And as if the sun knew he'd be walking through at that exact moment, Xander glides through wearing a wellcut, dark-navy suit as sunshine frames his entire body, making his ocean-blue eyes sparkle.
Wow! My jaw dropped a little, and for a moment, he looked drool-worthy. But then he grinned suggestively as eyed my entire body, and I remembered who he was.
A mega perverted menace!
"Ready, my dear?" Xander purred, stretching out his arm for me to take.
Here goes nothing!
CHAPTER 24.
A little after two, Daniels drove us into an exclusive neighbourhood where electronic fences and high hedges occupied most of the curb of the clean empty street. He pulled the SUV into a short driveway in front of a white fence. A small, dark-grey box with a button was nestled beside the driver's side door. Daniels pushed the button, and after a few seconds, sounds of rust and chalkboard scratches overtook our ears as the gates slowly opened. As Daniels drove the SUV through, I rolled my window down. Cold air came breezing inside and my skin broke into goosebumps.
The land between the front gate and the house was vast and filled with vibrant green grass. A game of football with a crowd could easily be played here.
As we entered onto a coloured stone driveway, my jaw dropped at the view of a luxurious mansion.
The SUV slowly rolled around a large, extravagant, stone swan fountain in the center of the driveway. Circled around the fountain was a bed of red roses that looked too perfect for this time of year.
Could they be imported? I stared at the stone swans as they sprinkled water from their beaks into the crystal-blue pool surrounding them.
"Welcome to my home," Xander said as the SUV stopped in front of two large, bronze doors.
"So this is where you grew up?" I peered out the open window at two large, leaf-engraved pillars standing on opposite ends of the double doors.
"That it is, Marisa. This house here...it was a part of yours truly's life," Xander explained breathily, as if he's rediscovering a long lost cave that was responsible for something historical.
My eyes rolled turning to face him.
"Shall we go?" Xander asked as Daniels opened his door first.
Really?
Whatever happened to ladies first?
Then again, being here at the 'palace' where he grew up, it's becoming more and more obvious he was actually a princess.
"Yes, let's go, but after you since your door was opened first...princess boy," I sneered.
Xander exited the car, giving me a raised eyebrow before shutting his door. I smirked as Daniels opened my door and offered his hand as I stepped out.
"Thank you, Daniels!" I drawled exaggeratedly as Xander met us on the other side. Xander gave me his arm and I looped my arm through it.
"Let's do this," I grinned mischievously. "Lead the way, princess."
"You think you're so funny," Xander whispered, leaning into my ear. "Have you forgotten, that sort of feistiness turns me on? So if you dare to continue, we'll have to make a detour to the bathroom. We'd be late for the party, which would be very, very bad."
He eyed me knowingly. Yeah I got what he was trying to say, unfortunately.
God, he's a pervert!
Exhaling a frustrated breath, I conceded, "Fine! Xander, please lead the way, why don't you!"
He smirked and nodded, and then led the way. As we crossed through the open doorway, he whispered into my ear, "That applies to your tone of voice as well."
He blew hot air into my ear, making me shudder. I jerked my shoulder into his as he chuckled. "Will you please shut up and lead me to this fucking party? And stop blowing in my fucking ear, you perv! I don't want to get a disease."
He gave me a suggestive smile.
"Asshole," I murmured, disgusted.
"Stop it," he mouthed, biting his lower lip. My face heated as I looked away embarrassed. We were in the home he grew up in, his mother's house.
Had he no shame?
Did he respect his mother so little that he'd carry on with such crude behavior?
Wow...hypocritical much, Marisa?
"Whatever," I grumbled, refusing to look at him as he led us over a green marble-floored hallway that ended with two open glass double doors. We entered into the equally enormous backyard that could pass for a serene sanctuary fit for gods.
A variety of flowers in every colour of the rainbow hang from poles circling the party. Fifteen tables are decked out with soft peach table settings. Beautiful aquamarine flowers settling inside tall glass vases are the centerpieces of each table. The tables surrounded a huge dance floor that was covered by a veranda. Women and men dressed to the nines in lush cocktail dresses and casual, but pristine, well-cut suits filled each seat and the surrounding areas, huddling together enjoying the party already. An instrumental quartet was set up on the small stage right behind the dance floor; they began playing.
I'd only ever witnessed a party like this in the movies.
"Impressed?" Xander murmured into my ear as we followed the paved pathway to the tables.
"Extremely; it's so beautiful. It's like a dream," I nodded in awe. Xander led me into a throng of people, all of whom, he said a quick hello to, but never stopped until we reached a woman about my height, wearing a soft pink, to-the-knee dress. Her top was a delicate lace that was fitted to her body, and her skirt flowed out in a silky fabric cut in an A-line.
"Mother!" Xander called to her. Her short blonde hair flew in the air as she abruptly stopped talking to a man in a grey suit, and turned around to see who was calling her.
Noticing Xander immediately, her deep blue eyes sparkled happily. "Alexander! Darling, it is you!" she exclaimed happily, rushing to him, giving him a kiss and a hug.
"Hello, Mother," Xander said. "The party turned out beautifully, breath taking; as always, you have exceeded yourself."
His mother's face lit again. "Thank you, my darling son."
"Mother, I'd like to introduce my date, Marisa Gellys," Xander pulled me forward.
Here goes!
"Mrs. Barns, how do you do?" I said politely as she shook my hand. "You have a lovely home."
"Thank you," she purred, and then looked over shoulder. "The three of us will have to catch up later. I must go and greet the rest of my guests."
She laughed, motioning the expanse of the party with her hands. "If the two of you will please excuse me."
"Of course, Mother," Xander replied, stepping out of her way. I smiled at her. She turned to leave, but then stopped right beside Xander.
"Oh, Xander darling, Mrs. Williams and her daughter are here."
Mrs. Williams and her daughter? I stared at Xander's face, which stilled for a second but quickly resumed back to normal.
"Oh, really? Well, I'll have to be on the lookout then," he replied with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"Yes, be on the lookout; I hear her daughter is quite smitten with you. What was her name again?" Mrs. Barns asked.
"I'm not sure; but I'm sure it'll come to me when I see her," Xander said.
"Yes, of course it will. Hopefully the poor thing won't be too disappointed once she sees your beautiful date," Mrs. Barns smiled at me before heading toward a group of women around her age.
She's nice. Never would have guessed that.
"How many admirers do you have?" I asked Xander as he watched his mother walk away. "Bet she'd be interested to know her precious little boy is dipping his stick in more than one pudding."
"As for your first question," He leaned in, "many... and for your second question, my business... stays my business."
He stared sternly into my eyes.
Asshole!
"Got it, chief!" I replied and like a soldier, gave him a quick salute.
His lip quivered and won, turning into a wide grin. "The things I could be doing in the privacy of one of those empty rooms back at the house right now..." he purred breathily.
My eyes rolled. I hope he wasn't including me in that daydream, because that wasn't going to happen. EVER!
"Alone, you mean. I'm staying out here, with or without you... princess!" I sneered. "Maybe I should keep speaking to you like you're an asshole; then you'll have to walk around this party with a hard-on and everyone will notice and laugh at you."
"Or maybe, I'm already walking around with a hard-on right now," Xander taunted into my ear. I instantly jerked away from him.
"There will be a three-foot rule between us if you don't stop that shit!" I hissed, feeling disgusted and in need of sanitation wipes.
Xander smiled suggestively and leaned in. "Stop what?"
"Yeah, stop what?" a familiar voice asked from behind, making Xander and me jump. We twirled around to find Liam towering over us in a dark-blue suit with a white shirt underneath that had two buttons unbuttoned. As if on cue, the clouds parted and sunshine spilled out, framing his entire body, making his deep-blue eyes sparkle. In an instant, my heart began beating faster.
Liam!
"Well, don't you two look close?" Liam accused, glaring at Xander and then shifting his hard stare to me.
I raised an eyebrow.
"William, I'd like to introduce Marisa Gellys, my date for this afternoon," Xander said, interrupting the stare-off.
Liam, or William, held out his hand; I reached out to shake it but he grabbed my hand, pulling me into his embrace. His cologne and body wash quickly invaded my nostrils, making me a little dizzy. He smelled so good. And in the interest of not swooning or fainting in his arms, it would be best if I pulled back.
Like now.
But his grip was firm around my waist.
"What do we have here?" he murmured quickly into my ear. My eyes met his dark-blue ones as he lets me go a little. "You're not supposed to be here."
Xander grabbed my arm, pulling me back into his side.
"This is my date, Liam," Xander stated quietly, glaring angrily at his brother.
Liam smirked, "Never stopped you before, little brother."
Ugh oh! He went there!
I gulped as Xander's hand dropped from my arm and curled into a bone-tight fist. Noticing the hand change, the smirk was wiped off Liam's face, replaced with a ghost of a snarl. His hands, too, curl into fists, nestling tightly against his hip.
Are they really doing this right now? I stared back and forth at the twenty-nine- year-old twin brothers, who were supposed to be GROWN MEN! Instead, they were acting like competitive teenagers in some sort of fucked-up sibling rivalry.
I stepped in-between them, holding up my palms to each of them, hoping to ease the tension between them.
"Alright you two...stop...we're at your mother's spring garden party," I whispered, wide-eyed.
Wow, I'm the one actually breaking up a fight? I really have changed! That makes me so happy, I grinned to myself.
"Why are you so happy?" Liam asked, narrowing his eyes at my smile.
"Well, being around the two of you has literally transformed me into a more mature woman. I mean, compared to the two of you-twenty-nine--year-old grown business men,-it's all just so funny," I giggled.
"I bet it is," Liam murmured breathily, taking a step back. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my date."
Xander unclenched his fist and gazed around the room with that evil twinkle in his eyes, "Oh, really? We must have an introduction then!"
Liam's jaw clenched; my eyes traveled across his body. He was holding himself back. "Don't count on it."
"Count on it," Xander hissed back.
Fucking hell!
Liam turned and left quickly, disappearing through the growing crowds that surround us.
I looked back at Xander, who glared with a new determination in the direction Liam was last seen going.
"Forget about it," I leaned into him and hissed into his ear. "Don't even think about intruding on Liam's date!"
Xander slowly looked away from the crowd, back to me. "We'll see about that."