Chapter 7

When Amanda emerged from her room a little later, her belly was in knots.

A woman was leading her out of her room, she said Xavier was waiting for her at the terraced area at the back of the resort. Why wouldn't he just allow her to stay in her room all through the honeymoon? She didn't want to be alone with him, but she couldn't say no to that either. He was sticking to his words of giving her space for a week and avoiding him totally would only make him suspect something.

And as hard as it was to admit, she really enjoyed his horse riding lessons, though it had ended in a confusing way. After warning her not to look at him in a way she really didn't understand, he helped her out of the horse, then walked hurriedly away leaving her with a disturbing question.

'What way did she look at him?'

Now, she had changed into loose-fitting wide trousers and a similarly loose top. She felt covered up and safe, unaware of how the luxuriousness of the fabric clung to her body provocatively.

Her trepidation spiked when she took in the nonchalant figure of Xavier, surveying the empire, hands in pockets, looking out over the beautiful lake at the bottom of the lush lawn.

Xavier turned to face her. Amanda had to steel herself not to be distracted by him.

"Drink?"

She shook her head, and then changed her mind because her throat felt dry.

"A sparkling water, please"

What was it about this man that instantly reduced her to something so primal?

She accepted the glass careful not to let their fingers touch. She took a deep gulp, moving so she too could look out on the view.

"Do you have something to say to me?" she asked without staring at him, but she could feel that Xavier was looking at her.

"No"

"You requested..."

"The workers here might be nosy, it seems like you keep forgetting that this is a honeymoon, couples are supposed to be seen everywhere together"

"I'd rather call this a vacation. Honeymoons are for happily married couples."

"We're happily married, Alisha. I guess you're among those who want something that doesn't exist...this is a perfect union, we both know where we stand and there are no emotions to cloud things. You have to realize that I'll never indulge in those bare faced lies so stop looking at me as if you're seeking my soul."

"I don't know—"

He put up a hand cutting her short.

"You know what would make this marriage more perfect? You coming into my bed. It really annoys me that we aren’t spending this honeymoon as I had planned, we are supposed to be waking up every morning in a tangle of bedsheets, limbs entwined with sated pleasure."

Amanda's skin grew hot as she fought against staring at him.

Xavier looked down at the woman beside him and a violent need throbbed through him, hardening his body. She looked like a sexily tousled elf, all slim limbs and shadows and hollows. Her mouth was tight, and tension radiated off her. He would have preferred if the clothes she was wearing was tight, it suddenly made him wonder why he agreed to her request for space.

"I warned you before not to wear hideous clothes in front of me, if you come before me dressed like this again. I'll strip the clothes off you and redress you myself. Dressing like this only makes me want to uncover the secrets of your delectable body"

Heat and fire rushed through Amanda, and she felt in a serious danger of falling down.

She turned to stare at him, his molten and dark eyes dropped down her body and to Amanda's mortification, she could feel her breasts swell and peak into hard points against the bra inside her shirt.

"There's nothing wrong with the clothes I've been wearing, they're all part of the trousseau."

Xavier growled. "If that's the case, the stylist is getting sacked. I won't go back on my words about giving you space but I'm warning you, don't push me... and I don't think I'll even be taking you by force if I were to strip you naked and fuck you right now."

She gasped backing away from him.

Xavier smirked. "We both know you go up in flames the minute I touch you. If you had a mirror with you, you really need to see how big and expressive your eyes had become, and then you'll plead for space," he snickered, shaking his head. "You really need to work on your desires a little better. You want me desperately," he drawled.

Amanda felt like putting her defenses into action. She had to make this clear to him.

"I don't love you and I don't want you."

His eyes flashed dangerously, and she wished she had just remained silent.

"I'm happy you don't love me; I don't need it. But you want me."

"I don't..."

"Let's see how true that is." With that he closed the distance between them and captured her mouth in a hot kiss. His arms were around her like steel bands and she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Slowly, her treacherous reaction to his touch started. She tried to remain stiff and unresponsive, but it was impossible. Especially when his mouth softened, broke away for a moment and then came back, firm and yet soft... coaxing and seducing her to respond.

If Amanda had been offered all she wanted in that very moment she wouldn't have been able to articulate it. She was in Xavier's arms and her world was quickly shrinking to the way he was making her feel. Things seemed to escalate with a scary swiftness. His hand was spearing through her hair, massaging her skull, his tongue sliding deep to duel with hers.

She could feel his other hand reach under her baggy top and explore upwards to the bare skin above her trousers, curving over her waist and hip. As if on cue, her breasts tightened and swelled again... hungry for his touch. Against his mouth, Amanda's breath came quick and fast as if she couldn't contain it.

His hand was finally there, cupping her breast, and then almost roughly he pulled down the lace cup of her bra and his thumb found her puckered nipple, sliding back and forth... making Amanda wrench her mouth away completely to suck in air.

Her arms were locked around Xavier's neck and she had no idea how or when she had done that.

All she knew was that there was a fire in her blood and only one person was capable of putting it out. She felt all at once slumberous and yet energized as she had ever felt. Xavier's eyes held her captive. His hand dropped from her head and reached down for her leg, lifting it up so that it hooked slightly around his waist. And then, with a big hand in her buttocks, he pulled her right into him... into where she could feel the throbbing, hard heat of his arousal.

His other hand was still on her breast, teasing that aching, tingling tip. And then reality hit. The very hard reality of just how much she wanted him. How easily he'd seduced her.

Everything he'd just thrown at her had been true. She was weak. She had no control. Immediately, Amanda started to struggle and struggle even harder when she saw the mocking look of triumph cross Xavier's flushed face. He dropped her leg and let her go. To Amanda's intense embarrassment, she could barely stand on both feet.

He reached behind him for his drink, which he had put down before, he drained the glass in one gulp. He arched a dark brow. “I rest my case, Alisha. The only reason we're not horizontal on this floor is because of me. Your control is just an illusion. And next time you say you don't want me, even if it's before this week ends...we won't be stopping"

Amanda felt wrung out, utterly exposed. He'd just shown her exactly who wielded the control, and it wasn't her.

Xavier tore his eyes away from hers. He thought he had just kissed her senseless. But who was he kidding? He had almost become senseless too. He had to finish his drink to calm down his senses. His teeth clenched; he had said her body goes up in flames the minute he touches her, but what about his?

He shook his head and looked at her again, she backed away from him, looking as nervous as hell.

He recalled her trying to kiss him the day they bought her wedding dress, she didn't have any look of shyness in her eyes. And he definitely didn't turn into something feral within touching distance. Why was she suddenly tormenting him since the wedding day?

He swallowed hard realizing that he might really be the one who lacked control.

"I'm really sick and tired of this attitude of yours," he barked.

Amanda stared at the door, what excuse should she give so that she could be in the confines of her bedroom again... away from this man who was confusing her to the core.

"I don't understand," she replied, trying to act unaffected by his sensual onslaught. Her body was still tingling from his kiss.

He took a step closer to her, she backed away from him again, she couldn't get kissed by this man again, she was barely building back her crumbled resolve.

His eyes met hers and he saw something so achingly vulnerable in them.

"I warned you not to look at me like that"

Amanda was genuinely confused. "Like what?"

He grabbed her hand in a burning hold and pulled her closer to him.

"Who the hell are you?"

*********

"Sir, we still can't find her." Those were the last words Miguel heard before he smashed his phone against the wall.

He brushed everything away on his table but that didn't sooth his rage.

"Where the hell are you, Alisha?" He yelled, frantically.

This was the third day now. This was the day he had promised Amanda would leave and Alisha would take her rightful place.

But he had broken that promise. Having no clue where Alisha could have gone was making him livid. He hadn't been this angry his entire life.

On Amanda's arrival back to Italy, he had started planning a romantic date, he was finally going to tell her that he didn't see her as a little sister but as a woman, a very beautiful woman that he would love to spend the rest of his life with.

Though he didn't know if she harbored any romantic feelings for him, he knew he meant something to Amanda.

But that bitch had to ruin everything. Should he just kill her once he found her for making him feel this frantic? Ever since he killed someone in self-defense, he had always had this disturbing thought that the best way to feel calm and free from someone pesky was by ending that person's life.

He quickly shook his head. She was still Amanda's sister, and worse of all, she was Isobel's favorite daughter. Isobel would ruin his life, and most likely kill him too, so he wouldn't gain anything by killing Alisha.

What should he do? How long would Amanda keep staying with that man? It was breaking him apart each time he imagined what that man might be doing to her. He knew Isobel had warned her not to consummate the marriage, but Xavier was a man, a very arrogant man at that, so would he possibly agree if she asked him not to touch her?

He ran a hand through his hair frenziedly. Was he taking her by force then? Was he hurting her? Was he making her cry?

What the fuck was he doing to her?