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)
Xavier didn’t let me finish him, though. Instead we stumbled into his penthouse, where we dropped to the floor and Xavier made good on his promise to devour me. After that he took me right there on the floor with my clothes still on. Rug burn had never been more appreciated.
I woke before Xavier and slipped out of bed to check my phone out of habit, knowing that last night’s party would have made headlines somewhere. I grabbed my bathrobe and put it on over Xavier’s shirt, desperate to cover as much of me as possible. Moving toward the panorama window in the bedroom, I scrolled through the emails when I caught sight of a message from Maya Nowak. It contained only a link. I clicked on it even as dread settled in my stomach.
She must have worked on it all night to have it up this early. Maya’s article was even nastier than I’d feared. I should have expected it. When we’d invited the press originally, Xavier and I hadn’t been an item yet, and he’d wanted her there for the very reason that her articles always got the most attention.
She commented on every single one of my imperfections: the cellulite on my upper thighs, which apparently was unmistakable through the cheap leather of my skirt, my wide hips, my soft stomach, my big butt. She made it sound like Xavier had only chosen me to pay all of his past conquests back by being with someone this disgusting.
Heat rushed into my head as I read her words. I knew I wasn’t Instagram fitness model material, but I definitely wasn’t the visual trainwreck she described. My emotions wavered between anger and embarrassment. The latter made me mad at myself for allowing someone I didn’t even like to make me feel that way with a few words. The covers rustled as Xavier sat up in bed.
“Evie? What’s wrong?” Xavier asked as he pushed out of bed completely naked, completely perfect. I was about to close the article when Xavier took my phone from me and scanned it. His expression turned furious, then he threw my mobile on the bed and cupped my face.
“She is a spiteful creature, Evie. Don’t waste a single thought on the bitch.”
“She is right in one point though. Look at you,” I said, motioning at his body, at the perfect muscles. Not a gram of fat, no jiggle, nothing but pure male gorgeousness. Everyone who looked at us would always wonder why a man like Xavier would settle for a woman like me. I had seen those surprised looks, and the whispers that followed. I finally motioned down at myself, safely covered by a bathrobe, hiding all my unfavorable places, which according to Maya was my entire body. “And look at me, Xavier. We don’t match. You belong with someone like Dakota. Someone who doesn’t look like she enjoys beer and burgers with bread. Someone who fits a size zero.”
I swallowed hard, because this feeling of never being enough, of lacking because I wasn’t thin enough, cut deep. It had been a part of me for so long, it was difficult to shake off.
“This is the biggest pile of bullshit I’ve ever heard,” Xavier muttered.
I gave him a look. “I know what kind of girls you’ve had before me, and they were all fit and thin.”
He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Yes, they were.”
My stomach plummeted at his admittance, which was ridiculous considering that he was stating facts everyone knew.
“I chose those women for a night. I didn’t give a damn about their personality, or anything really, except for their bodies. But you, I don’t want for only a few nights. I want you for forever.”
My eyes grew wide, and Xavier too looked a little stunned. “You… I can’t believe you said that.”
Xavier kissed my mouth, a gentle, slow kiss. “Fuck. Me neither. But it’s true, Evie. I’ve never enjoyed someone’s company more than I do yours. I trust you. I love your brand of humor, your loyalty, your snarkiness and your smile. I love every last piece of you, Evie.”
I blinked. “And I love you.”
“Fuck,” he breathed, then kissed me again.
Xavier slid his palms under my bathrobe and slowly pushed it off my shoulders. It fell to the ground. I was still in Xavier’s shirt, but he grabbed the hem and began pulling it up. I touched his arms, stopping him. “Xavier—” I began, terrified of being exposed to him in bright daylight, when my flaws had always been hidden in the half-light so far.
“Evie,” Xavier said firmly. “I just laid my feelings bare to you. Let me see you.” He softened his voice. “I’ve touched every inch of your body. I know where you are soft. My hands know every inch of you. There’s nothing you need to hide from me, honey.”