As Xavier and I entered the restaurant, the whole place went silent, except for the slight gasps and awed whispers. A pretty blond waitress came up to us.

"Good day, Mr Reyes" , she simpered batting her fake eyelashes at him, and completely ignoring me. However, I was slightly pleased to see that Xavier payed her no attention at all and simply walked to a corner table which was marked Reserved and sat down.

He looked at me and raised his eyebrows questioningly, and I realised that I was still standing and staring at him. Blushing furiously, I hurry to the table as casually as possible and take the seat opposite him. We sit in silence until the waiter comes up to us with menus.

"Mr Reyes" , he greets with a formal bow.

Xavier hardly looks at him, or the menu. "I would like to start with the French onion soup, followed by creamed chicken truffles and Chinese rice. I'll have my usual bottle of Pouilly Fumé and I won't drink it if it isn't chilled to perfection."

The waiter is writing Xavier's order and, when he is done, he walks away without even asking for my order, leaving us in silence. Xavier is once again on his phone, and I feel so awkward sitting there mutely. I reach to pick up the cutlery and nervously put it back again. I clear my throat and, finally, Xavier looks up from his phone and cocks his head to the side, regarding me with a calm expression.

"Ok Miss Greene" , he said in a resigned voice. "You  can ask the questions now."

I look at him, my brain slowly processing what he just said. Did he mean that I could ask him any question about him? How did he even know that I had questions about him? The real truth is that I want to know why he left me so suddenly on Friday night and why he was so hell bent on following me around now. However, I can't seem to find a polite way of asking the question

"Well Miss Greene?" , he asks.

"Why do you always call me Miss Greene?" , I blurt out suddenly.

He looks taken aback for a second and, to be honest, I am too.

"Well" , he says, after thinking for a few moments, "I never really call people by their first names. Its a bit informal and I thrive on formalities. I prefer not to call people by their first names and people always call me Mr Reyes. Kind of like a sign of respect, I guess. Besides, you don't call me Xavier. You call me Mr Reyes."

"That's  because you are like way older than me", I say, blushing a little guiltily.

"Don't  make me seem so old" , Xavier says with a faint grin. 'I am twenty twenty-five, turning twenty-six next year. Surely that isn't too old for a seventeen-year-old like you."

"Still ", I say, laughing a little, "you're  older than me and I can't be disrespectful". He grins this time and I notice how his eyes light up when he does.
Gosh, he is gorgeous.

"So what about your parents" , I asked. "Do they call you Mr Reyes as well?'

"To  my parents, I am Plain Old Xavier" , he says with a faint twitch of his lips.

"Oh, and what do your girlfriends call you?", I say trying to make it sound casual, but, from the look he gave me, I probably failed miserably.

"Miss Greene", I dont do the whole girlfriend thing" , Xavier says, and there is a smirk in his voice.

Oh. I though the girls in the pictures were his girlfriends. Why doesn't he do the girlfriend thing. Is he...

"Are you gay?', I blurt out, and immediately, I want to face palm myself. I really need a filter to prevent my thoughts from coming out of my mouth.

This time, the amusement in Xavier's eyes is so obvious. "No Miss Greene, I am not gay. When I say I don't have girlfriends, I mean that I do not have the time, nor the energy to bother myself with a mindless relationship. However, I am not celibate. Now can we move on to another topic that isn't about my love life or my sexuality."

I blush furiously. But I'm saved from any further discussion by the waiter who comes with wine glasses, which he sets in front of us, and a bottle of white wine which he opens and pour with a flourish into Xavier's glass. Xavier sips the wine and nods curtly and the waiter pours more wine into Xavier's glass and also fills up my glass, drops the bowls of soup in front of us and leaves us again.

Suddenly it hits me. "Hey" , I exclaim, "he didn't take my order."

"No he didn't because the women I bring here always eat what I eat."

The reality of his words send a chill through me and I look at him in shock. He is oblivious to my reaction and is focusing on his soup, eating it like it is the only thing that he is concerned about at the moment. I didn't expect him to be so blatant about the women that he brings out on a regular. I don't know why I feel offended though. He is a grown male and has the right to have girlfriends or friends with benefits or whatever.

Still the thought unsettles me. I don't want to be just one of the girls to him. I realise that I might be jealous, and I absentmindedly pick up my wine glass and down it in one gulp, instantly regretting it. I had forgotten that the waiter had filled my glass with wine, not water and I instantly started coughing as the alcohol burnt through my throat.

Xavier watches me cough and splutter in amusement. "I forgot that you are still under age" , he says with a small smile. "You  shouldn't have any more wine, its not the best."

I am about to rudely retort when the waiter brings our main dish on a huge tray and usually, my mouth would have watered at the sight and the aroma coming from the Chinese rice, but I had lost my appetite. Just thinking about all the women who had probably sat here with him was making me nauseous.

"You're not eating" , Xavier points out, staring fixedly at me.

"I am not feeling hungry" , I shrug trying to appear nonchalant.

Xavier's eyes narrow and darken as he stares at me. Then, to my utmost shock and embarrassment, he gets up walks over to me carries me and sits down, sitting me down on his laps. It would be funny, except that he is staring at me with utmost seriousness and it so hot. I look around frantically, but no one seems to even notice us, and the staff don't come running to send us out.

Hmm maybe he owns this place too.

"I'm going to feed you now" , Xavier says, and I shiver from just how sexy this is. He uses the chopsticks to maneuver some rice into my mouth and I have no choice but to eat. While I chew, he uses the same chopsticks to put some rice in his mouth and this goes on. He spoon-feeds me – chopstick feeds me? – throughout the meal, and the air between is much lighter, even when we argue about who is to pay the bill. I want to pay for my meal, but Xavier wont hear of it, and he out vetoes me and uses his credit card to pay, before taking us to his car which was waiting outside the restaurant though I manage to glance a glimpse of the bill and I nearly start hyper ventilating. That looks like two months worth of an average worker's salary

"I have some things that I need to pick up from the office so we're going to make a quick stop ok", Xavier says, and I notice how much lighter the tension is between us.

"Sure" , I say, I" need to lock up my office anyway so Ill follow you up."

We arrive at the office and make our way to the elevators. Xavier takes my hand and helps me in before pressing a button to take us to the top floor, and the elevator door closes slowly.

We're alone.

Suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, possibly our proximity in such an enclosed space, the atmosphere between us changes, from calm and friendly, to charged with an electric, exhilarating anticipation. My breathing alters as my heart races. His head turns fractionally toward me, his eyes darkest slate. I bite my lip. I am not going to make a fool of myself the way I did in the car.

Xavier is still holding my hand and I feel him drag me in closer, turning me to face him, putting his hands on my waist.

Kiss me Xavier. Please.

He stares at me, as if trying to memorise every detail of my body and I flush slightly as his hand rests on my cheek, tracing little incomprehensible patterns.

Before my befuddled brain can react, his lips are on mine and he is kissing me with such deep passion. I have only ever been kissed once before and it was nothing like this. I tilt my head back, and his hands go to my face, cupping it gently.

"I am so sorry", he murmurs, gently, caressing my hair.

Then the elevator stops, the doors open, and he pushes away from me in the blink of an eye and strides towards his office, leaving me hanging.

"Get your things" , Miss Greene "and you can go", he says, without looking at me, his voice as cold as a dead body.

I stare at him from the elevator, unable to move, my brain trying to process how we moved from friendly, to making out, to distant in the space of one elevator ride.

After what seems like an eternity, I finally move to my office and arrange all my papers and lock up. When I get back to the elevator, Xavier is waiting for me, and he looks as cold and distant as a wealthy billionaire who is too busy to care.

Why is he looking at me like that? Does he regret our kiss?

My heart starts thudding loudly.

Xavier clears his throat awkwardly, "I'm sorry for what happened in the elevator Miss Greene", he says, coldly, yet with a touch of regret. Or maybe I'm imagining it.

"Xavier I didn't mind what happened and..."

"Well  I did", he snaps, and my heart shatters. He regrets it. He regrets kissing me. Go to the car and tell the driver to take you home", he says turning away from me.

And in that instant, his door office door is opened and a truly stunning blond peeks her head out.

"What are you up to Mr Reyes" , she cooes in a seductive tone.

"I'm  coming Caroline" , he says in his cold voice, and I feel my heart break. This is why he regrets kissing me. This girl must be special to him in some way.

I am on the verge of tears as I hurry towards the already open elevator. As I step in, I hear Xavier's voice, so faint that I'm probably imagining it.

"I'm sorry Candy. I am not the one for you."

A/N: I am so proud of this chapter. 1910 words and all that  tension... eeek. Please vote and comment, I would like to know your thoughts and opinions on this book in general