Chapter 14: Chapter 14

MELODY

Xavier stepped inside and locked the door behind him. Every one of my nerve endings fired off, and a swarm of butterflies overwhelmed my belly.

Electricity buzzed between us.

He walked like a predator walking toward his prey. I stepped back. I knew it was no use. He wasn’t the same Xavier I’d met in New York.

He was a pure, dominant male, his eyes flushed with raw lust.

His gaze was raking over me slowly as he took in every inch of me, making me want to squirm on the spot or run away as fast as my legs would carry me.

The Xavier I’d met had been sweet and charming. I would have been lying if I said I didn’t like a dominant male. Seeing Xavier like this made my panties wet.

No man had ever turned me on with his presence only. I wanted to do every dirty, filthy thing that I knew I shouldn’t.

~Fuck.~

~

~I should have kept the door locked.~

~

~What the fuck were you thinking, Mel?~

~

“Stop running from me,” he whispered hypnotically. I stopped in my tracks like I was in his command.

It had been nine months since I’d last seen him.

Every day, I’d dreamed of him, his handsome face, his sexy smirk, his heart-melting smile, but deep down I’d known that I would never see him again, even after I’d applied to a New York publishing house to see if destiny would play Cupid for us again.

Now he was here in front of me, not as the Xavier I’d known, but as my sister’s boyfriend. He had an effect on me like no other man had ever had.

“Did you miss me? Because I missed you every fucking day,” he said, stepping closer.

I snorted. “Oh yeah?”

He was close, so close he could hear my heartbeat, how it started beating rapidly whenever he was close to me.

“Yeah. That’s why I’m here, to tell you how much I missed you,” he groaned huskily.

I met his gaze and held it, feeling goosebumps prickling over every inch of my skin. I crossed my legs, and the tingle and excitement ran from my stomach to between my legs.

My thighs clenched as an ache ignited between them.

He chuckled and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You aren’t the only one feeling this. I’m rock hard as well.” He bit my earlobe, and I moaned, breathing hard.

He took my hand in his and placed it on the front of his jeans. I gasped when I felt him hard.

“Feel that?” he whispered as he ground against me.

“Y—yes…”

“See, this is what you do when I’m near you.” His gaze fell to my lips, licking his own. Without wasting a second, his lips crashed on mine, and he kissed me passionately.

I couldn’t resist anymore. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and pulled him closer.

Xavier’s hands gripped my hips as he held me against him and moved his lips with mine. I kissed him back with equal intensity and passion.

I allowed my tongue to trace over his lips, and he groaned. Feeling his tongue brush over mine, I sucked on the tip gently.

“Mel?” Lisa knocked on the door, and I stepped back quickly. Both slightly breathless, we looked at each other in silence.

“Mel?” Lisa called again.

“Yes?” I asked from the other side of the door.

“Have you seen Xavier? He is not in his room,” she asked.

It was again a reminder that I should stay away from him. My mind was at war with my heart right now. Both wanted different things at the same time.

“No. Maybe he went for a walk,” I said and glared at him. Because of him, I had to lie to my own sister.

“Yeah, maybe,” she said with uncertainty.

“Can I come in? It’s been awhile since we talked,” she asked. I looked down, guilt clawing inside me.

“Sorry, Lisa. I have a headache, and I want to sleep. Can we talk in the morning?”

“Oh, okay. Take care. Good night,” she said and walked away. As her footsteps faded, I turned to Xavier.

“Leave.” I whispered, swallowing the pain I’d never wanted to feel.

“Just listen to what I want to say. After that, I’ll be out of your hair and your life if you want. Please,” he said, coming closer.

I didn’t want him closer to me because I couldn’t think clearly when he was near me. His proximity made my heart race in my chest.

My body remembered the passion we’d shared that night, and my body yearned for more.

“Stop. Just stay there. Don’t come any closer to me,” I said and turned my back to him.

“Lisa and I have known each other since the first time we started working together. We both were attracted to each other physically.

“We started hooking up, because I don’t date. I don’t do relationships. For me, it was just a casual hookup, but after a few months, she confessed she liked me.

“I made it clear to her that I don’t feel the same for her, but she wanted to continue our arrangement. We were never exclusive over the three years.”

I shivered, thinking about them together. The image of them together in bed naked burned in my mind.

“Two months ago, I asked her to be my date for my parents’ wedding anniversary. She thought I was ready for a relationship. It’s my mistake that I didn’t correct her.

“I should have told her I don’t want her like that, because you are all I want.” He paused and breathed deeply before speaking.

“Before coming here, she asked me if I wanted to come with her. I couldn’t deny her. She did me a favor coming to my parents’ anniversary. I just wanted to return the favor.

“She’s not my girlfriend. We’re not together; we never were,” he whispered. I could feel his heat on my back.

“Okay,” I said and went to sit on the side of the bed. I didn’t know what else to say.

I shook my head to clear the images of Xavier and Lisa appearing in my head, images of them being together, holding hands, kissing each other.

Three years, three fucking years.

I couldn’t do this. I knew I couldn’t erase the image of them being together from my memory.

No matter how much I wanted to erase everything, I couldn’t put everything on the line for a guy I barely knew. I wouldn’t hurt Lisa again. Never.

“Okay?” he asked and sat in front of me, and his eyes bore into mine.

“Yeah, okay. I heard what you wanted to say; now you can leave,” I said flatly without showing any emotions.

“And what about us?” he asked.