So wet for me

Xavier's stride was predatory as he pursued Cathleen across the gravel drive, the crunch of stones under his shoes punctuating his intent. She reached for the SUV's handle, sleek and silver under the sun's glare, but Xavier's hand shot out, beating her to it with a swift, deliberate motion. He pulled the door open wide, the hinges groaning softly under his control.

"Mrs. Knight," he began, his voice measured yet thick with an unspoken command, "I am rather having a less busy day today. Do you mind if I drive you around?"

Cathleen turned, her gaze slicing through him with practiced precision. "Since when did you become a driver?" she probed, suspicion lacing her words like poison on a blade.

Xavier's throat tightened; his usual arsenal of retorts lay dormant. "Let's just say," he said, with a falter that he despised, "you look too beautiful to be driving yourself today."

A mocking glint sparked in Cathleen's eyes. "You could have asked Caleb or anyone else to drive me. Why did you brin