CHAPTER 45

XAVIER'S POV

My hands were clutched tightly around the wheel, while the quietness in the car spoke louder than any words either of us could utter. Ella sat beside me, her body stiff, but I still knew how hot we'd gotten just a little time ago.

The memory of her body, the way she responded to me, echoed inside my head like the steady beat of a drum. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since-the feel of her, her soft moans in my ears, the way her body bent to my will.

I wanted that part of her again, the raw, unguarded side-the part she showed only me when we were alone, where I could strip away her walls. As I looked over at her, I could tell she stared out the window, probably lost to her own thoughts, but all I could think about was how much I wanted her. It was carnal, deep in my bones, and something I couldn't shake.

We pulled up to Ivy's school. The sudden shift from desire to fatherly duty was almost amusing, but as I parked the car and stepped out, I wasn't bot