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Maureen nodded like a soldier at attention. Xander was writing something but felt that her mouth was opening and closing, a fish unsure how to express itself.
“With respect, Your Highness,” she said, voice bold and unpretentious. “I would recommend not altering the state of the rooms just yet, as your mother was the primary decorator.”
Xander narrowed his glare at her, aware of the insatiable look of intimidation his sharp jawline and dark eyes were able to convey. But he also knew that it was only Maureen, one of the few on the planet, who knew of the profound nature of his loss.
He sighed when she didn’t waver, sliding his jaw back and forth. He scribbled down her recommendation, then waved his hand at her, still gazing at the desk.
“Nevertheless, it is your duty to show her around the palace. I will be in Noblegrace tomorrow, so take heed. Please make a note of any changes she may require. I don’t want to have too many strikes against me so early on.”
“Yes, sir,” Maureen said.
There was a knock on the door of his study right then, and Xander instantly felt the pull again. It moved from his chest down to his thighs, his cock twitching within the confines of his tight dress pants.
“Come in,” he said, trying not to sound desperate.
Lexi came in cautiously. Her hair was wet, likely from just having taken a shower. She wore one of his oversized shirts along with a pair of pajama shorts. Her lighthouse eyes scanned the room, and she leaned in with a beaming smile.
“Am I interrupting anything?” she inquired.
“Not at all,” Xander said, waving her inside.
He was trying not to show exactly how he felt, but it was nearly impossible. She was the moon moving across a velvet sky, hard to ignore and impossible to miss. She walked over to him, her scent catching faintly in the air, making him squeeze his thighs together to keep his wolf at bay.
She stopped beside Maureen and held her hand out.
“I’m Lexi,” she said, a gorgeous smile still on her face.
Maureen remained unmoving and even a bit annoyed. One side of her face twitched when she took Lexi’s hand, shaking it with a force that wasn’t entirely necessary.
“Maureen, lead enforcer.”
Once that interaction was over, Lexi came to his desk, casually sitting on the top of it right next to Xander. Her legs were right next to him, bare and muscular, pleading for his touch, his mouth.
He immediately snapped his neck toward Maureen, raising his eyebrows with expectation.
“That will be all,” he said.
Maureen looked at Lexi, whose back was to her, and gave the vaguest of snarls. Xander knew why she was hostile toward Lexi, as the Hart sisters were known for their inability to shift. But he had also known that they had been bullied and harassed for it, which was something Xander wanted nothing to do with.
“Noted, sir,” Maureen said, taking a bow.
As soon as Xander heard the click of the door, he swirled his chair to face Lexi.
It was hard to look at her. Her pretty face, lean body, and serene essence that was too much for his cold heart to take. It had been a long time since he felt such an attraction to a woman, whether it was merely sexual or physical. Because she was his mate, the physical element would be engulfing.
But he did look at her because he needed to. He needed to drink in her beauty and her essence anytime she was around.
He spoke in a low, soft tone, with Lexi looking over her shoulder in a way that felt devilishly sexy.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
Lexi shrugged, then let out a sigh.
“It was fine, I suppose. I often have difficulty sleeping anyway. It has always been a problem.”
Xander pondered her words for a moment but had the thoughts cut off when she shifted closer to him, still sitting on the desk but nearly directly in front of him. Her legs were crossed, but he could always detect the faint zest of her arousal.
It was driving him insane.
