Of how close Xavier stood.

Of how his body heat sank into my skin, urging me to step closer, just a little bit, so my chest pressed against his and I could discover for myself whether his hair felt as soft as it looked between my fingers.

It’s the alcohol. Never mind the fact I’d had my last drink two hours ago or that it’d become my default excuse. It was the only plausible explanation for why I was feeling these…things around Xavier Castillo, of all people.

“Sloane.” His quiet voice made my name sound like a caress. “Yes?” The breathlessness that escaped sounded nothing like me. It belonged to a stranger, the type who would succumb to dimples and broad shoulders and eyes the color of rich melting chocolate.

“You should leave.” A rough edge turned his words into a warning.

He was right. I should. It was late, and I had to finish writing my movie review, and…and…My mind blanked.

“Why?”

Another shiver ran down my neck when the distance between us shortened by another inch.

“Because it’s late,” Xavier said softly. “And because…” He trailed off when I licked my lips in a brief, involuntary movement.

His gaze latched on to my mouth, and my parched throat dried even more.

The world narrowed to this very moment, beneath the dim lights of the library, listening to our escalating breaths sync with each other.

And when he let out a tortured “fuck” and dipped his head, molding his mouth to mine, it didn’t even occur to me to pull away.

This was the world, and I never wanted to leave.

Logic and reasoning fell to tatters in the scorching tangle of lips and teeth. One hand grabbed my nape and pulled me closer; the other splayed across my back, burning through cashmere and skin to turn me boneless.

My mouth parted in a moan, and his tongue pushed inside, caressing mine in strokes so lazy and sensual, I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. He tasted like an addictive combination of heat and spices, and the warmth of his touch curled through my stomach, between my thighs, and traveled all the way down to my toes.

I didn’t know how long we stayed there, but it was enough for me to slide my fingers through his hair and confirm that yes, it really was that soft, and yes, he really did taste that good, and no, I’d never, ever come this close to unraveling.

I would’ve happily drowned in the embrace, but reality intervened as it always did, and we broke apart with a gasp for breath.

We stared at each other, our chests heaving. My lips tingled in the aftermath, and the air felt like ice water after the heat of our kiss.

A hint of red glazed Xavier’s cheekbones. I noticed with some embarrassment that his lips were swollen, and…

Fuck. I did that. We did that. I…We’d…I’d let him…

This time, reality wasn’t so much a gentle slip as it was a slap in the face.

Every muscle locked as the implications of what just happened crashed over me.

I’d just kissed a client. Not only a client, but someone whose inheritance I was one-fifths in charge of thanks to some stupid fucking will I’d never asked to participate in.

Dread curdled in my gut.

Xavier must’ve picked up on my mood shift because his shoulders tensed to match mine. “Sloane—”

“I have to go.” I grabbed my purse, which had fallen to the ground sometime during our kiss. “We’ll discuss your business plan later.”

I spun around and scrambled out of the library before he had a chance to respond.

The thunder of my pulse followed me all the way downstairs, out the door, and across the grounds to Valhalla’s gated entrance.

I’d just told my friends Xavier wasn’t my type, and then I’d gone and done that. What the hell was I thinking?

I hadn’t been thinking. That was the problem. I’d let my hormones take the wheel, and they’d driven me straight to Stupidville.

“It’s the dry spell,” I said aloud. Either that, or Isabella had acquired a magical ability to manifest anything she said into reality. Normally, I’d be terrified—she read way too much dinosaur erotica to safely possess such a power—but I would rather deal with that than consider the remaining explanation.

I, Sloane Kensington, was attracted to Xavier Castillo.

No, not just attracted to, but liked. Enough to forget my strict rules about not getting involved with clients. Enough to let him kiss me and to kiss him back.

I groaned and pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes.

I’m so fucked.

CHAPTER 19

Xavier

Kissing Sloane had been a mistake. Not because I regretted doing it, but because once I did it, I couldn’t imagine not doing it again.

It’d been a week since the library, and I still couldn’t get her out of my mind. The warmth of her skin, the softness of her lips, the way her curves fit against my body like they were made for me. She’d smelled like fresh snow and lavender and tasted like heaven, and I couldn’t even pass by a damn bakery without remembering how sweet her mouth had been against mine.

I had a ton of important business meetings lined up over the next two weeks, but our kiss had taken my focus hostage.

The physical attraction had been there since we met, but besides lighthearted flirting, I never made a move before Valhalla. I told myself I didn’t want to complicate our relationship or fuck up the terms of my allowance, when in reality, a part of me suspected that giving in to that attraction would spell the end for me.

Then we’d started working together and I’d discovered the layers beneath her rigid exterior. The intelligence. The conviction. The fierce loyalty to those she cared about. And I no longer suspected but knew, especially after that kiss, that Sloane Kensington was it. Just like that.

The only problem was I doubted she felt the same way, and even if she did feel the same way, her defenses were so locked down she’d never admit it.

“Are you listening to me?” She dragged my thoughts away from their brooding and back to the task at hand.

“Of course.” I flashed an easy smile that was more muscle memory than emotion.

We were at her office in Midtown. It was our first time meeting in person since the library, and Sloane had jumped right into business like our kiss never happened.

I’d expected it, but it prickled nonetheless. “What did I just say?” She crossed her arms.

“I need to get the ball rolling on licenses, location and staffing. I should meet with Dante. I have a preliminary phone interview with Mode de Vie about this new venture, and as a courtesy, the chairwoman of Castillo Group’s board has sent me a shortlist of CEO candidates.” A genuine grin peeked out at her frown. “Do I get a gold medal?”

“For doing the bare minimum? No.” She tapped her tablet. “Okay, let’s go over the PR strategy for the grand opening. I realize this may be putting the cart before the horse, but if everything goes smoothly, the event is in six months. People’s calendars are probably already booked, but I’ll make it work. We want a curated group of influencers and tastemakers in attendance, and if you insist on bringing your friends, you need to get them under control. I don’t want to see Tilly Denman stealing gift bags again.” “Is it really a party if Tilly isn’t her usual kleptomaniac self?”