Xander's Chance

"You're saying I'm the weird one, not these girls?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Unfortunately. It might not be that good of a thing," he said. "From that exchange in the kitchen I overheard, I'd say you drew his attention."

"He's interested in every woman. Just because I'm the only one who doesn't …oh. Oh." She frowned fiercely. "So because I don't act like everyone else, he noticed me."

"No one else talks to him like you do and lives to walk away." The words seemed to be meant as a joke, but there was an edge in Gerry's tone that made her think he knew Xander much better than he let on. "Maybe if you were like everyone else, he'd let you go after your week is up."

Let you go. Fear slid through her. She never considered she was getting into something she wasn't going to escape. She assumed Jonny was the only danger. Her instincts warned her that she didn't want Xander's attention.

Whatever was going on, Gerry was somehow involved. Jessi wasn't able to figure out how Jonny, Xander and Gerry were connected, except that they had to be. They just weren't normal.

"You're saying that, instead of treating him like I do my teenage cousins, I should pretend I'm dealing with a five-year-old who's convinced his stick figure drawing is a masterpiece."

Gerry laughed.

"Okay. I'll play along. I'll try anyway. I don't think I can look that desperate if I tried," she said, amazed at Toni's brazen attempts to flash Xander.

Jessi studied Xander's body once more, forced to admit that the man had the perfect combination of rugged beauty and flawless form. Even the muscles along his back were roped, defined. They rippled with his controlled movements.

Laurencio finally motioned a preening Toni into the shot. The woman lost no time in running her hands over Xander's body. She unsnapped the button of his jeans with one flick of her fingers and plunged her hand down his pants. She gave another high-pitched whinny and posed beside him. Laurencio was encouraging her.

"Omigod!" Jessi stifled a laugh.

"Yeah. Wow." Gerry rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "This is getting awkward, isn't it?"

She'd hoped to see Toni drive Xander crazy. He seemed at ease with the female attention or at least, unconcerned with where Toni's hands went. The photographer issued them a few directions, with his assistant helping them pose. Toni was almost shimmying up and down Xander's body in her excitement.

Jessi's mouth was agape at the erotic poses Laurencio called for them to do. Xander pretending to bite her neck while she lay on top of him, the two of them spooning, even one where the massive man straddled her and pretended to hold her down.