XAVIER’S POV
I gave my last warning and turned to leave. Erin stood in defeat, her gaze fixed and piercing at my back as I walked away.
I climbed upstairs, my mind still reeling from the confrontation with her. The tension in my body began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of relief. I had protected Sarah, and that’s all that mattered. What I said to her was overly harsh, but I couldn’t help it. She didn’t deserve a second chance after all that she spilled out last night.
As I reached the top, I saw Sarah standing in the corridor, her hair tied up in a ponytail, revealing the delicate curve of her neck and her flawless skin that seemed to glow in the morning light as it danced before my eyes. The allure was irresistible, stirring desires I’d long suppressed.
My pulse quickened, and I looked away, fighting the urge to touch her, revealing my infatuation, and the familiar struggle resurfaced: duty versus desire.
The moment she noticed me, a warm smile spread across her face. “Good morning, Mr. Clinton,” she greeted, her voice sounding like music to my hears.
I cleared my throat, attempting to sound casual. “Good morning,” I replied, returning the bright smile. “How was your night?”
Her brow furrowed as she stared at me skeptically. “You’re asking about my night? Seriously? Wow, you’re changing. I like that.” She chuckled in between her words, finding amusement in contrast; I found it irritating. Yeah, typical Sarah.
“Wouldn’t you have just answered the question rather than running your mouth?” I spat, my voice stern but with a playful glint in my eyes.
She sniggered at my reaction, the sound soothing and endearing. “Okay, sorry. My night was… um, good, but it would have been great if…” She trailed off, closing the short distance between us. Her fingertip grazed the curve of my collar, going down to my chest. “If you were right beside me,” she purred, her voice sweet and sexy.
As much as I wanted to slap her hands off my body, I couldn’t. A warm flutter flared in my chest, my heart beating to the rhythm of infatuation as my eyes narrowed at her. “What are you doing, Sarah?” I asked, feigning obliviousness. Her seduction was innocently annoying but captivating at the same time. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, not for a second, and for a moment, I felt the urge to give in, for once in my life, to move on and embrace this juvenile love of hers.
She took advantage of my silence and leaned in closer, her lips hovering over mine. “Don’t forget our little bet; we still have two months and two weeks to go,” she said, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
I felt defenseless against her wry charm, her alluring voice, and her radiant smile that seemed to pierce deep into my soul and pull it out like a magnet.
My gaze was fixed intently on her as I watched her bat her lashes and bite her rosy lips. Even without lipstick or gloss, they were as red as a tomato, inviting and delicious, making me want to have a bite just like that night on the veranda.
Oh god, why am I thinking dirty? This is unlike me.
Her effect on me was inexplicable; it defined my feelings, defied my set logic, and I simply couldn’t ignore that, no matter how much I tried brushing it off.
Our lips poised almost touching, her breath was a warm caress on my face as the air around us thickened with unspoken emotions.
She shut her eyes, our faces merely inches apart as she brought her lips closer to mine tantalizingly.
My muscles stiffened, my breath mingled with hers as I allowed myself to bask in the moment. Everything around us was a void as I closed off every bit of rationality that kept screaming morals in my head.
As our lips almost touched, a familiar voice rang out in my head, snapping me back to reality.
“Xavier, is there something going on over there?”
Oh shit, Mother.
We jerked and instantly pulled away, looking anywhere else, avoiding eye contact.
“Sarah, what’s going on?” Mother’s brow knitted together as she approached us with hasty footsteps, her eyes darting between the two of us.
As Mother drew nearer, Sarah winked at me ambiguously, assuring me she would take care of the situation.
She better find an applicable explanation for what just happened; after all, she was the one who put me in this mess in the first place!
Sarah chuckled, turning to Mother with an awkward glint in her eyes. She swayed her body with a wide smile spreading across her face. “Miss Ross, we were just, um… um… we were just… um…”
‘We were just… um, we were just… um…’ Is that what she was going to say? Damn, this girl!
She glanced at me, her eyes pleading for help, to which I responded with a dead stare.
“Good morning, Mother. How was your night?” I turned to Mother and smiled tersely, lightening up the tension.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, her expression unreadable. “Why are you avoiding the subject, Xavier?” she said, her gaze fixed on me intently. She then turned to Sarah, her eyes wandering all over her face. “I saw…”
“Miss Ross, you must be hungry,” Sarah exclaimed, her vibrant voice filling the place. She wrapped her arm around Mother’s shoulders and spun around to face the stairs. “Let’s head to the dining room; let me whip up some spaghetti for ya!” she said playfully as they descended the stairs. She tossed a glance my way, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She winked again, her smile sending flutters in my chest.
I chuckled, my eyes gleaming with amusement as I crossed my arms and watched them leave.
“Xavier, we’ll talk later because my stomach is groaning,” I heard Mother say as they disappeared out of sight.
Typical Mother, easily distracted.