Being so close to him makes my breath catch in my throat and I shiver standing in front of him, feeling his eyes drinking me in.
“Are you scared?” he asks softly, the words barely above a whisper.
This isn’t the cruel, sarcastic Xavier I know. This version of him is loving. Only for me.
“A little,” I admit, my voice just as quiet. “I don’t want to die.”
I look away, but his fingers wrap around my chin and softly push it back so I’m forced to look at him again.
“You have nothing to be afraid of while you’re with me,” he promises me in that irresistible, dark voice of his. “I’ll always look out for you. Nothing will happen to you on my watch.”
I nod, grateful for the words of reassurance.
“Thank you, Xavier.”
We stand there, barely touching and yet with so much tension between us, it feels as if one touch will ignite us both. I always thought my crush on my guardian was something he didn’t know about, but with the inquisitive way he’s looking at me now, I have no doubt he’s known all along. Nothing escapes Xavier Gunn.
“Don’t worry, angel,” he says, stroking my hair with affection. “I’ll protect you.”
My hopes instantly deflate in an instant. Of course he’s not seeing me like a woman. I’m just a freaking kid. Why would Xavier look at me twice? I’m too young, too stupid, and too innocent for him. He would never touch me like that. He’ll never see me as anything but a kid.
And yet there’s a hint of trouble in his eyes, signaling that this isn’t easy for him, either.
“Get some rest,” he says, breaking the connection. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning and we’ll discuss our next steps, okay?”
I nod mutely, not knowing what else to say. He takes a step back and heads for the door, but I call out for him when he’s almost out of the room.
“Xavier?”
“Yes, angel?”
I swallow thickly. The question I was about to pose sounds ridiculous in my head now and yet I can’t resist asking what’s on my mind.
“You... You will not hurt me, right?”
“Hurt you?” he smirks. “Of course not, angel. Why would I want to hurt you? You’re everything to me.”
With those words that make me even more confused, he closes the door behind him. I exhale loudly, but not loud enough to overhear the lock clicking as the sound of his footsteps echoes down the hallway outside.
I rush to the door and test the handle.
Locked.
As I face the beautiful rooms that have been set up just for me, I can’t help but wonder whether I have any choice in being here. The locked door tells me I don’t... and my lying heart is excited about it. I’m finally at Xavier’s mercy... I’m his prisoner now, whether or not he admits it.
And while my cell is luxurious and beautiful, it only serves as a reminder of my freedom being gone.
Despite all the pretty things in these rooms, I’m being kept as a captive.
Three
XAVIER
Having Tallulah so close by and yet knowing I can never touch her is driving me insane. I barely catch a wink of sleep after we get back, tossing and turning as I imagine her in the bed I had built just for her.
Is she thinking about me too?
Is she imagining me in my bed?
I groan, turning to the side and trying to force myself to get the thought out of my head. Despite my attempts to get some rest, I can’t sleep at all. Finally admitting defeat hours later, I get up and pace the room listlessly.
Fuck. The call yesterday has thrown a wrench into my plans, and now I’m unsure I’ll be able to keep my hands off Tallulah. As exciting as it is to finally have her near me, it’s also fucking dangerous. I know myself well and I know staying away from my angel will be worse than anything else I’ve endured in my life. Especially now that she’s just a couple of doors down away from me... I could walk into her bedroom right now, do everything I want to her.
But no.
The girl’s barely seventeen and I’m not going to so much as look at her inappropriately until she’s old enough. It’s not only because I agreed to do so with Heath and Rain. My conscience won’t let me do that to a child.
One year, I tell myself. One year and she’ll be all fucking mine, with nobody stopping us.
I need to force myself to stay away from her at all costs. I do everything in my power to push the thought of her out of my mind, and yet I end up tossing and turning for the next few hours, trying not to think about her.
But now it’s noon, which means Tallulah is officially seventeen. And no matter how much I try to stop myself, I end up getting up and putting on a waffle-knit black robe before walking to Tallulah’s bedroom and quietly unlocking the door.