And then it happened. An explosion that nearly knocked the chair from under them. In a mad rush his semen filled her, triggering her climax. She screamed his name, and he gritted his teeth as he continued to pump into her. Hard. Fast. He was giving her all he had with no holding back. This was the way it was supposed to be, he thought. This was the way he wanted it. And from her deep, guttural scream this was the way she wanted it as well.
Little did she know that for them this was only the beginning.
Farrah sat at Xavier’s kitchen table and glanced out the window that faced the majestic Palisades Golf Course. Already golfers were moving about. Luckily the curtains had been drawn when they’d made out in the very chair she was sitting in a short while ago. Xavier had assured her that even if the curtain had been open it would have been highly unlikely that anyone would have seen what they’d done in his kitchen. Still, the thought couldn’t help but make her blush.
She took another sip of her coffee as she moved her gaze from the window to the man standing at the stove preparing pancakes. He hadn’t bothered to snap up his jeans that hung low on lean hips, and they looked so darn good on his hard masculine thighs and fine-asa-dime backside. Her gaze traveled upward and did a wide sweep of his hairy chest, tight abs, well-defined arm muscles and wide shoulders.
She moved her gaze upward, past his broad shoulders to his face. He had long lashes, the kind most women would kill for. And the shadow darkening his jaw indicated he hadn’t bothered to shave. Then there were his lips, full and inviting. She felt heat flood her stomach when she remembered all the things those lips and his mouth had done to her.
She released a deep breath, suddenly feeling the effect of the caffeine. The effect of Xavier Kane. The man had a gorgeous body, and he most certainly knew how to use it.
“You like what you see, Farrah?”
She blinked, wondering how he’d known she was staring at him when he was supposed to be concentrating on fixing breakfast. He looked up and smiled before turning around to face her while leaning his hip against the kitchen counter.
“How could I not like what I see? You’re a straight guy, pretty well-off and you look pretty darn good in a pair of jeans. And you can make me purr in the bedroom. According to some women, a man with those qualities is a rarity these days.”
He lifted a brow. “Some women?”
“Yes, those looking for a mate.”
“Oh, I see.” He didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “What are you doing next Saturday night?”
She blinked. His question had caught her off guard. She hesitated for a second and then said, “I don’t recall having any plans. Why?”
“I’d like you to go to a party with me.”
She placed her coffee cup down, feeling anxiety set in. “A party?”
“Yes.”
Her anxiety increased. Although he had mentioned attending parties with him, she wasn’t prepared to do so this soon.
“It’s being given by Donovan’s brother Morgan and his wife, Lena. A holiday fundraiser to benefit under-privileged kids.”
Instead of saying anything, Farrah picked up her cup to take a sip of her coffee. She needed to think about that. She didn’t know Morgan Steele that well, but she had known Lena for years. As a real estate agent, Lena had been the one to sell her and Dustin their first home, and four years later she had sought out Lena’s services to find her another place after their divorce. “Farrah?”
She glanced up and met Xavier’s gaze. His expression didn’t give anything away, but she had a feeling he fully expected her to turn him down, although she had agreed to the affair without limitations. In a way, she felt foolish for letting past pain dictate how she lived her life.
She forced her eyes away from his to glance out the window, knowing she couldn’t hide behind her pain forever. Maybe it was time to take a stand and finally move on. Something she hadn’t done and something it seemed Xavier was hell-bent on forcing her to do.
She glanced back at him and swallowed deeply before saying, “Yes. I’ll go to the party with you.”
Chapter 15
Farrah stared at herself in the full-length mirror. When was the last time she had dressed to please a man? And as much as she’d tried convincing herself she’d purchased this dress because she’d liked it, deep down she’d bought it because she figured Xavier would like it. It was blue, his favorite color, and the style of the dress showed off her figure. Even Natalie had said so when the two had gone shopping.
At least there would be people at the party she would know besides the host and hostess. Donovan and Natalie would be there, as well as other members of the Steele family. And Xavier had mentioned a couple of his godbrothers would be in attendance as well.
Last weekend, she had ended up spending the entire time at Xavier’s home. On Saturday night he had brought her back home to get more clothes and to dress for a movie.
She laughed softly to herself when she thought how Xavier had threatened never to take her to a movie again if she had to cry through the entire feature. She hadn’t been able to help it, convinced during most of the film the hero was going to lose his life and never return to the heroine.
When she heard the doorbell sound, she slowly inhaled a breath of air and gave herself time to release it. Xavier had returned to New York on Tuesday to finalize a few things and had called every night to see how she was doing. He’d returned to Charlotte late last night and had called her this morning to invite her to his place for breakfast. Unfortunately, she had been on her way out the door for her hair and nail appointment.
As she headed for the door, a part of her wondered what on earth she was doing by letting another man get under her skin. But in reality, he’d done more than get under her skin. He had licked every part of it at one time or another. She would be the first to admit that although she was still trying with all her might to keep her guard in place, the time she was beginning to spend with him outside of the bedroom was awakening something within her that she thought had long ago died a brutal death. She could actually say she enjoyed spending time with a man in something other than a sexual affair.
She stopped walking and squeezed her eyes shut for a second, remembering why she had broken things off between them six months ago. Why wasn’t the thought of becoming too close not scaring her out of her wits now?
A shiver ran down her spine as she opened her eyes and resumed walking. It was hard to describe what she was feeling these days. It was as if each and every time Xavier touched her he was branding her for life. She knew the idea of such a thing sounded absolutely crazy and probably was, but she couldn’t let go of the question running through her head. Why was she comfortable with how things were between them now?
She opened the door, and he stood there, leaning in her doorway, and as usual, looking as sexy as ever. For some reason, he seemed even more so today, dressed in a pair of jeans, a white shirt and a chocolate brown >suede jacket. He smiled at her in a way that deepened the lines around his lips and brought out a dimple she rarely saw. And then she saw something flame to life in his gaze, and her heart began pounding in her chest. She felt sensual stirrings in the pit of her stomach.
“Xavier,” she said in a raspy voice that she couldn’t hide. “Welcome back to Charlotte.” She took a step back to let him inside.
“It’s good to be back. I missed you.” And then he reached out for her, pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth in his. A part of her understood his craving since it mirrored her own hunger. He said he’d missed her. She honestly didn’t know what to make of that. They had been together nearly a year before and had gone weeks without seeing each other, and not once had he ever admitted to missing her.
But tonight he had.
He finally pulled his mouth away but rested his forehead against hers, drawing in a deep breath while she did likewise. He then whispered against her moist lips, “It wouldn’t take much to strip you naked right now.”
“What’s stopping you?” she murmured, taking a quick lick of his lips and causing his erection to jump. She felt it and couldn’t help but smile at his body’s response to her words.
His gaze roamed over her before returning to her eyes. “It’s tempting, sweetheart, but we have a party to attend.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You mean you’d rather go to a party tonight than stay here and spend some productive time with me?”
A smile spread across his lips. “No, but I plan for us to go to that damn party and when it’s over I’ll bring you back here and get a lot of productive time in.”
“You might be too tired.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Not on your life, sweetheart, so come on and let’s go. The sooner we can make an appearance at the party, the sooner we can get back here and get naughty.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m holding you to that, Xavier Kane.”
“Will you be withdrawing your membership from the club, X?”
Xavier glanced up at one of his godbrothers, Virgil Bougard. “What gives you that idea, V?” he asked, taking a sip of his wine.
“The way you’re acting with Farrah Langley. Tonight’s the first time I’ve seen you out with a woman in a long time and unless I’m seeing wrong, you’re quite taken with her.”
Xavier smiled. No, Virgil wasn’t seeing wrong. But then, even if he were to explain how things were, Virgil wouldn’t understand.
“And what do you think you see, V?” he couldn’t help but ask. He could tell Virgil was getting annoyed with his evasiveness.
Virgil frowned. “I see you acting almost as bad as Uriel. At least he’s married. Just look at you now. You’re talking to me but not once have you taken your eyes off Farrah.”
Xavier knew that much was true. He had pretty much hung by Farrah’s side most of the evening. Only when Natalie and Vanessa had come and grabbed her had he sought out Virgil’s company for a while. “Xavier?”
He glanced back to Virgil. “Yes?”
“I said that—”
“Mind if I join you guys?”
He glanced over at the woman who walked up. Marti Goshay. They’d been involved in a sex-only affair a few years ago that hadn’t even lasted a month. That was all of her he could take, especially when she’d begun hinting at a serious affair that she’d wanted to end in marriage.
“Would it matter if we said that we did mind?” Virgil asked the woman.
Xavier had to keep from smiling. He’d forgotten there was bad blood between Virgil and Marti. Some claimed she was the reason her sister had dumped Virgil a few years ago over some lie Marti had told.
Ignoring Virgil, Marti turned her attention to Xavier. “I thought I’d give you my business card. I hadn’t heard from you in a while and figured you probably didn’t know my phone number had changed.”
He nodded as he accepted the card she handed him. Not that he would use it. He intended to toss it in the trash at the next opportunity. Of course, Marti would think the only reason he hadn’t contacted her in almost two years was because he didn’t have her new phone number. The woman really thought a lot of herself. She was attractive, true enough, but her beauty was only on the outside. Farrah’s beauty, he thought, was both inside and out.
“How would you like to attend the Tina Turner concert with me next weekend, Xavier?” she asked him.
“I’ll be busy next weekend.”
Virgil decided not to be so subtle. “He’s involved with someone, Marti. Move on.”
The woman seemed amused by that bit of news. “Who? Definitely not the woman you brought here tonight,” she said smiling. “Everybody knows Farrah Langley couldn’t hold on to her husband. He was involved in an affair, so what does that tell you?”
Xavier turned his dark, laser sharp eyes on Marti and said, “It tells me the man was a damn fool.” He walked off, leaving Virgil to deal with her, knowing without a doubt that his godbrother could.
“I thought the party was nice, Xavier. Thanks for bringing me.”
He glanced over at Farrah as they pulled out of Morgan’s driveway. “Thank you for coming.”
Farrah leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes. The party had been nice, and she hadn’t once felt awkward being seen out with him. In fact, she’d read a lot of envy in the gazes of a number of women. What she’d told Xavier earlier tonight was true. He would be a great catch for any woman.
Even her.
She snapped her eyes back open and glanced over at him. His full attention seemed to be on driving, but her full attention was on him. What made her put herself in the group with all those other women when she wasn’t interested in a serious relationship? She didn’t think of Xavier in terms of a good catch, but rather a perfect lover. What if she began seeing him in a whole new light?
She shook her head and then turned her attention to the objects outside the car window, refusing to go there. The only reason she was thinking such things was because of how good she felt. She had enjoyed a good party and now she was looking forward to an even better night. That had to be it. It couldn’t be any other reason.
“What are you doing next weekend, Farrah?”
She glanced back over at Xavier. “Why do you want to know?”
“I have tickets to the Nutcracker and was wondering if you’d go with me?”
She drew in a deep breath. Now was the time to tell him that although she had enjoyed herself with him tonight, they shouldn’t overdo it. But for some reason, she couldn’t fix her mouth to say that. Especially when she enjoyed the Nutcracker.
“Yes, I’d love to go with you,” she heard herself saying.
He smiled. “Good.”
Farrah looked back out of the car’s window, not sure if it was good or not.
Chapter 16
Farrah tried shifting to another position and discovered she couldn’t, due to the masculine body still connected to hers. Ever since Xavier had stopped using a condom, he liked drifting off to sleep with his manhood still inside of her and one of his legs thrown over hers. More than once over the past few weeks, she had awakened from the feel of his erection stretching her inner muscles as it enlarged inside of her.
It was hard to believe that next week would be Christmas, and so far she had been Xavier’s date to four parties and to the Nutcracker. Since they ran into most of the same people at all the events, she knew everyone thought they were having a hot and heavy love affair… and she would have to agree with them.
That thought no longer bothered her, and each and every day she was beginning to feel more and more comfortable with him and how their relationship was going. Just last week he’d flown her to New York to spend a few days with him while he’d wrapped up business there. She had stayed with him at his home, spending her days shopping and her nights in his bed.
Needing to go to the bathroom, she tapped him on the shoulder and his sleep-laden sexy eyes stared into hers. “I have to go to the bathroom,” she whispered.
He lifted his leg off hers and disconnected their bodies before flipping on his stomach. From the sound of his even breathing, he had gone back to sleep within seconds. She smiled as she eased out of the bed. Poor baby, she thought. Evidently she had worn him out.
The light shining from the bathroom showed their clothes were scattered all over the floor. They had begun stripping the moment they had entered her bedroom. How they’d made it up the stairs with their clothes on was beyond her.
After using the bathroom, she was returning to the bed and decided to gather up the scattered clothing along the way and toss them on a chair. She picked a business card off the floor that evidently had fallen out of Xavier’s jacket. She was about to put it back inside the pocket when she read the words someone had scrawled on the back.
Call me. You won’t regret it.
She frowned when she flipped the card over. Marti Goshay, Attorney-at-Law.
Her frown deepened. Although she
didn’t know Marti Goshay personally, she knew of her. And she’d known from that night at the party that Morgan and Lena had guessed the woman had the hots for Xavier. Farrah had heard from Natalie that Xavier and Marti had dated a while back, and from the looks Marti had had in her eyes whenever she’d glanced at Xavier, the woman wanted him back.
Farrah had been talking to Natalie and Vanessa that particular night and had seen Marti hand Xavier her business card. He had taken it, and at the time Farrah had wondered why. Now she wanted to know why he’d kept it. That had been almost two weeks ago. Hadn’t he claimed he wanted a long-term affair with her because he was tired of women coming on to him? So why hadn’t he let Marti Goshay know he was already involved?
Not even bothering to fight back the anger and jealousy she suddenly felt, she quickly moved to the bed to tap Xavier on the shoulder. “Wake up, Xavier. You need to leave. Now.” She had to tap him a couple more times before he finally awoke. “Xavier, you need to leave.”
He lifted his head and flipped on his back to stare up at her with sleep-filled eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing other than this,” she said, dropping the business card onto his naked chest.
He rubbed a hand down his face before picking up the card. He considered it for a moment and then tossed it on her nightstand. “Come back to bed, Farrah.”
His command angered her even more. “I won’t, and I want you out of my bed. Now,” she said, looming over him, in his face.
Instead of moving, he stretched out, placed his hands behind his head and stared up at her. “Why?”
She rolled angry eyes. “I just told you why.”
“No, you didn’t.”
And before she could blink, he had reached out and grabbed her hands and tumbled her down in the bed with him. He shifted his position, and now she was the one on her back with him looming over her. “Now tell me why you’re upset, Farrah.”
“That business card fell out of your jacket.”
Bachelor Unleashed Page 15
