Chapter 2
Xavier was silent for a few seconds.
Then, he slowly leaned in closer to Jessica.
His masculine scent filled the air, a mix of sea salt and fir, clean but with an intense edge.
Jessica instinctively leaned back, her spine pressed tightly against the seat.
"W-What are you doing?" she asked, staring at him warily.
Xavier stopped just two inches away from her, a smirk playing on his lips as his gaze lingered on her slightly trembling mouth.
"Ms. Lane, isn't that part of what husbands are supposed to do?" he teased.
Jessica's mind went blank. 'Who knew this coward would actually try to hit on me?'
Just as she was about to snap, Xavier had already sat back down and pointed at the traffic light ahead.
"It's green, honey," he said.
The way he drawled out "honey" sent shivers down Jessica's spine.
She gritted her teeth and jammed her foot on the gas pedal.
'A wolf in sheep's clothing, huh? Just wait till we get home, then you'll see how I deal with you,' she thought.
*****
Jessica's apartment was a spacious 3,000-square-foot flat, styled in minimalist decor so sleek it felt more like a showroom than a home.
Xavier stood in the middle of the living room with his shabby canvas bag, looking completely out of place.
"The guest room's a mess, so you'll have to sleep in the master tonight," Jessica said.
With that, she tossed him a pair of pink men's slippers.
They were a freebie from her last shopping trip, and she'd never bothered to throw them out.
Xavier raised an eyebrow at the gaudy pink slippers. But he didn't say a word and slipped them on.
The master bedroom featured an oversized bed, easily over seven feet wide.
Jessica grabbed a blanket and tossed it onto the bed. Then she picked up a pair of scissors to cut off the tags.
But she made a show of waving the scissors around, letting the blade glint in the light.
"See this seam?" she said, pointing at the middle of the mattress. "This is the DMZ. Cross it, and you're toast."
For her, this was about boundaries—no arguing, no negotiating.
Xavier sat down at the edge of the bed, his long fingers undoing the first button of his shirt.
"Ms. Lane, that's not fair."
"How is it not fair?"
"What if you end up crossing the line?"
Jessica let out a sarcastic laugh. "Me? Cross the line? Please, have you seen yourself in..."
Her words cut off abruptly, for Xavier had taken off his shirt.
His skin was so tanned it almost shimmered, his muscles lean and powerful. Eight-pack abs, perfectly lined up, moved with every breath.
His muscles weren't the stiff, bulky gym-built type. They had a rugged, explosive beauty.
Jessica swallowed hard. 'Damn, when did he get so hot? He used to be skinny and pale, like a little twig.'
She cleared her throat. "Uh, good night."
She yanked the blanket over herself, cocooned up, and turned her back to Xavier.
The lights went out.
In the darkness, her senses sharpened, picking up every little sound.
She could hear Xavier lying down, the rustle of the blanket, and his steady breath.
Those sounds made her heart tingle, like ants crawling across it.
Suddenly, there was a soft rustling from behind her.
Then a hand slipped onto her waist.
Jessica froze, every muscle tensed.
"Xavier, are you begging for trouble?" she growled, spinning around.
In the darkness, she looked straight into Xavier's surprisingly bright eyes.
"It's thundering," he said, his voice trembling as he burrowed closer to her. "I'm scared."
Jessica was momentarily stunned.
Thunder rumbled softly outside the window.
'Oh right, he was terrified of thunderstorms as a kid. Whenever it thundered, he'd hide under the table,' she thought.
Her maternal instincts kicked in wildly.
"Seriously?" Jessica grumbled, but the hand she had raised to push him away froze mid-air.
She sighed, letting the nearly six-foot-tall man cling to her like a koala.
"Just for tonight. Don't get used to it," she warned.
Xavier buried his face in the crook of her neck, a sly grin spreading across his lips. "Roger that, boss."
*****
Early the next morning, Jessica woke up to some weird noises.
Still groggy, she shuffled over to the bathroom door, her hair sticking up everywhere.
Xavier's voice came from behind the slightly open door. "Ugh, it's too tight. I can't get it in."
Jessica's sleepiness disappeared instantly. 'What the heck?'
Xavier breathed heavily. "Man, it's so dry in here. I need some water to loosen it up."
Jessica's face shifted. 'Seriously? What's he doing in the bathroom so early in the morning?'
Just as she was about to barge in, the front door suddenly swung open.
Her bestie, Samantha Sparks, stormed in with breakfast in hand. "Babe, I heard you got hitched overnight. Let me see who the unlucky guy is."
Just then, Xavier's voice drifted out from the bathroom again, sounding a bit strained.
"Ugh, easy. Don't force it. You'll mess it up," he groaned. "Finally, got it open. Water's flowing. Wow, that's a lot."
The living room went dead silent.
The milk in Samantha's hand dropped to the ground with a splat, spilling white liquid everywhere.
Her eyes went wide as she pointed at the bathroom, her finger trembling like crazy.
"J-Jessica," she stammered. "You two are really up to some freaky stuff, huh?"