Fated

Chapter 18: Weak For Him

Addie POV:

The night was good except part of me was annoyed at how easily Xander had everyone wrapped around his finger and it wasn't just the girls. The guys fell into easy conversation with him, too. The girls ogled and some of the guys ogled him. That's what was even more annoying. The unexplained jealousy I felt anytime a girl batted her eyelashes at him was unacceptable. And yet, I'd find myself involuntarily setting my hand on his arm which only elicited smug looks from him.

It wasn't just that. It was the way he consistently set his hand on my bare back, trailing his fingers up and down my spine, leaving me feeling tingly and needy. It was driving me crazy. A simple touch like that shouldn't have me panting after him but it did. There was something in his touch, something that part of me felt I'd been missing my whole life. Which was ridiculous, of course.

And yet...

Every time his skin touched mine I was set on fire. Sometimes he'd flatten his palm against my back and I'd have to clamp my legs together because of the ache it created. No person should be able to affect another like this. It was wrong. It was inhumane. Xander was kind enough to point out that I only felt it was inhumane because I didn't accept his offer of release. How he knew I was aroused, I don't know. But the look on his face told me he wasn't joking when I brought it up.

"I know," he said, his eyes dark as his fingers pressed into my back and his lips pressed against my ear. "Trust me, I know."

Needless to say, despite the fact that the evening went all right, I was a wreck when it was time to leave because it meant being alone with him and I'd quickly discovered I couldn't trust myself. My mind had already started going wild about the ways he could ease that ache between my legs the second we were in the car. I thought back to our almost-kiss in the office and wanted to cry at how good it felt and he was barely touching me.

Despite his occasional lewd comments, he was a gentleman. Pulling my chair out, opening doors for me, and putting his jacket over my shoulders when it was time to leave. I almost wished he wasn't. It made it harder to come up with reasons I shouldn't let him just ease the ache.

How about the fact you don't even know him?

Right. There was that. The problem was I felt so weak for him. I never felt weak, I always felt confident in myself and my abilities but he had a way of making me feel like every single wall I had could crumble from just one touch or one word. It was terrifying notion for someone with trust issues as bad as I had.

We walked back to the parking garage with the same group and he behaved the same as he had when we arrived, his arm snugly around my waist, his strong hand pulling me into his side.

We bid farewell to the group and he opened my car door for me before getting in himself. The second the doors were closed he leaned towards me, his hand pulling my face to his. He stopped with our lips centimetres apart from each other, causing my breath to hitch.

"For the love of Goddess, unless you want me to relieve you please control your thoughts. You're killing me," he groaned, leaning his head down and pressing a kiss to my neck that had my stomach fluttering.

He released me and sat back in his seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly and pulling out of the garage quickly. I glanced over at him, breathless from his words and still feeling the kiss against my neck even though we weren't even touching.

"You can read my mind?" I asked, mortified.

"No," he chuckled, shaking his head and tightening his hold on the wheel. "Although I wish I could because whatever you're thinking must have you really worked up. I could smell your arousal a mile away."