Driven By Love

by Marian Tee

  Leandro eyed Bobby with frustration. Every instinct he possessed urged him to just haul her into his arms, but he did his best to ignore the urge. She looked so fragile right now, he was terrified if he made one wrong move she would shatter.

  “We need to talk.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she—

  “Not seeing me won’t keep you from hearing me.”

  Without opening her eyes, Bobby snarled, “I know that.” She was heartbroken, not stupid. The sound of her own ragged breathing taunted her. Oh God, she was overreacting, wasn’t she? But she couldn’t help it.

  Leandro Christopoulos was bad news, and it was all because she loved him. She loved him still, dammit. She loved him like she had never stopped loving him, loved him even though she knew he didn’t love her back.

  “We have to talk,” Leandro repeated.

  Why was it so easy for him to say that? But then wasn’t that an answer in itself? The idea of talking only hurt her because she was the one whose heart was engaged…and not him.

  Inhale, exhale.

  You can do this, Bobby. You survived Blaine in high school. Surely you can survive Leandro in college.

  Slowly, she forced her eyes open.

  Leandro was gazing at her with an inscrutable expression on his face.

  The look of wariness on her face hurt. “I don’t plan to hurt you in any way,” he said harshly.

  She wanted to lie and pretend that he couldn’t ever hurt her, but in the end, Bobby’s blunt and pragmatic side won and she said flatly, “Just seeing you hurts.”

  He flinched.

  Bobby’s gaze strayed towards the Emergency Stop button. Someone should have been talking to them now through the voice box, asking them if they need help. But because this was Leandro Christopoulos with her, Bobby knew that not even the stadium’s security would dare interfere. If Leandro wanted the elevator temporarily locked down, then the world would make sure it was so.

  Seeing where she was looking, Leandro said quietly, “Give me a time and place where we can talk and I’ll let you go.”

  “Why do we even need to?”

  “Because I love—” Her head snapped up, and the immense hurt in her green eyes made Leandro stop.

  “Stop lying.” When he started to speak, she said in a rush, “I’m already in a relationship.”

  The air between them turned cold and dangerous in an instant.

  Leandro said unhesitatingly between clenched teeth, “Get rid of him.” He was blinded with rage, and suddenly all he could see was that one photo he had seen on the Internet, of Bobby – his Bobby, dammit – locked in Sabastian Gabris’ arms.

  “You’re the one I have to get rid of,” she flung at him.

  “I said, GET RID OF HIM.” His voice ended in a furious roar.

  “You have no right—” Her words ended with a tiny scream as she suddenly found herself cornered between the wall and Leandro’s hard body pressed against hers, his arms braced against each side of her face.

  “I have every right, mégaira,” he said coldly, “because of this.”

  And that was all the warning she had.

  Just like it had been between them in the past, Leandro didn’t give her a choice to choose or struggle. His lips covered hers and passion exploded between them. She tried desperately to keep herself immune, holding her body stiff, her hands glued to her side, but Leandro was just as determined to make her react, his fingers sinking into her hair to hold her still as his lips continued to ravage her.

  The feel and taste of his lips was hotter and sweeter than she remembered, the kiss more passionate…and real. Oh God, it was so real.

  His body, hard and fully aroused, pushed against her more insistently, his powerful erection throbbing against her belly.

  “Open your mouth, dammit.”

  She shook her head frantically.

  In retaliation, he pushed her blouse and bra up to cup her breasts. The unexpected heat of his touch and the way his fingers immediately found her nipples made Bobby gasp, and with a growl of triumph, Leandro kissed her more deeply, his tongue sinking into the familiar warmth of her lovely mouth.

  She tried pushing him away as he kept ravishing her mouth, tried scurrying away from his body even as his hands played havoc with her breasts, inflaming her body with caresses that became more possessive and urgent. She managed to move to the side even as their mouths remained fused, away from the corner he had locked her into. He followed her easily, his mouth becoming increasingly demanding and his tongue bolder.

  “No—” Her voice was a broken whisper, tears falling from her eyes at how her love and need for this man made her so weak and helpless.

  “Yes,” Leandro hissed just before kissing her again and twisting her nipples to make her body cry out for his.

  Bobby moaned and jerked against his body as her nipples became flaming points of pleasure. Even as her body threatened to surrender completely to his touch on its own volition, she still struggled to be free of him, doing her best to move away even as he continued to follow her wherever she went.

  Her back hit another corner, and the buttons against her back made Bobby conscious enough to scramble for the Emergency Stop button and push it from behind.

  The elevator resumed its movement.

  Leandro’s head jerked up.

  The doors slid open, revealing an expressionless Sabastian Gabris standing outside the elevator. Tall with ebony hair and deeply tanned skin, Sabastian possessed the same smoldering Mediterranean looks that Leandro had as well. But whereas Leandro possessed the trademark blue eyes of Christopoulos men, Sabastian’s eyes were a startlingly bright silver, and they were coolly analytic as they zeroed in on the couple inside the elevator.

  Leandro had never moved so fast in his life. In less than a second, he had Bobby’s bra and blouse back in place. He didn’t fucking care if Sabastian Gabris had already seen Bobby’s body. The thought alone made him want to kill the other man, but if it had happened – it didn’t matter. He was going to make her his again, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

  Bobby said tightly, “Get out of my way.”

  Dozens of reporters stood behind Gabris, and Leandro knew it had only been a matter of luck that the elevator didn’t have any mirrored walls that could have revealed Bobby’s naked breasts to the scores of cameras trained on them.

  If there had been, it would be entirely his fault.

  Once again, he had unknowingly put Bobby at risk of another media scandal. Guilt scorched Leandro’s mind and he slowly forced himself to move away. The stumbling speed with which Bobby rushed to Gabris’ side and the way the other man possessively wrapped an arm around her waist made Leandro see red again.

  “I’m going to take her back.”

  Sabastian Gabris only smiled, and his voice was lazy and arrogant as he answered, “I won’t even keep you from trying.”

  Chapter Four

  “Why are you calling me so early in the morning?” Jaike Hepburn asked groggily the next day.

  “Sorry,” Bobby whispered as she walked past the security guard after flashing him her Visitors I.D. “I needed someone to call and you’re the only one I know who could be up this early.” Recalling Jaike’s sleepy voice, she said guiltily, “Or at least I thought you would be. Sorry.”

  The guard waved her in, but Bobby could feel his interested gaze following her every movement as she walked towards the elevators that would take her directly to the basement headquarters of Florida’s most popular underground racing club.

  She passed by several biker chicks along the way and all of them eyed her with a mixture of hostility and curiosity, making Bobby press her iPhone closer to her ear. She needed to look busy or she’d die of embarrassment before she could reach the elevators. She knew what they were thinking. That she was being a stupid fool once again, coming into the lion’s den like a lamb walking into a slaughter…willingly.

  Jaike yawned. “No, you were right. I’m norm
ally up early, but last night Derek…umm…never mind. Why are you calling again?”

  Before Bobby could answer, she heard a thickly accented voice mumble in the background, “Baby?”

  Bobby firmly suppressed the pang of envy that hit her at the sound of Derek Christopoulos’ voice. It wasn’t that she had some kind of secret crush on Jaike’s fiancé. What made her avoid spending too much time with the couple was the fact that they were so cute and happy together, and seeing the love shared by the two had hurt. A lot. And that Derek was also a Christopoulos – proof that even former Greek billionaire playboys could indeed reform – just made it hurt even more.

  “Bobby?” Jaike sounded a little more alert this time.

  “Sorry,” she said miserably.

  Jaike blinked at her friend’s sorrowful tone. “Hey. Are you okay? Is this about…” Her voice trailed off uncomfortably.

  “You know, don’t you?”

  “Umm…”

  “I knew it,” Bobby said, even more depressed. “Everyone knows, so it would have been silly to think you wouldn’t have heard about what happened.”

  Jaike couldn’t help asking, “Did you really slap Leandro?”

  “Uh huh.”

  She tried to imagine Leandro Christopoulos being slapped and her mind totally failed at the challenge. “I never thought someone could ever slap Leandro Christopoulos and come out of it alive,” Jaike said honestly.

  “Yeah, well…”

  “And is it really true that after slapping him, you also made out with him in the elevator?”

  “Umm…”

  Jaike’s eyes widened. “Really? Then is it also true that Sabastian Gabris saw…” When Bobby didn’t protest, Jaike shook her head in utter amazement. “Seriously? I honestly thought that the news were all exaggerated and now you’re telling me every bit of it is true?” Jaike paused. “Did Sabastian get mad?”

  “Of course not. He understood what really happened.”

  Jaike waited for more, but a few seconds passed and she realized that it was all Bobby going to say. It made her even more curious and worried, but out loud, all she asked was, “Where are you now?”

  Bobby pressed the Up button for the elevator. “At the new headquarters of Áf̱xi̱si̱.”

  Jaike’s eyes widened at Bobby’s answer. “You’re at Leandro’s old racing club? Why?”

  “The fundraiser our foundation was planning with Versatile turned out to be sponsored by Christopoulos, Inc.,” Bobby answered shortly. “I received a message last night requesting my presence here so…here I am.”

  “Are you really sure you can do this?”

  Everyone kept asking her that. Did Leandro ever get asked the same question or did everyone think that she was the only one to suffer if they happened to meet again?

  Bobby lifted her chin. The whole time she and Leandro had been separated, she had not allowed anyone to comfort her. Something inside her had rebelled against showing vulnerability, and she had no plans doing otherwise now.

  She answered brightly, “Of course. It’s been ages since we broke up. I have Sabastian now. What he does doesn’t concern me at all.”

  ****

  “Welcome to Áf̱xi̱si̱,” MJ Cartwright, the club’s resident photographer, greeted her with a shy, awkward smile. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her body, covered in a loose checkered polo, gray tank top, and faded jeans, was so slender she appeared taller than she looked.

  Bobby remembered Leandro telling her once that MJ was the same age as her – nineteen now – and that she had joined the club even though she was mortally afraid of bikes for one all-important reason: she had a secret crush on one of the club’s bikers.

  Wondering if the cat was out of that particular bag now, Bobby smiled back at MJ. “It’s nice to meet you again, MJ.”

  MJ’s cheeks flushed, making Bobby realize that MJ was a lot shyer than she realized. “Same here.” MJ was playing with the SLR in her hands, as if needing the contact with her gadget to keep her from bolting. “I’ve been sent by Helios to show you around while the officers are having a meeting. It should be done soon.”

  Bobby debated asking whether Leandro was part of the meeting and decided that with MJ, it was safe to do so. “Feel free to tell me it’s none of my business if I’m violating some kind of club rule, but is, umm, Leandro part of the meeting?”

  “He is.”

  “Oh.” A chaotic mix of emotions erupted inside Bobby at MJ’s answer. She felt lightheaded, her heart jumping even as her stomach dropped. Damn him. Damn him to hell. She hated how he could make her feel so mixed-up even after learning of his callous use of her.

  The silence became strained, and MJ asked hesitantly, “Shall I give you the official tour now?” She didn’t know Bobby Granger very well, but she did read the papers and knew from club gossip that things weren’t exactly great between Bobby and her ex-boyfriend, the notorious Leandro Christopoulos. She had a feeling the other girl needed a distraction, and MJ hoped to provide her with one.

  MJ’s invitation made Bobby flash her a smile tinged with relief. An official tour would definitely keep her from dwelling on the fact that once again Leandro was nearby. “Please do. I’m excited to see the whole place.” She looked around with unfeigned interest. The building’s elevator opened directly to the lab’s small mezzanine, which had waist-high glass walls and steel rails. It gave Bobby a nice bird’s eye view of the lab, which was so expansive she could barely see what was going on at the very end.

  The lab had shiny hard plastic walls, and fluorescent LED bulbs installed behind the glass edges of the ceiling blazed down on the cemented white floor like alien-powered beams.

  “It looks like a spaceship, doesn’t it?” MJ asked cheerfully.

  “Umm, yeah, it kinda does,” Bobby agreed laughingly. “But I like it so much better than the old club.”

  “I feel the same way, too.” MJ started for the stairs and Bobby fell into step next to her. “Teamwork is very important to the club, and it’s why there are no dividers separating the different work areas. The only rooms here are those that absolutely require privacy like the conference suite, the private quarters of the officers, and the security room.”

  “Security room?”

  “It’s where the CCTV monitors are plus the club’s database servers and their armory.”

  Bobby choked. “Armory? Seriously?”

  MJ grinned. “Not that kind of armory. Basically, it’s all the cool prototype parts the guys can add to their beasts—”

  “Beasts?” Bobby was starting to feel that she and MJ were not talking in the same language.

  “It’s what the guys call their bikes. Beasts – or more specifically, beasts on wheels.”

  Bobby saw the unspoken curiosity in MJ’s pretty violet eyes. “I know. I don’t know much about racing club lingo, do I?”

  MJ could only smile awkwardly.

  “Leandro and I didn’t get to talk much about bikes then.” Actually, they hadn’t really talked much at all since most of the time, they had only…Bobby’s cheeks turned red as she realized the direction her stupid brain had taken.

  Unfortunately, the other girl easily guessed what she had been thinking.

  MJ blushed as well. “Oh.”

  Bobby hastily changed the subject. “So, any areas here that are off-limits to me since I’m a non-member?”

  MJ was visibly surprised. “But you are a member.”

  It was Bobby’s turn to be surprised. “I am?”

  “You became one when you and Leandro were a couple and even though you broke up, Leandro made it very clear to the club that you retained your membership.”

  “I don’t think I got my ID,” Bobby quipped even though inside she was starting to feel restless. She didn’t like knowing all these things about Leandro, and she didn’t like remembering what she used to do with him either.

  MJ explained earnestly, “You see, it’s all about being a family. I think...it was his
way of protecting you while he couldn’t do it on his own.”

  Bobby didn’t answer. She was too busy remembering the countless instances when club members had suddenly shown up and kept her company while she was out alone and struggling with depression. Most times it had been Kellion, but even the quiet Yuri had kept her company once, and there were times when she found herself sharing breakfast in the diner near her school with Helios himself.

  When Bobby still didn’t speak, MJ said slowly, “I won’t pretend to know what really happened between the two of you, but that night when you broke up, he came here and…” Unable to find the right words to tell Bobby about what she had seen, MJ switched her camera on and quickly began swiping at the photos on the screen until she found the image she was looking for.

  “Here…”

  Bobby reluctantly took the camera from MJ, feeling like she had just been offered a forbidden fruit. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the photo on the screen.

  It was Leandro, standing on the old club’s balcony. He hadn’t changed, still in his dirty shirt and jeans – the same clothes he had been wearing when he barged in on her dinner with her half-brother. He looked beautiful in the photo like he always did, but MJ had also captured something else on his face.

  Grief.

  Loss of the most excruciating kind was etched on the handsome planes of his face, and Bobby had to bite hard on her lip to keep it from trembling. She didn’t want to see this, didn’t want to start hoping again and think that maybe Leandro Christopoulos had loved her after all.

  She returned the camera to MJ. “I don’t want to see any of his photos again.” Her voice came out harsher than she intended, and Bobby grimaced. “Sorry, I—”

  “It’s okay, I understand,” MJ reassured the other girl quickly. “I respect your wishes.”

  Bobby made a frustrated sound. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I’m just…I just don’t want to have anything to do with him again. If the kids in the foundation weren’t so excited about this project, I would’ve canceled it. But they want this so…”