Page 41 of Guarded from Danger

I’mnotbroken. Maybe a little bruised, but I’m still in one piece. And like Xavier tells me all the time, I’m stronger than I give myself credit for.

“Nothing bad,” I reply. Threading my fingers between his, I add with a smile, “I was actually thinking about how sexy you look.”

His eyebrows jump up. “Oh, really?”

“Yes.” I rest my other hand on his leg, trailing my fingers along the hem of his shorts. “I love these shorts. They’re very… clingy.”

“Clingy?” He glances at his shorts in confusion. “They’re athletic shorts. If anything, I’d say they’re loose.”

“Well, in some places, they are.” My fingers work their way up to his thigh as my gaze drops to the impressive bulge below his waist. “In other places, not so much.”

“Ah.” Desire heats his gaze. “I see.”

“And your shirt. I really like how it fits.”

Lips twitching, Xavier asks, “What about my shirt? It’s just a plain T-shirt.”

I move my hand to his arm, tracing the curve of muscle there. “But it’s tight in all the right places. Here. Your shoulders. Your chest.”

“Luce.” It’s low and rough. “Do you know how gorgeous you are right now?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.” Now his hands are wandering, too. “These sexy pants.” His thumb strokes up the inside of my thigh. “And I love seeing you in my shirt.”

I look down at my yoga pants, which are admittedly tight, and the oversized Army shirt I stole from Xavier. “You like this?”

“Oh, Lucy.” His fingers brush the fabric at the apex of my thighs. “I more than like it. I think this could be my favorite outfit. I can see your sexy legs and your sweet ass, and having you wear my clothes… I love it.”

My breath quickens, and heat coils in my belly. Need pulses in my core. “Oh?—”

So ofcourse, my phone picks this time to ring, interrupting the moment.

And like it has ever since the abduction, my body tenses at the unexpected sound, my heart leaping into my throat.

Xavier immediately shifts into protective mode, hugging me close to his side. “It’s okay,” he murmurs before pressing his lips to the top of my head. “You’re okay.”

Blowing out a slow breath, I command my muscles to relax. “I’m fine,” I assure him, adding unnecessarily, “It’s just the phone.”

“Do you want to answer it?”

Not really. I want to get back to this teasing foreplay with Xavier. But the phone is still buzzing and the way it’s set facedown on the mattress, I can’t tell who’s calling. It could be a telemarketer, or it could be someone important. One of my parents. Remy calling to check on me. The agent I’ve been putting off for weeks.

“I guess,” I grumble as I reach for the phone. “But if it’s a telemarketer…”

But it isn’t. It’s my friend, Kali, who I’d normally want to talk to, but right now my mind is on other, sexier things. Like getting a look at what’s beneath Xavier’s clothes. Touching all his hard muscles, kissing his soft skin, feeling him move inside me?—

Xavier glances at the screen. “Oh, Luce. You should talk to her. And I have something I’m working on. It’s almost done. So if you talk to Kali, by the time you’re done, I can show you.”

For a second, I contemplate ignoring the phone and leaping on Xavier instead. But like the thoughtful boyfriend he is, he’s already getting off the bed while adjusting the obvious arousal pulling at his shorts.

Swallowing back a growl of frustration, I tap the screen to answer before the call goes to voicemail. As I answer, Xavier mouths,stay here. I’ll come get you.Then he presses a quick kiss to my cheek before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

I’m caught between disappointment and anticipation. My body is still aching for him, but then again, there’s thismysterious surprise he’s been working on for the last few days in the guest bedroom, which I’m more than a little curious to see. And there’s nothing stopping us from making love later. Maybe I can even test out one of the new lingerie sets I ordered online to see if Xavier likes them as much as I’m hoping.

“Lucy! How are you?” Kali’s voice chirps across the line, drawing my attention.

“I’m good.” Scooching back on the bed, I lean against the padded headboard. “How are you?”

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