by Cora Reilly
I shrugged. “Fiona doesn’t have to like you as long as I do.”
“And you do?” Xavier asked in a low voice.
“You have to ask? I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t find you quite tolerable.”
“Ah, Evie, your romantic declarations warm my heart,” he murmured with a soft laugh.
I grinned. “You know what you’re getting. The snark will stay.”
“I hope so.”
We smiled at each other, and Xavier’s eyes moved down to my lips once more. If he kept it up, I’d have to ask for ice to put in my panties.
“So how did Willow react to the news?”
“What do you think? She was over the moon. She’s been wanting me to find someone forever.”
“That’s lovely,” I said.
Xavier’s expression darkened. “It’s because she doesn’t have a life herself. She’s always at home with Mom. She should be doing what other teenage girls do. Sneak out, get drunk and flirt with guys so I can kick their sorry asses.” He emptied his last beer. “But she won’t because she can’t, because she’s stuck in that wheelchair.”
I touched Xavier’s hand and he turned his over and linked our fingers, his gray eyes sad and dark. “That wheelchair doesn’t have to stop her from living her life. She can date, she can flirt and get drunk. A disability doesn’t have to stop her, it doesn’t have to define who she wants to be,” I told him.
“That won’t happen on that farm.”
“She could move to Sydney after school. She wouldn’t be alone. You and I could help her.”
Xavier squeezed my hand, then brought it to his lips and kissed it. “Evie, I don’t deserve you, I hope you realize it, but I should tell you I have every intention of keeping you, deserving or not.”
A pleased flush spread in my body, and I leaned forward and gave Xavier a soft, light kiss, then leaned back before it turned into something more heated.
It was the only kiss we shared that night, though I could tell Xavier wanted to kiss me when he dropped me off on my street. “Thanks for the lovely date,” I told him, turning around to him in my seat.
“Does that mean you’ll agree to another date tomorrow?” Xavier asked with that annoying sexy twitch of his mouth.
“Yes. What did you have in mind?”
“We could go to the beach, sunbathe and take a dip.”
Parading my flaws around in front of Xavier in a bathing suit? No, thanks. I frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The last time paparazzi got us on the beach.”
“That’s because I’d announced on my Instagram that I was filming a workout there, but it’s a weekday.”
I looked away. “I’d prefer if we did something else.”
“Evie,” Xavier began, but I held up my hand. “How about we go to the Royal Botanic Garden? I’ve wanted to visit it for a while.”
“Okay, but the risk of people recognizing me there is pretty high too.”
“Put on a cap,” I said with a grin.
He chuckled. “I doubt that will fool anyone. But if that’s what you want?”
“I do,” I said. I knew we probably wouldn’t have much time to go on dates in the days afterwards, since the start of the season was less than a week away.
I left the car with a last smile and closed the door, then practically floated home because the date had gone so much better than I’d hoped. Xavier had been as much of a gentleman as he was capable of, and we hadn’t had a moment of boredom or awkward silence. I risked another glance over my shoulder. Xavier hadn’t driven off yet, and a small shiver passed through my spine again. I’d wanted to kiss him so badly in the car just now.
I could only hope Xavier had enough restraint for the both of us because if the sex ban depended only on my control, it was doomed.
Xavier did indeed show up wearing a cap for our date in the Royal Botanic Garden, which to be honest didn’t make him any less striking. A man of his size and muscle mass had a hard time blending into the background, even if he covered his head. I had chosen a cute summer dress with a narrow waist, low neckline, and ballerina flats. Xavier took his time admiring me as I strode toward him. We’d agreed to meet in front of the entrance and not have Xavier pick me up, so Connor and Fiona didn’t get suspicious, though me dressing up like that had definitely raised Fiona’s attention. She would find out eventually, and probably be butt-hurt I hadn’t confided in her from the start.
When I arrived in front of him, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. His arm came around my waist at once and his head dipped, his eyes locking with mine. “This outfit is meant to kill me, right?”
I tried to hide my smugness but failed when Xavier let out a low growl. “You are a vixen.”
His lips lightly brushed across mine, but I gently pushed back. Xavier held out his hand. “Can we risk holding hands?” Amusement tinged his deep voice.
We took our chances and strolled through the botanic garden hand in hand. It wasn’t overly crowded, and many people around looked like tourists who weren’t aware who Xavier was. The views of the opera house were spectacular, and so were the rose garden and fountains. “You didn’t strike me as the flower girl,” Xavier said after a while. “You like beer, ribs and action movies. But roses get you?”
“They are pretty. I’m allowed to enjoy pretty things too, right?”
Xavier pulled me to a stop and stepped close. “Sure. You enjoy the pretty flowers, I enjoy you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Nice try to charm your way into my panties again. It won’t work today.”
Xavier let out that deep rumble of a laugh. “So the ban’s still in place?”
“It is,” I confirmed.
“Am I allowed a kiss at least?”
Considering we were in a public place, I deemed a kiss a safe option. “Okay—“ The words had barely left my mouth when Xavier claimed my lips and kissed me. Kissed me like he really meant it, and my toes curled in my ballerina flats as his tongue tasted me, teased me, and his warm palm pressed against my back.
I drew back after a moment, a little dazed. We were still close and Xavier was looking at me as if he wanted to eat me.
“I think that’s enough kissing for now,” I murmured.
Xavier exhaled, but he stepped back as if he didn’t trust himself so close to me. To be honest, I trusted myself far less than him.
In the days after our second date, Xavier and I didn’t find time for another one. His first match of the season had him busy, body and mind, and I was actually glad for the small break since it allowed me to get a better grip on my feelings and my desires—or that’s what I was trying to tell myself, at least. We’d only seen each other for work-related reasons, and I hadn’t allowed any physical closeness during that time, but now that the first match was over and Xavier’s team had won in a spectacular fashion, we’d agreed on a third, more intimate date. I wasn’t sure why I had agreed to a date at his penthouse, maybe because he’d asked me right after the match, when I’d still been high with the euphoria of watching Xavier play a breathtaking game. But it was too late to back out now. I didn’t want Xavier to realize how strong of an effect his closeness had on my body.
Yet, I couldn’t get a grip on my nerves about my third date with Xavier. Which was ridiculous. I’d spent so many evenings with him in his penthouse, and many more work hours, but this felt different. This was the first time that I came over to his apartment not as his assistant but as his date, as his girlfriend.
I had considered wearing something sexy, but instead I’d opted for a soft coral cashmere sweater that hugged my chest, and jeans. I wanted to feel comfortable, and not give Xavier any ideas, though knowing him, he’d get them anyway.
The moment Xavier opened the door, I reminded him. “There won’t be any sex tonight.”
Then I took him in. The tight shirt, the low-cut jeans, the light scruff, and those eyes. Suddenly I felt like I needed reminding more than he did.
He grinned. “You said
that already.”
I’d said it more than once, had sent him two texts today alone with the same message. I nodded once, suddenly feeling shy. I had never felt shy around Xavier. Maybe this was a bad idea.
Xavier opened the door a bit wider. “Won’t you come in? I promise I won’t bite unless you want me to.”
“Xavier,” I said in warning, but my stomach did a stupid little flip.
This man would definitely be my undoing.
I took a resolute step into his penthouse and walked toward the kitchen island, where I dropped my purse on one of the stools before I headed toward the fridge and opened it. Smiling to myself at his consideration, I grabbed a craft beer for myself and one for Xavier. No low-carb beer tonight. I put them down on the counter and was about to check Xavier’s snack drawer when his warm breath ghosted over my ear. “I’d say ‘make yourself comfortable,’ but you’re already doing just that.”
I whirled around, startled, and swatted his chest. “You scared me!” I didn’t take my hand off his chest. Why wasn’t I pulling away? He was even closer than I’d expected. One arm propped up on the kitchen island, leaning half over me. Breathing became difficult with him so close, with his manly scent, with the way his tall body made me feel delicate for once, with the way his eyes undressed me like I was actually sexy.
His face came closer. Hell, he was going to kiss me again. I knew where it had led last time we were alone in his apartment.
I quickly turned back around to the counter, and Xavier let out a chuckle against the back of my head. Even that low rumble sent a sweet shiver down my spine.
This was such a bad idea. The worst idea of a long string of bad ideas.
I should leave before I made an even bigger mistake.
I grabbed both beer bottles and used one to open the other, then handed it to Xavier before I took a spoon from the drawer and opened my beer with it.
“You are the only woman I know who can do that, and it’s fucking sexy,” he said with a strange smile. “From the moment I first saw you do that, I knew you were perfect.”
I took a swig from my bottle. “Not perfect. Deep down I’m lazy. I was tired of searching for the opener all the time and since I never had a boyfriend who could do it for me, I had to teach myself how to do it.”
Xavier watched me strangely over his bottle, then took a deep swig as well. “Why did you never have a boyfriend?”
I sighed, flushing. That wasn’t a topic I wanted to go into detail over, but at least it distracted me from more dangerous thoughts, like how much I wanted to grab Xavier by his jeans pockets and jerk him toward me. I leaned back against the counter to bring more space between Xavier and me. “As long as my sister still lived with us, boys always only saw her, not me. She was the athletic cheerleader and I was the chubby bookworm.”
Xavier made a disgusted face. “I don’t get the appeal.”
“Come on,” I said. “Fiona is your type, don’t pretend it isn’t so. I’ve seen the women you took into your bed in the last few months.”
I glanced down at myself. I wasn’t anything like them. Shoving that unpleasant thought aside, I took another gulp of my beer.
“She’s good-looking all right, but she’s annoying as fuck.”
“But you made a move on her before she was with Connor.”
Xavier grimaced. “She told you?”
I snorted. “We’re sisters. Of course she told me. I’m really glad she turned you down. That would have been too weird.”
“I’ve done weirder things.”
“Don’t remind me,” I muttered.
Xavier became serious again. “Come on, Evie. I can’t believe there weren’t any guys making a move on you. I’m sure one of them would have gladly helped you with your V-card.”
“There were a couple, but I didn’t want to do the deed just to get it over with. I wanted it to happen with someone I cared deeply about and who cared deeply about me.” My insides pulled tight. Why couldn’t I keep my stupid mouth shut? This was the second time I’d as good as admitted to Xavier that I was in love with him. I was such a stupid cow.
I downed the rest of my beer, avoiding Xavier’s gaze. Damn it. I could feel the waterworks beginning. I fought it and when that didn’t work I quickly pushed past Xavier, opening the fridge to grab another beer for myself. If I kept up the tempo, I’d be drunk before we even started the movie.
When I turned back around with the bottle, one traitorous tear slid down my cheek. Xavier brushed it away with his thumb and I wanted to die on the spot.
“Evie—”
“Don’t say something only because you feel guilty,” I interrupted him.
Anger flashed on Xavier’s face and he backed me into the counter, then supported himself to both sides of me and glared down at me. “Don’t assume you know everything about me, Evie, only because you know me better than anyone else. You are important to me and I care about you. And I fucking cared about you when I popped your cherry.”
I swallowed. “I know you better than anyone else?”
Xavier chuckled and pulled back. He took my beer, opened it with the spoon and nodded toward the living area. “Let’s watch a movie.”
“That was my beer. Give it back,” I said.
Xavier smirked. “Make me.” He took a provocative swig as he walked backwards toward the sofa. Something snapped in me, and I stormed toward him and tackled him. Tackled Xavier—The Beast—Stevens. God help me, Xavier must have fucked my brains out.
Xavier’s eyes widened in surprise when I collided with him, but he had no chance of bracing himself. The air was knocked out of me from the impact against his hard muscles, and then we were falling. I released a very embarrassing screech, clenching my eyes shut, as we tumbled over the backrest of the sofa. I landed hard on top of Xavier, straddling him.
When I finally opened my eyes, Xavier was watching me incredulously. Somehow he’d managed to land with the beer bottle still in his hand and miraculously full. “What was that?” he asked.
I stared down at him, realizing I was sitting on him, and I flushed, couldn’t help it because I could feel him growing hard against me. He set the beer down slowly, and I should have moved off him. Instead I kept staring at him as he grew even harder against me.
Evie, haul your ass off of Xavier.
And then Xavier’s lips curled in that cocky way, and I lost it. I crushed my mouth against his and he responded immediately. Grabbing my ass with one hand and claiming my mouth with his tongue, he rolled over until he was wedged between my legs and I could feel him right where I was aching.
He ground himself against me, hard, eager for more, and kissed me even harder. I ran my hands over his back, gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.
My God, that body.
His hand tangled in my hair as he angled my head the way he wanted it and his tongue delved even deeper. My toes curled. Before Xavier I didn’t know they could do that. But Xavier could kiss. Boy, could that man kiss.
His other hand slid down my side then he sat up and tugged at my sweater, and then that was gone as well. He let out a low growl. “Another layer?”
I glanced down at myself, at the thin tank top I had put on under the sweater, and finally sanity set in. I put a hand against Xavier’s naked chest, and shook my head. “We should stop.”
Xavier leaned forward. “Do you really want to stop?”
His voice was pure sex, seduction put into words, and my core responded with a wave of heat. What I wanted was to keep kissing Xavier, to rip every last piece of clothing off him and taste every inch of his perfect body, discover all the places I hadn’t paid attention to last time.
I closed my eyes, trying to sort through my emotions.
“Evie?” Xavier asked, voice softer than before.
“Stop,” I got out.
Xavier’s weight lifted off me, and I had to bite my tongue not to reach for him and pull him back. When I opened my eyes again, Xavier sat on the end
of the couch, nipping at his beer, his body tense and his shirt back on.
I straightened as well and smoothed my hair away from my face. Was he angry? “Don’t tell me you are pissed because I told you to stop. I told you no sex.”
Xavier raised his eyebrows. “What makes you think I’m pissed?”
“You are all tense and sitting on the other end of the couch.”
He smirked. “I’m tense because my cock threatens to burst through my pants, and you have no intention of helping me with it. And I’m sitting over here because you are even worse at this no-sex rule than I am.”
I flushed and sat back against the couch. Xavier wasn’t the only one who had a problem in his pants. My privates felt like they had turned into a puddle of lava. I was actually worried it would look as if I’d wet my pants if I got up. I shifted to alleviate some of the tension.
Xavier’s keen eyes watched me. “Evie, why do you insist on that stupid no-sex rule? You want this as much as I do.”
I didn’t deny it. “Because I want this to be more than sex. I’m not one of your conquests. Well, I don’t want to be.”
“You aren’t. You know you mean a lot to me. That’s why we are here. That’s why I agreed to give this dating thing a chance.”
“This dating thing,” I muttered.
He sighed, and moved closer. I eyed him cautiously. “This isn’t easy for me, Evie. I’ve never dated anyone. But I’m here, willing to give this a chance, because I don’t want to lose you.”
I held my breath, my heart swelling with emotions. He cupped my cheek and I got lost in his eyes. I wasn’t sure if I would be strong enough to stop him again, even if I knew I needed to, if I wanted to protect my heart. His lips brushed mine, but with my last resolve I drew back an inch. “Please Xavier, don’t…” I swallowed. “I know you’re aware of your effect on women and you use it, but don’t…I can’t do this yet.”
The look in Evie’s eyes and her broken whisper were a bucket of ice water. Fuck. She begged me not to take things further because she knew she wouldn’t be able to resist. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. She was fucking wet. I knew it, and she’d be tight and hot around my cock, but her expression was almost desperate and I couldn’t be that kind of asshole with her. Not with Evie.
