She burst into tears. Immediately, he looked terrified.
“Mini, stop crying. Stop. Please. I’m all right. Hey, hey, stop now. you’ll make yourself sick.”
Xavier stepped over to her, wrapping an arm around her. “Twink, it’s all right. He’s safe. He’s fine.”
“Xavier? What are you doing there?” Reuben stared up at them both. Confusion filled his face.
Xavier took a deep breath. “Juliet and I are together.”
“What?” Reuben barked. “The last report I got said that asshole I hired to protect her had fucking claimed her in front of everyone at the Wishing Well. Now you’re with her? What the fuck? What is going on there? I couldn’t do anything about that other asshole at the time, although I will. He’s number one on my shit list.” Reuben pointed down the phone. “And you’re about to go to number two.”
“Reuben, please,” Juliet told him. “That doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter?” he yelled.
“Reuben, are you safe? Is it over?” she asked.
Reuben let out a deep breath. When was the last time he’d slept? Eaten?
“Yeah, Mini. It’s over. You’re safe. I’m safe. I managed to get everything into place to take control of the situation. So you no longer need bodyguards. That asshole, Sampson, is the next one I’m calling. So I can damn well fire him.” Reuben narrowed his gaze. “Although I’d really like to know why you think you get to date my sister, Xavier.”
“Because she wants me and I want her,” Xavier replied calmly.
Reuben glared at him. “Not happening.”
“It already has,” Xavier told him. “And if you don’t have anything nice to say about it, then I’d appreciate you not saying anything at all.”
Reuben’s face started to go purple. Oh barnacles. Boy was about to blow.
“I love him, Big Bad Wolf,” she told him quickly. “I love him, and I have for years. Please be happy for us.”
Reuben seemed to take a moment to calm down. “Mini, you don’t know everything about him—”
“He’s been my best friend for the last two years, Reuben. I think I know him well.”
“Do you know that his parents are going to throw a shit fit over this? What if they don’t want you with her, Xavier? Are you going to break her heart? Not. Happening.”
Xavier stiffened. “You were right about my mother. She lied about the lump.”
Poor Xavier. He’d finally answered a call from his mother this morning and she’d confessed. She’d demanded that he forgive her, but he’d told her to give him time and to let him come to her.
Juliet was so proud of him, even as she worried about him losing his parents over this. It was their own fault, of course. But she didn’t want Xavier to have regrets later.
Reuben’s face softened. “I’m sorry. That must have hurt.”
Xavier gave him a short nod. “My point is that I don’t care what my parents think. I’d certainly never allow them to harm my relationship with Juliet. And I would never break her heart. She’s my family now.”
“You are not tying up my little sister and beating on her ass.”
“Why not?” Juliet asked. “I might like that.”
Xavier winked at her while Reuben spluttered. “Juliet, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Reuben, I’m a grown woman. And I’m a sub.”
“You’re a Little.”
She blew out a breath. “So that means what? That I can’t enjoy being submissive during sex? That I’m not allowed to like being tied up and spanked? Or plugged? Or clamped?”