Page 20 of Xander

It had been a while, but Xander didn’t need to know that.

He closed the distance between us until only a small gap separated his bare chest from me. I swallowed. “If you’re worried about my father, it was his idea,” he said. “He wants us to be seen together… for publicity.”

Oh.

“Plus, we need to discuss your new job as my PR rep.”

I blinked, having forgotten about Henry’s decision to pair us together again.

“Okay,” I relented. “Let’s go out for lunch.” It needn’t be this awkward. Maybe this lunch could heal old wounds.

“I’ll hit the shower.”

I headed upstairs as well, telling myself this was a good sign. Xander had never reached out, and if this outing went well, perhaps we could have a normal relationship again.

The laptop on my desk pinged me with a new email—a contract from Henry’s assistant to represent Xander.

I read the agreement while rolling down the pedal pushers over my hips and pulling off my blouse. Everything seemed standard. I signed the document from my touchscreen with a wave of my finger while walking to my closet in my La Perla panties and bra. After changing into a fresh linen dress, I grabbed a Fendi purse that was out of season but still cute and a sweater, then headed down the stairs.

Xander was waiting, arms folded. He was freshly showered in chinos and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. He looked like one of the rich boys at the club, the ones particularly popular with the girls.

My brows knitted when I caught his gaze trailing the length of my body. Just as abruptly, he turned away. The moment was so fleeting that I was convinced I’d imagined it.

I forced a smile. “Ready?”

“Yeah. I can drive.”

“Where are we going?”

“The club.”

Made sense. Our country club was the best place to start if the rumors were to be squashed. Henry’s business associates and board members frequented the club. Two members also owned magazines and would likely run a story upon catching us together.

“I love their charcuterie boards,” I told him. “They also do a mean French 75.”

Xander gave me a half-smile and swung behind the wheel of his rental. Because his large frame took up so much space, our shoulders grazed every time he moved. Ignoring his clean scent in such close quarters was impossible. Once upon a time, the smell had been a source of comfort for me, and I felt slightly lightheaded that nothing had changed despite all the years.

Heat prickled my skin, though it was winter, and I extended my hand to turn down the temperature. He must’ve had similar ideas and reached for the temperature control.

Our fingers collided. I held my breath, surprised by the warmth of his touch. Neither of us retracted our hands. Silence stretched between us as I stared at our digits, fascinated. His supersized hand strangely complemented my delicate fingers.

Almost as if someone had reminded him about an undisclosed resentment, Xander withdrew his hand and slipped back to his standoffish self. I glanced at him. Cold eyes watched the road as he drove, dismissing my presence entirely.

Great. What did I do wrong now?

His moods had been similarly mercurial in the past. Some days, he’d be my best friend, and the next, his frosty demeanor left me confused.

Tension seeped through the cracks of his collected composure as he suddenly asked, “Why did you go through with the wedding?”

I nearly choked, taken aback by the unexpected question. “W-what?”

“I warned you not to marry Henry,” he replied unapologetically. The taut muscles in his arm tightened with the reinforced grip on the steering wheel, and he was driving a bit faster than he had been a minute ago. “Why did you go through with it?”

I couldn’t take offense to his question. After all, his warning proved right within the first year of my marriage, leaving me with a bigger desire for children to fill the hole in my heart.

Was that the reason behind his ire all these years? He had gone against his father to warn me, and I didn’t listen to him.

Xander’s behavior in the days leading up to my wedding was odd. One moment, charming; the next, officiously cold. I figured I must have said something to upset him.