CHAPTER 41
~Xena's POV~
I opened my mouth to argue, but Xade leaned in slightly, not close enough to trap me, but enough that my breath tangled in my throat.
"Next time someone hits you," he said quietly, "you tell me before anyone else."
"Xade…" I whispered, unsure what I was even objecting to.
He leaned a fraction closer. "I'm not asking."
My chest tightened. His presence felt heavier than Raiden's had, less rehearsed, and more raw.
He lowered his hand from my chin… only for his knuckles to brush the side of my jaw again, slower this time. Heck, it was both deliberate, and almost intimate.
My pulse stuttered.
Xade noticed it, of course. His voice dipped. "You did well today. If not better than what I saw during your audition. I'm impressed by your presence."
My lips parted. "I… thank you."
He hummed low in his throat, gaze dragging from my cheek to my mouth before he straightened.
"Come. I have something to show you."
