Page 56 of Xavier

She shook her head. “Don’t be. I deserved my sentence and should’ve had to stay longer for what I did to Shelby.” Lissette raised her hand to Xavier’s cheek. “I’m sorry you lost your friends. They deserved to live a longer life. You can’t hate yourself for being alive. You didn’t die, which means you have an obligation to live your life to the fullest. Your friends would have, and so should you.”

Xavier stared into Lissette’s dark eyes. For the first time since that mission that had ended so much, he felt the knot in his chest loosen. How could one broken person make another feel less broken?

He bent closer, his mouth hovering over hers. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?” she said.

He cupped the back of her neck and brushed his lips across hers. Then he claimed them and deepened the kiss. “For this.”

Chapter 10

Xavier lost himself in Lissette, the weight of his failure easing in her arms. How had this woman, with as much, if not more, trauma in her life, summed him up in such a short time? He didn’t know. What he did know was that she felt right in his arms.

Lissette wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and rose onto her toes, giving as good as she got and opening to him.

Xavier swept in to caress her tongue with his. His hands glided over her shoulders and down to the small of her back where the T-shirt rode up, exposing warm, silky skin. He spread his fingers across her back, the warmth making him draw her closer.

Lissette’s hands lowered to the hem of his T-shirt and slid beneath, smoothing across his skin. Then she pushed the shirt upward and lowered her head to press a kiss to his bare skin.

Xavier stiffened. “We shouldn’t,” he blurted and regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. He’d fantasized about her being naked when he’d been in the shower and had nearly lost it during that kiss. Now, the woman was coming on to him.

“Shouldn’t?” she asked, her mouth finding one of his hard brown nipples.

Sparks of desire shot straight to his groin.

“Why...” she flicked the nipple, “not?”

God, she was making it impossible to maintain his control. “Because I’m leaving soon.”

“All the more reason to do this now,” she said and rolled the nipple between her teeth. A moment later, she stilled and looked up at him, her eyes widening. “Oh. Unless you don’t want to.” She blinked, her brow dipping. “I mean, I’d completely understand if you don’t want to have sex with an ex-con.” She dropped her hands to her sides, her cheeks turning pink.

His shirt slid down to cover his torso. When he opened his mouth to tell her another reason why it was a bad idea, he could only think of a dozen reasons why he wanted to make love.

She nodded, her lips forming a tight line. “You have to be in Bayou Mambaloa a few more days. People will start shunning you for hanging out with me.” She gave him a weak smile. “I just thought... that kiss...” Lissette flung her hand in the air. “Of course. It makes sense. I’ll just be going and save your embarrassment and my humiliation.” She turned toward the door. “I still owe you a meal. I’ll have Mimi make one to go and have it delivered here.”

Xavier’s control broke. He reached out, grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms.

She opened her mouth to protest.

Xavier covered it with his, kissing her as if his life depended on it. He kept kissing her until her stiff body melted into him, then he kissed her some more.

When breathing became a necessity, he reached for the knot on her shirt and untied it while pressing more kisses to her cheek, neck, and collarbone.

With the knot free, she lifted her arms over her head.

“Just for the record,” he said as he drew his T-shirt up over her head, “I’ve wanted to do this since I buckled your seatbelt.” He tossed the T-shirt over a box and pulled her against him. Her lacy bra brushed against his skin, igniting a fire that wouldn’t be easily quenched.

“I’ve wanted this since you saved me from that dissatisfied customer at the Annual Frog Leg Festival. No one ever tried to save me from anything until you. I just didn’t think I had a chance.” She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. “You could have anyone. Why choose me?”

He slowly slid the straps of her bra from her shoulders. “You’re beautiful.” He pressed a kiss to her right shoulder. “You’re sassy.” He pressed a kiss to her left shoulder. “You know when to fight back.”

“A lot of good it does when it’s two to one.” Her breath hitched as her bra slid to the floor.

“You got away from them.”

“Not the first time. You saved me then.”

“You would’ve saved yourself.” Xavier bent to kiss the swell of her breast. “And you know when to be patient and kind.”