“They just wanna. They just wanna.” True continued to belt out the lyrics at an eardrum-shattering volume.
True was a spectacular woman, but she wasn’t a singer by any means. Every time she tried to hit a high note, it reminded him of nails on a chalkboard. He started tochuckle. It was kind of nice to know True wasn’t perfect after all.
“Xavier. Stop the car!” she shouted with an urgency that sounded alarming.
“What? Why?” he sputtered. “What’s wrong?” He wondered if she was going to be sick. Xavier spotted a safe spot to pull over up ahead, and he steered the truck to a shoulder.
“There’s a full moon,” she said, wrenching the door open and hopping outside the truck in knee-deep snow.
“True!” Xavier called out. “What are you doing?”
All he heard were howls, and they sounded more human than animal.
With a groan, Xavier jumped out of the truck and headed after True.
Morning came in with the full force of a blinding snowstorm, with thunder, lightning, and coastal flooding all combined. True slowly opened one eye, then the other. She let out a low moan. Her head was pounding. Her stomach was churning. What in the world was going on? The last thing she remembered was being at Northern Exposure. With Xavier. He had been taking care of her and sticking by her side. She had been determined to drown her sorrows in hard ciders. More flashes came back to her. Little snippets from last night. Bonnie having been proposed to. The live band. Xavier slow-dancing with her. Drinking way more than she should have. How many cranberry ciders had she consumed? She peeked under the covers to find she was only wearing a T-shirt and a pair of undies.
Sounds emanated from the kitchen, and the smell of freshly brewed coffee rose to her nostrils. It couldn’t beJaylen. He wasn’t due back from his sleepover until this afternoon. Heavy footsteps emanated from down the hall. Closer and closer they came until Xavier was standing on the threshold of her bedroom. “Good morning. Rise and shine,” he said with a sparkling grin.
True let out a groan.Kick up your heels. YOLO.Famous last words. As a result, she found herself in an awkward situation with her boss’s grandson.
Words bubbled up from her throat. “I just want to let you know I do not do this. Ever!” True tightly clutched the sheets to her chest. Panic was causing her to breathe heavily.
“What do you mean?” Xavier leaned against the door frame with a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. He was wearing the same button-down shirt he’d sported last night, except it was unbuttoned, giving her a glimpse of his incredible chest and abs. Holy smokes, he was one sexy man, which may have contributed to this entanglement.
She motioned to him, then back to herself with her hand. “This… hookup. I don’t just have random… encounters with people I barely know.”
Xavier covered his mouth with his hand, but True could still see a big, fat smile on his face. “We didn’t.”
She let out a squeak. “We didn’t?” True asked as the weight of the world eased from her shoulders.
“No, we did not. I slept on the couch.” He looked ridiculously hot smirking.
“Oh, thank God,” True said, closing her eyes as relief swept over her.
“That was rude. In some parts I’m considered quite a catch.” She swore he puffed out his chest as he said it.
She quirked her mouth. “I’m sorry if I offended you, but… not sorry. Did I undress myself?” she asked, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.
“Yes, and I’ll have you know that I turned my back to give you privacy. When you were finished, I tucked you in.”
True let out a relieved sigh. It would have been slightly creepy if he’d undressed her when she was tipsy.
“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, where can I place your coffee?” Xavier asked, holding it up in the air.
Sweet.She couldn’t think of the last time someone had made her coffee. It felt nice to be taken care of, which was clearly what Xavier had done last night. She had a hazy memory of him placing a blanket over her before kissing her good night on the forehead. So much of the latter portion of the evening was fuzzy.
“Right here,” True said, gesturing toward her side table. She watched as Xavier made his way over to her bed, his movements full of power and grace.
She reached for the cup and blew on the java before taking a first sip. Mmm. The coffee was amazing, brewed to perfection.
“Are you hungry? I make a mean cheddar and onion omelet.”
At that exact moment, her stomach grumbled. “I am, which is surprising considering I feel like roadkill.”
“That’s understandable. You downed a lot of ciders, all while trying to show me which ones were the best.” He tried to hide his chuckle but failed miserably. She didn’t blame him, considering she’d been a woman on a mission. She had a vague recollection of him trying to slow her down without overstepping. Of course, she’d done as she pleased and kept downing hard ciders.
“I don’t even really drink,” True confessed. “I guess I’m a lightweight.” She chuckled uneasily. “I hope I didn’t make a fool out of myself.”
