The Way You Tempt Me. Elle Wright

Stop worrying.”

      She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “I’ll stop worrying when you stop sulking. Don’t let that trollop win the battle.”

      Xavier chuckled at his mother’s choice of words. “‘Trollop’?”

      She shrugged. “Well, that’s the nice way of saying h—”

      “Okay, Ma,” he interrupted. “No need to bring out the big guns.”

      Gripping his hand, she tugged him to his feet. “Let’s go talk to Stewart and Victoria.” She grabbed her champagne glass and directed him to grab his tumbler. “It’s been awhile since they’ve seen you.”

      Xavier let his mother lead him over to Duke’s parents. He greeted Stewart with a man hug and Victoria with a kiss on the cheek. Jax met them over there and told a story about his latest endeavor to steal a new client from one of his competitors. Jax and Stewart had been friends since they were kids growing up in the same Ann Arbor, Michigan, neighborhood. Their bond had never waned, and their families had remained close friends.

      Skye joined them, and soon Xavier was glad that his mother had forced him away from the bar. Victoria shared the latest adventure of one of her eight children, Dexter. Then she begged Xavier to help Duke find some direction.

      Xavier held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, you know Duke does his own thing. I have no influence.”

      “Seriously, Xavier.” Victoria wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I need him to get his shit together.”

      They all burst out in a fit of laughter, partly because Victoria didn’t curse, but mostly Duke was the one who always made her break the no-cussing rule she’d always tried to live by.

      “Damn it,” Skye murmured.

      Silence descended on the room and Xavier watched everyone’s attention veer to the door to where Naomi and Ethan had just entered the room.

      “What is she doing here?” Ana asked between clenched teeth. The smile she wore never wavered, even though Xavier knew it was hanging on by a thread. “Jax, did you invite her?”

      Jax gave Ana a sidelong glance. “As a client of the agency, she received her invitation weeks ago, just like everyone else.”

      “The nerve,” Skye whispered. “I’ll handle this.”

      Jax gripped Skye’s hand, preventing her from kicking the duo out. “Leave it be.”

      With a sympathetic glance X’s way, Skye relented and stayed put.

      “Are you okay, son?” Jax glanced at Xavier with narrowed eyes.

      The challenge in his father’s eyes told Xavier he’d better be okay. Jax Starks had always maintained control, even in the most stressful situations, and had implored Xavier to do the same. It took Xavier leaving the Los Angeles party scene before the lesson finally took. That didn’t mean his infamous temper never got the best of him again. It just meant that he did a better job of walking away from situations that tested him.

      “I’m cool,” he answered.

      Naomi’s eyes lit up when she noticed their group. With her arm wrapped around Ethan’s, and as if she hadn’t just dumped him without telling him, she sauntered over.

      In the background, he heard the faint whispers and felt the weighted stares on his neck. And he tried to ignore them. He really did. Even when Naomi hugged him like they were old friends. Even when Naomi introduced Ethan to everyone, as if he didn’t cheat with her knowing she was with Xavier. Even when Naomi pulled out an embossed envelope and handed it to Jax. But when his father opened the envelope and read the words out loud, that’s when Xavier lost it.

      “A wedding invitation?” he roared, not even caring about the scene unfolding in front of all his parents’ guests.

      “Babe, please,” Ana said, her voice calm. “This is not the place.”

      Xavier closed his eyes tightly, willed the rage that seemed to coat his insides away. But it was no use. He was pissed, and nothing anyone could say would make it better. “You bring this shit here? Like you didn’t play me for the whole world to see? What the hell is wrong with you?”

      Ethan stepped forward, ice in his eyes. “Watch who you’re talking to?”

      It wasn’t in Xavier’s nature to back down, so he glared at Ethan and took another step closer. “And what are you going to do about it?”

      “You don’t want to start with me, X.” Ethan moved even closer.

      “Get the fuck out of my face,” Xavier warned.

      “Maybe you should have been mowing your own lawn. Then we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

      Before Xavier could think about the consequences, he shoved Ethan away from him and right into the dessert table. Ethan stood promptly and rushed him, knocking Xavier on his back. He wasn’t sure how long they were fighting, or how many punches he’d delivered. But soon Garrett had his arms wrapped around X, holding him back, while Jax and Stewart, along with Naomi, were huddled over Ethan, who was on the ground.

      Xavier slowly regained his focus, and scanned the room, noting all the disappointed and horrified faces staring back at him.

      Skye stood in front of him, arms crossed and frown deadly. “Xavier, you’re out of control. Get out of here. Now.” She pointed toward the hallway leading to the kitchen.

      Dropping his head, Xavier did as he was told and left the room. Shit.

      * * *

      Zara Reid had spent the better part of her day with one of her clients and his family, engrossed in the nuts and bolts of a brand-new, multimillion-dollar contract with the Atlanta Hawks. In the end, it was time well spent, because they left happy and she left with the honor of representing another talented young black athlete.

      After a long day, she’d arrived at the Starkses’ home just in time to see Xavier beat the crap out of Ethan Porter, someone she’d been following for years and hoped to add to her client roster. She assumed the fight stemmed from the fact that his girlfriend had unceremoniously dumped her friend X without so much as a “good-bye, sucka.” And she hated to see Xavier go out like that.

      As she stood at the entrance to the kitchen, she wondered how to approach one of her oldest friends. Should she pretend she hadn’t seen him engage in the battle for Naomi Murphy, in front of a slew of important guests and associates of Mr. Starks and the Pure Talent Agency. Or should I give him a high five, because the asshole deserved it?

      Before she could make up her mind, X looked up and met her gaze. He blessed her with one of his beautiful smiles. “Zara? When did you get here?”

      “Just in time to see the show.” Spurred into action, she walked over to the sink and grabbed a towel. She walked over to the freezer and scooped several ice cubes, dumping them onto the white cloth. Zara took a seat next to him at the kitchen table. “You need to put ice on that hand.”

      Xavier set his bruised hand atop the towel. “I thought Skye would appear with a first-aid kit, but she abandoned me.” He chuckled. “Guess I deserve to be left alone.”

      “She’s staying far away from you right now.” Zara giggled, thinking about her run-in with Skye in the hallway. Her best friend had given her a quick hug before she bolted back into the ballroom, muttering dirty curses along the way. “I saw Garrett leave.” Zara wrapped the cloth around X’s knuckles.

      “He went to help settle things down.” He winced when she twisted his wrist to finish wrapping his hand up.

      “Never a dull moment at the Starks holiday soiree.”

      He grinned again, allowing her a glimpse at the dimple on his left cheek. “Right.”

      She stared at him. The subtle gold pattern in his jacket matched his skin tone perfectly. His brown eyes