Xavier’s jaw tightened and he bared his teeth. I was guessing he knew Morosto didn’t have young children.

“Or,” I lifted a shoulder, “spy on you for him.”

His head cocked. “And did you?”

I gave a humorless laugh as I shook my head in disbelief, sitting back. “Fuck you.”

Xavier made a strangled sound in his throat, and his fist pounded the seat in front of him.

I gasped, my jaw dropping. “You asshole,” I hissed, my heart leaping into my throat with fright. It was in no way aimed at me or even close, but the violence of it left me shaking. “Calm down or I’m not speaking to you ever again. I had nothing to do with this, and you damn well know it,” I barreled on, shaken. “Alfred Morosto is a creep. He asked me if I was interested in an ‘arrangement.’ I said, no. He called me an icy bitch and asked me if I warmed up more for you. He assumed we were fucking.” I dragged in a breath. “Like father like son, right?”

Xavier flinched.

Fuck. I looked away, squeezing my eyes shut, so I didn’t have to look down and see how high we were over nothing but water. “And he called you a nerd.” I remembered the final detail. “Are you happy now?”

Xavier was quiet and when I glanced back, he was leaning down, cradling his head in his hands.

Silence crackled between us over the airwaves.

His muscular shoulders outlined against his shirt heaved as he breathed deeply, and I itched to reach out and soothe him. To comfort him about Dauphine, to take back my biting words. Even after his actions.

But I turned my head to the window, hanging onto my anger.

“Where was Dauphine?” he asked after a few moments.

“In the bathroom. I was waiting for her outside it. He cornered me in the hallway.”

“Why did you take his card?”

“Because it was either that or he was going to slip it between my breasts himself.” I glared at Xavier, and he stared right back. He was a master of non-expression, and I knew I wasn’t. I only hoped he could see in my face how utterly outrageous his accusation was and how much he’d hurt me with it. To think how differently we’d gazed at each other not so long ago, our bodies slick with sea water and desire.