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I bite my lip, aflame with desire but also with guilt. I shouldn't be getting this worked up.
"I'm flattered," I confess with fluttering lashes.
Xavier tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "Flattered?" he repeats, his fingers ghosting over my skin. "You shouldn't be. You should probably leave, in fact."
My breath hitches in my throat as I struggle to keep my composure. The intensity of his gaze is almost too much to bear.
"Are you afraid of me?" he murmurs, sensing my hesitation.
I pause for a moment before responding. Although the question catches me off guard, I refuse to let him see me sweat. Fear isn't exactly the right word for what I'm feeling right now. More like anxious anticipation.
"No," I say, trying to steady myself. "Why would I be?"
"Because," he says, moving even closer until there's barely an inch between us. "I'm not a nice guy... or haven't you figured that out yet?"
The warning in his voice only seems to make things worse. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest that I can barely hear myself think. I can feel his breath on my skin as he leans in even closer, and for a moment, I find myself lost in his eyes. There's something dangerously alluring about him that I can't quite put my finger on.
"Are you a big, bad wolf Xavier?" I smirk, desperately trying to lighten the mood.
Xavier's lips curl into a devilish grin as he answers my question with supreme confidence. "No darling," he says firmly, looking deep into my eyes so that I can feel his intensity course through me like electricity. "I'm something much worse."
"And I should run away?" I prompt teasingly.
His expression and tone are completely serious, adding to the thrill that creeps down my spine. "You should."
My core tightens and I feel the warmth of my arousal. How can I be this attracted to two different people at the same time? How can Xavier make my body ache with longing? He's a contradiction, charming yet dangerous. His words have an intoxicating effect on me, making it harder than ever to turn away from him even though I know it's probably for the best thing to do for both our sakes.
Still, temptation is slowly consuming me—like honey smothering toast or wine filling glasses—and if he pushes just enough then all semblance of rational thought will evaporate into thin air until there is nothing left but desire and need between us; raw electric emotion so powerful that none of us may be able to resist its electrifying pull any longer…
I tilt my chin up defiantly. "What if I don't want to?"
Without warning, his hand slips around my waist and pulls me towards him until there's barely any space between us. My heart races as I feel his body against mine and his warm breath tickling my ear.
"Then I'm doomed," he whispers, his voice low and velvety.
And with that, Xavier pushes away from me swiftly and strides down the hallway leaving my mind in a whirl of confusion and my body trembling in its wake.
What the hell just happened?
10
LUCAS
Passing by Xavier and his self-satisfied smirk as I head back down the hallway spikes my anxiety.
"Mia?" I call as I turn the corner, finding her leaning against the wall. "Are you all right?"
She looks up at me and I quickly assess her appearance. Her cheeks are flushed, and she seems a bit flustered, but there's nothing alarming about her. I heave a sigh of relief.
"I'm fine, thank you," she says at last, standing straight. "Did you and Antonio get your business taken care of?"
The hope in her eyes as her gaze flicks to the empty hall behind me is concerning, to say the least. She has no idea what she's gotten herself involved with just with a stupid one-night stand with Antonio. And now it's clear to everyone that Xavier has also taken an interest in her.
I pity the attachment she already has to those two men. Every moment she's here is another moment that she sinks further into their dangerous world.
"For the most part," I say dismissively. "Why don't we go sit?"
Mia nods and follows me as we make our way to the sitting room. As we walk, I can't help but study her carefully, looking for any signs of distress or anxiety on her face. Yet, she's completely oblivious with her star-struck eyes.
