Page 9 of The Devious Husband

“I’m not married,” he repeats, his tone filled with exasperation. “Seriously, Sierra. Do you truly think so little of me?” He grabs my waist, anger simmering in his eyes as he walks me backwards, until I’m pressed against the wall. “Did you really think I’d wrap your legs around my shoulders like that, kiss your soft skin, tease you?”

We’re both breathing hard, his body heat seeping into my skin as we look into each other’s eyes. “I don’t think of you at all,” I lie.

His eyes flash, and then he leans in, his lips brushing over my ear. “Liar,” he whispers, his breath tickling my skin. A shiver runs down my spine, and Xavier must feel me responding to him, because he laughs, the sound husky and so damn sexy.

I bite down on my lip when he kisses me just below my ear, and I subconsciously tilt my head, allowing him better access. “You think of me all the time, Kitten,” he claims, his teeth grazing over a sensitive part of my neck. “You think of me every time you decide not to attend an event at the very last second, because you’d just found out I’d be there.” His hand wraps into my hair, and he kisses my neck, his touch featherlight. “You think of me each time you pull out of a property auction or retract a development proposal.”

“I don’t,” I whisper, my voice as weak as my resolve.

Xavier chuckles and pulls back to look at me, his gaze affectionate. “Then I’d better make sure I give you something to think about, hmm?”

He cups my face and gently brushes his thumb over my lips, his gaze searching. My heart instantly begins to race, my entire body reacting to the desire in his eyes. When he looks at me that way, all rhyme and reason disappears, leaving me craving the one thing I shouldn’t.

Xavier tilts his head and leans in until his lips are hovering over mine, and my heart thunders in my chest, longing making me lightheaded, desperate. I tilt my hips just a touch, needing to feel more of him, and he groans as his lips crash against mine. I moan when he parts my lips and deepens our kiss instantly, almost like he’s just as aware as I am that this moment won’t last, that it’s a lapse in judgment we’ll soon correct.

Xavier pushes his hips into me before he grabs my waist and lifts me up against the wall, his hands moving to my thighs as my ankles lock behind his back. “Fuck,” he groans, driving his erection into me with the same kind of need I’m feeling. My arms wrap around his neck, and he moans against my mouth when my fingers thread into his hair. “Sierra.” My name is a plea on his lips, a wish, one I can’t help but want to fulfill.

My hands brush over the buttons of his shirt, and I begin to undo them, loving the feel of his skin against my palm. He moans deep in his throat and slides his hands to my ass, squeezing as he rolls his hips. He’s breathing hard, and I smile against his mouth as I slide his shirt off his shoulders, only to startle at the sound of a door slamming.

“Xave!” a female voice calls, and Xavier puts me down in a rush, his eyes wide with panic. He pulls his shirt closed and rushes to button up, every hint of desire replaced by something akin to terror. Before I can even fully process what’s going on, Valeria walks into the living room, an oven dish in her hands.

“I brought you some linguine and—” her voice trails off when she notices me standing in Xavier’s living room, and her eyes go wide as she stumbles back, the oven dish slipping from her hands and shattering into pieces on the floor, coating her feet in pasta.

“Valeria!” Xavier shouts, rushing up to her, his eyes brimming with concern. My heart wrenches when he kneels in front of her and pulls his shirt off to clean her feet with. Neither of them even seems to notice when I walk out of the room, shame and regret crashing through me.

Nine

Sierra

I decline Xavier’s call for the seventeenth’s time today and try my hardest to focus on my work, but every few minutes, I’m reminded of last night. What was I thinking, kissing Xavier Kingston? I must’ve momentarily lost my mind. My phone rings again, and I turn it off altogether. I stole one of his cars last night and drove it home, but my driver returned it this morning, so there’s absolutely no reason for me to speak to him.

I sigh and bury my face in my hands, my heart heavy. When he told me that he isn’t romantically involved with anyone, I believed him. For years, I genuinely believed that he might be crafty with words, but he never lied to me, and I should’ve known better. He’s a deceitful, dishonorable liar, and I’m nothing but a gullible fool.

This is exactly why I’ve stayed away from him for years, why I distanced myself after that very first kiss. I’ve never been the kind of person that’d knowingly hurt another woman, and in any case, I’m not after a cheap fling. I’ve always wanted more than that.

My chest aches as I think about my five older brothers and my sisters-in-law, each of them uniquely perfect for their spouse. I want that. I want the kind of intimacy they have, where one person always knows what the other is thinking, without any words being exchanged at all. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted my own happily ever after, and getting involved with Xavier Kingston is a surefire way to ensure I’ll never have it.

My gaze drifts to the window as I begin to wonder when it’ll be my turn. Just like my siblings, I’ll end up in a marriage arranged by my grandmother, and I can’t help but wonder… will the man she chooses for me captivate me? Would he be able to finally make me stop thinking about Xavier Kingston?

“Sierra?” Claire says, snapping me out of my thoughts. I look up to find my sweet assistant hovering by the door, looking nervous. “There’s a Mr. Graham Thorne here to see you. I told him that your schedule is packed, but he insisted that I let you know he’s here.”

I smile involuntarily and nod. “Let him in,” I tell her. “He’s a friend, Claire. Please add him to my approved visitor list.”

Her shoulders sag in relief, and she smiles sweetly. Claire has been with me for so many years, but she’s still exactly the same person she was when I first hired her. Honest, hardworking, and loyal. She’s one of my best paid employees and one of the people I depend on most, but she’s never let it get to her head. I doubt she realizes just how rare it is to meet people like her, who are truly earnest. Unlike Xavier damn Kingston.

“Sierra!” Graham says as he walks into my office wearing the biggest smile.

I rise to my feet and walk around my desk to hug him, my mood instantly lifted. He squeezes me tightly before letting go, and I grin up at him. “What brings you here? I wasn’t expecting you!”

“It’s work, I’m afraid,” he tells me, holding up his briefcase. “My parents insist that I work with you. Apparently, you’ve become quite the industry titan.”

I raise a brow, intrigued, and he hands me a folder detailing a development plan for a shopping mall that’s been on my radar for a while. “You think we should jointly acquire and develop this?” I ask, holding up the folder. “I guess if we work together, we could make it work, but you should know that this is a plot of land that?—”

“—that Xavier Kingston has his eye on. I know.” Graham smiles at me. “If you wanted to, I reckon you could win this bid all by yourself, but it’s a high-risk acquisition since the area hasn’t been developed yet.”

I nod as I begin to mentally run the numbers. “I’m not sure…” I murmur. I wouldn’t even have considered it at all if it hadn’t been Graham asking me. He’s always been sensible, and from what I understand, he’s grown his family’s overseas holdings at a higher rate than anyone thought possible. I have no doubt he’ll do amazing things here too, now that he’s back home. I don’t stand to lose much by working with him, but this specific project… it’s not one I’m sure I want to get involved in, considering how badly Xavier wants it.

“I think you should let me take you out for dinner so I can ply you with good food and drinks as I make my case.”