Chapter 276: Touch It

​Across from them, Alexander paused mid-cough, his hand dropping from his neck as he stared at them. Xavier’s hand froze in his disheveled hair, his dark eyes narrowing as his gaze dropped straight toward Nat’s waistline.

​April furrowed her brow, trying to nudge her hip away from the firm, solid pressure pressing against her thigh. "Then... is it your gun? Whatever it is, it’s hard and uncomfortable."

​Xavier’s face went from pale to a deep, explosive shade of crimson in under half a second. He instantly covered his mouth with a hand, turning his entire body away as a sharp, strangled sound escaped his throat.

Alexander’s jaw dropped completely off its hinges. His eyes went wide as saucers, and he let out a choked, breathy cough that quickly devolved into an embarrassed, hysterical chuckle. "A... a gun?!"

​Nat stood completely rooted to the spot, his face burning a terrifyingly hot, dark red that crept all the way down his neck. The arrogant, untouchable villain who had been teasing her about ’starved beasts’ just seconds ago was completely, utterly speechless.

​"Sweetheart..." Nat growled, though his voice cracked in the middle, stripped of every ounce of his usual smooth composure. His grip around her waist tightened in sheer, unadulterated humiliation as he pressed her face right back into his chest, burying her vision entirely. "Shut up. Just... stop talking."

​"Why?" April’s muffled voice squeaked against his suit jacket, sounding genuinely confused. "If it’s not a wallet and it’s not a gun... then what is it?"

Nat finally recovered from the shock. He wouldn’t allow himself to be thrown off by her. A dark, dangerously wicked smirk spread across his face, his eyes flashing with raw amusement and his grip on her waist tightened.

​"Why don’t you find out for yourself, sweetheart?" Nat purred softly into her ear, his low, rasping voice dripping with deliberate provocation. "All you have to do is... Touch it."

​Before April’s hands could even think to move, Alexander stepped forward and practically yanked her attention back to reality.

​"It’s the safety on his ’weapon,’ April!" Alexander wheezed, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye while trying desperately to keep his voice down, his shoulders shaking hysterically. "Don’t ask him to disarm!"

​April’s brow furrowed even deeper in complete confusion. The safety on his weapon? What does that even mean? That doesn’t make any sense at all.

​"Greels, I swear to God I will throw you off this balcony," Nat snarled, though the dark smirk on his lips completely ruined the threat as he pulled April’s face back into his chest to hide her burning cheeks.

​Xavier cleared his throat, his back still turned to them as he adjusted his suit jacket for the fifth time, his voice strained to its absolute limit. "We... we are leaving. Immediately."

April tried to turn her head within the tight press of Nat’s chest, her muffled voice leaking out against his lapel. "Wait, Xavier, why are we leaving? I still haven’t gotten an answer about what’s poking me!"

​"Because if we stay here any longer, Miss April, this private floor is going to require a full hazmat cleanup," Xavier replied curtly, though his ears were still burning a violent shade of scarlet as he briskly walked toward the private elevator bank. He didn’t dare turn around to look at her.

​"I can give you a hands-on answer right now if you just reach down, sweetheart," Nat whispered darkly against her ear, his hand sliding down her back to keep her pinned against him as he began striding toward the elevator alongside Xavier.

​"Collins, if you corrupt her any further before we even reach the vehicle, I will personally make sure to drive away without you," Xavier warned, his finger slamming the elevator call button with unnecessary force.

Nat clicked his tongue. "What corruption? She asked and I’m basically feeding her curiosity."

​Alexander walked right behind them, wiping a stray tear of hilarity from his eye, his shoulders still trembling every time he looked at Nat’s smug yet slightly flushed profile. "I have to admit, Reed, watching Nat try to play smooth while explaining basic anatomy to her is the best entertainment we’ve had all week."

​"Shut your mouth, Greels," Nat growled, stepping into the opening elevator doors while keeping one heavy arm anchored around April’s waist.

He looked down at her completely lost, furrowed expression and couldn’t resist pressing a lingering, possessive kiss right onto the crown of her head. "Don’t worry about it for now, sweetheart. Just remember your promise and you’ll find out soon enough."

​April looked up at the three of them as the elevator doors slid shut—at Xavier staring resolutely at the floor indicator, Alexander still trying to suppress his snickers, and Nat looking down at her with that hungry warmth in his eyes.

​Her heart gave a sharp, addicting thud against her ribs. She still didn’t understand what the ’weapon’ comment meant, but as Nat’s arm tightened around her waist, she knew one thing for certain: she had once again done something that the previous her would’ve never imagined.

The ride back to the estate in the tinted SUV was charged with a heavy, suffocating heat that made the leather interior feel entirely too small.

Sitting up front in the passenger seat, Alexander let out a quiet, envious sigh. Adjusting the rearview mirror, his sharp blue eyes caught a glimpse of the chaos unfolding in the back row, and he groaned inwardly. He was completely missing out on the action.

Nat was taking full, unapologetic advantage of the enclosed space. The moment the doors had locked, he had pulled April flush against his chest, his large hands pinning her firmly by her waist as his mouth claimed hers over and over again.

The soft, wet sound of their kisses echoed against the quiet hum of the engine, sending violent jolts of heat straight to April’s core.

​Xavier sat on April’s other side, maintaining his immaculate posture. Refusing to lose his sense of decorum or force himself into the moment like a brute, he didn’t push for her lips.

Instead, his long, warm fingers reached out, firmly interlocking with her free hand, resting their joined hands over her knee. He kept his head turned toward the window, his jaw clenched tight as he stared out at the passing city lights, trying desperately to drown out the breathless sounds coming from right beside him.