Despite the seriousness in his voice, I smile. “Your age doesn’t bother me. I think it’s hot. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to feel the touch of a realman.”
Xander’s lips twitch. “I’m also your doctor. In some ways, that’s an even more serious breach than our working together.”
Everything he says rings true, but the more he lists the risks and reasons we should stay away from one another, the harder I want to cling to this one good thing in my life with all my strength.
Even if Xander’s destined to crumble like everything else in my life, there’s still some time to enjoy him. And this.
Swallowing hard around the lump my tears left, I nod. “I understand. There are a lot of reasons we should stay apart and not take this further. But at the same time…” I press my lips together and my gaze wanders over his face.
The more time I spend with him, the more I notice the little things.
The flecks of gold in his eyes, the subtle twitch at the corner of his mouth, the subtle rise of his brows.
He keeps everything close to his chest and I’m close enough to see it now.
And he came for me.
He abandoned his work and hunted me down, bursting into that apartment like some kind of hero with no plan other than to save me.
It washot. Too hot.
I don’t want to give that up. Not yet.
“I need this,” I whisper. “I don’t want it to sound like an obligation because everything else is so terrible, but the days I’ve spent with you? The excitement and the sex, even from afar… and the fact that you make me feel seen… please. I don’t want to lose this.”
Xander’s brow dips faintly, and then he returns to his case and retrieves a fresh dissolvable stitch. “Do you truly understand what you’re asking?”
“I do. If we keep this a secret, then we can have all the fun we want, right? If we like each other and value each other enough to protect this secret, then we’re safe and no one gets hurt.”
Xander turns to me and lightly grasps my chin with his cool fingers.
With his other hand, he carefully applies the stitch over the split on my lower lip.
This close, his touch is electrifying.
Over and over in my head, I replay the look of anger on his face when he burst into that room.
It was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen and I will do anything to keep this for as long as I can.
To keep him.
The stitch settles into place, and Xander caresses my jaw for a second, then he nods. “You’re lucky I like you.”
“I am?” Breaking the rules will cost him so much more, given how he’s in the position of power over me in more than one regard.
But it’s just as hot that he doesn’t care.
“If we do this, we do it properly. At least until your results are back. And no more reckless meetings with strangers. It doesn’t matter who they are, understand?”
The firmness in his voice sends tingles up and down my arms and legs while I nod. “I won’t. I promise.”
“And no more sex.”
“What?” My heart jumps.
“I want you to take some time to breathe, Snow. Get your head together. I’m not going anywhere, but I care about you and I will support you in whatever you need to do. Today wasterrifyingin how quickly you could have vanished so please, for me, take some time. Gather your thoughts. Anchor yourself.”
Despite how much I hate to hear it, it also soothes me to hear the warmth in his voice. I roll my eyes softly and then sigh. “I know. You’re right.” As his hand falls away from my chin, I daringly catch his wrist. “You’ll still be here, though, right?”
