I should be screaming at him for dragging me onto the altar and branding me, but I don’t have the energy right now. That’s what I tell myself at least. There’s something about this man that leaves me feeling high, as though on the precipice of danger. Or bliss.
Either one could wreck me.
Xavier’s comment hangs in the air, a provocative statement. And a promise. It sends a rush of warmth to my cheeks. And then there’s his proximity, creating an awareness within my body that brands me just as much as his ring has.
I gasp at the feel of his fingers grazing my throat. He trails them up and down, slowly and methodically, as if he has all the time in the world to touch me. As if he’s pleasured by it.
A shiver snakes its way up my spine, and I can’t stop it in time.
“Are you cold?” he asks.
Does it count as a lie if it’s just a sound? “Mm hmm.”
He continues his gentle exploration of my body, now tracing feather-light patterns across my collarbone and along the curve of my shoulder. He’s careful not to get too close to my wound, for which I’m grateful. The longer he touches me, the warmer I become.
His deep, silky voice reverberates in the dimly lit room, filling the silence with a soothing hum. “You need to get under the covers.”
“Make me,” I mumble, too tired to care about anything.
I can hear the laughter in his voice as his breath skims my ear. “If that’s your attempt at reverse psychology, you should know it doesn’t work on me.”
The lopsided smile I’m fighting tugs at my lips despite the vulnerable situation I’m in. The mattress dips right before Xavier moves me so that my head rests on one of the fluffy pillows. I roll onto my side and curl into a ball, dismissing the thud of his boots landing on the floor. As well as the rustle of clothing that follows.
I’m not sleepy enough to ignore the weight of his arm when he drapes it across my waist and his fingers dig into my hip, pulling me back against his chest. I blink in the darkness at the unexpected maneuver. Yes, he’s still acting domineering and possessive, but now there’s an intimacy to accompany it.
“You did well tonight,” he says. His words are a whisper that grazes my neck and makes my skin prickle.
“I fought you and lost.”
“That was inevitable.”
I roll my eyes although he can’t see me. “You’re such a jerkoff.”
“Words like that will get that ass of your spanked, Delilah.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he confirms. “You carry my mark on your shoulder and that makes me fucking hard. What do you think it’d do to me to see your ass reddened by my hand?”
I suck in a breath just as he grinds into me, his cock pressing along my spine. The idea that he desires me is overwhelming. After the boys in high school avoided me like the plague, Ifigured no one would want me. I wonder if Xavier likes the idea of having his prize or if there’s something more…
“One thing you’ll learn soon enough, Delilah, is that I never go back on my word. If I say it, I fucking mean it.”
“So when you say I did well, you meant it?”
“Yes. Everyone expected you to run and hide. To cower or beg. You didn’t. You accepted the challenge, and even though you were out of your depth, you never stopped fighting me.”
I consider his words, letting the weight of them sink in. Xavier doesn’t seem like the type to give praise lightly. It feels good. The warmth of his body behind mine is even better.
“I have another question,” I say.
He sighs, and the sound is so normal, so human, it makes me smile in the dark.
“I have a feeling it’s going to be one of many.”
“You’re not wrong.” I pause, choosing my words carefully. “Are you in a relationship with someone?”
When he doesn’t answer immediately, I'm certain the unspoken answer is a “yes.” It’s like a knife to the gut, sharp and unexpected, and has my stomach clenching.
