CHAPTER 303
Suddenly, Arianna felt a light touch on her eyebrows, gently smoothing the furrows she hadn't realized had formed.
Startled, she looked up and found herself face-to-face with Xander’s warm, familiar smile.
"You're home?" she asked, surprised to see him at home.
Xander raised an eyebrow at her question.
"Yesterday, you were telling me I didn’t spend enough time with you, and now you’re surprised to see me home when I came back specifically to be with you?"
Arianna quickly flustered and offered a weak excuse. "No, I just didn’t expect you yet!" She smiled sheepishly, blinking her eyes up at him.
Xander’s fingers gently pinched her cheek, a playful glint in his eyes, as he glanced over at the pile of papers on the desk.
"What’s all this?"
"I’m going through feedback from university students about Professor Selby Cornwell," Arianna explained, her tone full of focus.
"The department head assigned us to investigate him and write a report. Whoever submits the best one gets the chance to present it on television. It’s a huge opportunity, especially with Ms. Goldman watching."
"Selby Cornwell?" Xander’s voice was calm, but there was something in the way he said it.
"The only son of the Cornwells?"
Arianna paused, noting the way he seemed to know the name.
"Yes, that's him. Do you know him?"
Xander looked down at her, his gaze steady, and his lips tugged into a subtle grin.
"Yes, I know him."
Arianna’s heart skipped a beat.
This was the break she had been hoping for.
Her eyes brightened, and she immediately reached out to hook her arm through his, leaning in closer.
"In that case, how much do you know about him?"
Xander’s gaze softened as he looked at her, a playful glint dancing in his eyes.
"Well, that depends... on what my wife is willing to do to find out...."
Arianna blinked in surprise, a flush creeping up her neck. She scowled lightly, but her lips couldn’t help but twitch in amusement.
Arianna’s voice trembled slightly as she spoke, the frustration in her tone mixing with the underlying heat that had been building between them.
She looked down at him, her cheeks flushed with both embarrassment and determination, her fingers curling slightly into his shoulders as she tried to maintain control of the moment.
"Xander! You and your dirty mind. You must help your wife, especially after what happened yesterday…"
Her words hung in the air, thick with tension. Her heart pounded in her chest, both from the closeness of their bodies and the sheer weight of the unspoken desire she felt.
She hadn’t intended for things to become so intimate, but the chemistry between them was undeniable, and the mix of their emotions made it harder to focus on the task at hand.
As she gazed into his eyes, she felt a familiar heat rise within her, making her pulse race.
Xander, with his usually calm, composed demeanour, was now anything but. His body was tense beneath hers, and the smouldering look in his eyes sent a wave of awareness sweeping over her.
She knew she had caught him in a vulnerable moment, but now it was time to make him give her the answers she needed.
His lips curled slightly at the edges, as though toying with the idea of teasing her further, but his voice was more serious when he spoke next.
"You know I’ll always help you, Arianna. But you’ve got to be careful what you ask for, especially with me so close." He replied sitting down.
Arianna’s body still ached from the night before. Xander had been relentless in exploring every possible way to pleasure her, and while the experience had been intoxicating, the soreness in her back was undeniable.
She knew if they were to repeat it tonight, she might not be able to walk tomorrow, let alone handle the demanding assignments she had in the coming days.
Arianna tried to push those thoughts aside and focus. She needed to get the information out of him, and she couldn’t afford to let herself get distracted.
Without thinking too much, she stood up abruptly and, with a sudden move, placed herself firmly on Xander’s lap.
Her weight shifted as she positioned herself with intent, her hands pressed against his shoulders to steady herself. She locked her gaze on him, her tone turning demanding.
"Don’t even think about walking away until I get the answer I need."
Xander’s eyes, dark and intense, stared up at her, his calm demeanour not betraying even a hint of surprise. After a brief moment, his lips parted, his voice low and gravelly.
"Do you think I’ll give you the answer you want after you put me in this position?"
Arianna froze for a moment, suddenly aware of the intimate position she had put herself in. Her heart skipped a beat, and a flush of heat spread across her face. She instinctively tried to get up, but Xander’s arms were already around her waist, pulling her back against him.
The heat between them intensified as he pressed his lips near her ear, his voice teasing as he whispered,
"Now that I’ve seen how sincere you are, I’ll answer."
Arianna shivered as she heard his next words, his breath warm against her skin.
"Selby... is a very honourable man."
"He is?" Arianna's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She immediately got up, her attention shifting back to the questionnaires as she leaned forward to examine them more closely.
"Really?" Arianna’s eyes widened in surprise, and she straightened in her chair, her focus now entirely on the questionnaires scattered across the desk. She was so absorbed in her task that she barely noticed Xander watching her from across the room, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
“Arianna,” he murmured, his voice warm and low, as he stepped closer. There was a faint smirk on his lips as if enjoying her reaction. “Are you just going to shut me out like that?”
Lost in her thoughts, Arianna didn’t respond immediately. She was too busy combing through the questionnaires, hoping for any hints that could piece together a fuller picture. But she could feel his presence close by, the intensity of his gaze drawing her back to the moment.
Finally, she looked up, giving him a glance that mixed fondness with a hint of frustration.
“Xander, I have to finish this,” she said, her tone both apologetic and determined. “But I promise, once I wrap this up, you’ll have my full attention.”
Xander’s smirk grew into a knowing smile as he closed the distance between them, reaching out to place a hand at her waist.
His touch was warm and grounding, a gentle but unmistakable reminder that he was there. Arianna’s instinct was to focus back on the work in front of her, but his fingers lingering on her waist made that difficult.
She found herself turning toward him, drawn in by his closeness.
“You know, I’m a patient man,” he murmured with a teasing edge, holding her gaze as he leaned in slightly.
"But you do owe me some quality time.”
Arianna’s expression softened as she held his face in her hands, her eyes full of affection. Leaning in, she pressed a gentle kiss on his lips, and her voice dropped to a murmur.
“I know. And I promise I’ll make it up to you,” she said with a smile. “But for now, I have to focus on this.”
He sighed with mock resignation, giving her cheek a light squeeze before he drew back, his hand lingering in her hair for a moment. “Just don’t stay up too late, alright? I’ll be waiting.”
Arianna grinned and playfully saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
Xander chuckled, his fingers running briefly through her hair before he turned to leave, glancing back with a look that warmed her heart.
As she watched him go, Arianna felt a renewed sense of focus and contentment, the warmth of his presence lingering. With one last look at the doorway, she shifted her attention back to the questionnaires, diving into her work with a smile. The feeling of his support was enough to keep her going, and she knew that when she was done, he would be right there waiting for her.
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