House of Royale (Secret Keepers #4)(33)

He continued to talk to me, his voice remaining in that same low, soothing tempo, and eventually I was able to open my eyes and straighten. I bumped into him, not realizing just how close he was. Our eyes met and I sucked in a breath. His were the darkest blue I’d ever seen. They almost looked black.

“Thank you,” I breathed, not moving away because I physically couldn’t force myself to.

He nodded a few times. “You’re going to have to learn to deal with the sensory deprivation better.”

He didn’t say it meanly, but it still sparked annoyance within me. “It’s been like a day, maybe two, since you plucked me out of the ocean. I’m currently standing on an alien world. I think I’m dealing about as well as one could be expected to in the circumstances.”

He tilted his head to the side then, like I had reminded him of something. “Right,” he finally said, focusing on me again. “You are right. You’re actually handling this better than the majority of Royales would. I forget … that you’re mostly human.”

He swung away from me and I almost sagged.

Just attraction. It’s just attraction.

The mantra ran through my head as I started to move again, following Xander the rest of the way along the hall. We ended up on a floor of bedrooms, from what I could see through their open doors. Xander stopped at one about halfway along. “This is where I usually stay.” He gestured for me to step forward. “You should stick with me, Avalon. As I said, I have the largest bath, and I’m also the only one who can calm you down. You respond to Royale energy.”

Another spark of annoyance, but I didn’t disagree.

Xander dropped the bags Star had put in his arms on the bed, and I saw a few different items, along with some Converse, tumble out.

There was only one bed in here, but it was huge—like two king-sized beds put together. I tried to focus on that so I didn’t have to focus on the one thing really drawing my attention … the male across from me.

It didn’t help that my body was on fire, my skin so sensitive that just my clothing moving across it was almost painful. Painful but good. I was trying to think of what I should say when hands wrapped around my waist, picking me up and pulling me back against a hard chest. Xander’s lips were on my neck before I caught my breath, and then I forgot everything except him.

He held me like that for many long moments, my back plastered to him, his lips exploring whatever bare skin he could find. I was a blissed-out, turned-on mess by the time he spun me around and lifted me higher. Through instinct and need, my legs wrapped around his waist, my body arching into his. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to be naked.

I really wanted him to be naked.

Lifting my head, I kissed him hard. He let out a low groan as our tongues tangled together. The taste of him was so fucking good … better than I ever anticipated.

“You’re still sure,” he murmured against my mouth, “that you can handle a sex-only relationship?”

If I hadn’t been able to see the softness in his eyes and hear the true concern in his voice, I might have been pissed at his question. But it was clear that he was genuinely checking in with me.

‘I’m sure,” I whispered back, wondering if maybe, just maybe, I was lying to everyone in this room. Because Xander was an enigma begging to be unraveled. And I shouldn’t be this curious about someone who was only a booty call.

I couldn’t stop, though, even if I wanted to. I’d just have to be strong enough to let him go when he walked away. I’d lost things I cared about before. I could do it again.

“I’m sure,” I repeated, stronger this time because he was still watching me closely, dissecting my expression.

Before he could pry further, I tilted my upper body back and ripped my shirt off, leaving just my bra and a lot of bare skin. Xander’s throat moved as he let his eyes trail across my body. “I’m ready, Xander Royale,” I said. My voice had a distinct purr in it, which was not like me, but I had pretty much lost control of myself at this point.

Whatever concern he’d been holding faded then and he took control again. Kissing me hard, he walked us back toward the bed, dropping down with me still in his arms. He lowered himself back, slowly, using some sort of impressive core strength. I mean, how freaking strong was this guy? I was thin, but not exactly light. You couldn’t be six feet tall with swimmers’ muscles and weigh nothing. But Xander lifted me and moved me around like I was featherlight.

There were just too many attractive things about him, which was no doubt why my needy hormones had kicked in. Except his personality. Couldn’t forget what an asshole he could be. Hopefully that would be enough to stop me ever really falling for him.

When he was flat on his back, I shifted so I was straddling him, clenching at the hard length of him under me. “Shirt off,” I ordered. “And pants.”

Xander grinned, a wicked sort of smile, and I forced myself not to react. “I like a bossy woman in the bedroom.”

Sweet. Baby. Jesus.

He lifted himself half up and reached back to pull his shirt over his head. My breath caught as his chest came into clear view. I’d seen him in the water before, but at the time I’d been trying not to pay too much attention to the broad, bronze, ripped lines of his body. He was so well-muscled; bulky only where he should be, and lean carved lines in other areas. I had to swallow hard to clear my throat. I repeat: sweet baby Jesus.