The memories of last night rushed back to him. A smoky, loud nightclub. Three friends, one who’d just broken up with her boyfriend after two terrible years. Xander had been amused to pick up a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead all at once. They’d been a good way to not think about all the other shit in his life. But this morning . . . all the shit in his life was still there. Unfortunately, so were the women.
With a sigh, he shoved his fingers into Shelby’s hair and pulled, lifting her mouth from his cock and sending her a disapproving glare. He had to pee, yes, but mostly he just wasn’t feeling it. What had seemed so entertaining last night just annoyed him now. He was thirty fucking years old. How long was he going to behave as if life was an eternal party? Then again, it wasn’t as if Javier was going to suddenly welcome him into the business with open arms and give his life purpose.
“Where’s . . .” What the hell was her name, the blonde with the ex-boyfriend? “Alexis?”
Shelby frowned. “She had an early shift this morning. Don’t you remember fucking her good-bye?”
Now that she mentioned it, his groggy brain served up the memory. In fact, everything was beginning to come back to him.
Last night when they’d first hit the bedroom, he’d stripped Alexis down and sunk directly into her pussy. Shelby had kindly undressed herself and shoved her doctor-given C-cups in his face. He’d sucked her nipples as he surged into Alexis again and again. For a girl with a boyfriend, she’d sure been sex starved.
Three noisy orgasms later, he’d finished with Alexis, and Shelby had been beyond ready. A few tugs on his cock and a fresh condom, and he’d been ready to go. Megan had been watching all the while, fingering herself. By the time he’d gotten to her, he’d let her suck him softly in the shower so he could glove up again, then given her a ride for a good, long hour. Shelby and Alexis had taken care of one another while they’d watched. Then he’d done round two with Alexis this morning before she dashed off at o’ dark hundred.
Now that he remembered, Xander wished he could fucking forget.
Rolling out of the bed, he left a disgruntled Shelby and a slumbering Megan behind. With a glance back, he grimaced. He’d enjoyed the decadence last night. But now, with morning breath and sticky sheets? Not so much.
“I’ve got someplace to be shortly, ladies,” he lied. “Help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator. Thank you for spending the night with me. I’m sure you can find the way out.”
After a long shower, he emerged, gratified to see that the girls had grabbed their things and departed—mostly. The little pair of green lace panties on his pillow made him sigh aloud. As he wandered over, Xander could see that Megan had helpfully safety pinned a note to them with her name and phone number.
Just what he didn’t want. With a thumb and forefinger, he plucked the thong off his pillow and tossed it in the trash, then washed his hands. As he dressed for the day, he rang for the maid and asked her to change his sheets again. The older woman raised a brow, but wisely said nothing. He didn’t need more regret. He already had plenty.
Grabbing his keys, he dashed out the door, climbing into his Audi and heading to the temporary offices he’d found for S.I. Industries. Javier wouldn’t want him here, but that was too damn bad. If his brother had taken a single step to self-improvement in the last week, it had been a tiny one.
The sunlight blinded Xander as he climbed out of his car and emerged into the oppressive morning heat. He raced inside to the blessed air-conditioning, then spotted the frowning redhead at the reception desk, juggling a beautiful baby on her lap. The interior door to Javier’s office was closed.
“Is he any better today?” Xander murmured quietly.
Morgan Cole had been kind enough to stop in for a few hours each morning, her infant son in tow, and help Javier with some administrative work. In return, his brother had already bought her a new top-of-the-line SUV.
“Javier?” She glanced up from the fussing baby in her lap and whispered, “Maybe a little. He didn’t break out a bottle until eleven this morning. It’s progress.”
Was it really? Javier would still be sauced by the end of the lunch hour. Fuck. His brother slaved over his desk nearly every day until the wee hours of the morning. In fairness, he’d greeted Tyler every morning for a run and some weight lifting, then met with Morgan for yoga before coming here. Between nine and ten in the morning, everyone said that Javier looked really centered. Functional. By noon, he was stressed, wasted, and lashing out.
Xander clawed a hand through his hair, trying to smile. “Thanks. And your son?”
Morgan shook her head as the baby started to fuss. “I hate to do this, but I need to take Brice home. His fever has returned.”
That wasn’t good news. The baby needed care, but having no administrative support/babysitter, even for a few days, would put Javier further behind, send him deeper into stress—and a bottle. Xander wished like hell Javier would accept his help but . . . he knew he couldn’t push his brother anymore or he’d snap.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he assured Morgan. “Do what you need to do. Family first.”
With an apologetic smile, she rose and gathered her things. “I’ll call around and see if I can find someone who can be here for your brother. I’m not going to let him drown.”
It wasn’t Morgan’s problem, and she didn’t have to care, but Xander was grateful that she did. “Thank you.”
At the door, she cradled the baby against her and paused. “I know you’re worried and things between you two haven’t been easy, but give Javier time. He’s got some demons and he won’t let them loose. He’ll have to eventually. Maybe he’s just not ready yet.”
S.I. Industries didn’t have months for Javier to “find himself” again. He’d been reading business blogs and the Wall Street Journal. Scuttlebutt was that unless its research and development teams started showing Uncle Sam something new and snazzy soon, the government would start doing all its business with other manufacturers, like current darling United Velocity. And if it didn’t have the cash flow to prototype and build cool new military gadgets, S.I. Industries would be history.
Xander chomped at the bit to jump in, his brother’s wishes be damned, and help out. But it would only drive a bigger wedge between them. Javier was more important to him than the business. But if Javier lost his birthright, it would devastate him and probably put the final nail in his coffin. Even as a kid, his brother hadn’t taken failure well. Javier was a born leader, and his desire and aptitude to engage in teamwork had never been stellar. As an adult, nothing had changed.
“I’ve been trying to find the crash method to get him back into his head and caring about his life. We’re running out of time.”
“You’ve done a lot of the right things, even if it’s tough love.” She cocked her head as she gently bounced the whimpering baby. “Jack thinks he needs something to focus on or something to care about besides business.”