Page 52 of King of Ruin

The restraint in his expression was unmistakable. So was the hunger simmering beneath it.

Elise's heartbeat stumbled.

She could feel his eyes on her even without looking, and the weight of his attention made warmth creep higher into her cheeks.

Before she could gather her thoughts or steady her breathing, he leaned in the remaining distance.

His hand on the back of her chair shifted ever so slightly, his thumb absently brushing the wood as he lowered his head.

Then his lips grazed her cheek.

It was a slow, gentle kiss.

The featherlight touch lingered for a heartbeat before he finally drew back.

The unexpected kiss left Elise blinking in surprise. Almost instinctively, she turned her head toward him.

Xavier was still standing beside her chair, close enough that she could see the tension written across every line of his face. Hisexpression stole the words from her lips. He didn't look satisfied. If anything, he looked as though stopping had cost him more than continuing ever would have. His breathing was slow but noticeably heavier than before, his broad chest rising and falling beneath his dress shirt while a faint crease settled between his brows. His dark eyes remained fixed on her, filled with a quiet struggle that made her heart tighten. It was as though every instinct inside him was urging him to close the distance again, while sheer willpower alone held him back.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Elise found herself unable to look away. Her fingers rested motionless around the pen, and she searched his face, watching the conflict flicker behind his eyes.

His jaw tightened.

The muscle flexed sharply beneath his skin before his expression shifted almost imperceptibly. The restraint she'd witnessed only seconds ago gradually disappeared.

Before she could react, the hand resting on the back of her chair slid forward. His fingers brushed lightly through the strands of hair near her temple before his palm settled against the side of her face, gently cupping her cheek. His thumb rested beneath her cheekbone, stroking softly across her warm skin as he tilted her face just enough to hold her gaze.

Elise's breath caught.

A shiver rippled through her, and her heartbeat fluttered wildly against her ribs.

"Xavier..."

His name escaped in little more than a whisper.

He didn't answer.

His eyes remained locked on hers for another lingering second before he slowly leaned closer. His face drew near until she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, and then his lips brushed tenderly against her opposite cheek.

When he drew back, it was only by a fraction before another kiss followed.

Then another.

His lips wandered across her cheek in slow, lingering kisses that seemed almost absentminded, as though he were acting entirely on instinct. Every soft touch left behind a trail of warmth that spread beneath her skin. He drifted toward the curve of her jaw, lingering there for the briefest moment while his thumb continued its slow caress against her cheek, before returning once more to her face as if he simply couldn't convince himself to stop touching her.

There was nothing demanding about the way he held her.

Only an overwhelming tenderness that quietly betrayed how much he'd missed being this close to her.

Elise remained completely still beneath his touch. Her fingers tightened around the pen until her knuckles turned pale, yet she made no move to pull away. The familiar scent of his cologne surrounded her, filling every breath she took, while the steady warmth of his hand cradling her face made it almost impossible to gather a coherent thought. She could only sit there, her pulse racing faster with every passing second, silently absorbing each gentle kiss until time itself seemed to fade into the background.

Eventually, the kisses stopped.

Xavier lingered close for another heartbeat, his forehead nearly brushing her hair as though he were reluctant to let the moment end. His thumb gave one final stroke across her cheek before his hand slowly slipped away, his fingertips trailing lightly along her jaw as they fell back to his side.

Reluctance flashed across his features, but he forced himself to take a step backward.