His Heart Knew Before He Did novel Chapter 4

"Xavier, something's going on!" Marcus nudged his arm with a sly grin. "A guy like you would never go on a blind date! Spill it, who exactly is this Lydia?"

Xavier picked up the twenty bucks from the hood, looking at the bills with darkened eyes. "You wouldn't get it."-

Marcus genuinely didn't get it. "But seriously, you're usually generous! How do you have the nerve to ask a woman to pay back ten or twenty bucks? What is going through your head?"

Xavier looked up, his gaze once again drifting toward the direction Lydia had left.

"Flirting."

……

Failing another blind date meant facing Audrey's wrath.

So Lydia decided it was time to move out.

When she told Audrey her plan, her aunt's scowl instantly transformed into a radiant smile.

"Lydia! If you're going to move, move to the county! The people in town love to gossip. If you stay around here, the neighbors will just talk behind my and Gerald's backs!"

Lydia didn't have the energy to argue, so she agreed.

The next day, bundled up in a long down jacket, she set out for Larkspur County to apartment hunt.

It was market day in town, and the bus stop was completely swamped.

The chaos was worse than a big city subway during rush hour.

Villagers hauled heavy baskets of holiday supplies, clutching live chickens and ducks. Empty-handed, Lydia stood awkwardly among them.

The bus arrived, and the second it stopped, the disorganized queue surged forward. By sheer reflex, Lydia charged ahead with the crowd.

Just as she stepped onto the bus, an older woman grabbed her jacket from behind, yanking her back onto the pavement.

Missing the step, Lydia lost her balance and tumbled backward.

In a split second, the gasp caught in her throat as a strong arm wrapped securely around her waist.

She was caught, her back colliding against a rock-solid chest.

Warm breath brushed against her ear. "Careful, Ms. Lockwood."

Lydia's pulse jumped. She quickly righted herself, spun around, and met Xavier's deep gaze.

He was dressed in all black again, wearing the exact same outfit as yesterday.

She took a step back. "Thanks."

Xavier replied, "Don't mention it."

Lydia ignored him, her eyes tracking the departing bus.

"Unlock the door. I want out."

Ignoring her demand, he grasped her wrist and pulled it gently toward him. "You're bleeding, friend."

Lydia finally noticed the blood dripping from her right index finger.

She must have scraped it against one of the bamboo baskets in the crowd.

She tried to pull her hand back, but Xavier's terrifying strength held her firmly in place.

"Hold still. Let me fix it."

Defeated, she watched as Xavier retrieved iodine, cotton swabs, and a bandage from the console to dress her cut.

He leaned in close, his movements clumsy but deeply careful.

With his hands lightly wrapped around hers, the warmth of their skin mingled, flooding the car with a sudden, suffocating sexual tension.

Lydia found her gaze drawn to his undeniably gorgeous face.

He was dangerously captivating.

When he was being serious, he was actually quite pleasant to look at.

"Don't stare at me," Xavier murmured, suddenly lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I hold grudges, and I'll stare right back."