Chapter Fifteen, Wheels of Fate

Xavier’s Point of View

She was sound asleep on the couch as I moved through my apartment towards the kitchen to brew some coffee. Rei Draven's snores were incredibly endearing, indicating her profound exhaustion. The blankets were in disarray, and creases of concern marked her forehead. I wondered what she could be dreaming about.

Her presence was soothing, and I was careful not to make too much noise as I made a cup of coffee. I wasn't in a rush to take her back to Grace’s apartment, but I understood that Rei would need to get home to her children. I knew Rei didn’t go out often, let alone stay overnight. I was aware that the events of last night were unlikely to happen again, and I would have to be okay with that.

My mind traveled back to that unexpected bliss of fucking her and then having Rei’s arms wrapped around me as I drove through the night with her on my bike. I loved how we had connected and how easy Rei was to talk to. She was funny, without trying to be. And although sweet, the girl had sass. My dick twitched, thinking about how much I wanted to pick up where we had left off last night.

“X?” Rei whimpered in her sleep.

Was she dreaming of me? I sat my coffee on the kitchen table, sat in the chair across from the couch, and debated whether I should wake Rei.

“Time for what?” Rei asked, perplexed.

What was Rei dreaming about? Now, I was curious. I stood and gently shook her shoulder to wake her up. Her beautiful eyes fluttered open, and she sat up with a start, confused as to where she was.

“Would you like a cup of coffee? You should probably call Grace to tell her you are okay,” I smiled sheepishly at Rei.

Rei blushed and nodded shyly as she reached for her phone to call Grace. While I prepared her coffee with double cream and double sugar, exactly how she preferred it, I overheard Rei speaking softly about sleeping on the couch with nothing occurring. A quiet sigh of frustration escaped her lips, causing me to readjust myself subtly. Although the urge to initiate something I suspected Rei would be willing to pursue was strong, I resisted that temptation with all my might.

I returned to my seat in the chair across from the couch and placed Rei’s coffee on the table for her. She smiled at me gratefully and took a sip, moaning in delight. If Rei kept doing that, I could not maintain my resolve. It was best to engage her in conversation; I would not be as tempted. Or at least I hoped I wouldn’t.

“That was quite the dream you were having before I woke you up,” I grinned at the beautiful woman wearing my clothes.

Rei’s eyes widened, and she turned a deeper shade of crimson. I laughed and shook my head.

“It didn’t sound like a nightmare, which I’m grateful for, because I heard you say my name,” I grinned.

Rei stared at me, stunned by my words, making me regret speaking. I sighed and stood up to leave.

"Xavier, did we meet before last night?" Rei asked in a small and quiet voice.

“I didn’t think you remembered me. It was a night I was sure you had wanted to forget, so I didn’t mention it. But, yes, we have met before,” I replied.

“Your car broke down on the side of county road 55. It was raining and dark, and I noticed your flashing lights on. I pulled over to see if you needed help. You let me call Jack Turner for you, and I waited with you inside the car until he came,” I added.

“You paid for the tow and the repairs. Jack wouldn’t tell me who it was, and he only told me it was a good soul that knew I needed help,” Rei said softly, her eyes welling with tears.

Shit. I didn’t want to make her cry.

“I’ve been dreaming about you for the last ten years,” Rei muttered. “I was convinced I’d made you up, that you weren’t real.”

“I’m real. I think we established that last night,” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows to lighten the mood.

Rei bit her lip and looked at me with something I couldn’t define in her eyes.

“I never saw you again. Have you been here this whole time?” Rei asked.

"Off and on. I've traveled for work. But, yeah, this has always been my home," I shrugged.

Rei's phone rang, and she looked down at it worriedly. She quickly answered and listened intently to the voice speaking rapidly and urgently.

"It’s okay, Shiloh. You did the right thing in calling me. I’m going to see if my friend can drive me home right now," Rei said gently, reassuringly.

She hung up and looked at me, embarrassed.

"Is there any chance I could get you to drive me home instead of to Grace’s apartment?" Rei asked.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, worried. I knew that Shiloh was her daughter's name and had been watching the younger children overnight.

"The boys needed to do their chores before Shiloh would take them out for ice cream. For some reason, Onyx decided to hop over the railing to beat his younger brother down the stairs and fell awkwardly. Shiloh doesn't think he broke anything, but she has her brother sitting with his leg elevated and a bag of frozen vegetables on it," Rei sighed.

Rei offered, “Would you be willing to drive me home? I can offer you a cup of coffee if the chaos of my home doesn’t scare you,” with a look of hope in her eyes.

My heart soared. She did want to see me again. But then, I hesitated. Could I do this? I looked at Rei, waiting for my response, and my resolve broke. She had called me her friend. It would be fine.

“I’d love that as long as it won’t be an issue with the kids,” I smiled.

“Are you kidding? One of the boys’ favorite games is “Moto X3M," the bike racing game. They play it all the time on their tablets! It will be like meeting a celebrity for them,” laughed Rei.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I wasn’t expecting that.

“How will you explain that I am taking you home, not Grace?” I asked.

“Onyx and Salem won’t think anything of it, as they know and adore Alex. I don’t have people over to the house often because life is so busy, but … I’d like you to have a coffee with me …” Rei’s voice trailed off.

It was difficult for her to put herself out there like this. I knew why, and it broke my heart. I smiled and nodded. Quickly, I retrieved Rei’s things from the dryer and waited while she changed.