X: Command Me through Alexander's Eyes - Geneva Lee Page 0,78

why?

Clara’s quiet when we leave dinner. I wonder if her mind is on her parents and the tension that lingered between them throughout the meal. It seems I’m not the only one with family issues to deal with. I slide a hand between her legs, squeezing her thigh to draw her attention to me. “Clara?”

“Sorry, X.” She shakes her head as if clearing it and climbs into my lap.

“Something’s on your mind.” I have no idea if she wants to talk about it. Lately, every moment we spend together seems heavy, reality weighing down our stolen moments. Part of me misses how this started when I could push aside my life and focus on burying myself deep inside her. But I can’t look back. The strangest part is that I don’t want to.

She sighs. “I was thinking about my parents. They barely spoke to one another.”

“And that’s not usually the case?” I wonder if I’m prying.

“My mom tends to be a little high maintenance. She was definitely giving my dad the cold shoulder.”

She shrugs, something shifting in her face as she turns to wrap her arms around my neck. Her face angles to mine, sending a clear message that she’s done talking. She wants to be distracted, and I’m more than willing to oblige. I trail a finger over the rounded line of her cleavage. It’s far from innocent, but I’m surprised by her reaction. Clara rocks into me, and I hook a hand around her neck, pulling her mouth to mine hungrily. I’d behaved myself during dinner. Now I’m ready to appreciate dessert.

“I owe you sexual favors,” she murmurs, her hand reaching to my belt buckle.

I can already imagine her soft hands on my cock, but I can’t put off talking to her about my plans any longer. I cup her face with my hands, hoping that I can seduce her into agreeing to deal with my family again. “Come to the country with me this weekend.”

Her eyebrows ratchet up, but she gives me a pleased smile. “Do you even have to ask?”

“I’m not asking,” I tell her, knowing she won’t be as thrilled when she hears the rest. “I already told them you would be there.”

She stills, zeroing in on the most loaded word. “Them?”

“My family.” There’s no way around it.

“You want me to spend a weekend in the country with your family?”

“There will be some friends there as well. Edward has invited a group.” I think she likes my brother—or she will when she gets to know him. I know he’ll be kind to her. With his help, the weekend might not turn into a disaster.

“X—” she starts

“You said anything,” I remind her. “I said that I wasn’t asking. I expect you to be there with me.”

“Don’t you want to spend some private time with them?” Her voice is impossibly small because she knows how ridiculous the question is.

There’s a reason I’m taking her because if not, I might murder half of them in their beds after the first evening. But also because they need to understand that Clara is part of my life now. “The only person I want private time with is you. Three days apart is too long. I need to know you’re being taken care of.”

“I can take care of myself.” She swallows, and I regret saying it. I don’t want her to think I see her as fragile, but I can’t imagine not worrying about her being stuck in London to deal with paparazzi—or her mother, for that matter.

“You can get dressed.” I realize I’m going to have to play dirty. “You can eat and drink and sleep, but you won’t have everything you need.”

I press my erection against her ass to tempt her.

“You raise a good point,” she says breathlessly.

“Do I?” I have her. I know it. But it won’t hurt to give her a preview of why she’ll be glad she came.

“Mmhmm.” She circles against my cock. “You owe me.”

“I thought you owed me sexual favors.” I smirk.

“I promised that before I found out I’d be dealing with your family for a whole weekend. Let’s call it a draw, X, or you’ll end up repaying me for a long time.”

“Oh, poppet.” My hand creeps under her skirt as I kissed her neck, her collarbone, reminding her that I would make it worth it. “I am more than happy to be in your debt.”

It’s a debt I’d start repaying now. My fingers find the thin elastic of her thong, and I