Xavier set his glass down with deliberate calm, his gaze never leaving Athena's. The faint smug curve of his mouth lingered but beneath it was something darker, something burning with desire.
"I won't claw," he said smoothly, his tone deceptively soft. "I'll wait. I'll circle. I'll push when I must but in the end…" His eyes flicked down to her lips, then back up to her eyes, unblinking. "…you'll give it all to me willingly. Even the pieces you swore you'd never share."
Athena's breath caught, her throat tightening as heat rushed to her face. She hated how the words struck something inside her chest, hated how her pulse betrayed her with its frantic rhythm.
To mask it, she stabbed at her steak with more force than necessary, muttering, "You sound so sure of yourself."
