6. Xavier #3
"Mmm." Isabelle crossed to the table and dropped into her chair. "Sorry, I'm late. Milan was a nightmare." She looked at Kim with obvious interest. "So you're the one who finally caught him. I'm impressed."
"I didn't catch him," Kim said. "He's not a fish."
Isabelle laughed. "I like her."
Sebastian, seated beside me, leaned over. His hand clapped my shoulder.
"Good one," he murmured. "She's not what I expected."
I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a warning.
My grandmother spoke again. "I must admit, Kim, I'm curious. What do you see in my grandson? I can't imagine why someone like you would look at him twice."
"Hey," I protested.
She waved me off without looking.
Kim was quiet for a moment. Long enough that I started to worry. Then she turned to look at me, and something in her expression made my breath catch.
"He's not who he pretends to be," she said softly. "I think he's better. He just doesn't know it yet."
Silence fell over the table.
My grandmother's eyes were sharp as they moved between us. "We'll see," she said finally.
The tension broke. Aria started talking about some gallery opening she'd attended. Sebastian poured more wine. Isabelle pulled out her phone to show my mother something about her latest collection.
But I couldn't stop thinking about what Kim had said. He's not who he pretends to be. I reached into my pocket and found the velvet box. Time to make this convincing.
"Actually," I said, cutting through the conversation, "before dessert, there's something I wanted to do."
All eyes turned to me.
I pulled out the box and turned to Kim. Her eyes widened slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.
"I know this is new," I said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "But I wanted to thank you. For being patient with me. For seeing something in me worth seeing." I opened the box.
The necklace glittered inside. A delicate gold chain with a small sapphire pendant. I'd chosen it because it was elegant without being ostentatious. Because, for some reason I didn't want to examine, I'd wanted to give her something beautiful.
"Xavier." Her eyes were shooting daggers at me.
"May I?"
She nodded, but didn’t say any of the harsh words I knew were gathering in her mind. I stood and moved behind her. Lifted the necklace from its box and draped it around her throat. My fingers brushed the nape of her neck as I fastened the clasp. Her skin was warm. Soft.
I let my hands linger a moment longer than necessary.
"There," I murmured, close to her ear.
Aria was the first to react. "Oh, my God. That's gorgeous." She turned to Sebastian. "Why don't you ever do things like that?"
Sebastian's expression was pained. "You've gotten me in trouble."
My mother was dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. Isabelle was nodding approvingly. Even my grandmother looked impressed, though she was trying to hide it.
"Very nice," she said. "Very romantic." Then her eyes glinted. "Now kiss her."
I froze.
"Grandmother…"
"Don't be shy." She waved her hand. "You're among family. Go on, kiss her."
I wanted to, but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. I looked at Kim. She was looking at me, her expression carefully blank. But I could see the tension in her jaw, the slight panic behind her eyes.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"What was that? That's not a kiss. Kim, dear, give him a proper kiss."
Kim's eyes met mine. If looks could kill. But I wanted the kiss, wanted to feel her lips slide over mine. It was for show, of course, only because we needed to prove something. It wasn’t because I desired her.
I grinned, settled back in my seat, and faced her fully. "Yeah, Kim. Why don't you give me a proper kiss?"
Her eyes narrowed. A warning. I ignored it.
She reached up, her hand curling around the back of my neck, and pulled me down to her. Her lips met mine.
It was supposed to be simple. Chaste. But the moment her mouth touched mine, something short-circuited in my brain.
She was soft. Warm. She tasted like the wine we'd been drinking, rich and complex. Her fingers tightened in my hair, and before I knew what I was doing, I was pulling her closer.
My hand found her waist. I deepened the kiss, tilting her head back, exploring her mouth like I had every right to. Like I'd been dying to do this for longer than I wanted to admit. She made a small sound against my lips. Surprise, protest, or something else entirely.
I didn't stop. The performance needed to be carried out properly. I had to explore every inch of her mouth, the taste and feel of her. It was very necessary.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard. Her lips were slightly swollen. Her eyes were wide and dark and furious.
I knew I'd pay for that later.
Aria wolf-whistled. My mother was crying again. Isabelle was grinning. Sebastian looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
My grandmother simply nodded. "That's more like it."
The rest of dinner passed in a blur.
I kept sneaking glances at Kim, but she wouldn't look at me. Her posture was rigid, her responses to conversation clipped and polite. The fury was rolling off her in waves.
After dessert, she excused herself to get some air. I found her on the terrace ten minutes later.
She was standing at the railing, her arms wrapped around herself, staring out at the dark gardens. The sapphire at her throat glittered in the moonlight.
"Kim—"
She turned to face me, and her eyes were blazing. "What the hell was that?"
"My grandmother asked…"
"Your grandmother asked for a kiss. Not a..." She gestured wildly. "Not whatever that was."
"I got carried away."
"Carried away?" Her voice was a vicious whisper. "We had rules, Xavier. Boundaries. You agreed to them."
"I know. It won't happen again," I said quietly. Liar. I was an addict now. One taste would not be enough. It’ll never be.
"It better not."
Silence stretched between us. The night air was cold, raising goosebumps on her bare arms. She was shivering slightly.
"You did well tonight," I offered. "They liked you."
"Did I pass?" Her voice was tired now. The anger was fading into exhaustion.
"I think so." I moved to stand beside her. Close. Not touching. She would probably cut off my head if I touched her right now. "About what happened at the bar, I..."
My gaze dropped to her lips. Just for a second. Just long enough to remember how they felt against mine.
When I looked back up, she'd noticed. Her breath caught. The sound was soft but unmistakable.
We stood there, inches apart, the tension between us thick enough to touch. I wanted to kiss her again. I wanted it more than I'd wanted anything in a long time.
"Hey!" Isabelle's voice shattered the moment. She burst onto the terrace. "Come on, you two. Dessert round two. Cook made her chocolate soufflé, and I'm not letting Sebastian eat it all."
Kim stepped back. The mask slid into place. "We should go," she said, her voice perfectly even.
She walked past me toward the door.
I watched her go, my lips still tingling from the kiss she'd never wanted, and wondered what the hell I was doing.