Wanted Always (Xander Barns) (20 page)

After a few more minutes of torture, the
hair dryer shuts off.

Thank God!

Gustavo swivels my chair around and pulls
out the hairspray, getting to work spraying every inch of his masterpiece.

Why? Why me?
I think as I hold my breath. After turning my
hair rock-hard, he finally puts the hairspray down.

“Sammy! Get over here now; it’s your turn!
Thank goodness,” Gustavo yells at the top of his lungs. Sammy jumps out from
nowhere, wearing a black jumpsuit. “Here boss!”

Gustavo swivels my chair towards her and
marches away. “She’s all yours.”

“Got it,” Sammy chirps.

The makeup is less painful to get through
than the hair treatment. I sit patiently and quietly as she applies everything
from her kit onto my face.

“It’s going to be spectacular, Marisa,”
Sammy gushes as she brushes powder onto my cheeks.

“Thanks, Sammy,” I murmur underneath the
stroke of her brush.

“No problem.” She continues spreading the
powder. “Did you take pictures last night?”

Shit!

“Sorry…forgot,” I explain. “I had a lot on
my mind yesterday.”

“S’okay,” she mumbles, dropping the brush
down and picking up lip gloss. “Pucker, please.”

As Sammy applies gloss to my lips, the
door opens. My eyes move to the open space as a long dress cover glides inside,
followed by the sound of high heels. I can’t see who is behind the cover as
they enter inside the empty salon. That’s right; the salon is empty and is
normally closed on Sundays. But thanks to Xander, it was opened for me. I don’t
even want to think about how much that cost him. These people clearly didn’t do
things for the cheap. I stare at Gustavo’s alligator-skin loafers as he hurls
himself off his white leather sectional.

“Maria, finally!” he exclaims, sounding
relieved.

Maria!
And as if on cue, the cover drops, showing her
black bob hairstyle and rushed expression. She hangs the cover on a hook on the
wall.

“Darling,” Maria gushes as Gustavo leans
in for three air kisses. “What…a…morning it’s been!”

Gustavo sighs dramatically and nods in
understanding. The both of them turn to face me; Maria raises a perfectly
penciled in eyebrow, making me feel like I am to blame.

Not fair, they should be blaming Xander
for making them work on the rush and on their day off.

“Done!” Sammy shouts happily. She takes
off the salon cape around my neck. Maria and Gustavo give each other knowing
looks as I get out of the chair and stretch my joints. I’ve been in that chair
for a long time.

“What?” I ask as they turn facing me,
raising one eyebrow each.

Maria sighs and tilts her head to the
side. “Really? That’s what you picked to wear…after everything I left for you
yesterday?”

She shakes her head in a mixture of
disgust and horror at the sight of my plain, flared Gap jeans and regular ocean
blue shirt.

“I was in a rush,” I explain.

“Sure you were,” Maria states unconvinced,
giving Gustavo another one of their infamous exasperated looks.

Whatever! Deal with it!

They are the stylists, not me.

“So…I take it you brought me a dress?”
Jerking my chin to the hanging dress cover on the wall. Maria’s eyes brighten
as she nods happily.

“And fabulous shoes!” Maria says, and then
turns to unzip the cover. “My, you’re a lucky girl…outfits galore!”

Maria takes the hanger off the hook,
turning around to face me with it cradled safely in her grasp. She eyes
everyone, “Are you all ready for the most amazing dress ever?”

Everyone nods enthusiastically. Satisfied,
Maria unzips it the rest of the way, then reaches in and brings out the dress.

What?!
I’m blinded.

“Magical!” Gustavo whispers, sounding
amazed.

My mouth drops.

Ugh…wow!

It’s blue…actually blue this time, not
just on the outer edge of the blue color-wheel. Maria holds the hanger
sans-cover up into open air and a beautiful, midnight blue, sleeveless dress
with a round neck takes our breath away. The sheer lace on top covers a
sweetheart bondage bodice and an A-line skirt.

It is so pretty!

“It was the best I could pull on such
short notice. Thank God for BCBG; they always pull through!” Maria gushes while
staring at the dress, clearly as transfixed by its sparkling beauty as we all
are.

“Now...” Maria says breaking the trance.
“Let’s sort out the underwear!”

My eyes widen.
Oh no…not again!

****

After struggling into another bustier,
which I need the help of Maria again to put it on, I slide the dress over the
nude-colored undergarments. I’m wearing a simple thong, and this time it’s
staying on. Even if Xander begs for it, I’d rather die with it still on than
give it to him.

Perverted bastard!

Maria hands me a pair of beautiful, black,
open-toed sandals with a golden cuff at the ankle. I happily slide them on,
finishing the look.

Wow!

As I stare at myself in the mirror, just
like yesterday, everyone makes exaggerated noises expressing their joy at my
transformation. My hair is styled to perfection, falling into waves around my
shoulders. My makeup is lighter than last night, but just as beautiful.

I’m handed a black clutch, which I
transfer some of my essentials from my fab DKNY bag.

I’m ready.

After doing my twirls testing out the
flowy-ness of the dress, and after I gawk one more time at how amazing I look,
the front door opens.

And as if the sun knew he’d be walking
through at that exact moment, Xander glides through wearing a well–cut,
dark-navy suit as sunshine frames his entire body, making his ocean-blue eyes
sparkle.

Wow!
My mouth drops a little, and for a moment, he
looks drool-worthy. But then he grins suggestively as his eyes rake my entire
body and I remember who he is.

A perverted menace!

“Ready, my dear?” Xander purrs, stretching
out his arm for me to take.

Here goes nothing!

Chapter
Sixteen

*Marisa*

A little after two, Daniels drives us into
an exclusive neighborhood where electronic fences and high hedges occupy most
of the curb of the clean empty street. He pulls the SUV into a short driveway
in front of a white fence. A small, dark-grey box with a button is nestled
beside the driver’s side door. Daniels pushes the button, and after a few
seconds, the sound of rust and chalkboard scratches overtakes our ears as the
gates slowly open. As Daniels drives the SUV through, I roll my window down; immediately,
my bare skin covers in goose bumps as a cold breeze rushes inside. The land
between the front gate and the house is vast and filled with vibrant green
grass. A game of football with a crowd could easily be played here.

As we enter onto a colored stone driveway,
my jaw drops as the front of an impressive and expansive mansion comes into
full view.

I think I saw one just like it on MTV
Cribs before, but never in real life.

The SUV slowly rolls around a large,
extravagant, stone swan fountain in the center of the driveway. Even though
spring has just begun, the leaves of the surrounding trees have yet to fully
blossom. However, circled around the fountain is a bed of red roses that look
too perfect for this time of year.

Could they be imported?
I stare at the stone swans as they
sprinkle water from their beaks into the crystal-blue pool surrounding them.

“Welcome to my home,” Xander says behind
me as the SUV stops in front of two large, bronze doors.

“So this is where you grew up?” I murmur
while peering 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 explains breathily, as if
he’s rediscovering a long lost cave that is responsible for something
historical.

My eyes roll as I turn to face him.

 “Shall we go?” Xander asks 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 is actually a princess.

“Yes, let’s go, but after you since your
door was opened first…princess boy,” I sneer.

Xander gets out of the car and raises an
eyebrow as he shuts the door. I smirk as Daniels opens my door and offers me
his hand as I step out.

“Thank you, Daniels!” I drawl
exaggeratedly as Xander meets us on the other side. Xander gives me his arm and
I loop my arm through it.

“Let’s do this,” I say, and then grin
mischievously. “Lead the way, princess.”

“You think you’re so funny,” Xander
whispers, 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 eyes me knowingly. Yeah I get what he’s
trying to say, unfortunately.

God, he’s a pervert!

Exhaling a frustrated breath, I concede,
“Fine! Xander, please lead the way, why don’t you!”

He smirks and nods, and then leads the way
through the open doorway. As we cross through, he leans in again and whispers
into my ear, “That applies to your tone of voice as well.”

He blows hot air into my ear, making me
shudder. I jerk my shoulder into his as he chuckles. “Will you please shut up
and lead me to this fucking party? And stop blowing in my fucking ear, you
perv!”

His chuckles stop and he gives me a
suggestive smile.

“Asshole,” I murmur, disgusted.

“Stop it,” he mouths sexily, biting his
lips. My face heats as I look away embarrassed. We are in the home he grew up
in, his mother’s house. Has he no shame? Does he respect his mother so little
that he’ll carry on with such crude behavior?

Wow…hypocritical much, Marisa?
I’m not even going to try and guess the
answer to that.

“Whatever,” I grumble, refusing to look at
him as he leads us through an expensive, green marble-floored hallway that ends
with two open glass double doors. We enter into the equally enormous backyard
that could pass for a serene sanctuary fit for gods. A variety of flowers in
every color 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
surround a huge dance floor that is covered by a veranda. Women and men dressed
to the nines in lush cocktail dresses and casual, but pristine, well-cut suits
fill each seat and the surrounding areas, huddling together enjoying the party
already. An instrumental quartet is set up on the small stage right behind the
dance floor; they begin playing.

I’ve only ever witnessed a party like this
in the movies!

“Impressed?” Xander murmurs into my ear as
we follow the paved pathway to the tables.

“Extremely; it’s so beautiful. It’s like a
dream,” I nod in awe. Xander leads me into a throng of people, all of whom, he
says a quick hello to, but never stops until we reach a woman about my height,
wearing a soft pink, lace, long–sleeved, to-the-knee dress. Her top is a
delicate lace that is fitted to her body, and her skirt flows out in a silky
fabric cut in an A-line.

“Mother!” Xander calls to her. Her short
blonde hair moves in the air as she abruptly quits talking to a man in a grey
suit and turns around to see who is calling her.

Her deep blue eyes sparkle happily as she
sees Xander. “Alexander! Darling, it is you!” she exclaims happily, rushing to
him, giving him a kiss and a hug.

“Hello, Mother,” Xander says. “The party
turned out beautifully, breath taking; as always, you have exceeded yourself.”

His mother’s face lights up happily,
“Thank you, my darling son!”

“Mother, I’d like to introduce my date,
Marisa Gellys,” Xander pulls me forward.

Here goes!

“Mrs. Barns, how do you do?” I say
politely as she gives me her hand and we shake. “You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you,” she purrs then looks over my
shoulder. “The three of us will have to catch up later. I must go and greet the
rest of my guests.”

She laughs, motioning the expanse of the
party with her hands. “If the two of you will please excuse me.”

“Of course, Mother,” Xander replies,
stepping out of her way. I smile at her. She turns to leave, but then stops
right beside Xander.

“Oh, Xander darling, Mrs. Williams and her
daughter are here.”

Mrs. Williams and her daughter?
I stare at Xander’s face, which stills
for a second but quickly resumes back to normal.

“Oh, really? Well, I’ll have to be on the
lookout then,” he replies with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Yes, be on the lookout; I hear her
daughter is quite smitten with you. What was her name again?” Mrs. Barns asks.

“I’m not sure; but I’m sure it’ll come to
me when I see her,” Xander says.

“Yes, of course it will. Hopefully the poor
thing won’t be too disappointed once she sees your beautiful date,” Mrs. Barns
smiles at me, and then turns and leaves, heading toward a group of women around
her age.

She’s nice. Never would have guessed that.

“How many admirers do you have?” I ask Xander
as he watches 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 leans in,
“many…and for your second question, my business…stays my business.”

He stares sternly into my eyes.

Asshole!

“Got it, chief!” I reply and like a
soldier, give him a quick salute.

His lip quivers and wins, 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 purrs breathily.

My eyes roll. I hope he isn’t including me
in that daydream, because that isn’t going to happen. EVER!

“Alone, you mean. I’m staying out here,
with or without you…princess!” I tell him. “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 taunts into my ear. I instantly jerk away from
him.

“There will be a three-foot rule between
us if you don’t stop that shit!” I snap quietly.

“Stop what?” Xander smiles suggestively,
leaning in.

“Yeah, stop what?” A familiar voice asks
from behind, making Xander and me jump. We twirl around to find Liam towering
over us in a dark-blue suit with a white shirt underneath that has two buttons
unbuttoned. As if on cue, the clouds depart and sunshine spills out, framing
his entire body, making his deep-blue eyes sparkle. In an instant, my heart
begins beating faster.

Liam!

“Well, don’t you two look close?” Liam
accuses, glaring at Xander and then shifting his hard stare to me.

I raise an eyebrow.

“William, I’d like to introduce Marisa
Gellys, my date for this afternoon,” Xander says, interrupting the stare-off.

Liam, or William, holds out his hand; I
reach out to shake it, but he grabs my hand, pulling me into his embrace. His
cologne and body wash quickly invade my nostrils, making me a little dizzy. He
smells so good. And in the interest of not swooning or fainting in his arms, it
would be best if I pull back.

Like now.

But his grip is firm around my waist.

“What do we have here?” he murmurs quickly
into my ear. My eyes meet his dark-blue ones as he lets me go a little. “You’re
not supposed to be here.”

Xander grabs my arm, pulling me back into
his side.

“This is my date, Liam,” Xander states
quietly, glaring angrily at his brother.

Liam smirks, “Never stopped
you
before, little brother.”

Ugh oh! He went there!
I gulp as Xander’s hand drops from my arm
and curls into a bone-tight fist. Noticing the hand change, the smirk is 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 stare back and forth at the
twenty-nine- year-old twin brothers, who are supposed to be GROWN MEN! Instead,
they are acting like competitive teenagers in some sort of fucked-up sibling
rivalry.

I step 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 whisper, wide-eyed.

Wow, I’m the one actually breaking up a
fight? I really have changed! That makes me so happy,
I grin to myself.

“Why are you so happy?” Liam asks,
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
giggle.

“I bet it is,” Liam murmurs breathily,
taking a step back. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my date.”

Xander unclenches his fist and gazes
around the room with that evil twinkle in his eyes, “Oh, really? We must have
an introduction then!”

Liam’s jaw clenches; my eyes travel across
his body. He is holding himself back. “Don’t count on it.”

“Count on it,” Xander hisses back.

Fucking hell!

Liam turns and leaves quickly,
disappearing through the growing crowds that surround us.

I look back at Xander, who glares with a
new determination in the direction Liam is last seen going.

“Forget about it,” I lean into him and
hiss into his ear. “Don’t even think about intruding on Liam’s date!”

Xander slowly looks away from the crowd,
back to me. “We’ll see about that.”

Jesus!

“Stop being a trouble maker; and as I seem
to recall, you already have a date for this party!” I take a step back and
motion to myself with my hand.

“Never stopped me before,” he leans in and
whispers into my ear. “That’s what makes these things so much fun.”

“Fuck off,” I hiss, leaning back. “That’s
your brother. Have you no loyalty?”

Something in his eyes changes, they widen,
seemingly appalled. “Don’t you low-blow me again. I’m warning you now!”

“I thought you liked it when I talk to you
like you are an asshole?” I remark, looking away from his angry glare. “You
can’t pick and choose what I can belt at you. Whatever I think you deserve, I’m
gonna shoot at you. And right now, you’re being a prick!”