Going Down Fast (Billionaire Bad Boys 2)

“You have no idea.” He hooked their legs together and curled his big body around hers. “You wore me out earlier today.” He wrapped an arm around her, pulled her tighter, and began to breathe easily in and out.

Sleep didn’t come as quickly for Maxie. She wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else. Not even when she’d been married. Keith had been a take what he wanted, roll over, and go to sleep kind of guy. At first it had hurt her feelings but as things degenerated, she’d been grateful for the distance.

Lucas, it seemed, had no intention of allowing her space.

* * *

A week later, the assistants, Tessa, Becky, and Kade’s wife, Lexie, had called a morning meeting, asking the three bosses to attend. They’d plied the men with coffee before giving their pitch.

“I’m not doing a Halloween party here,” Derek said with a shake of his head.

“Why not?” Becky, Derek’s assistant, asked. “It’ll be good for morale. You know the tech guys downstairs would love to come dressed up.”

Tessa glanced at Lucas. “And you’d be giving them a chance to bring a significant other to meet their coworkers.”

“Oh, now we’re paying for significant others?” Kade asked, his gaze on his wife.

Lexie shot him a pleading glance. “Please? It’ll be so much fun.” She turned to face Lucas. “I called Maxie this morning and made lunch plans. I thought it would be nice to get to know her better. And I might have mentioned something about a fun Halloween party here,” she said in a rush, then turned her gaze back to Kade.

“You know you need to rein her in,” Lucas said.

Kade burst out laughing. “Let’s have this conversation in another month or so. Let’s see how much reining in you’re doing then.”

“Dammit, we’re going to have to do this, aren’t we?” Derek muttered, glaring at his assistant, who never quite took him seriously.

“Did Maxie seem interested in the party?” Lucas asked.

Lexie grinned. “She did. She might have mentioned something about wanting to be Catwoman. And that would solve your costume problem. You could go as Batman.” She sounded pleased with herself.

Lucas’ mind immediately went to a vision of Maxie in a leotard outlining her curvy body, a cape, tights on her long, sexy legs, and cat ears on her head. And if she could find an outfit with snaps between her legs like that hot-as-fuck lingerie she’d worn for him their first night, this party was sounding like a better idea by the minute.

“I’m almost afraid to ask what costume that leaves for us,” Kade said, pulling Lucas’ focus back to the discussion at hand.

“It’s a go!” Lexie clapped her hands, and Tessa raised her fingers in a victory sign.

“I can’t wait! Let’s go pick a date.” Lexie raised herself up on her heels and pressed a kiss to Kade’s cheek. “Thank you!”

She turned to Lucas and hugged him briefly before doing the same to Derek, who was muttering to himself about women. And men being whipped.

He was not wrong.

A few hours later, Tessa knocked on his door and entered without waiting to be asked. “Lucas, you need to get out here quick. Kade’s got a guy up against the wall, and I’m afraid he’s going to kill him.”

Lucas shot out of his chair and rushed for the main area, knowing there was only one man who’d get Kade that worked up. He immediately saw the problem. Kade had Julian Dane pinned against the wall near the elevator.

Their one-time friend, former partner of sorts, and the man who’d blackmailed Kade and tried to get shares of Blink or derail their IPO, had his hands in the air. He obviously wasn’t looking for a fight, but Kade wasn’t listening.

“Kade.” Lucas stepped up to them, bracing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, hoping to distract him.

“I just want to talk,” Julian said.

“Well, I have nothing to say to you.”

Lucas understood why. Julian had dated Lexie’s sister, pretending to be in love with her, all the while using her to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, Lexie’s sister, Kendall, had bipolar disorder and was going through a rough patch at the time. Julian’s behavior hadn’t helped Kendall’s mental state and had nearly broken up Kade and Lexie. So no, Lucas didn’t think Kade would take seeing Julian well. At all.

“Then let him go,” Lucas suggested.

They didn’t need Julian deliberately provoking Kade into hitting him so he could file a lawsuit or, worse, have Kade arrested for assault.