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Chapter 27
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Counterbalance Chapter 28
Closing his eyes, he dropped his forehead to hers, his large hands smoothing her hair. Then, he kissed her, not with passion or heat or need, but with tenderness. Feather-light, he brushed his lips across hers before he opened and, as if having all the time in existence, stroked her tongue. A caress. An unhurried narrative of patience and acceptance and some kind of deeper meaning she couldn't quite grasp.Unsure whether to weep or sigh, she cupped his cheeks and held him pressed against her in a way that seemed much more intimate than the act they'd just finished. He could be such a contradiction that he left her reeling. Never harsh, forever observant, sometimes shy, often commanding, rarely indifferent, and alwaysalwaysconsiderate. Alpha and beta. Dominant and submissive.He pulled away, holding her face, staring into her eyes. His mouth opened as if to say something, but he dragged his thumb across her lower lip like he wanted to pull words from her instead. "What's wrong?" A
Counterbalance Chapter 29
Late afternoon on Tuesday, Xavier leaned back in his chair as Peyton strode into his office wearing a navy blue dress that made her eyes brighter and hugged every subtle curve of her body. He scanned her long legs before letting his gaze hover on her mouth. And sighed. Those red lips had been wrapped around a certain part of him a few days prior, and he couldn't shake the reminder whenever she was within a hundred feet of him."You ready?" She smiled, setting her hands on her hips.Hell, yes. He was more than ready. For their date on Saturday and to take things to the next level. Damn, just to take her period. But that's not what she meant. The reporter and photographer from the magazine were here for his exclusive interview. He'd rather chew nails.He rose and smoothed his tie. "Sure.""Okay, just like we discussed, we're going to take photos with the heads of the various departments in the company, then sit down for the interview." She stepped in front of him and adjusted the l
Counterbalance Chapter 30
Two years ago, it had been her idea to get more actively involved in a charity for his image. What she probably hadn't known was he'd already been playing with the idea, and it was her history, his connection to her, that had launched the entire thing. He hadn't been able to help those she'd loved before it was too late, but he could do something for others in similar situations. She'd been, and still was, the heart behind the project."That's amazing." Daniel made a few notes. "Miss Smoke, you do quite a bit for the charity as well, correct?""From a marketing standpoint." She smoothed her skirt. "It's a cause close to my heart, regardless."Which was bull. She could name every single veteran on their list, along with their spouses and children, and not because of her excellent memory. Peyton gave a shit, even though she'd had all but no one to do the same for her in return. Once again, she was minimizing her role and importance.Daniel nodded. "You started at Gaines Industries al
Counterbalance Chapter 31
"Where's Moneybags taking you to dinner? Paris? Vienna? I'll bet a private plane is involved." Kate flopped sideways on Peyton's bed."He doesn't have a private plane." Not that he couldn't afford one. Using the vanity mirror, Peyton slid in hoop earrings. "And he wouldn't tell me where. Just said to wear a dress." Ergo, the little black cocktail number she'd put on. It seemed like the safe bet."He's being mysterious, huh?" Kate sat up, her red curls a flurry around her oval face. She traced a finger over the floral pattern on the comforter. "He seems to really like you."Peyton turned and leaned a hip against the vanity edge. "Liking me was never a problem for us. We always got along great."With a slow nod, Kate glanced at the window. "I mean, he likes you, likes you." Her gaze slid to Peyton's. "He's this self-righteous, privileged jackass most of the time, but lately...I don't know.""X is..." Peyton rubbed her forehead, trying to think of a way to explain without breeching X
Counterbalance Chapter 32
She chewed her lip and figured if anyone would understand, it would be Xavier. He'd spent his adolescent years awkwardly getting by and most of his adulthood questioning who he could truly trust. Or, rather, who liked him as a person versus just for his money.After a sip of wine for courage, she opened a door she'd closed long ago. "Brian and Mark met in boot camp and came up the ranks together. My brother brought him home on leave, and we just kind of...came together. There wasn't a moment or anything, he was simply there. I think I was convenient at first. At least, in his mind. A few weeks later, they reported for their first tour, and I got to know him better through emails than we did face-to-face." She smiled, gaze lost on her plate. "I fell in love with him through the computer. Is that stupid?""Not at all." He frowned, jaw ticking. "Go on."Since he seemed more concerned than tense, she rubbed her forehead. "We continued the relationship for a couple years. We'd see each o
Counterbalance Chapter 33
With one hand on the wheel, Xavier rested his elbow on the window well and rubbed his lips in thought while he drove his Jag through the rain-soaked streets. A yellow glow from the lampposts hit the drops on his hood and windshield. Somehow, it escaped his notice it had stormed while they'd been in the restaurant. He supposed he'd had his own storm brewing.Peyton had forever and always maintained the ability to clobber him with the equivalent of an emotional battering ram. Yet, the stuff she'd told him tonight about her former fiancé sat like battery acid in his gut. Not only had her whole family been wiped out and she'd lost a man she loved, but Xavier was starting to get a full HD view of the extent of her loneliness. And it had begun long before Mark shot himself.Xavier was no expert, but he'd been raised by two parents who loved each other to the ends of the earth. He'd been surrounded by affection. How Peyton described her relationship with Mark didn't sound like love. It lean
Counterbalance Chapter 34
Her grin widened. "Then why are you standing by the bed?"He had no clue. To savor? Download this exact moment to his memory in case he was dreaming?Stripping out of his pants and briefs, he crawled across the mattress and straddled her. Her satisfied smirk punched the breath from his lungs. "You're really beautiful, you know that?" Weight on his arms, he leaned down and kissed her throat, her chin."I do now," she panted, tilting her head to give him better access.He saved that comment to ask her about later and kissed his way to her breasts. He could spend a decade on her chest alone. He took one beaded tip in his mouth and sucked hard. She wrapped her arms around his head as if to hold him there. Like he had any plans to move. Testing her, he bit her nipple, wondering if she wanted fast and hard or long and slow their first time. She'd responded to both his reckless, desperate side and his more gentle, controlled one, but that hadn't been during sex. Normally, he'd take hi
Counterbalance Chapter 35
Perched on the vanity counter in Xavier's bathroom, Peyton swung her legs and waited while he took out his contacts. She'd already removed hers and brushed her teeth. He'd thrown on a pair of black briefs and had her slip into his button-down shirt he'd worn earlier. The casualness of their undress, plus the domestic scene of their toothbrushes beside one another's, kept tripping her mental focus.It wasn't as if she hadn't been in a relationship before. It had just been a long time. Mark's toiletries had shared space with hers, but he'd been gone so much that it hadn't seemed real sometimes. He'd been as much a ghost in her life as her parents' memory.This...was different. Every experience with Xavier was different. From the way he touched her to how he spoke, he gave the impression she wasn't simply someone beside him sharing oxygen or a warm body to pass time. Rather, he saw her, the woman. Inside, out, up, down, throughout...and every crevice in between. And he apparently liked
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