Underneath It All (Sexual Misconduct Volume II) Read Online Free PDF

are no one else’s words to rely on.”
    “ There could be.” He raised an eyebrow. “I could tell you my side, because I’m sure he made me look like I was a dick who stole his wife.”
    “ I think you did that yourself.”
    He flinched.
    Simmer down on the animosity, Avery.
    He nodded, wearing a smile that didn’t touch his green eyes. “He’s got you all turned around. You’re all Team Xander with no clue how much of a dirty player he really is.”
    “ What do you want from me?” Already, I grew tired of his games.
    “ Someone to talk to. Someone who can listen to both sides of the story and help us both deal.” He straightened and crossed his arms again.
    “ This is a conflict of interest in so many ways.” I shook my head.
    “ You appear to be a woman who breaks rules for the greater good.”
    And what would that greater good be here? Fixing their relationship. Helping them move past this tragedy. I had to admit, in my head, this seemed like a great plan.
    “ And this is not part of some revenge tactic?” I didn’t think so. He genuinely appeared to be a man who’d lost his way and wanted help finding it. Maybe there was still hope for them.
    “ No.”
    I eyed him warily . “Make an appointment with Angela, but no bullshit. This will be a real session. You want to fix yourself or your relationship with your brother, that’s what I do.”
    He nodded. “Thanks.” He turned and left, making me exactly fifteen minutes behind schedule to get to Xander’s house.
    *~*~*
    “What took you so long?” Xander asked soon as I walked through his front door. I’d already been running late, then Ian came by, and then I got stuck in traffic.
    “ I had a surprise visit as I was getting ready to leave.” Better if I break it to him now than he find out later.
    “ Really? Kind of like the first time I came there.” He joked, but he was actually spot on.
    “ Almost exactly like that. Except it was Ian.” He stilled, then took a step back and stared at me, bewildered.
    “ Ian came to see you?” he asked slowly.
    “ Yup.” I walked through the living room and put my briefcase and jacket on the dining room table. I turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, a furious look on his face.
    “ How long was he there?” He narrowed his eyes.
    “ Fifteen minutes.”
    “ Fifteen minutes! Why the fuck didn’t you kick him out?” He closed in on me, backing me up to the wall with his piercing gaze.
    “ He wanted to talk. He looked like he needed my help.”
    He let out a mirthless laugh and caged me in with his arms on either side of me. “The first time I came to your office, I had to make an appointment and wait to talk to you. But the minute Ian walks in, you blow me off because he needs to talk?”
    “ Maybe I was a little curious to hear what he had to say.” I placed a palm against his chest because he was crowding me and his anger was palpable.
    “ Stay the fuck away from him, Avery.” His fingers ran down my face, piercing green eyes locked and loaded—ready for battle. He was seconds away from unleashing all that rage.
    “ I can hear the accusation in your tone, and there’s nothing there, Xander. Nothing .” I met his angry gaze and tried to reassure him with a gentle caress.
    “ Next time he shows up, call security. Or call me.”
    “ I can’t.” I sighed.
    “ Why?” His eyes widened.
    “ He has an appointment next week.” I was going to stand my ground on this no matter how angry he was going to get.
    “ Fuck no! Cancel,” he demanded.
    “ I can’t.”
    “ Can’t or won’t?” He moved in closer, his face a mere inch away from mine.
    “ Won’t.” I held my ground.
    H e held my face in his hands, his eye searching mine. “You’re not going to do this shit to me. You told me if I opened up to you, you’d help me, not him.”
    “ Why can’t I help you both? He’s your brother.”
    “ Because you can’t.” He leaned in and kissed me, roughly. His tongue