“It’s absolutely a fucking compliment.” I walked around her in a circle, smoothing my hands over her tight lines and lean curves.
“You know every time you touch me I go crazy?” Her breathing stuttered and she leaned into me. My hands didn’t disappoint. They held her the way she wanted to be held.
“That’s the goal.” Her hips felt like drumbeats beneath my fingers.
Bonita Applebum, you gotta put me on…
I wanted Xari to wear my touch like strands of gold around her waist. I wanted her to wear my kisses like diamonds on her skin. I wanted her to shine with all the adoration I showered on her.
“Do I drive you crazy too?” She knew I couldn’t hide from the truth serum in her eyes. I had to look away. I couldn’t let everything spill out. It was never smart to show your hand.
Of course she drove me crazy with every touch and every kiss but I wasn’t going to shout it from the rooftops.
Besides, after I emailed her some of my books, she barely mentioned them. She only told me when she started reading. That was it.
Maybe my ego was bruised.
I’d never mention it though.
“You drive me up a fucking wall, Xari.” I nipped at her earlobe before checking my watch. I felt the temperature cool between us and I knew it was because I didn’t reciprocate but I couldn’t. Xari brought things to the surface of me that I had nowhere to put. I didn’t know what to do with the thoughts and feelings she unleashed inside of me, so it was easier not to deal with them head-on.
“The driver is outside,” I said, moving toward the door. Since Apollo was coming along to the event, we were taking the truck.
“Right.” Her voice was different. It wasn’t pulled tight and dripping with sarcasm and attitude. I knew for a fact I detected what sounded like hurt feelings. The revelation made me sick to my stomach.
I never wanted to hurt Xari’s feelings.
The thought gnawed at me while we clicked our seatbelts in place and the truck pulled off. I didn’t even hear Apollo talking to me from the front seat because I was too busy staring at Xari’s side profile while she looked out of the window.
“Van, you okay?” He asked.
“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just tired.” I wasn’t in the mood for small talk so I hoped the conversation would die off.
When it did, I went back to studying the enigma sitting beside me. She pulled out her phone, still keeping her body angled away from mine. I tried to occupy myself with something so I pulled out my phone too. I couldn’t stare at her for the entire ride.
My phone buzzed with a text the moment I had it in my hands.
Xari: Why are you staring at me like a fucking creep?
I jerked my eyes to her, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Xari: Apollo is going to notice you’re staring at me too, Evander.
Me: Sorry. I get caught up when I see beauty up close and personal.
Xari: Wow. That was so fucking horrible. LOL Is that how you apologize for being a dick?
Me: Nah. Usually, that involves fucking you until you can’t walk.
Xari: Fucking me until I can’t walk. Sounds like what you wrote in A Heart’s Song. I mean you said it poetically but that was the gist.
I stared at my phone for a few silent seconds, blinking at her words. My heart thudded to life in my chest.
Me: You read A Heart’s Song?
Xari: Yeah. I finished it. I finished all your books. I was planning to have this long, drawn-out discussion with you book club style last night but we ended up getting drunk and you gave me dick until we passed out.
Me: We did…I don’t regret it.
Xari: Me either.
Me: So…what did you think? I mean about the books.
Xari: LOL because you already know how I feel about the dick.
Xari: I think you have such a unique voice, Evander. I also think I saw a little bit of myself in Riley from Firebird.
Me: Because you did see a little of yourself in her. When I wrote that book, you’d started bleeding into my subconscious.
Xari: Being your muse makes me really fucking horny, Evander.
When I glanced over at her, she was biting her plum-colored bottom lip. Watching her and knowing she was turned on, made my dick hard. I shifted a little in my spot and went back to texting.
Me: You keep biting that bottom lip and I’ll have the driver pull over.
Xari: Are you going to fuck me in front of Apollo? Because there’s no way for us to sneak in a quickie without him knowing we’re fucking.
Me: Maybe I’ll steal you away once we’re inside the event then. One way or another, my dick is going in that sweet pussy.
She cleared her throat beside me and did that little wiggle I love so fucking much. I wanted her to do it on my dick.
I put the phone to sleep and discreetly slid my hand over to her thigh. “Heard from Frankie yet?” I quizzed, opening up pointless dialogue so she could move a little closer without it seeming too obvious.
She inched over and I gave her thigh a squeeze. “No, not yet. I’m sure she’ll text when the play is over.” My hand disappeared beneath the hem of her delicate blush dress and she tried to control her breathing. I watched her chest rise and fall quickly though. The way she responded to my touch made me want to pull her on top of me and slide my dick inside her.
My fingers brushed against the silk of her inner thigh and inched higher until I felt the fabric covering her pussy. The tip of her piercing greeted me and I pressed my thumb gently against it, giving her just enough pressure to make her body hum.
“I wonder what play she’s seeing,” I said, keeping my eye trained on the front of the truck. I knew both the driver and Apollo could see the top half of Xari and I but unless they purposefully looked down, they couldn’t see anything else.
“Who knows?” Xari’s legs parted a little more, granting me easier access to her. “So, um is this charity event going to go all day?”
“Yeah. I’m uh, raising money alongside some of the community leaders for people who have been affected by housing loan discrimination. We’ll end the evening at the governor’s mansion for dinner.” I pulled her panties to the side and my fingers slipped against her wetness. I swallowed down the expletives dying to get out and Xari tried to compose herself, squirming and rocking her hips using micro-movements. I knew it wasn’t enough for her.
I knew my girl.
My flame.
She wanted us to crash together so we could burn like we always did but if we came together in the backseat, we’d set fire to the truck and incinerate it down to the frame.
I flicked her piercing and she gasped then tried to cover it with a cough. We were either being reckless or the chemistry between us was something that couldn’t be ignored even in the face of better decisions.
Xari dug her fingers into my forearm and shot me a look that said she was about to coat my fingers in slippery sweet honey. My lips ached to kiss her neck and mark her up before we walked into this event. I wanted everyone to know who she belonged to.
But did Xari really belong to me?
I loved claiming her over and over but before now, I’d never wanted to show everyone that she was mine. My mouth went dry while I tried to push that thought away. I looked at Xari and let myself drown in that sexy ass face she made when she came.
Her eyes fell shut for a couple of seconds and her breathing stopped. Goosebumps blanketed her golden skin before her spine went lax. “Oh my god…” she breathed. “The governor’s mansion. I can’t wait.” Her voice was painted red with lust and so were her dimpled cheeks.