Xavier's stride was predatory as he pursued Cathleen across the gravel drive, the crunch of stones under his shoes punctuating his intent. She reached for the SUV's handle, sleek and silver under the sun's glare, but Xavier's hand shot out, beating her to it with a swift, deliberate motion. He pulled the door open wide, the hinges groaning softly under his control.
"Mrs. Knight," he began, his voice measured yet thick with an unspoken command, "I am rather having a less busy day today. Do you mind if I drive you around?"
Cathleen turned, her gaze slicing through him with practiced precision. "Since when did you become a driver?" she probed, suspicion lacing her words like poison on a blade.
Xavier's throat tightened; his usual arsenal of retorts lay dormant. "Let's just say," he said, with a falter that he despised, "you look too beautiful to be driving yourself today."
A mocking glint sparked in Cathleen's eyes. "You could have asked Caleb or anyone else to drive me. Why did you bring yourself here?" Her question hung between them-a challenge wrapped in innocence.
He opened his mouth, then closed it, his jaw working silently. Control slipped. "Get in!" he barked, the order erupting from deep within his chest.
The almost-laugh that danced in Cathleen's eyes was cruel and knowing. She understood his battle and the leash he kept himself on. "I would like to start with my seven pussy clients," she declared, her words casual, as if discussing the weather.
Xavier felt the jolt, but he masked it, his face a cold slate. "Well, Mrs. Knight," he countered, his voice low, "if you're going to sell to them, how about you sell to me? I'll pay you what they are paying, even if it's just one round. After all, it's been long since I fucked a pussy."
Her response was ice, a dismissal that stung more than any whip. "Well, they're VIPs. I don't think you understand. It's not about the cash. It's about fulfilling the deal."
The air crackled with tension, heavy and thick. Xavier fought the urge to grab her, to force the point. Instead, he held her gaze, the silent war raging on.
Xavier's grip tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles bleaching white. "Well, I am sure I am a better fulfiller than them, don't you think, Mrs. Knight?" His voice was a low growl, barely leashing aggression with each syllable.
Cathleen didn't flinch, her gaze fixed on the passing cityscape, her lips curving in a smirk that didn't reach her frosty eyes. "I heard you were a sex god back in your days," she drawled, the words dripping with sarcasm. "It's a pity. You look worn out when you are with me. So why not let me be a sex goddess, huh?"
The car swerved slightly as Xavier's control slipped an inch, fantasies of turning the SUV back towards their villa flashing through his mind. But he reined it in, focusing on the road ahead. She seemed pliable today-cooperative, even if it was just a facade.
"Here," Cathlene's voice cut through the thickening silence, her hand extending a piece of paper. "This is the address of my first client." The paper crackled as it passed from her fingers to his.
He smoothed out the creases, his eyes darting briefly to the scrawled address before locking onto the road again. "I will take you to your destination, ma'am, where you will reach all the clouds, even the one called cloud nine," Xavier said, his tone mocking politeness, a stark contrast to the tension coiled tight in his chest.
A chuckle threatened to escape Cathleen, but she caught it, trapping the sound behind pursed lips. "Can you be serious for once, Xavier?" The volume of her shout made him flinch, more from surprise than fear.
"Oh, I am serious, Mrs. Knight." Xavier's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "Don't you get turned on a little when you see me naked with a hard cock that wants to thrust into your little pussy every day?" He risked a glance at her, watching her reaction intently.
Cathleen's eyes widened, her breath hitching, betraying her composure for a heartbeat. "Because every fucking day when I see you emerge from the shower naked with your boobs on display, I swear to God all I want to do is put my dick between those two twinnies and fuck them." The words tumbled from his lips, vulgar and raw, an unvarnished truth.
She opened her mouth, then closed it, her throat working silently. Xavier could almost hear her pulse thrumming, a silent drumbeat under her skin. He knew he had struck a nerve. Her calculated detachment, her cold demeanor-none of it mattered now.
Cathleen gulped hard, the subtle bob of her throat an involuntary response. And for a moment-just a moment-Xavier felt he had the upper hand.
Xavier's smile was a sharp slash across his face, a predator's grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We are here," he announced, the words dripping with unspoken intent.
Cathleen's expression remained frozen, her gaze fixed on some distant point beyond the SUV's tinted windows. Xavier's brows drew together in a silent question. 'Is she not turned on by my word?' The thought clawed at him, like an itch he couldn't scratch.
The engine died with a hush, leaving only the sound of their breathing to fill the space. He stepped out, the door closing with a definitive thud behind him. Long strides carried him around the gleaming black vehicle, his movements predatory and purposeful.
Opening her door, Xavier's hand moved with practiced ease. Before she could protest, he parted her legs with an assertive sweep. His fingers found slick warmth waiting beneath the fine fabric of her dress. "So wet for me," he murmured, his voice thick with triumph.
His tongue chased the taste of her across his skin, from index to middle finger, savoring the salt and sin alike. "Go to your meeting, Mrs. Knight."
Cathleen's exit was hurried, a flash of heels and resolve as she disappeared into the house ahead.
Alone, Xavier's hand hovered over his phone; the weight of it suddenly became significant. He dialed Caleb, impatience etched in the tight lines of his jaw. "I thought today I was supposed to find a wife. How am I going to find a wife when you keep calling?"
"Find out why Cathleen is at the Tompson house," he barked, the command brooking no argument before ending the call.
Minutes stretched long and thin until Caleb's voice broke through again. "Sir, he just sold his shares to your wife."
Xavier's response was a cut-off click, but his lips curled, a wicked arc shaping his features. The game had changed, and he relished every twisted turn.