Xander never responds to my texts.
I call, but there’s no answer.
Once, I read an article about the brain’s reaction when someone is scared. The first instinct is to run.
That’s what’s happening to me right now. I want to run to Xander’s house and find him. I want to run in the streets and search for him. If he’s fighting, I’ll pull him out of it and punch him in the chest for hurting his beautiful face.
If he’s drinking, I’ll confiscate the alcohol and punch him again for ruining his liver.
Okay, so maybe punching isn’t the right solution, but I’m nearly going out of my mind with worry here.
The showdown with Jeanine earlier didn’t put me out of my element as much as not knowing Xander’s fate.
Dark thoughts keep creeping into my mind. What if he’s hurt? What if he’s passed out somewhere and no one finds him? Worse, what if the wrong people find him?
I should call Lewis and –
A sound from my balcony jolts me. It’s like a bird or an insect. It happens again, and this time, I jump up from the bed.
I contemplate calling Dad, but it’s probably nothing that warrants waking him up.
Slowly, I slide the balcony’s door open. A gust of wind blows my hair back and seeps under my thin clothes, causing me to shiver. I’m about to peek outside when a strong hand wraps around my mouth and shoves me inside.
I shriek, but it’s muffled.
My limbs flail around and I try to fight, but then the rest of my senses kick in. Mint and ocean scent, the dimples, and his warmth.
Xander.
“Shh.” He throws me on the bed and kicks his shoes away before he follows.
And by follows, I mean he traps me underneath him, pinning my wrists above my head with one hand as his palm continues to cover my mouth.
The hardness of his body against mine sends shivers of pleasure between my thighs. The position is so intimate and close – so close.
“Is this how your fantasy starts, Green?” The glint in his eyes coupled with his dimples are a sight to behold.
I remember there’s something I want to ask, something I want to make sure of, but now that he’s imprisoning me like this, I’ve lost all thoughts.
I’m just glad he’s here, he’s safe, and he’s with me.
He’s the only thing that remains. His intense edge and his solid form. His body against mine, our breath mingling.
It should be forbidden to want someone this much.
To yearn for him this hard, even when he’s all over me.
I miss him already, and he just got here.
“Do you know what I’ll do to you now?” He hovers over me, his lips inches away from my throat.
I shake my head once.
He grins, the motion sly, and even his dimples appear sinister. “That’s the point. The fantasy is yours, but the direction will be all mine.”
He releases my mouth and I exhale harshly into the air. It takes effort to suck breaths into my starved lungs.
Xander yanks my top to above my breasts and I moan as he grabs one roughly.