God, if anything had happened to him…”

  “Shh.” Dom pulls me close. “It’s okay now. Everything is okay.”

  I realize how much tension I’ve been holding, waiting for news. “I owe him my life, Dominic. He saved me. If he hadn’t turned the car—”

  He wraps his arms around me softly. “Don’t. I can’t think about losing you.” He pauses, and then his voice is choked with emotion. “Tell me it’s not too late.”

  I pull back and see his face, the searching look in his dark eyes. Full of tenderness.

  “Tell me,” he demands. “Tell me I haven’t lost you. That I can spend the rest of my life making up to you.”

  Even after everything I’ve been through in the past twenty-four hours, my heart swells with happiness.

  I can see it in his eyes – the way he used to look at me, before he discovered the truth. I wondered if I’d ever see that affection again, if it were too late to repair the damage we’ve both done. But that crash changed everything. Now I know we’re going to be OK.

  “It’s not too late,” I tell him softly. Dom’s face changes. He reaches to cup my cheek and kiss me, but I stop him. “But I need to know it’s behind us, that you won’t hold it over my head. You have to forgive me for real.”

  “Only if you can forgive me,” Dom replies. “God, I can’t believe I was so cruel to you. The things I said… I was beyond out of line. You have to know, it was only because I was hurting so much. I felt so betrayed.”

  “I know,” I reassure him. And then there’s nothing left to say.

  He kisses me slowly, tenderly, like he’s scared I could break. I pull him closer, already feeling the fire igni
te deep inside. It feels so right to be with him again, the manly scent of him overwhelming me, the rasp of his stubble against my cheek, the slow slide of his tongue licking into my mouth. I moan, arching against him. I can’t get close enough—I need to be pressed against every inch of him and have him deep inside. It’s the only way to satisfy the craving he’s unleashed in me.

  I move to loop my arms around his neck… and nearly club him in the head with my cast.

  “Sorry,” I laugh.

  “Probably better leave that arm down. In fact… Why don’t you relax?” He slowly leans me back against the pillows. His fingers skim my collarbone, sending shivers through me.

  Dom’s eyes are dark, and flashing with a new lust as he surveys my body, wearing just a thin tank top and sleep shorts. My skin prickles, realizing we’re alone with a locked door and a bed.

  The perfect combination.

  Dom clearly thinks so too, because his mouth quirks in a sexy smile. “Let me take care of you tonight.”

  He slides the covers down my body, exposing me inch by inch. His smile slips when he sees the bruises on my legs, and peeking out from under my shirt.

  “It’s OK,” I tell him quickly. “I’m just a little sore.”

  “My poor baby,” he murmurs, lowering his head to drop delicate kisses on the bruised flesh. “You’ve been so brave.”

  My body tenses as he kisses lower, but this time it’s with delicious anticipation.

  “Lay back, Juliet.” He orders. “I’m going to make you feel better.”

  Taking my sweatshirt from the bed, he moves my arms up above my head, and loosely binds them to my headboard.

  “Just to make sure you don’t injure your wrist again,” he says, faux-concerned.

  I wriggle, testing the bonds. “We wouldn’t want that.”

  Dom rocks back on his heels and looks down at me. I feel naked – exposed, and totally turned on.

  “Now I’ve got you to myself, what am I going to do with you?” Dominic kisses a wandering trail down my body.

  “I’ve got a few ideas,” I say, arching to meet his mouth.

  “Oh really?” He inches my tank top over my head. “Tell me.”