Awakened by the Vampire Prince 2(14)

“Look, I don’t know what this Cheri female told you but I never put a finger on her. She was the one who came on to me. She touched me. I declined her offer. I could only think of you, dammit.” He stepped forward, putting his hand out to touch her and then thought better of it. He took a deep breath, his brow was creased. His eyes were dark. Xavier shook his head and clasped a hand to the back of his neck. “Why did you approach York if you wanted me? I need some sort of closure on this Esral.”

His use of her name shook her into answering him. “I told you, I was desperate. You were in that room today. My father…”

“I know all of that…why didn’t you come to me? Why did you let me…” He spoke so softly, his eyes lightened up a tad. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

“I didn’t think you wanted me.” She shrugged. “Then I found out that I was wrong. You have no idea how happy I was until…” She felt her cheeks heat as she remembered how he couldn’t wait to leave her after he had given her the most amazing orgasm.

“Tell me what you were going to say.” Xavier clutched her arm lightly. “Just tell me. I need to know what the hell is going on inside that head of yours.”

She pulled away from him. “You ran out earlier like your backside was on fire. I wasn’t trying to trap you, I swear. You—”

“Do you have any idea how close I came to rutting you?” He stood just a few inches away from her. She breathed in his heat, his manly scent. “I could scent that you were still in need.” He took a small step back, running a hand through his hair and threw out a strangled chuckle. “In hindsight I should’ve just parted your thighs and taken what you offered. We could’ve avoided this whole mess.”

She gasped, but only because his words caused nectar to pool at her core. It irritated her because it was just so inappropriate. She tried to ignore his comment and focused instead on answering his original question. “I planned on speaking with York, telling him that I retracted my offer to mate with him but Cheri blindsided me. She told me you had tried”—she swallowed hard—“to rut her.”

His eyes darkened.

“The meeting was straight after. I was still in shock. When we walked into my father’s chamber, I saw that you recognized Cheri and thought she had been telling the truth. I wasn’t thinking straight. I had planned on asking you about it but everything happened so fast.” Esral took in a deep breath, feeling anger swirl inside her. “She is such a conniving, scheming…”

“You thought I tried to rut her and you were angry with me?”

Esral nodded. “And hurt.”

“That’s why you let York claim you?”

She nodded, feeling despair and hopelessness set in. “Yes, I had no other choice. Please don’t hurt York. He is only trying to help me.”

“More like help himself,” Xavier mumbled. “I won’t hurt him unless he forces my hand.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with. I’m glad we sorted this out.” He smiled and she thought her heart would break just seeing his masculine beauty. He cupped her cheek, forcing her to look at him. “Thank the Gods! You need to know that you are the only one for me…you, Esral. Do you hear me?”

She nodded, knowing that she should put an end to this but how could she? She was destined to mate York in three days but Xavier was the male she had wanted for the longest time. She should never have believed a single word that came out of Cheri’s mouth. Esral had made a colossal mess of everything and was going to lose everything she held dear and there was nothing she could do about it.

“I don’t want Cheri”—his eyes darkened as he said her name on a growl before capturing Esral’s lips for a second—“or anyone else.” Another low growl that did weird things to her insides. He kissed her again. It shocked her to hear a desperate whimper escape her.

Xavier’s nostrils flared. She knew that he could scent her nectar. Just being in the same room as him drove her wild. The knowledge that all she was wearing was a silken nightgown had her clenching her teeth.

“I need to touch you. Please, princess.” It was Xavier’s turn to sound desperate.

She shook her head. “Yes,” she said on a breathy sigh. Squeezing her eyes shut for a second before she realized what she had just said. Esral had meant to turn him down.

Xavier kissed her again, causing her toes to curl into the thick woolen rug on the floor. She clung to him for support, feeling his muscles shift beneath his thin leather vest. When he pulled away, he was smiling. “It can’t be yes and no. Has to be one or the other.” His eyes dropped to her lips and he licked his own.