Chapter 2 - Xavier's POV

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" I asked.

I needed to hear the words. We were standing in the back of the elevator, the metal doors sliding shut to cut us off from the rest of the world. Raine didn't answer with her voice. She stepped into my space, grabbed the lapels of my jacket, and pulled my face down to hers. Her kiss tasted like expensive gin and pure, unadulterated desperation.

I knew why she was here. She wasn't in love with me. She didn't even really know me. She was hurting, and she wanted to use me as a weapon against my brother. Torin had spent years showing her off like a piece of jewelry, and I had spent those same years watching her from the corners of rooms, staying silent because she belonged to him.

But tonight, she had walked away from him and straight to me.

The elevator hit the penthouse floor with a soft chime. I didn't let her feet touch the ground. I hooked my arms under her legs and lifted her, carrying her toward the master suite. She wrapped her limbs around my waist, her fingers digging into the back of my neck. She was trembling, a frantic energy vibrating through her small frame.

I set her down on the edge of the bed. The room was dark, lit only by the city lights bleeding through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I started unbuttoning my shirt, my eyes never leaving hers.

"You've wanted this for a long time, haven't you?" she whispered.

"You have no idea," I said.

I dropped my shirt on the floor. Raine reached out, her palms flat against my chest. She traced the lines of my muscles, her touch light but searing. When she looked up, her eyes were dark, clouded with a mix of defiance and heat. She reached for the hem of her own top and pulled it over her head.

The sight of her made my throat go dry. She was beautiful, but there was a fragility to her tonight that made me want to go slow, even though my pulse was hammering against my ribs. I moved closer, sliding my hands over her waist. Her skin was cool, and she shivered when I leaned down to kiss the curve of her neck.

"Bed," she murmured, her voice breaking. "Please, Xavier. Just make me forget."

I pushed her back onto the silk sheets. I moved over her, my weight pinning her down just enough to let her feel the reality of what was happening. My hands moved to her bra, unhooking it with a flick of my fingers. When I pulled the lace away, she arched her back, a small gasp escaping her lips.

I lowered my head, my mouth finding the peak of her breast. She let out a sharp cry, her fingers tangling in my hair to pull me closer. I could feel her heart racing against my cheek. I shifted my focus to the button of her jeans, popping it open and sliding the denim down her legs.

She was perfect. Every curve, every line of her body was exactly as I had imagined during those long nights of wanting what I couldn't have. I stripped off the rest of my clothes, feeling the cool air for only a second before I was back in her arms.

I moved my hand down, sliding it between her thighs. She was wet, her body ready for me, but as I pressed a finger inside, I felt a resistance that made me freeze. She was tight. Unbelievably tight.

I pulled back, bracing myself on my elbows so I could look her in the eye. "Raine."

"Don't stop," she breathed, her face flushed.

"Look at me," I commanded. "Are you a virgin?"

She bit her lip, a flicker of shame crossing her features before she masked it with a look of pure stone. "Does it matter? Torin never... he said we should wait for the wedding. He wanted me to be perfect for his image."

A dark, primal satisfaction surged through me. My brother was a fool. He had held a prize like this in his hands for three years and never bothered to claim it. He had treated her like a porcelain doll, but I knew she was fire.

"It matters to me," I said, my voice dropping to a low growl. "Because now, you'll only ever know how I feel. You’re mine, Raine."

I reached for a condom in the nightstand drawer, rolling it on with shaking hands. I positioned myself between her knees, the heat radiating between us like a physical wall. I pressed forward, just a fraction, feeling her body stretch to accommodate me.

She winced, her eyes fluttering shut. Her nails dug into the skin of my shoulders, drawing blood.

"Stop," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "Just breathe. Stay with me."

"I'm okay," she gasped, her hips tilting up. "I want this. I want you."

I took a deep breath and pushed. I felt the barrier give way, a smooth, heavy glide that buried me deep inside her. Raine cried out, the sound muffled against my shoulder. I stayed still, my teeth clenched as I fought the urge to lose control. The friction was incredible. She felt like silk and fire, wrapping around me so tightly it was almost painful.

"You're okay," I murmured into her ear. "You're doing so good."

After a minute, the tension in her legs began to fade. She started to move, a slow, tentative rock of her hips that sent sparks of white-hot heat straight to my brain. I started to move with her. I kept the pace slow at first, letting her get used to the sensation, but she wasn't having it.

"Harder," she whispered, her voice gaining strength. "Xavier, please."

I didn't need to be told twice. I gripped her hips, anchoring her to the bed as I began to drive into her with steady, powerful strokes. The bedframe creaked against the wall, the only sound in the room besides our heavy breathing and the wet slap of skin on skin.

She was magnificent. Her hair was a mess across the pillows, and her eyes were fixed on mine, wide and full of wonder. I reached down, my thumb finding the spot where we joined, adding pressure until she let out a long, high-pitched moan.

"That's it," I urged. "Right there."

I flipped us over, pulling her on top of me without letting her go. She gasped at the change, her hands landing on my chest for balance. She began to move on her own, finding a rhythm that hit all the right spots. I watched her, my hands moving up to cup her breasts as she rode me.

The pressure in my gut was reaching a breaking point. I could feel the ripples of her muscles tightening around me, signaling she was right on the edge.

"I'm close," she choked out, her head falling back. "I can't... Xavier!"

"Go," I said, my voice hoarse. "Take it all."

She shattered. I felt the tremors move through her whole body as she collapsed against me, her internal muscles pulsing against me in a rhythmic squeeze that broke my last bit of restraint. I thrust up one last time, a low growl tearing from my throat as I followed her into the dark.

We stayed like that for a long time, the only sound the ticking of the clock and our shattered breathing.

"Was it everything you wanted?" I asked softly.