Page 14 of Virtually Guarded

But I believed Xavier. His word wasn’t like the Anax’s. No sense of power. Nothing that told me he couldn’t break the vow. He simply wouldn’t. I knew he wouldn’t.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

He nodded. “You good?”

“I don’t know.” We started walking again. I stayed as close to him as the narrow path allowed. “I’ll be the only one in the guest house, right? Because the Boston packs won’t be here until full moon night?”

“You aren’t alone,” he said.

We reached the house. He led me up the steps and opened the door. A flick of his finger turned on a bright lamp that didn’t do much to reassure me. The house was bigger than anyplace I’d ever lived. And other than that room, it was dark.

“Come in.” Xavier stepped through the doorway and looked at me expectantly.

“Yeah.” I entered and looked around. The place was nice. Decorated. Expensive. I couldn’t believe the Anax was letting me stay here by myself.

By myself. With no one around. Being alone didn’t usually bother me, but sometimes at night, solitude was more than I could handle.

“I don’t know if this is going to work.” I didn’t mean for Xavier to hear me.

Of course, he did. He was standing right next to me. “You aren’t alone,” he said again. “If you can’t deal with being here, call me. Or text, if that’s easier.”

“I don’t have a phone.” I’d lost my phone months ago thanks to an asshole at one of the shelters I’d stayed in.

He took his phone from his pocket and held it out. “Here. You know how to use it?”

“Yeah. I was homeless, not clueless.” I was a little stunned. Maybe he did mean it when he said he would take care of me. “Is there a passcode?”

“Just a sec.” He moved his finger over the screen a few times, then held the phone out again. “No passcode now. If you need anything, contact Laurits, Benjy, or Yovanny. They’re on duty at night. Laurits is in charge of the night crew. Someone will get me or they’ll come out here themself. If you need to come back to the main house, I’ll make sure there’s a spot for you.”

“The Anax might not like that.” He’d been pretty clear that I should stay out here.

Xavier shrugged. “He might not, but he understands fear. He understands having a past. If he does get upset, I’ll take the flak. Let me help you, Ren. It’s what friends do.”

“Sure. Thanks.” Friends. That was what we’d agreed on.

That wasn’t all I wanted. Xavier was my mate, and I wanted him. Part of me did, anyway. Part of me just didn’t want to be the only one in this house, and if I could persuade Xavier to stay, both of those parts might be satisfied.

Tossing the phone onto the small stand beside the door, I moved closer to him, backing him against the door. I wanted to yank him into a kiss, but I wasn’t sure I could pull him down to me. He was strong. So much stronger than I was. So I put my hands on his hips and pressed my face against his chest.

He gasped. “Ren, what are you doing?”

He wanted me. I could feel it. Mentally, maybe through our bond. The sense of heat and need rising between us. And that wasn’t all that was rising between us. I felt his cock growing against my belly. Without giving myself a chance to second-guess, I slipped one hand up under his shirt to touch his bare skin.

“Ren.” My name was a moan. His skin was hot to the touch, and I was pretty sure that had nothing to do with the temperature outside. “Oh.”

My other hand moved as if on its own toward the large bulge in the front of his shorts. I forced myself to stop. I wanted to touch his cock. Touch every bit of his body. But not without permission. I knew how being touched without permission felt. I wouldn’t do that to Xavier.

He cupped the back of my head with one large hand and draped his other arm over my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. His breathing was ragged now, and he murmured something I couldn’t quite make out. Consent? Denial? I didn’t know.

“I want you,” I murmured. His shirt muffled my voice, but he heard me. I felt that too, in the way a moan rumbled through his body, in the way he tightened his arm around me. “Xavier. Stay with me.”

“Ren.” This time, regret tinged his voice. His lips touched the top of my head, and even that tiny kiss was flame and hunger. “Oh, gods, I want to. I do. But…”

“But?” I pulled back so I could look up at those gorgeous brown eyes. So deep I could have fallen into them, like I’d read about in romance stories.

He lowered his head and scooped me up at the same time, lifting me so our lips could meet. His were soft and tasted like the lemonade we’d had with supper. He slid one arm under my ass and wrapped the other around my back, holding me securely as our lips moved, as his tongue probed mine, as fire roared into life between us. Between my legs, an ache needed to be filled, and I hoped Xavier felt it.

The kiss continued, and he turned us so I was the one against the door. He moved his arm off my back to caress my side, up to my chest. To the goddamn part of my chest that I couldn’t hide. That I simultaneously wanted him to touch and wished I didn’t even have. His fingers on my nipples sent another current between my legs, and that yearning ache grew so intense I could hardly stand it.