Chapter Thirteen- Cairo
1589 Words
Waking up beside Xander should have irritated me.
That was what I told myself.
It should have.
After everything that man had done over the last four months, I should have woken up annoyed, uncomfortable, and ready to leave.
But I didn’t.
I woke up warm.
Really warm.
Xander’s arm was wrapped around me, his body close behind mine, holding me as though I were something precious.
Possessive, yes.
Definitely possessive.
But there was something else beneath it.
Something softer.
Something that made it difficult to pull away.
I lay there quietly for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
Then I turned slightly.
I thought he was asleep.
He wasn’t.
Xander was already looking at me.
Intensely.
But unlike his usual stare, this one wasn’t frightening.
There was warmth in it.
“What are you looking at?”
His answer came without hesitation.
“I’m looking directly at you.”
I blinked.
Of course.
“You’re impossible.”
I carefully removed his arm and sat up.
“I’m getting up.”
He didn’t stop me.
I went downstairs.
Breakfast was already waiting.
Naturally.
The man could apparently control everything except the fact that I needed to eat.
I sat down and started eating.
A few minutes later, Xander came downstairs.
He sat opposite me.
“So,” he said, “what are you doing today?”
I looked at him.
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“You’re the one who told me to come here.”
His expression changed.
“Don’t start.”
There it was.
That tone.
Firm.
Final.
I immediately decided I didn’t want to argue before breakfast.
“Fine.”
I continued eating.
He sighed.
“I have a few things to do.”
“Work?”
“Some meetings.”
“So you brought me here so you could work?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“I only have a few meetings.”
I waited.
“Afterward, we’ll walk around the estate.”
“Okay.”
That sounded reasonable.
⸻
After breakfast, I went upstairs.
I didn’t need to unpack anything.
Apparently, I had an entire wardrobe in this man’s house.
I still couldn’t understand that.
I took a shower and changed into a butter-yellow two-piece outfit.
The fabric was incredibly soft.
Everything in that closet seemed designed specifically for me.
I came downstairs.
We had lunch together.
Afterward, Xander looked at me.
“Ready?”
“For what?”
“The walk.”
“Oh.”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
We stepped outside.
The afternoon air was cool.
The estate was even more beautiful during the day.
We walked past the gardens.
Then I noticed something I hadn’t seen before.
A stable.
I stopped.
“You have horses?”
Xander looked at me.
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since I bought the property.”
I stared at the horses.
There were several.
Beautiful animals.
Then I saw one.
White.
Pure white.
I stopped walking.
I remembered having a horse when I was younger.
A white horse.
I’d loved riding.
Until life got busy.
Eventually, I’d stopped.
“I want that one.”
Xander followed my gaze.
“The white one?”
I nodded.
He said nothing.
A few minutes later, we were both mounted.
Xander on a dark black horse.
Me on the white one.
And then we rode into the woods.
⸻
It was peaceful.
Almost unbelievably peaceful.
The woods stretched endlessly around us.
Tall trees.
Lush greenery.
Soft sunlight breaking through the branches.
The sound of hooves against the earth.
For the first time in months, I wasn’t thinking about work.
I wasn’t thinking about Xander’s rules.
I wasn’t thinking about what I was wearing.
I wasn’t thinking about asking permission.
I was just…
Happy.
I laughed when my horse picked up speed.
Xander looked back at me.
“Slow down.”
“I’m fine.”
“Cairo.”
“I’m fine!”
He shook his head.
But I saw the corner of his mouth lift.
We continued riding until the sun began sinking.
Eventually, we turned back.
By the time we reached the house, I was exhausted.
“Tired?”
“A little.”
“Go upstairs.”
He dismounted.
“Shower. Change. I’ll make dinner.”
I stared at him.
“You’ll what?”
“The maid already left.”
He looked completely serious.
“I’m cooking.”
“You can cook?”
He gave me a look.
“Go.”
I laughed.
“Okay.”
⸻
I changed into dark chocolate pajamas.
Long sleeves.
Soft fabric.
Comfortable.
I was probably going to sleep soon anyway.
When I came downstairs, I stopped.
Xander was wearing an apron.
I stared.
“You look ridiculous.”
He looked at me.
“You’re wearing pajamas.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re going to sleep soon.”
He considered that.
“Fair.”
Then he turned back toward the kitchen.
The smell coming from the stove was incredible.
I sat down.
A few minutes later, he served dinner.
Steak.
I took one bite.
My eyes widened.
“Wow.”
Xander looked at me.
“Good?”
“This is amazing.”
He relaxed.
“Good.”
I looked at him.
“I didn’t know you could cook.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
Something about the way he said it made me quiet.
I took another bite.
The steak practically melted in my mouth.
“This is really good.”
He smiled faintly.
“I know.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t become arrogant.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
He laughed quietly.
And something about hearing Xander laugh made me pause.
I hadn’t heard that sound often.
Maybe never.
Not like this.
Soft.
Natural.
For once, he wasn’t intimidating.
He wasn’t controlling.
He was just…
Xander.
And I liked him like this.
⸻
After dinner, he told me he had some work to finish.
I went upstairs.
I texted Caleb.
Me: I’m still at your brother’s house.
His response was immediate.
Caleb: Again?!
I laughed.
Me: Yes.
Caleb: Princess, you two are behaving more like a couple than anybody else.
I nearly dropped my phone.
Me: No.
Caleb: 😂
Me: God forbid.
Caleb: You’re literally spending weekends at his house.
Me: He invited me.
Caleb: And you keep going.
I stared at the message.
I didn’t have an answer.
So I ignored him.
⸻
Eventually, Xander returned.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Want to do anything?”
I shook my head.
“I’m tired.”
“Okay.”
He went into the bathroom.
When he came back, he was wearing dark pajamas.
He walked toward the bed.
Then looked at me.
“Come here.”
I knew what he meant.
I moved closer.
Scooted over.
He lay down.
I rested against his chest.
His arm came around me.
His fingers moved slowly through my hair.
And I closed my eyes.
There was no argument.
No rules.
No questions.
No Who are you talking to?
No What are you wearing?
Just silence.
Warmth.
Peace.
I thought about the last four months.
Xander was possessive.
Crazy.
Controlling.
Sometimes completely insane.
He could make me want to scream.
But underneath all of that…
There was care.
Real care.
He sent lunch to my office every single day.
He noticed when I was tired.
He remembered things I said casually.
He knew when something was wrong before I told him.
He had built an entire wardrobe for me.
He had created a place where I could rest.
He had taken me riding through the woods.
He had cooked dinner for me.
And even when his methods were…
Questionable…
I could feel what was underneath them.
He cared about me.
Maybe too much.
Maybe in a way that wasn’t entirely healthy.
But it was there.
I opened my eyes slightly.
Xander was looking down at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He continued stroking my hair.
I closed my eyes again.
For some reason, I didn’t want him to stop.
I liked this.
I liked being cared for.
I liked knowing someone noticed me.
I liked the way Xander made sure I had eaten.
I liked the clothes.
I liked the quiet.
I liked this house.
And most surprisingly…
I liked being here with him.
That realization frightened me more than anything.
Because Xander wasn’t just becoming someone I tolerated.
He was becoming someone I was beginning to trust.
Someone whose presence brought me comfort.
Someone whose arms felt strangely safe.
I didn’t understand it.
I wasn’t ready to name it.
But as his fingers continued moving gently through my hair, I realized something.
Maybe beneath all that possessiveness was something I had never allowed myself to see.
Love.
Maybe Xander had been loving me in the only way he knew how.
A terribly intense, terribly overwhelming, sometimes completely unreasonable way.
But still…
Love.
And the most frightening part?
I didn’t hate it.
I loved the softness beneath him.
I loved the care.
I loved the warmth.
And as I drifted to sleep against his chest, I found myself wondering whether I’d been wrong about Xander all along.
Maybe he wasn’t simply trying to control me.
Maybe he had been trying, in his own broken way, to make sure I never felt alone.
And for the first time…
I wasn’t sure I wanted him to stop.
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