Page 29 of Recon Rendezvous

I growl, actually fucking growl, at the thought. “Your mind. Gutter,” I say against her ear as she shivers. “Should I call you my gutta girl?”

Pushing me away, her hand flutters against her ear, like she misses the feel of my lips. “Get out of here. It’s you with your mind in the gutter.”

“Hey.” My hands go up, showing her my palms. “I came down here to ask you about job prospects and your apartment search. You started by tossing out fantasies of mine.”

“Hide and Go Get Itis a fantasy of yours?” she whispers, her hand coming to her chest.

I follow the movement, licking my lips as her breaths begin to quicken. “Here you go again. Chasing you down and fucking you where I find you? Yes, as of today, it’s my number one fantasy,” I whisper.

Our eyes collide again but this time, her shields are down. As I step closer, her gaze softens, holding mine as she surrenders to this push and pull between us, ready to embrace the give and get.

Her tongue flicks out to moisten her already shiny bottom lip and I suppress a groan, following the movement with my eyes. Not being able to taste her has haunted me for months and I long for just a sip from her lips. She must feel the same, as she turns to face me, opening her legs, and pulling closer with a grip to the front of my shirt. Magnificent eyes rise to meet mine and my heart pounds in anticipation.

Our breaths mingle and heads tilt, and as her eyes drift shut, a scream pierces the air. In unison we jump, the sound snapping her from my trance. Pulling away, she shakes her head with a laugh before meeting my eyes again.

“Nice try, Alex.”

Alex?The fuck. Three steps forward, ten steps back.

I shake my head. “There you go, running again. I don’t know what I have to do to prove to you that this is happening, that we’re happening, but I’ll do it.”

She ignores me, jerking away from the bar. “I-I’m going to grab, um, something…” she trails off as she looks around, making a beeline for the pantry.

Done with the games and not too proud to chase, I follow right behind her. Her back is to me, the motion sensor lights shining down on her, and as she turns to me, those beautiful eyes wide like I surprised her, she’s the most wonderous woman I’ve ever seen.

“When are you going to figure it out?” I growl, prowling toward her. “Wherever you go, I’ll follow. I’ll chase. Hunt. Capture.”

Her gasp fills the space, but she stands tall, waiting for me to stop before her.

“Xander.” Her voice is flat, defeated, and I hate the sound instantly.

“What? You want to keep pushing me away? Go ahead, but I’ll just push back harder.”

“To what end? What’s the point of any of this?” Her eyes hold mine as if I have an answer for whatever this is that’s between us, pulling us together like magnets.

Shaking my head, I grip her chin, my eyes roaming over her face. “This can be whatever we want it to be. Fun. Sexy. An escape,” I murmur, bending, ready to claim her and her plump lips. “Seal it with a…”

The whisper of breath between our lips evaporates as we move in unison. She’s finally done running, even as her eyes drift closed, mine remain open, too afraid to miss even a second of this. Our lips meet for the barest of moments, sending my heart racing, before we come together in a desperate sweep of our lips and I groan, ready to fucking devour her.

Her eyes fly open, her hands shooting up to grab my wrist. “Xander.”

Pain and disappointment flash through my chest like a bolt of lightning, and all I can do is wrap my arms around her and drop my forehead to hers.

“I’m a patient man, London Cameron. Everything in me tells me this will all be worth it.”

Brushing the briefest kiss to her temple, I turn, leaving her with the words I didn’t intend to fall from my lips.

CHAPTER NINE

LONDON

Pealing laughter fills the gym as kids of all ages run around. Ty and Sasha, everyone really, volunteers here at Best Buds frequently, not only donating their time but their money. So, when Ty asked if I would be willing to help take pictures of the kids, since their parents hadn’t been able to afford the school picture packages, I’d readily agreed.

School pictures had turned into family portraits for those who were interested, and while the day had been long, seeing all the delighted families and smiling little faces made it all worth it. My gear has long since been packed but I couldn't bring myself to leave.

Xander’s deep laugh carries across the room, and I can’t stop myself from watching him over the rim of my cup of coffee. When he hasn’t acted as my gopher, he’s been surrounded by kids all day and they absolutely love him. Loud and outgoing as always, the kids hang on his every word and from what I can see he reciprocates it. Attentive and engaged as they share stories about school or show him something on their phones or in a book. For once, his presence isn’t annoying but appreciated. It’s a jarring observation.

As if sensing my gaze, just as I’ve felt his all day, he looks up, and our eyes lock. I don’t dare look away—there’s too muchsomethingin his gaze to even consider it. But, of course, he ruins the moment. Those dark eyes glimmer with mischief as he licks his lips and blows me a kiss

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