His socks are white. I don’t know why that surprises me.
Probably because the rest of him is designed to draw attention. White is so mundane next to the rest of his outfit. And yet somehow, they’re the one thing I’m drawn to. Something about him that says he’s touchable. Reachable.
“We’re having a coffee,” I say, instead of the thousand other things I want to say to him. “Would you like to have a sweet one like us?”
“A sweet one?” Xavier asks, lips twitching in amusement. “Miles?”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t know your man has a sweet tooth.”
“When in Rome,” is all Miles replies, not rising to the bait. Can’t imagine what I could say that would change that.
“By all means, put me down for a sweet one,” Xavier says, sliding a hand across the small of Miles’ back. “I’d hate to be the odd one out.”
He can never avoid that. Just by being himself he stands out in a crowd. He’s always been a beacon to me.
Xavier
I’veneverbeeninthis room. It’s very green, though that doesn’t surprise me. Hunter always had a love for plants and growing things. Likely a leftover from his childhood, where he lacked control, where he and his brother struggled to keep themselves alive, let alone anything else. I don’t send him flowers every week just because they’re pretty, and I want to brighten his day.
It’s a reminder that I know him, that I’m still here, and he can’t ever ignore that I exist.
My lips quirk as I drag my gaze down to Miles’ socks. I don’t blame him; Hunter can be very persuasive, and as much as Miles is a deadly shadow, he’s more polite than most would give him credit for. Besides, shoes aren’t required for him to still be a lethal weapon. I’ve seen him kill a man naked.
He says nothing, moving to give me room to stand beside him. It would feel cosy if the tension in the air wasn’t thick enough to choke us all.
“Are you staying long?” Hunter asks, his disapproval clear. He’d rather we weren’t there at all. Too bad. I’m well aware how dangerous his job can be, but this is different. This is deliberately targeted. An altogether different beast and one I’m more experienced with than him. A finger in a bouquet of flowers isn’t a warning, it’spersonal.
Miles looks to me for the answer, a silent shadow. He tilts his head behind himself, letting me know someone else is in the house.
There’s only one person it could be, given that there are no cars outside.Olivia.I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that she would be here. I’ve always made sure that she was elsewhere when I’ve snuck into Hunter’s room, to ensure that our paths never cross.
“We’ll see,” is all I reply. Would she come out here? I doubt Hunter would allow it, when he doesn’t trust either of us. I’m banking on that. “You invited us in, Hunter.” I inject just the right amount of amusement into the words, causing Hunter to turn and half snarl at me. He’s so fucking beautiful he takes my breath away.
“I invited him, not you.”
“It’s one and the same.” If he thinks that Miles is separate from me, he’s very much mistaken.
Hunter doesn’t dispute the statement. He finishes the coffees, after dropping something in mine. If he was trying to drug me, he’d be more subtle about it, surely. He shoves a mug into my hands without giving me any warning, some of the coffee sloshing over the side and over my thumb. Not scalding, at least.
“Neither of you should be here. I’m perfectly safe.” He holds up a finger before I can respond to that. “And if I’m not? ThenIwill deal with it. Me and my team. People that I trust.”
The barb hits its intended mark. I don’t allow it to show. Maintaining eye contact, unable to look away from his dark-green eyes even if I wanted to, I take a sip of the coffee. There’s a faint taste of something else in it. Butterscotch? Is that what he put in it?
“A good thing that it’s not your decision then, isn’t it?”
A muscle twitches in Hunter’s jaw. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to say hello. A visit between old friends.”
“Is that what we are? Old friends?” Hunter asks mockingly, red spots appearing at the height of his cheekbones. “Finish your drink and get out, both of you.”
With one last long drink of the quite delicious warm beverage, I slide the mug onto the counter and move closer to the object of my every desire. “Is that really what you want?”
He visibly swallows, and I brush the pads of my fingers over his Adam’s apple, feeling the ripple. He’s been eating me with his eyes from the moment he opened the door, and I’m always willing to satiate him.
“Yes,” he says, voice wavering. Trying so hard to be strong against the face of our attraction. That’s never worked for either of us. It’s been undeniable from the very start. Drawn to each other like moths to a flame and always willing to get burned for it. I’ll always set myself on fire for him. All he has to do is ask.
“Liar.” Dragging my teeth along his jaw and down his throat, I nibble and suck until I get to the edge of his shirt collar. The mug in Hunter’s hand wobbles precariously, and Miles is there in the next moment, slipping it from his grasp and out of harm’s way. He doesn’t move away from Hunter, so close his chest glances against Hunter’s shoulder.
