7. Blissful Embrace.

~LUNA~

It felt awesomely blissful to be in his arms again, to be saved by him. And most of all, to be referred to as his. Did he really mean that? Or he said to wade Eric off?

His big hands wrapped around me were soothing, making me feel protected, and I honestly wish we could stay that way forever if possible. Wishful thinking.

As magnetic as his statuesque frame was, we should be heading back inside. So I reluctantly stepped back, sighing in disappointment when his hands fell away from my back, the warmth disappearing along with it. Except for the heat radiating off him.

My hands came in contact with a wet spot on his chest, and I bit my lower lip, staring up at him.

"I have ruined your shirt." My hands were still molded to his chest, almost giving in to the temptation of trailing my fingers against the rock-hard edges of it.

"It's fine." His voice was rough around the edges, causing a tingling feeling to settle deep in my stomach, reminding me of his naughty words while pumping into me last night. I almost squirmed.

"Are you okay, Luna?"

I frowned, the reality of what he called me earlier dawning on me. Since when?

Or had he broken away from the effect of the throes of our passion last night already?

The thought of it stirred a painful feeling that replaced the tingling one in the pit of my stomach. Even if the night wouldn't happen again... Even if he didn't mean what he said earlier... I never wanted to stop being Dewdrop to him. Ever.

"Luna," he called softly and I looked up to meet his gaze. Those piercing blue eyes always had a way of stripping me off my guard.

I managed a small smile, ignoring the thump-thump beating of my heart. "Why does this feel like déjà vu?" I asked, referring to last night.

"You know, someone catching my almost falling frame and was peering into my eyes with concern, asking if I was okay." My brother and most of my friends said I liked hiding my pain behind humor. Maybe that's what I was doing right now.

A small smile crept across his lips for the first time since this evening at his house. It wasn't much, but it was enough to reveal the two tiny dimples stationed at the corners of his lips. My heart warmed, leaping in satisfaction.

"Oh, I get you." He chuckled. "The only difference is that you aren't drunk and jumping on me with reckless abandon."

My cheeks gleamed ketchup red, I bet my earlobes also took that shade."Something like that." I let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing my nape in embarrassment. Great! How very bold I was.

When I managed to peer up at him again, he was staring down at me, intently. And he had that intense look fixated on my lips as though he wanted to claim it like he did last night.

Please! Please! I yelled inwardly.

But just when I was about to get on my tiptoes and initiate it for him, he pulled back, and that was when my hands fell away from his chest, the body heat thinning as a result of the little distance.

"We should get back. Ace will be worried." He made to turn but I tugged at his hand, bringing his attention back to me. "Luna?"

"Since when?" I blurted out. That wasn't the question I wanted to ask him. I wanted to talk about what he said. But since this one was already out, I couldn't take it back anymore.

His brows furrowed. He didn't get my question. I was tempted to replace it with another question that would fit into the 'since when.' Probably, since when did your rock-hard chest start morphing? Ugh! Very lame, Luna.

Clearing my throat, I pushed my shoulders backward. No need to chicken out now.

"Since when did I go from Dewdrop to Luna?" I asked, folding my hands across my chest.

His gaze fell on my chest, and my heart leaped. Sure a little of my cleavages were on display because of my spaghetti strap dress, but there was no telling whether my folding hands had succeeded in baring more than the cleavages to him.

My breath hitched at the possibility that he must be gazing at my breasts, but he looked away before the excitement fully settled in.

Shame on you, Luna! You were almost raped. Get your head out of the gutter!

"So?" I prompted.

His lips twitched. I could swear he was holding back a smile. "Since I learned your real name."

My heart sank. "So the dewdrop nickname has gone extinct?" I couldn't hide the horror that was laced in my voice.

Finally, he allowed the smile to morph. "Are you going to miss it?" He deflected.

I rolled my eyes, trying not to get embarrassed again. "That's not the point." I pouted, peering up at him.

The glint in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a darker shade of blue, the kind I could equate with desire. This was the perfect time for me to ask him about his words earlier.

"Did you mean it?"

Another furrowed brow. Those perfectly arched brows that looked incredibly hot no matter the form they took.

"Mean what?"

His voice had suddenly dropped to a whisper, and I wondered why.

"What you told Eric after hitting him." His brows furrowed deeper. "Nobody touches what's mine."

A glint of recognition flashed through his eyes before they disappeared again. Oh no! Was he about to deny it?

"I..." He started, running his tongue over those sensuous full lips of his. My clit twitched. God!

I snapped my horny head out of the gutter to concentrate on the response, whatever it was.

"It wasn't..." My heart sank further below. Once the negative tag had entered, there was no way I was going to like this response. I nibbled on my lower lip while lowering my gaze. I couldn't afford to look him in the eye while he rejected me.

"Luna, I—"

"Luna! Xander! You both had me worried for a minute."

"Phew! Saved by the Ace..."

Ace's loud voice echoed from the entrance of the country club, interrupting his words midway.

I didn't know whether to get mad at him for not allowing me to hear this rejection once and for all, or be grateful that he saved me the embarrassment and pain that his outright rejection would plunge me in.

"We'll talk about this later." He whispered, just as Ace's footsteps inched closer.

I looked up sharply to meet him. "We will?" I whispered back. He nodded.

Despite knowing there was a possibility that it might be a rejection, a part of me yearned to hear what he had to say.

So, I readily nodded. "Very well then.”