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“You look like a Victoria sponge cake,” he stated bluntly. Then, catching my expression, “Nice, of course. I didn’t mean you didn’t. But it’s just very…very, ah, sweet.”
“Don’t bother,” I told him. “But honestly, what’s wrong with sweet? I think you said I was sweet. I thought you liked it.”
I was trying for flirtatious—after all, it hadn’t escaped me that, along with time with Sofia and me, Xavier’s stressful schedule had also been biting into our intimacy together. Normally, going for a week without sex wouldn’t have bothered me. After all, I’d gone five years at one point.
But Xavier and I had only just gotten back together a few months ago now. It didn’t seem like the fire should go out quite yet. I missed my insatiable chef. Especially when I was staring at the sweat dripping down his ripped body. Damn.
Xavier just chuckled and wiped a bit of sweat from his glistening brow. “You are, babe. You are. But you’re sweet with an edge. What happened to your hair? And your earrings? These look like something Georgina would wear. Or maybe her mother.”
“She lent them to me.”
I lightly touched the updo Regina had tried out for tomorrow and fingered the wreaths of diamonds at my ears. They were pretty, yes, but admittedly mumsy. When Georgina offered them, I didn’t have the heart to say no. I was still trying to get the woman to address me by name.
“Well, they look awful. Take them off.” He looked me over. “Actually, take it all off.”
“And what? Walk down the halls naked?” I joked.
Xavier didn’t seem to think it was a horrible idea. I just snorted, though my face flushed a little at the idea. Especially if he took it off me.
Lord, I was becoming easy.
“What about that red dress you brought from home? The one you wore to the Chie opening?” He bit his lower lip mischievously. “I liked that one.”
“Red is not appropriate for a society ball,” I said, though I was only quoting Regina, who had said the same thing to me when I’d suggested it. “Also, apparently this thing is black tie. The red dress only comes past my knees.”
“Pity.”
He crossed the room and took a bit of silk between his fingers. Then tugged some more, forcing me to come nearer or tear the fabric. “Nope, I can’t take it.”
“You’re not supposed to touch me right now, you know,” I said, batting at his hands.
“I’m paying for it,” Xavier said, hands working a bit more now to pull up the layers of silk. His eyes shuttered briefly when he found skin, skating palms up my thighs until he located my ass and grabbed. Hard. “I can do whatever I want to it. Including rip the damn thing to shreds.”
“You’ll mess me up,” I told him, though I wasn’t particularly concerned about the dress anymore.
“Fine by me.”
“What are you saying, you prefer me messy, Your Grace?”
Xavier smirked. “When I do the messing, especially.”
I sighed with utter contentment as he picked me up and carried me back toward his desk, where he set me on the top and sat down in the large chair behind it, for all his shirtlessness, looking very much like the aristocrat he was, surveying his belongings. Which, at that moment, was me.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said softly as his thumbs stroked my inner thighs.
I wanted to lean back and let him explore higher. But something about the way he was looking at me bothered me. With desire, yes, but it was mixed with melancholy I hadn’t seen before.
“What was with the headbanging session?” I asked, noting another drop of sweat currently rolling down the curve of his tattoo. It was very distracting, alongside the inward movement of his hands.
“Hmm?” Xavier wasn’t particularly interested in talking as he spread my legs wider and pushed the ruffles above my knees.
“The music? And pounding the crap out of that heavy bag over there. When did you have that put in, anyway?”
“Last night. I have one in my London office too. It’s useful when I need to let off some steam.”
The hands fully pushed the silk layers onto the table, shoving some aside with an audible tear. Well, I supposed I was out of Regina’s good graces, if she’d ever let me in.
I wanted to ask why he needed to let off steam. Why something was bothering him to the point he needed to punch his hands bruised and listen to banshees on acid to tame whatever beast was raging inside him.
