Xavier stood in the middle of the tiny space, rummaging through his bag—naked.
His back was toward me, and my eyes dropped down to his perfectly sculpted ass before I let out a shriek of surprise, spinning around to face the wall. “Why are you naked?!” Ihissed, and I could feel his amusement like a palpable energy filling the room. I could picture his lazy grin as I heard him walking toward me. He stopped just behind me, his body encompassing mine without touching, although it felt like he was.
“It’s nothing you haven’t already seen before,” he practically purred as he maneuvered around me and into the bathing room. I watched as his naked form stalked for the tub. I had to force myself to look away, swinging the door closed as I turned back into the main room.
“Pig.” I huffed under my breath and could have sworn I heard him chuckle. I rolled my eyes and pulled on some underwear before throwing a silky, deep blue nightshirt over my head. It fell to my mid-thigh, and I sat on the bed, pulling one of the steaming bowls of stew Xavier had brought onto my lap, and took a bite.
The tender pieces of meat fell apart in my mouth like butter, and I scarfed down the entire bowl within minutes. Exhaustion weighed on me, and I set the empty bowl down on the dresser and sat back on the bed. Leaning back, I let out a painful yawn while waiting for Xavier to get out of the bath so we could discuss our sleeping arrangements.
I must have drifted to sleep as the creaking of the bed woke me as Xavier lowered himself next to me. I jolted awake, but he only pushed me gently back down onto the mattress.
“We have shared a bed before,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I promise I won't bite,” he said sleepily as he lay fully on the bed beside me.
“And you were all over me the next morning,” I said through another yawn, narrowing my eyes on him.
“If memory serves, it was you who was clinging onto me,” Xavier said softly, his eyes flashing with amusement.
I was too tired to argue and rolled over, putting my back to him. I must have accidentally moved backward as I turned, and my ass hit into him. I lurched forward, and warm, callused hands caught me before I could face plant onto the wooden floor. Muttering a curse, Xavier pulled me back onto the bed, rolling me onto my back, his body now hovering over mine. He trailed his heated eyes brazenly down my body, and I couldn’t help but do the same. He was shirtless, damn him, but at least he was wearing pants this time.
I dragged my gaze down his sculpted chest, lingering on the sculpted lines of his stomach and even lower to the sharp V that disappeared into his soft, baggy pants. My toes curled, my thighs pressing together, and I couldn’t stop my body from reacting to him as lust coursed through me, hot and heady.
Xavier leaned in close. “See something you like?” he whispered, his voice rough, lips curling into a teasing smirk.
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly too dry as I tore my eyes from his chest to meet his gaze. His emerald eyes sparkled with a predatory gleam as he seemed to lean in closer, his mouth going to my ear.
“Tell me, Zara. Did the Fates show me in your future?” Xavier’s voice was low, a dangerous whisper that sent a shiver through me. His breath lingered against my ear, warm and teasing, making every nerve in my body ache. His hand slid up my leg, the pads of his fingers barely grazing the sensitive skin of my inner thigh, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. When his hand settled on my hip, the fabric of my nightgown bunched beneath his touch. He stroked his thumb across my hip, his fingers brushing against the lacy fabric of my underwear underneath.
I took a shaky breath as his eyes dipped to my lips again.
“Did they show you us like this?” His voice was a rasp, barely more than a whisper, his face so close that I could feel the heat ofhis breath against my lips, as he hovered just a breath away from mine. His hand slid up to my waist, his touch sending a jolt of heat through me as he squeezed gently, possessively.
“No.” I lied, the words shaky and unconvincing.
Xavier’s lips curled into a smirk, the warm exhale of his breath brushing against my mouth. “Liar,” he murmured, the word thick with both amusement and desire.
My body burned, the exhaustion long gone, replaced by a pulsing awareness that hummed through every inch of me. He removed his hand from my waist and reached for mine, gently placing it on his chest. His heart beat hard beneath my palm, the rhythm matching my own racing pulse.
“Do you feel that?” he breathed.
I could only shake my head in response, a swirl of confusion and something else rising inside me. His gaze softened, his thumb brushing over my knuckles before he released my hand. His eyes flickered to my lips briefly, the moment stretching between us before he leaned away. The covers shifted as he pulled them over us, then turned his back to me, the sudden space leaving a stark emptiness in its wake.
I let out a ragged breath, and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as I tried to level my breathing. It was infuriating how he affected me so deeply, so effortlessly. What was it about him that made me react this way? Feel this way? Why did a simple tease from him do this to me?
I longed to understand why the Fates showed us together. Why my magic brought me to him, over and over again,
I replayed the moment in my head…Perhaps this was a game to him, I thought bitterly. But why? Was it merely for his amusement, or did he truly feel it too, this unnatural pull between us?
I shifted uncomfortably on the bed, my eyes skimming down his exposed back and catching the swirls of his tattoo on hisshoulder. He had drawn the shades, but the midday light still shone through the window, illuminating the room in a soft glow.
“I saw myself with your tattoo,” I admitted, and Xavier stiffened on the bed. He turned slowly to face me again, but he didn’t respond. He merely grunted as if in confirmation of something, waiting for me to continue.
“I had it in my visions; every single one they showed me,” I continued, and he stared at me silently, his eyes deepening with a feral, unguarded heat that stole the air from my lungs.
The white strand of his hair fell over his eyes, and without thought, I reached out to move it aside—something I'd wanted to do numerous times now.
Xavier's eyes closed in response, and I withdrew my hand, taking in the curve of his face and the stubble that now shadowed his jaw.
“Why?” I breathed, and his eyes shot open.
