Chapter 101
“You can go now.”
His command buzzed in my ears, and in the blink of an eye, I felt a sudden tug around my waist and was yanked into Hogan’s arms.
That familiar scent of soap wreaked havoc on my nostrils, sending my heartbeat into overdrive. I looked up, puzzled, only to see the flames of desire igniting in the depths of his eyes.
Was I seeing things? Just a second ago, Hogan was ready to kick me to the curb.
I took a step back, politely declining, “Thanks, I’m good.”
But my retreat only prompted Hogan to close in more aggressively. It was a game of push and pull until my feet hit the couch – nowhere left to run.
The man before me exuded an inexplicable sense of invasion, staring me down intensely. We were so close that I could clearly see his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“Mr. Zade, I think I should,”
Hogan didn’t let me finish, cutting me off with a kiss. He devoured me fiercely, prying my lips apart, his eagerness fanning the flames of my dormant instincts.
Probably on the booze, but at that second, the word “craving” popped into my head. My sense slowly drowned in the heat of his kiss.
It was absurd and yet so very real. But then, I felt his fingers tracing over my wrist, and my crumbling sanity snapped back. I turned my face away, my expression one of disgust.
Hogan caught on to this change, his body stiffening against me. The moment of intimacy was lost, leaving nothing but awkwardness and a standoff between us.
After a moment, I heard Hogan ask, “Is that bracelet really that important to you?”
If I wasn’t mistaken, he had been trying to rip it off just now. At the thought of the hideous scar it hid, a pang of pain echoed in my chest.
“Speak up.” His tone grew heavier, his irritation palpable, “Xaviera March, is that trinket Darren gave you so precious that you can’t bear to take it off even when we’re getting cozy?”
I met Hogan’s gaze in disbelief, his eyes red at the edges, dark pupils brimming with
resentment. The pain of my wound morphed into a dagger, stabbing me fiercely.
It’d been two years, and the wound should have become better by now; even if it lost some beauty, it’d somehow healed now, right?
So why did my heart still hurt so much at this moment? Oh, Hogan, if only you took a closer look at the pattern on the bracelet, you wouldn’t be saying such things.
After a few seconds of standoff, his lips barely moved as he uttered one word, “Scram.”
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13:31
Chapter 101
Instantly, my nose tingled, tears spilling uncontrollably. Xaviera, you said after that day you wouldn’t shed another tear for this man. So why were you falling apart now?
Looked like I’ve botched things up. First thing next morning at the office, I called my lawyer to discuss our next steps.
If making peace wasn’t an option, we’d have to talk sense. Hanging up, I turned around to see Cecilia standing at the door.
She looked at me, astonished, “Xaviera, are you really gonna sue Hogan?”
I found it both funny and annoying at the same time. Yeah, I was going to sue Hogan, but the person who started this whole mess was now looking at me with a face full of innocence.
“What else can I do?”
“Don’t rush, Xaviera. I’ve got an idea.” Cecilia’s lips curled into a smile, “Tonight, I’ve booked a private room at Aurora Eats for me and Hogan. I’ll send the details to your phone later. You come with Professor Yearwood, pretend it’s a chance encounter, then we all sit down and have a proper chat, okay?”
Cecilia’s unexpected proposal caught me off guard. But then she added, “Tonight’s our hundred–day of being together.”
