Chapter 54: Infuriating

Bunny’s face burned as red as a tomato. How had he known her mind had gone straight to the gutter?

Xander remained silent. In a sentinel’s eyes, once hand-holding, embraces, and kisses had already taken place, how far could it really be from coaxing a little guide into bed?

"Sorry... I overreacted."

She felt her head was filled with nothing but filthy thoughts these days. It had to be all the bare chests the sentinels kept flashing—clearly interfering with her judgment.

Xander, however, was extremely "understanding." "It’s fine, Bunny. I won’t force you."

He wouldn’t force her into physical comfort... only coax her into it.

"Intimate acts should only happen with someone close. I can understand that."

In a small voice, she murmured, "Thank you, Xander."

Right now she truly couldn’t manage more.

Unexpectedly, Xander tilted his head and pressed his cheek into her palm of his own accord.

"Perhaps... you could try turning me into someone close. I like your scent. I crave your touch. I even dream of being close to you every night. Bunny, will you give me a chance?"

The man rested so obediently against her hand. That devastatingly handsome face was only inches away; those captivating eyes remained fixed on her without blinking, filled entirely with her.

The lingering, hazy gaze held more caution than anything else—both hoping for her answer and fearing her rejection.

Her breath caught. Beauty truly was a dangerous thing. Beauty ruined people!

Who could refuse such a top-tier, stunningly beautiful male with that chest?!

Her little heart pounded wildly. So this was what it felt like to be confessed to by a handsome man. Bunny, your life has finally been worth it.

Her brain was still completely offline; she had no idea how to answer the man’s plea.

Until Xander’s left arm slid around her waist and his right hand gently cupped her cheek. With only a slight increase of pressure from the arm at her back, he drew her fully into his embrace.

"You didn’t refuse me. That means you agree."

The moment the words left his mouth, moist kisses landed on her forehead, then her eyes, her lashes, her cheeks... and her earlobe—like soft waves lapping at the tip of her heart.

In the quiet room, the man’s breathing grew heavier and rougher. From behind, the only thing visible was the woman’s hands locked around his neck.

Just as he was about to claim her lips, Xander stopped.

His chest rose and fell violently. Rapid breaths tangled hotly against her ear, like a storm that hovered on the verge of breaking.

He knew he could not rush things.

Otherwise, the little fish he had finally managed to lure in would panic and swim away again.

Looking down at her with nearly doting eyes, he said softly, "Today’s lesson is over, Bunny."

Whether she had actually absorbed any of the knowledge points remained unknown. All that could be said was that when Xander carried her out of the classroom, she was happily buried against that broad chest, her face burning hotter than a monkey’s backside.

So this was what dating a super handsome man felt like?

After more than twenty years of a rather bumpy love life, the corners of Bunny’s mouth were about to stretch all the way up to the sun.

Tch. She had completely forgotten about Liam waiting for her as well.

Although it was an accepted fact of this era that a guide could bond with multiple sentinels, as an ancient human, Bunny still felt a faint guilt about having a foot in two boats.

That tiny bit of guilt, however, vanished completely the moment she faced the delicious dinner spread.

Humming a cheerful little tune, she headed off to evening training, her mood full of post-meal contentment.

Suddenly, a cold, mocking voice drifted from behind her:

"What’s this? Did the big-chest private lesson leave you feeling extra satisfied?"

She frowned and turned around. The moment she saw Cyrus’s face, her mood collapsed entirely.

"None of your damn business!"

Ignoring him, she lifted her foot to keep walking.

The next second Cyrus appeared out of thin air in the corridor ahead of her, not even changing the way he leaned against the wall.

Was he a ghost? How could he teleport that fast?

The hallway light slanted across his sharp features, casting deep shadows beneath his brow ridge—half bright, half dark.

He lifted his chin slightly. "What exactly did the two of you do inside that classroom?"

What she hated most was that arrogant, nose-in-the-air attitude of his, as though the only way he knew how to look at people was from above.

"Does it have anything to do with you?"

He was truly acting like the lord of the manor.

She tried to step past him, but her wrist was instantly clamped in an iron grip. She couldn’t move.

After several hard shakes, she looked up—and collided straight into Cyrus’s dense, pitch-black eyes. That scrutinizing gaze felt as though it wanted to pierce through her pupils and strip every secret and private thought bare.

"Of course it has something to do with me."

His voice was low and hoarse.

With growing alarm, she realized her limbs had gone completely immobile. Cool fingers pinched her chin, the force a little too heavy, carrying a faint undertone of resentment.

"After all, I’m the one teaching you combat tomorrow. I need to find out what kind of teaching style Guide Bunny prefers so I can plan my time efficiently."

The pad of his thumb pressed hard across her lower lip, leaving a deep red mark.

Even more terrifying than Cyrus’s neurotic behavior was the purposeful question that followed.

"Did you two kiss?"

Whether they kissed or not had nothing to do with him!

The rebellious streak in Bunny flared up at once. Using the only part of her body that could still move—her mouth—she began deliberately provoking Cyrus:

"So what if we kissed? Is being good-looking not enough reason for me to steal a couple of kisses? Does something like that need to be personally reported to Executive Officer Cyrus as well?"

Even though it had only been kisses on the face, and Xander had been the one to initiate them, what did that matter? She was determined to make him furious.

Let him enjoy meddling in other people’s business, appearing and vanishing like a ghost all day long just to scare her.

Infuriating!