Her grin widened. "Then why are you standing by the bed?"He had no clue. To savor? Download this exact moment to his memory in case he was dreaming?Stripping out of his pants and briefs, he crawled across the mattress and straddled her. Her satisfied smirk punched the breath from his lungs. "You're really beautiful, you know that?" Weight on his arms, he leaned down and kissed her throat, her chin."I do now," she panted, tilting her head to give him better access.He saved that comment to ask her about later and kissed his way to her breasts. He could spend a decade on her chest alone. He took one beaded tip in his mouth and sucked hard. She wrapped her arms around his head as if to hold him there. Like he had any plans to move. Testing her, he bit her nipple, wondering if she wanted fast and hard or long and slow their first time. She'd responded to both his reckless, desperate side and his more gentle, controlled one, but that hadn't been during sex. Normally, he'd take hi
Perched on the vanity counter in Xavier's bathroom, Peyton swung her legs and waited while he took out his contacts. She'd already removed hers and brushed her teeth. He'd thrown on a pair of black briefs and had her slip into his button-down shirt he'd worn earlier. The casualness of their undress, plus the domestic scene of their toothbrushes beside one another's, kept tripping her mental focus.It wasn't as if she hadn't been in a relationship before. It had just been a long time. Mark's toiletries had shared space with hers, but he'd been gone so much that it hadn't seemed real sometimes. He'd been as much a ghost in her life as her parents' memory.This...was different. Every experience with Xavier was different. From the way he touched her to how he spoke, he gave the impression she wasn't simply someone beside him sharing oxygen or a warm body to pass time. Rather, he saw her, the woman. Inside, out, up, down, throughout...and every crevice in between. And he apparently liked
"Yes." God, the way he spoke to her. Like years of frustration and bindings had broken free, and he needed nothing more than to dominate.He kissed her nape, her shoulders, and raised himself only enough to create space with little margin for error. His hand slid down her spine, past her crevice, and between her legs. He groaned as he spread her slickness, coated his fingers. "So wet for me.""Yes." She ground against his hand, needing more, yet he avoided where she wanted him most. A sharp tingle shot through her. "Xavier."He removed his hand and she whimpered in protest. "Shh. I know what you want." The thick head of his shaft rubbed between her folds. He surged forward, filling her in one deft thrust, and stilled. "I know what you need."Fuller than she'd ever been, she pressed her face into the mattress and fisted the sheets. Even with the slight ache from him stretching her, it was so, so good. He knew what she wanted? Needed? Absolutely. Beyond all doubt. And like no one e
Xavier strummed his fingers on the chair in Peyton's office and waited for her to finish a phone conversation with his mother. They'd been at it twenty minutes, going over the final details for the Fallen Veterans fundraiser tomorrow, and he'd forgotten why he'd come in here in the first place."The mask is beautiful. It matches the dress we picked out. I can't wait for you to see it." She laughed into the receiver.He eyed the ceiling. No matter how many times he'd asked over the past few weeks, she'd refused to even tell him so much as the color of her gown. He understood why curiosity killed the cat. Whatever the style, she'd look better out of it. They'd both been busy as of late, only able to hook up on the weekends, and it was driving him batshit. Every morning, he woke up without her in his bed, and it only cemented the notion she should move in with him. The conversation had been on the tip of his tongue since they'd made love but, for whatever reason, he'd remained silent.
Her jaw dropped, and she blinked. Once. Twice.He sighed. "Let me start over. I miss you when you're not around and I'm sick of sneaking moments with you. My house is unbearably empty without you there. I think about you constantly. Please consider moving in with me." Not so much as a muscle twitch. Great. He'd rendered her catatonic. "Blink once for yes or twice for no."Well, she didn't blink, but she did press a hand to her forehead and say "Oh God" somewhere in the vicinity of thirty times. She stalked to the other side of the room and paced. The click-click of her heels matched his heart rate. "Would you say something, at least?" Panic tripped his pulse. "And I don't mean Oh God.""We haven't even..." She waved her hand as if unable to conjure words."Haven't what? Gone public? Vacationed together? Skydived out of a perfectly good airplane?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Help me out, honey. You're usually the calm one. I'm not liking the role reversal and" "We haven't d
With an hour to spare, Peyton climbed out of the car Xavier had sent, adjusted her dress, and snuck in the back entrance to the Fallen Veterans masquerade ball. She'd had him do the same thing thirty minutes ago when he'd arrived to avoid any rumors that they hadn't come together. The press liked to pounce on any little thing and twist a story. Tonight was about charity.She worked her way through the back rooms and into the upper foyer, handing her coat and purse to an attendant. Behind her was the main lobby. Ahead, the ballroom was down a set of marble stairs and surrounded by a wrought iron terrace on the second level. From her position, she glanced below at the open floor plan and smiled.Lovely. Just lovely.An enormous chandelier rained from a vaulted ceiling, the lighting set low. A platform was up front with a podium and a couple chairs. Pictures on easels displayed previous events and some of the soldiers they'd helped. In front of the staging area was a small dance floor
"For your information, I was flirting my way through getting the photographer to delete the shots he'd taken of you and said ex." She raised her brows. "You're welcome."He stared at herhardbut his shoulders sank. After a moment, he glanced away and swallowed. "I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from.""You're the only man I'm interested in, X." His gaze jerked back to hers, and she smiled. "If we weren't surrounded by people, I'd show you."His chest quickly rose and fell, nostrils flaring. "I really want to kiss you right now." "Plenty of time later." She grinned. "Come on. They're getting dinner ready."The meal consisted of a veal or duck option, chosen by Elaine, and Peyton spent the entire hour imaging all the naughty things she'd be doing later while trying to hold a conversation with their tablemates. By the time Xavier had gotten through the speech she'd written for him and taken her hand for a dance, she was aching.Xavier tugged her to his chest, one arm around h
After they'd dropped off Joseph at Kate's apartment, Xavier glanced at Peyton in the backseat as his driver wove them through the dark city streets. She hadn't said much thus far, and her contemplative, lost expression was poking holes in his chest.He took his mask off and tossed it aside, glad to be rid of the thing. "Come over here."She turned her head and blinked as if she didn't understand.Concerned, he leaned over and wrapped an arm around her waist, depositing her sideways on his lap. He untied her mask and dropped it on the seat, then cupped her cheek. "Are you tired?""A little." She smiled as if to null her acknowledgement. "I had fun dancing with you.""Same here." He watched shadow and light play across her pretty face and got trapped by the dark navy of her eyes. "You and my father seemed to have quite the discussion.""Ah, yes." Her breathy laugh washed over him. "It would appear your mother is already planning our wedding."Not sure how to react, he studied her.