Verge of Insanity

Chapter Sixteen

Mara Leigh

Dinner had been awful. No one had spoken and Xander wouldn't stop trying to comfort me because I'd accidentally cried when I talked to Beau. I wasn't very happy with Xander either, since he put some bruises on Beau.

Beau had been so...confused. Part of him seemed okay with all of this which made me worried about him. He wasn't even going to try to run, which I knew had to be the bond. But the other part of him seemed like he just wanted out.

All the things I told him about Ella probably ain't making this any easier for him to get used to, I thought as I followed Xander up the stairs.

As soon as we entered the bedroom and he had the door closed, I brought it up.

"Why does Beau look like he's been beat up?" I asked, sitting on the bed and crossing my arms and legs.

Xander shrugged, walking over to me. "He was stupid enough to run away with my mate and he has a smart mouth."

"That's no reason to hurt him!" I scoffed.

"On the contrary, honey. That's plenty of reason to kill him."

I rolled my eyes. He was impossible.

"I would have done worse had Ella not told me not to hurt him, then showed up to save his butt when he decided to get smart with me."

I laughed. "Like you wouldn't get smart if you were in his place."

He sent me a look, but didn't say more.

I lay back on his bed. I was pretty tired from tossing and turning, wondering about Xander last night. I heard him walk to his dresser and shuffle through the drawers, then when the bathroom door closed and the shower came on, I knew he'd be a while.

Grabbing a pair of shorts and a tank top, I started changing. I'd usually wear a gown, because they were cooler, but no way was I walking around like that with him here. 

I'd gotten my shirt off and was about to put on my tank top when I felt arms around my waist. Screaming I looked back and saw a very happy looking Xander. I elbowed his stomach, not hurting him at all.

"Let go of me! I'm not dressed!" I shrieked at him.

He calmly kissed my shoulder and let me go. "That's the point, darlin'."

I held my shirt to my chest, covering my bra and stomach as best I could and glared at him as he walked to his dresser. All my anger vanished when I realized he was shirtless. I dropped to sit on the edge of the bed, mouth wide open.

Excuse my language, but... daaaaaaammmmnnnn....

"You're ogling me again," he said, digging in his drawer.

I blushed, wondering how he knew. He walked over to me and bent down to look in my face. 

"I can feel your eyes on me," he whispered. "I like it."

He moved in and gently kissed me. I was so hypnotized that I let him. It ended too soon for me, and I was ashamed to say that if he hadn't quickly pulled away and walked back to the bathroom before I could stop him, I probably would have asked for more.

What is this man doing to me? I asked myself, finishing changing and sliding down to the floor at the foot of the bed, hugging my knees to my chest. Beau is right, I have given up. And it was because Xander had somehow made me. I'd gone from running away from him to craving time with him.

Just like a good girl getting hooked on drugs, I thought, putting my head in my hands.

I was losing it. My mind, my resistance, everything.