Going Down Fast (Billionaire Bad Boys 2)

“I asked about you.”

She sucked in a surprised breath. Well, maybe she shouldn’t be so shocked. They’d shared enough longing looks since she’d moved into the building that told her he hadn’t forgotten about her either. She just hadn’t been aware of his interest at the time. Nor did she know if his questions had been friendship-based or a wish for something more. But considering she’d married his brother, the ultimate betrayal, did it really matter?

He leaned in, his forehead meeting hers. “Don’t beat yourself up,” he told her, his thumbs brushing over the pulse points in her wrists.

Her entire body responded to his touch. As his calloused fingertips skated over her skin, her nipples peaked and her sex grew heavy and moist. She inhaled and took in the fruity wine scent on his breath. Neither broke the moment, and their breathing grew more labored, in sync with each other.

“He’s gone. He can’t hurt you again,” Lucas assured her.

But Maxie knew better. When it came to Keith, the blows kept coming.

“I need to get some sleep,” she said, pulling back before he… or she could act on this thing between them. She didn’t deny it existed, but she knew it was more powerful than anything she’d experienced before in her life.

She’d already put her faith in a sociopathic liar until she’d lost herself completely. She couldn’t allow her need and desire for Lucas to override common sense and drag her back into relying on a man too much. Not even one as special as Lucas.

* * *

While Derek stood off to the side, Lucas beat the shit out of the heavy bag, trying not to envision his late brother’s face as his target. Now that he knew how far Keith had gone to get Maxie to date him, he allowed the anger he’d held back to wash over him and pounded on the inanimate object until sweat poured down his body and some of the anger and frustration abated. He doubted he’d ever lose the feelings completely.

Engaged.

Keith had told Maxie Lucas was engaged to a woman he’d only had respect for and nothing more. There was no way in hell his parents had relayed any information about Lucas’ personal life to Keith. Because Lucas never shared it with them. No, Keith had made up the story to get Maxie into his bed. And ultimately, it had worked. Lucas swung hard once more, connecting and feeling not just the reverberation through his arm and shoulder but the burn in his muscles.

“Okay, you’ve had enough,” Derek said, waving a hand to get Lucas’ attention.

He pulled back mid-punch and bent over, hands braced on his thighs as he pulled in much-needed air.

“Feel better?” Derek asked.

“Not sure,” Lucas muttered.

Derek’s smile was grim. “Let’s grab a beer. Kade might be too much of a pussy to leave his wife and join us, but we can have a drink and talk you down.”

“Kade’s got it good and you know it.” Lucas pulled off the large gloves and hung them on the wall, then slowly unwrapped his hands.

“Yeah. Still want to get that drink?”

“I need to grab a shower first.”

A little while later, they were seated in a small bar near the gym, each drinking a Highland Ale. “I still want to kill him,” Lucas muttered, speaking of his brother.

“Unfortunately that’s already done.”

Lucas winced. “And that’s what makes this so damned hard. I can’t confront him. I can’t get closure of any kind.” He tipped the bottle back and took a sip of the malty brew.

“You’re going to have to come to terms. Nothing else you can do.” He pulled a sip too. “Did you talk to her about anything else? About the two of you?”

He shook his head. “Once she realized she’d been deceived, she was so thrown and upset, I couldn’t. Truth is, she freaked out when we got close. I can’t push her.”

“At least you’ve got her under your roof. That’ll buy you some time.”

Lucas hoped so. “I’m going to head home.” He threw money on the scarred bar to cover both tabs and a tip. “Thanks for working out with me tonight.”

“Always,” his best friend said.

A little while later, he walked into his quiet house and tossed his keys onto the pass-through near the kitchen.

As he walked toward the bedrooms, he heard the sound of the shower running. Great. Just what he didn’t need, the vision of Maxie in a steam-filled bathroom, naked, water running over her bare flesh. He only had his imagination to go by, but he envisioned her standing under the spray, head tipped back, eyes closed, rivulets of water running over her full, rosy-tipped breasts.