Kamsi blinked, caught off guard. "Dance?" she echoed, an eyebrow arching. "There's no music, and how would you even know I can dance?"
Xavier took a slow step forward, his presence filling the space between them. "I saw you at the bonfire," he murmured. "I liked watching you dance. I want to see it again."
Heat rose to Kamsi's cheeks, her heart stuttering at the way his gaze held hers—intense, unwavering. "I... I can't just dance here," she tried, her voice quieter now, less certain.
Xavier chuckled, the sound low and teasing. He pulled his phone from his pocket, tapped the screen, and within seconds, a slow, sultry beat filled the air—"Under the influence" by Chris Brown.
[Music recommendation: Under the influence by Chris Brown]
"Problem solved," he said, his voice smug, expectant.
Kamsi hesitated, chewing on her lip. "I don't know… I just can't dance here."
Xavier stepped closer, his scent—clean, masculine, intoxicating—wrapping around her like an invisible hold. His voice dropped, coaxing. "Your mom's not home. Let's go inside and dance."
Her heart skipped at the implication, but she held his gaze for a beat longer before exhaling, defeated. "Fine."
They stepped into her room, where the dim lighting painted soft shadows along the walls. Moonlight filtered through the curtains in silver streaks, tracing a faint path across the floor—one neither of them was sure they should cross.
Xavier leaned back against her desk, arms crossed, his dark eyes fixed on her.
Kamsi took a steadying breath, feeling her pulse quicken. "Can you start the song over?"
Xavier's lips twitched. "Your wish is my command." He restarted the track.
She rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself.
The first few beats thrummed through the air, deep and hypnotic. Kamsi let her shoulders relax, let the rhythm take over. Her hips swayed in time with the slow, sensual melody, her movements fluid, effortless. She let her hands glide over her body, trailing over her arms, her waist, as if she were dancing alone in her room, lost in the music.
At first, she danced for herself.
Then she felt Xavier's gaze.
Heat crept up her neck. His eyes burned into her, dark and unreadable, his body unnaturally still. The air in the room thickened, charged with something unspoken.
Is he... Enjoying this?
She risked a glance at him.
Xavier sat rigid, his jaw tight, fingers gripping the edge of the desk like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, and his dark eyes—God, his eyes—followed every movement she made.
Kamsi's stomach flipped.
She hadn't meant for this to be seductive. But the way he was looking at her, the heat radiating off his gaze—it made her heart hammer against her ribs.
The space between them suddenly felt suffocating.
Xavier's breath hitched. He clenched his fists at his sides, his mind waging war with his body.
Don't touch her.
His jaw ticked.
Don't. Move.
But then Kamsi turned, her hips rolling in a slow, hypnotic motion, the hem of her dress lifting slightly with the movement.
And something in him snapped.
Before he could stop himself, Xavier was on his feet. The distance between them vanished in a blink.
Kamsi barely had time to react before his hand found her shoulder, fingers pressing into her skin like he needed to anchor himself.
Her breath hitched. She froze.
Xavier's chest rose and fell with measured breaths, his face mere inches from hers. The heat in his gaze sent shivers down her spine.
Kamsi's lips parted, her mind spinning, trying to process what was happening.
Then, in one swift, desperate movement, Xavier's lips crashed onto hers.
The kiss was fire—searing, consuming, relentless. His fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head back as he deepened it, his other hand splaying across her lower back, pulling her flush against him.
Kamsi gasped against his mouth, her hands flying to his shoulders, gripping him like she needed something solid, something real. The music faded into the background, drowned out by the sound of their ragged breathing, the erratic pounding of her heart.
Xavier's lips left hers, trailing along her jaw, his breath hot against her skin. His hands roamed, fingertips tracing the curve of her waist, sending shockwaves through her.
Her body trembled under his touch. She wasn't sure when she had lost control, when she had started wanting this just as much as he did.
Then his hands dipped lower, sliding under the hem of her dress.
Xavier paused, his forehead pressing against hers, his breaths uneven. His hands stilled, fingers barely grazing her skin.
His eyes met hers, burning with a silent question.
Can I touch you?
Kamsi's breath came fast, uneven. Her heart slammed against her ribs, her body caught in the delicate balance between hesitation and surrender.
Her gaze flickered to his lips, then back to his pleading eyes. He wasn't just asking with his hands. He was asking with every part of him.
Her fingers clutched his shirt, her nails digging into the fabric. She hesitated for a heartbeat—one last moment of resistance—before finally, deliberately, she gave a single, slow nod.
Xavier's restraint shattered.
And in that moment, nothing else existed but fire.
The kiss deepened, igniting something neither of them had ever felt before. It wasn't just heat—it was hunger, a slow, all-consuming fire that curled through their veins and left them aching for more.
Xavier's hands moved instinctively, exploring the dips and curves of Kamsi's body, as if he were committing her to memory. When his fingers brushed over the soft swell of her breast, she gasped—sharp and breathless.
Then it happened.
A low, unbidden moan escaped her lips, so quiet yet so damning. The moment it slipped out, she froze.
Did I just—
Her heart pounded wildly as shock coursed through her, embarrassment flooding her veins like ice. She had never made a sound like that before. Never felt anything so intense, so overwhelming. It was as if her body had betrayed her, responding instinctively to Xavier's touch before her mind could catch up.
Xavier stilled for half a second, his breath hitching. Then, as if that single moan had unraveled what little restraint he had left, his grip on her tightened.
His touch grew bolder, his fingers moving from a mere graze to a slow, deliberate knead. Kamsi's body reacted before she could stop it, arching slightly into his palm. The pressure, the sensation—it sent a jolt of pleasure through her that made her shudder.
"Aaa...mmm," she whimpered, her body betraying her again.
Xavier groaned against her lips, his breath ragged, his voice a deep rasp. "You drive me crazy, Kam. Every bit of you."