Page 66 of Xavier

He tastes like red wine and chocolate.

Or is that me?

I don't know. All I know is I can't stop kissing him.

My fingers run through his hair and my chest is pressed against his, feeling every hard inch of him.

"Oh, Malynda," he whispers against my mouth.

And for a moment I forget that's not my name any more.

His tongue grazes against my lower lip, and his cheek is deliciously rough against mine.

Need for breath forces us apart, finally. My fingers instantly coming up to touch my lips.

They feel different already.

He leans forward again, but this time, I stop him.

I shake my head, and hope that that's enough.

He sighs and rests his forehead against mine, waiting for our breath to steady before he pulls away and stares out into the night, resting his hands on the wall’s edge, keeping us from falling off the roof.

"There were more stars out last time. On your birthday. It's almost like it's a different sky."

I look up, aware that our arms are still touching, my skin raising into goosebumps.

"Same sky. Different city. Too much light here, I guess. It's not Maine."

"Have you been back?" he asks.

And I answer honestly, "No. You?"

"Not once." I hadn't expected that. I didn’t know what I was expecting. “Not even when my Dad died and he was buried there.”

“Can I ask you something?”

He nods.

“Why did you buy your old family home?”

“Because I could.”

I’m not surprised. Xavier has never been lacking in pride. I understand that more now than back then how hard it must have been for him to live in the circumstances he did.

"Is that where your mom still lives?” I ask, not sure how much he wants to talk about it.

"No. She lives here now. She’s been here for about seven years. I moved her here as soon as I could. "

"And the boys?"

"All here as well. Well, Brian's serving."

"Wow. Things are different,” I sigh.

He turns to me, brushing a hair off my face. It sends a shiver through my body. "What about your parents?" he asks. And he has every right to.

"Um, they moved."