The air between them was still heavy, thick with the heat of what they had just done. Sasha's lips were swollen from his kisses, her chest rising and falling unevenly as she pressed her trembling hands against his chest to stop him from leaning closer.
"Xavier..." Her voice cracked, fragile, almost apologetic. She forced the words out, clutching onto them like a lifeline. "I don't... I don't want you."
Xavier froze, his dark eyes narrowing. For a moment, there was silence. The kind that made her stomach twist because she knew he wasn't the kind of man who believed lies-especially ones delivered with shaking hands and a voice drenched in hesitation.
He leaned back slightly, against the headboard, studying her face like he was reading a book only he understood. Then his jaw flexed, a smal
