Page 56 of Xavier

Shit. This isn’t how I thought our first night here would be. I figured we had a few days before tempers got the best of us.

Slowly, she gets up and walks over to me. She reaches out to touch my arm, but pulls her hand back at the last second.

“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions about why you came into town and why you started a bar fight. I promise that won’t ever happen again.”

Her sparkling blue gaze locks with mine and the urge to pull her into my chest and slam my lips against hers grows by the second.

She squints her eyes and sniffs the air before pushing past me to walk into the living room. “What’s cooking?”

I follow her into the living room. “Lasagna.”

She spins around so fast I bump into her, knocking her off her feet. As she falls to the ground, my arms wrap around her waist and pull her into my arms.

Her hands press against my chest, and I know she can feel my heart trying to break free from the confines of my ribcage.

Neither one of us speaks for several moments.

I try to keep my dick from turning into a steel rod, but lose the battle when Brianna sucks her lower lip between her teeth and nibbles nervously.

Fuck. It isn’t going to be easy to be here alone with her. I wonder if she can feel how much I want her?

She looks at me through her lashes. “You made lasagna? How long was I laying there?”

I chuckle and shake my head. “Not me. Stouffer’s did. Does that lose brownie points with you?”

Why would it matter if it did? Why am I asking questions like this?

Nothing can happen between us. For multiple reasons, including the age difference.

She takes a step back, my body instantly missing her touch. “No, but I would have been impressed if you did.”

“Maybe next time.”

I head over to the small dining table and take the deck of cards out of their cardboard box.

“Do you know how to play Texas Hold ’em?”

She stops in the doorway to the kitchen and crosses her arms before rolling her eyes. “Really? Would you be asking a man that question?”

I chuckle. “Alright, fine, you got me there, but we didn’t play it during the storm, so I was just making sure.”

She pulls out a chair and plops down. “Each losing hand, we have to tell one fact about ourselves.”

Now, it’s my turn to freeze.

What information does she want me to share?

She must see the hesitation on my face because she laughs and says, “Nothing too deep, just something to pass the time while the lasagna bakes.”

I take my seat and shuffle the cards.

It’s time to get to know one another.

Even though we aren’t playing with poker chips or money, I pause after dealing two cards face down.

I check my cards. Ace of spades and a ten of diamonds.

I automatically go through the motions of putting the top card of the deck to the side before revealing the flop.

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