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)
The lights in the living room came on, revealing Connor leaning in the doorway, hair all over the place and only in low sweatpants. I wasn’t sure what it was with rugby players and their aversion to walking around fully dressed.
“I promised Fiona to wait for you so she could finally get some sleep.” He took in my rumpled state. I hadn’t bothered straightening my hair and my clothes had seen better days. “You were with Xavier.”
I flushed. “What makes you think that? I could have been with someone else.”
Connor shook his head. “You aren’t the type to move from one guy to the next so quickly.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be annoyed or pleased that he pegged me down as the steady type.
“Don’t tell Fiona,” I whispered.
Connor moved closer, looking worried. “Listen, Evie, you are a grown woman, and perfectly capable of making your own decisions, even if Fiona disagrees, but this one is really fucking bad. I love Xavier like a brother, but he’s not boyfriend material. He doesn’t want to be. He’s content being the asshole child of the press.”
“I’m a grown-up, you said it yourself. I’m perfectly capable of digging my own grave,” I said teasingly, even if his words hit a bit too close to home.
Connor looked doubtful.
“I’m going to sleep a few more hours. I’m pretty tired,” I said. My cheeks heated when Connor grimaced. I quickly rushed upstairs into my room, hoping that Connor would keep his mouth shut. Fiona would kill me if she found out I was giving Xavier another chance. I knew she was worried about me, and my cowardly escape from Xavier’s apartment this morning proved she had reason to be. Connor’s warning replayed in my brain over and over again as I crept under the covers.
Xavier was trying to be a boyfriend…sort of, for me. Wasn’t he? We were giving dating a chance. We hadn’t put a name on exactly what we were yet, but so early on in this trial that was to be expected. He didn’t want to lose me, and I didn’t want to lose him. My heart was already irrevocably lost anyway.
Even the hot chocolate and banana bread I’d had for the sole purpose of their sugary contents calming my nerves didn’t work. I was ridiculously nervous as I arrived in front of Xavier’s door to wake him. How was I supposed to act around him after last night? Kiss him good morning? Or would that presume too much? I stepped inside Xavier’s apartment, half worried about finding him in a compromising situation, worried that he’d changed his mind about the dating thing after last night.
I froze when I spotted Xavier standing close to the window, looking out toward the harbor bridge.
He turned, a cup of cappuccino in one hand, and my note in the other. I cringed inwardly. Maybe that note hadn’t been a good idea. Xavier looked…disappointed…or sad. I wasn’t sure.
“You’re up,” I said dumbly as I made my way toward the kitchen island, where I perched on a stool and set the mail down on the counter.
For a moment, Xavier didn’t do anything; then he walked toward me. My eyes were drawn to the flexing muscles of his stomach as they always were. Xavier was utter male perfection. Why would he ever consider changing his ways for me? For poor chubby Evie?
When he stopped close enough that the scent of fresh espresso and his own manly scent wafted into my nose, I finally looked back up into his face. His frowning face. No smirk or grin or cockiness for once. “I woke to an empty bed and when I came down expecting to find you here, I got this instead.” He held up the crinkled note.
“I’m always good for a surprise. You said it yourself,” I joked half-heartedly, but with the way Xavier’s gray eyes were boring into me, humor was difficult to pull off.
He moved close. “Why did you leave, Evie?”
“I didn’t want to impose on you or overextend my welcome,” I said lightly.
His strong hands came down on my thighs and he kissed me briefly. “You are always welcome, and you know it.”
I regarded him. “After our first night together, it didn’t feel that way.”
“Fuck,” he groaned. He cupped my cheek, his face so close it was becoming increasingly difficult not to end this conversation by kissing him. “I feel like an asshole because of it. I told you I’m sorry. I can’t change what happened but I’m trying to make up for it, and for the record, I don’t want you to leave. I want to wake up beside you.”
I swallowed. “Noted. Next time I’ll stay.”
Xavier grinned. “How about tonight? Let’s have another movie night and this time you’ll stay for breakfast.”
I snorted. “That’s a line most guys crash and burn with, you realize that, right? It’s in the player’s handbook of bad pick-up lines. Didn’t you get the memo?”