WANT (Complete ✔️)

Chapter Eighty Three

Lia

"Your obsession with cameras is making me want to get one." I mumble with defeat as we walk out of the studio. We've been shooting all day for the book I've designed alongside Clévon and Zahra.

Kayden gets an excited glint in his eyes.

"Get the Samsung digimax one, you won't regret it."

"Kayden," I coo with a pout, disappointed that he's egging me on, "You're supposed to discourage me."

"But I can't do that," he returns my energy only with a flirtatious flare in his smile, "But I will if you agree to go on that date with me."

That gets me blushing.

"Kayden."

He means no harm and is genuinely interested in me but it's not fair to him if I let him take me on a date when I'm hung up on someone else.

After a beat of silence, I change the subject.

"I really think the photos came out good today."

"Yeah," Kayden's eyes light up, "And good call on the filter, I got to use my new one and it fits the concept. You should consider more photography projects, you've got a visual aesthetic that is..."

The rest of his words fade out when I see who is in front of me. He's leaning against his black Mustang, dressed in all black and looking like a fallen angel. The twilight sky enhances his ethereal features which causes a ruckus in my stomach.

It's been two weeks since we've come back from Hawaii and Xavier and I have been keeping our friendship pact. He hasn't approached me in the last two weeks and neither have I. We're both busy with our own stuff but at night we exchange messages and although they're innocent, they leave me both giddy and saddened. 

We've only been in each other's presence around our friends, rarely, and even in those moments, being so close to each other after our pact, it felt overwhelming because acting as friends is difficult when you know every part of that person in front of you and all you want to do is hold them in your arms.

So seeing him here, without our friends around us, is...unnerving.

Being alone with him has always made me lose my senses. And I believe that is one problem we had when we were together. We had sex all the time whenever we were alone. Yeah, we talked and had those lazy, cuddly days but most of the time, we were ravaging each other like animals. Not that there was anything wrong with that, we were two consenting adults who were—are—in love with each other. But we needed talking more than sex.

That's what I plan to do as we work through this pact. Talk more.

But it's so freaking hard when he looks like a sinful, dark, sexy god of a man. I just want to jump his bones every time I lay my eyes on him.

Sometimes I wonder if something is wrong with me because I love physical affection, I like sex—thanks to Xavier—but then it's natural and so normal for me to explore and enjoy my sexuality, so why should I be ashamed?

My point is, I am allowed to do whatever I want with him because it's my body but only after we've had a heart-to-heart. Xavier and I have never really had a heart-to-heart before. We've had our sweet moments but we never talked about...our love.

"Xavier." My voice comes out airy. He takes my breath away.

Xavier rakes his eyes down my body, slow and sensual but when he locks eyes with me, I catch nothing but affection in his. He pushes off his car, stepping toward me in confident, mouthwatering steps until he's right in front of me.