AT THE SAME TIME
ISABELLA
I did not have time to prepare. One second, Xavier's hand was warm and steady at my waist. The next I was airborne.
"XAVIER?!"I gasped.
He lifted me effortlessly, like this was a perfectly reasonable thing to do in a rose garden and not a direct violation of several international laws and at least three of my personal boundaries. My arms locked around his shoulders on pure instinct because apparently my survival reflexes had unionized with the plot. Michael gasped like someone had just rewritten physics. Wanessa made a delighted little noise, the kind you make when a theory pays off.
"Oh my god." Michael whispered. "He picked her up."
"Yes." Wanessa said serenely. "That's happening."
"Put me down."I glared at Xavier.
"No." He replied calmly.
That was it, that was the entire justification. He didn't even pause, didn't tighten his grip, just looked down at me with that faint, dangerous smile like he had already decided this was allowed.
