Page 185 of King of Ruin

His hand remained firm around her hips, holding her close against him as he looked down at her. Water dripped from his hair, tracing the sharp lines of his face, but his attention never left hers. His other hand moved to her neck, not hurting her, but enough to keep her still as his eyes burned with anger and something far more desperate beneath it.

"Who was that man downstairs?" he demanded.

The way he saidmanmade the word sound like an accusation, as though even the thought of someone else standing beside her was enough to tear something apart inside him.

Elise's breath caught.

"What are you talking about?" she whispered.

His jaw tightened, his gaze growing darker.

"That bastard," he said through clenched teeth. "Who the fuck was he?"

His voice rose with every question, the jealousy he had tried so hard to suppress finally breaking through.

“Why was he having dinner with you? Why were you with him? Why was he in your car?”

His breathing grew heavier as he searched her face, desperate for an answer she refused to give.

“Why was he saying he wanted to come home with you? Why was he telling you he loves you?” His jaw tightened, his frustration reaching its limit. “What the fuck is going on, Elise?”

The last words came out harsher than he intended, almost like a roar torn from somewhere deep inside him.

His entire body was rigid, every muscle tense as he stared at her. He looked furious, but beneath that anger was something far more vulnerable—fear. The fear that he had lost her. The fear that someone else had taken the place he still desperately wanted.

He needed her to tell him there was nothing between them.

He needed to hear that he had misunderstood.

But Elise only looked at him with a guarded expression, refusing to give him what he wanted.

“It’s none of your business,” she said quietly. “I already told you we’re over. As your ex-girlfriend, please don’t interfere in my life.”

The words stopped him cold.

Something dark flashed across his face.

Before she could finish, Xavier stepped closer, his hand gripping the back of her head as he pulled her attention back to him. His anger was no longer controlled; it was tangled with frustration, fear, and the unbearable thought of her moving on without him.

“Elise,” he said through clenched teeth, his voice low and dangerous. “Answer me.”

Her lips parted, and her eyes finally met his.

“M-my brother. His name is Logan.”

The words barely escaped her.

Xavier froze.

The anger disappeared from his face, replaced by complete shock.

***

Morning light slipped through the curtains, spreading across the bed before slowly reaching the two naked figures tangled together beneath the sheets.

Xavier still had Elise wrapped tightly in his arms, his hold firm around her waist. He hadn't let her go all night, and even now, he remained close, his attention fixed completely on her.

Elise shifted slightly beneath him, her breath catching when he pressed another kiss against her skin. The quiet sound she madeseemed to pull him back to reality, and he finally lifted his head to look at her.