The Billionaire’s Bride by L. Steele

3

Baron

What the hell am I doing? Edward's hurt, for fuck’s sake. And yet, he’d challenged me. Knowing full-well I wouldn’t be able to resist it. I throw a punch, aiming for the unhurt part of his face. He rises to his feet, ducks at the same time. I stumble forward. Edward wraps his good arm about my neck, tugging. Motherfucker’s hurt but his grip is powerful. Apparently, the ex-Father has been keeping in shape.

"Stop! Stop it, you two!" Ava yells, just as Edward yanks his arm tightly against my neck, cutting off my air supply. I try to take in a breath and my lungs burn.

"I am going to get help." From the corner of my vision, I sense Ava run for the door.

I cough, grip Edward’s forearm, tugging. He grunts, then with a sharp twist, digs his elbow into my windpipe. Darkness flickers at the edge of my conscious mind. Fuck this. Hurt or not, I am going to have to bring him down. I bring my elbow up, shove back. Connecting with his chest.

A growl rips from him. His grip loosens. I break free, turning on him, to find him reeling back. Blood stains his hospital gown. His breathing is harsh, his face pale.

"Shit, shit, shit."

He sways on his feet, and I grab his shoulders, turn and ease him onto the bed.

"Why do you have to be such a stubborn motherfucker?

"Why do you have to…be?" He glowers up at me, pulls away, then huffs again. Sweat beads his forehead, as he collapses back.

"I am sorry, Ed. Truly, I didn’t mean to shoot you."

"Yeah," he says through clenched teeth. "I know, even though a part of me wishes that you had done it on purpose, just so I could find a reason to hate you."

"Like you don’t have enough basis to do so now?"

"You and Ava." He curls his fingers into fists, "How could you, Baron?"

"It wasn’t something in my control," I snap.

"I sent you to her because you were the only one who could keep her safe."

"You sent me, knowing you were putting me in temptation’s way." I drag my fingers through my hair. "Admit it, Edward. You knew we’d be attracted to each other. You were testing her… Testing me."

"You think that’s what this is?" he snarls. “Some trial by fire bullshit?"

"Isn’t it?" I glare back at him.

He clenches his fingers into fists. "Is this some bullshit explanation that you’ve come up with to assuage your conscience?"

"It’s the truth, something you are not able to admit to yourself."

"Your conscience is playing tricks on you."

"Your sub-conscious is double-crossing you."

"Like, you did?" He bares his teeth.

Anger suffuses my blood. "Why you—"

"What have we here?" A new voice sounds behind us. I turn to find Weston walking in. He’s wearing scrubs, a white coat over top. "Ava told me you two were fighting but I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes."

"Aren’t you a cardiologist or some such shit?" I mutter.

"Yeah," Edward doesn’t take his gaze off me, ”shouldn’t you be sending someone more common in to check in on me?"

"I would have, except apparently, I care enough about the two of you to make sure that you don’t kill yourselves. A feeling which neither of you seem to share, it seems." Weston walks around the bed, taking in Edward’s pallor, then glares at me. "Out."

"But…"

"Get out, Baron," he says in a calm voice, "now."

Something in his tone cuts through the chaos in my head. I pivot, walking out of the door, up the corridor to the windows at the far end. Reaching it, I ball my fists at my side, then bang my forehead against the pane. "Fuck," I growl. "F-u-c-k."

I scent jasmine, and below that, the whiff of ripe raspberries. A second later there’s a touch on my shoulder. I stiffen, but don’t turn around.

"Baron?" Her soft voice wraps around my heart. Her scent intensifies as she comes around to stand abreast with me.

We stare outside the window at the large semi-circular driveway that leads to the road. A car stops, drops off a man and a woman, before driving off. To my right, a patient in a wheelchair with an IV attached to his arm sucks on a cigarette as if his life depends on it. What foolish creatures we humans are. We cling to life with every last breath we have, even as we inhale poisons that hasten us to the end.

Am I poison to her? Why did I taint her life? I should have stayed away. Instead, I had complicated things for her, for me, and for that asshole, Edward. Somewhere along the way, I had become addicted to her. I can’t live without her. I’m not going to give her up that easily, not without a fight.

"You okay?" She glances at me from the corner of her eye. "I’m worried about you."

"Don’t be." I draw myself up to my full height. "I’ll be fine."

"You sure?"

I glance at her in time to see her chew on her lower lip. My blood instantly drains to my groin. Shit, my friend—okay, ex-friend—is lying there hurt. After I’d shot him. And here I am, lusting after his girlfriend. Well, technically she’s mine now, and I’m not letting her go.

I close the distance between us, fit my knuckles under her chin and tip up her head. "Yeah," I murmur, "I’ve never been more sure in my entire life."

Her breathing grows shallow. Her pupils dilate. "Baron," she whispers.

"Hmm?" I rub my thumb across her lower lip. So fucking soft, she is such a bloody temptation, I can’t keep my hands off of her. I lower my head to hers and she parts her lips. I share her breath, and that sweet scent of her arousal goes straight to my head. I brush my mouth over hers once, twice. She shudders. She digs her fingers into the front of my shirt. I slide my hand down her back, to the curve of her hip. That dip of where her waist meets her butt… Fuck me, but I could lose myself in that sweet roundness. Come to think of it, I have.

I deepen the kiss and she parts her lips. I lick into her mouth and a moan bleeds from her. I gaze into her eyes as I slide my tongue across hers. She shudders, pushes herself closer, but I clasp my other palm around the nape of her neck, hold her immobile as I devour her mouth. She wriggles her hips, tightening her grasp on me. I palm her butt and she gasps. Her head falls back and her eyelids flutter as she submits to me… My cock thickens, and fuck me, if I don’t have her right now, I am going to—

Footsteps approach and the sound of someone clearing their throat reaches me. Her eyes snap open and she tries to pull away, but I don’t let her. I continue to devour her mouth, watch as her eyes glaze over with lust again. Good, no-one, no-one can stop me from wanting her. Except him… He can. I tear my mouth from hers, release her so quickly that she stumbles. I grip her shoulder, make sure she finds her balance before turning to face the intruder.

"Yes, Doc?" I tilt my face toward a wary Weston. His gaze narrows on me.

"I patched him up. You can see him, now."

"Oh, thank God." Ava brushes past him and walks to the room. I watch as she disappears inside. Fuck, I can’t stop her from seeing him. But I can do my best to ensure that she doesn’t think of anyone but me. Doesn’t want to be with anyone but me. Can’t stop loving me. Only me.

I grip my fingers at my sides with such force that pain tears up my arm.

"Easy, ol’ chap," Weston drawls, "you don’t want to burst an artery."

"That would be the least of my worries." I stare at the hospital room door through which she’d disappeared. What’s she doing inside there? Is she touching him? Kissing him? Does he have his hands on her? Are they plotting how to be together? A growl rips up my throat. I take a step forward and Weston grabs my arm. "Don’t be stupid, Masters."

"What-bloody-ever." I try to shake off his arm but his grip tightens. "Rein in your impulses," he cautions. "Don’t do anything that will spoil your chances with her."

I pause, "Why are you so concerned about that?" I shoot him a sideways glance. "Thought you were on Edward’s side."

"I am on the side of whatever—whoever Ava chooses." He tilts his head, "After all, it is her choice."

I press my lips together.

"It is, isn’t it?" he says in a warning tone.

"Of course." I tug on my arm and he releases me this time. "And no one is going to stop me from influencing that." I turn to leave, then look back at him and ask, "The man Edward tried to kill... "

"He's still unconscious."

I stare at him over my shoulder. "And the man who broke into Ava’s studio... he's not conscious yet either?"

He shakes his head. "The bullet punctured one of his lungs but he’ll survive."

"Too bad he’s not dead."

Weston arches an eyebrow. "Look at it this way, between the two of them, we should have, hopefully, enough information to help us track down the kidnappers."

"Bloody incident," I spit out. "When I finally get my hands on those behind the kidnapping, I am going to wring their necks with my bare hands."

"Get in line," Weston says mildly. "So, what are you going to do now?" He looks me up and down.

"What do you mean?" I drawl.

He glances from me to the closed hospital door, then back, "You know what I mean."

"That’s easy," I bare my teeth, "I am going to fight for what’s mine."