Chapter 7
Across the room, Xavier's jaw flexed.
His fingers tightened around the pen before snapping it shut with a sharp click that echoed through the otherwise quiet office.
A heartbeat later, he pushed his chair back.
The legs scraped softly against the polished floor as he rose to his feet.
Elise heard the slow, measured sound of his footsteps approaching, each one drawing closer until they rounded the desk and stopped directly behind her chair.
Her pulse skipped. Her shoulders stiffened ever so slightly, though she forced herself to remain perfectly composed.
She kept her eyes on the document in front of her, pretending to read the paragraph she had already finished twice. The pen remained poised above the page, unmoving, while every nerve in her body became acutely aware of the man standing behind her.
A second later, Xavier leaned down.
One of his hands came to rest on the polished surface of the desk beside the file she was reviewing, his long fingers splaying against the wood and effectively trapping the document beneath the span of his arm.
His other hand settled lightly on the back of her chair near her shoulder, his broad frame surrounding her from behind without actually touching her.
Elise's breath caught.
Her spine instinctively straightened, and every muscle in her body drew taut.
The pen in her fingers stalled above the page for the briefest moment before she deliberately lowered the tip back to the paper and continued writing as though nothing had changed.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
His voice was low and rough, the husky sound drifting into her ear from only inches away.
She swallowed almost imperceptibly, keeping her gaze fixed on the contract in front of her.
"The upcoming deal with Selene Corporation," she replied, turning another page with careful fingers before smoothing it flat against the desk. "I'm reviewing the terms before preparing the final report."
Her voice remained remarkably steady.
Far steadier than the rapid beat of her heart.
She didn’t look at him. Instead, she forced herself to underline another sentence, though the words had begun to blur together.
His nearness surrounded her like quiet warmth.
Each slow breath he drew seemed to stir the loose strands of hair near her temple before brushing gently against the sensitive skin beneath her ear.
Goosebumps prickled across her arms, and she tightened her grip around the pen, willing herself to focus on the printed paragraphs instead of the overwhelming awareness of the man standing so close behind her.
"Hmm."
The quiet sound vibrated deep in his chest.
His dark eyes moved unhurriedly over her face, taking in every tiny reaction she fought so hard to conceal. His gaze lingered on the faint flush gradually spreading across her cheek before drifting lower to her lips.
His eyes darkened almost imperceptibly as he watched her unconsciously moisten her lips.
Only then did his gaze slowly lift to her eyes.
The restraint in his expression was unmistakable. So was the hunger simmering beneath it.
Elise's heartbeat stumbled.
She could feel his eyes on her even without looking, and the weight of his attention made warmth creep higher into her cheeks.
Before she could gather her thoughts or steady her breathing, he leaned in the remaining distance.
His hand on the back of her chair shifted ever so slightly, his thumb absently brushing the wood as he lowered his head.
Then his lips grazed her cheek.
It was a slow, gentle kiss.
The featherlight touch lingered for a heartbeat before he finally drew back.
The unexpected kiss left Elise blinking in surprise. Almost instinctively, she turned her head toward him.
Xavier was still standing beside her chair, close enough that she could see the tension written across every line of his face.
His expression stole the words from her lips.
He didn't look satisfied. If anything, he looked as though stopping had cost him more than continuing ever would have.
His breathing was slow but noticeably heavier than before, his broad chest rising and falling beneath his dress shirt while a faint crease settled between his brows.
His dark eyes remained fixed on her, filled with a quiet struggle that made her heart tighten.
It was as though every instinct inside him was urging him to close the distance again, while sheer willpower alone held him back.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Elise found herself unable to look away. Her fingers rested motionless around the pen, and she searched his face, watching the conflict flicker behind his eyes.
His jaw tightened.
The muscle flexed sharply beneath his skin before his expression shifted almost imperceptibly. The restraint she'd witnessed only seconds ago gradually disappeared.
Before she could react, the hand resting on the back of her chair slid forward.
His fingers brushed lightly through the strands of hair near her temple before his palm settled against the side of her face, gently cupping her cheek.
His thumb rested beneath her cheekbone, stroking softly across her warm skin as he tilted her face just enough to hold her gaze.
Elise's breath caught.
A shiver rippled through her, and her heartbeat fluttered wildly against her ribs.
"Xavier..."
His name escaped in little more than a whisper.
He didn't answer.
His eyes remained locked on hers for another lingering second before he slowly leaned closer. His face drew near until she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, and then his lips brushed tenderly against her opposite cheek.
When he drew back, it was only by a fraction before another kiss followed.
Then another.
His lips wandered across her cheek in slow, lingering kisses that seemed almost absentminded, as though he were acting entirely on instinct.
Every soft touch left behind a trail of warmth that spread beneath her skin.
He drifted toward the curve of her jaw, lingering there for the briefest moment while his thumb continued its slow caress against her cheek, before returning once more to her face as if he simply couldn't convince himself to stop touching her.
There was nothing demanding about the way he held her.
Only an overwhelming tenderness that quietly betrayed how much he'd missed being this close to her.
Elise remained completely still beneath his touch.
Her fingers tightened around the pen until her knuckles turned pale, yet she made no move to pull away.
The familiar scent of his cologne surrounded her, filling every breath she took, while the steady warmth of his hand cradling her face made it almost impossible to gather a coherent thought.
She could only sit there, her pulse racing faster with every passing second, silently absorbing each gentle kiss until time itself seemed to fade into the background.
Eventually, the kisses stopped.
Xavier lingered close for another heartbeat, his forehead nearly brushing her hair as though he were reluctant to let the moment end. His thumb gave one final stroke across her cheek before his hand slowly slipped away, his fingertips trailing lightly along her jaw as they fell back to his side.
Reluctance flashed across his features, but he forced himself to take a step backward.
"Continue," he murmured, his voice low and composed, though the emotion lingering in his eyes told an entirely different story.
Without another word, he turned and walked back around the desk.
His movements were calm and steady, betraying none of the turmoil she'd just witnessed.
He lowered himself into his chair, reached for the file he'd abandoned, and calmly resumed reading as though the last few minutes had never happened.
Elise remained rooted to her seat.
Heat flooded her cheeks until her face burned, and she instinctively lifted a hand to touch the place his lips had kissed, her fingertips lingering there for the briefest second before she caught herself and quickly lowered it back to the desk.
Taking a slow, steadying breath, she forced her gaze toward the contract once more.
She read the next paragraph.
Then she read it again.
Not a single word stayed in her mind.
The warmth of his lips still lingered against her skin, and the longing she'd seen in his eyes refused to leave her thoughts.
Determined not to let him see just how thoroughly he'd unraveled her, she quietly straightened the stack of papers, adjusted the page beneath her hand, and tightened her grip around the pen before forcing herself to continue working.
It was a futile effort.
No matter how many times she read the same lines, her mind drifted back to the man sitting only a few feet away, making concentration far more difficult than it had been only moments earlier.
Several hours slipped by before Elise finally lifted her gaze from the document in front of her.
The afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing Xavier's office in a warm golden glow.
Elise flexed her fingers beneath the desk, easing the slight stiffness that had formed after hours of reviewing contracts.
Xavier glanced down at the watch resting against his wrist, and then he closed the file in front of him.
The soft sound made Elise look up.
Xavier leaned back slightly in his chair before rising to his feet, adjusting the cuff of his shirt with one hand as he moved around the desk.
Seeing him approach, Elise instinctively pushed her chair back and stood.
He stopped in front of her, his tall frame casting a shadow over her as he looked down at her.
“You and I are going to a restaurant for lunch," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Elise blinked once at the straightforward announcement before giving a small nod.
"All right."
She reached down toward her handbag resting beside the chair, but before her fingers could touch the strap, the phone in her hand vibrated.
The sudden sound drew both their attention.
The screen lit up.
Logan Calling.