Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“I don’t care about gossip,” she said quietly. For a while she didn’t say anything, only let her gaze stray over the surrounding greenery and distant mountains, glowing bluish and gray on the horizon. “This house was up for foreclosure a few years ago.”
I slanted her a curious look.
“Marc was still paying off his tuition, and Xavier had only just started playing for his team. There was no way I could have paid off the bank. I had made peace with the fact that I’d lose my home, but Xavier took out a loan to save the estate. Without him I would have lost the farm of my parents and grandparents.”
Why was she telling me that? “I know Xavier is a good man. The tabloids report about a side that he allows them to see, a side he wants them to see. But he’s much more than that.”
She gave a terse nod. “He needs a woman who makes him believe in his goodness.”
“It’s not like that between Xavier and me. I’m his assistant and friend. He doesn’t see me as more than that. I’m not his type, for obvious reasons.”
Her eyes did a quick scan of my body. I didn’t have to elaborate. We both knew I was about forty pounds and one million sit-ups away from being Xavier’s type. “I have eyes, and I know my son,” she said cryptically. “I have a feeling you might be the one to crack through his shell.”
Xavier prepped the bed of a massive Ford pickup truck, cleaning it of clutter and putting sleeping bags inside. Xavier and I were supposed to head out and watch the stars. Milena had suggested it after we’d returned from the ride, and everyone had been absolutely enthusiastic about the idea, especially Georgia and Willow.
The idea had seemed good at first, but the longer I thought about it the less I was convinced that alone-time with Xavier was safe. Georgia’s words had rattled me. That combined with my evolving feelings for Xavier made a romantic adventure seem less desirable, even if it wasn’t supposed to be that.
“Ready?” Xavier asked. “We have only about thirty minutes left until sunset.”
I nodded and got into the front of the truck. Xavier joined me a moment later and steered the car away from the house. We drove in silence. Xavier had been oddly quiet since our ride, and I wondered why that was. Had his mother said something similar to him? I hoped not. I didn’t want her to push us together when it was obvious that Xavier wasn’t interested in me that way. And to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I should even consider following my feelings at all. Xavier’s lifestyle didn’t really favor a woman like me at his side.
Xavier eventually stopped the car in the middle of nowhere, and we got out and climbed on the truck bed.
The air was getting surprisingly cold as the sun set, and soon goose bumps covered my skin. My chinos and the thin sweater didn’t really keep out the cold. I dragged the sleeping bag up to my chest as I stared up at the night sky in awe. Despite the chill, I could appreciate the sparkling beauty that nature had to offer.
“Are you cold?” Xavier murmured, startling me. He hadn’t spoken since we’d left the farm. It was unsettling seeing him so quiet.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
Xavier shifted a bit closer and wrapped an arm around me lightly. “I can be your personal space heater.” He paused, regarding my face. “Is that okay?” He squeezed my arm.
“Yeah,” I said breathlessly. His scent surrounded me and the soft fabric of his jeans shirt brushed my neck. Every nerve ending in my body stood at attention from his proximity.
Xavier was a womanizer. I had seen how he made a move. He was never restrained. Of course, with those women he wanted them in his bed and they made it clear that they wanted to be in his bed too, so he knew his touch was welcome. I supposed it was a good thing that he didn’t want me in that way, and even better that he didn’t know I wanted what all these women did. “What did my mother want from you? Did she try to meddle?”
It took my brain a heartbeat to process his words. My synapses were on a break. “Nothing important. And no, she didn’t.” I wasn’t sure why I was lying to Xavier because I was almost certain that Georgia had, in fact, tried to meddle.
“That doesn’t sound like my mother. Meddling is her favorite pastime when it comes to me.”
“That actually sounds a lot like Fiona.”
I laughed, peering up at Xavier, and suddenly our faces were too close. Xavier’s breath became my breath as we stared at each other. Pull back.