Chapter 12
Madison
Alexander stood beside my desk, looking unfairly composed, while I probably resembled a startled cat.
“Your mother’s medical bills.” He placed a business card on my desk. “Send them to this email address. I’ll have my team
transfer her to Hallmark Hospital.”
“Oh.” I blinked at the card, my brain struggling to shift gears from ‘almost sex‘ to ‘serious conversation.” “That’s… thank you. Really. I mean, Hallmark Hospital is-
“The best in the city.” He cut off my rambling with that amused smirk. “I know.”
I picked up the card, my fingers brushing against his. The brief contact sent electricity shooting up my arm. “I’ll send these over right away.”
“Good.” His eyes darkened as they swept over me, lingering on my still–flushed cheeks.
I glanced at my watch, desperate for a distraction from his intense gaze. 7:47 PM. How had it gotten so late?
“I should probably head home.” My voice came out shakier than intended. “It’s getting late.”
“My driver will take you.”
“Oh no, that’s not necessary.”
“Madison.” His tone brooked no argument. “After our… discussion earlier, I insist.”
Heat crept up my neck at the memory. “I- um, well…‘
“John will be waiting downstairs in five minutes.” His eyes glinted with amusement at my flustered state. “Unless you’d prefer to continue where we left off?”
“No! I mean, yes – I mean…” I grabbed my purse, nearly dropping it. “Downstairs sounds good. Great. Perfect.”
His low chuckle followed me as I practically fled away from him. My cheeks burned as I waited for the elevator, hyperaware of his gaze on my back. The longest thirty seconds of my life ticked by before the doors finally opened with a ding.
Inside the elevator, I slumped against the wall, my legs still wobbly from our encounter. My reflection in the mirrored walls showed a woman who looked thoroughly… well, let’s just say my appearance screamed ‘office makeout session.‘
John waited by the curb, looking as professional as ever in his crisp uniform. Thank god he couldn’t read minds, or I’d die of
embarrassment.
“Good evening, Miss Harper.” He opened the door with a slight bow.
“Evening, John.” I slid into the backseat, praying he wouldn’t notice my flushed state.
The drive home was mercifully quiet, though every bump in the road reminded me of how worked up I still was. Alexander’s phantom touch lingered on my skin, making it impossible to sit still.
“We’ve arrived, Miss Harper.”
I practically jumped. “Oh! Right. Thank you, John.”
Inside my apartment, I kicked off my heels and made a beeline for the shower. The hot water helped wash away some of the tension but did nothing to erase the memory of Alexander’s fingers exploring….
“Focus, Madison,” I muttered, reaching for the shampoo.
Twenty minutes later, wrapped in my comfiest pajamas settled on my couch with my laptop.
neg
complete with dancing pandas, because who would see them? – I
Chapter 12
+25 BONUS
The business card Alexander gave me felt heavy in my hand as I typed out the email. Attaching Mom’s medical bills felt
surreal like I was living in some alternate reality where billionaires just casually offered to pay for things.
“And all it cost was my soul. And possibly my sanity,” I muttered, hitting send.
I closed my eyes, picturing Mom’s face when she learned she was being transferred to Hallmark Hospital. The best doctors, private rooms, and decent food would be worth it. Even if ‘it‘ meant becoming the secret girlfriend of my impossibly hot, incredibly frustrating boss who apparently couldn’t keep his hands to himself in his office.
My fingers traced the edge of my laptop, a small smile creeping across my face. Mom would flip when she found out. No more sharing rooms with three other patients, no more mystery meat masquerading as dinner, and no more overworked nurses too busy to answer call buttons.
“Well, at least someone’s getting something good out of this whole mess,” I muttered to my empty apartment. My panda pajamas stared back at me, judging my life choices. “Don’t look at me like that. You try saying no to Alexander Knight when
he’s… being Alexander Knight.”
God, I was talking to my pajamas now. That was a clear sign of losing it.
I flopped back onto my couch, letting out a laugh bordered on hysterical. My life had turned into some weird romance novel – complete with the brooding billionaire boss and his innocent assistant. Though I doubted most romance novels included scenes where said assistant had to dodge the cleaning staff with her panties practically dripping.
My face burned at the memory.
But Mom would get the care she needed: private rooms with windows that actually opened, doctors who didn’t look like
they’d been awake for forty–eight hours straight, and nurses who had time to smile and chat instead of running from crisis to
crisis.
“Worth it,” I whispered to my ceiling. “Totally worth it.”
Even if it meant dealing with Alexander’s wandering hands. And his smirks. And those eyes that seemed to undress me every time he looked my way. And his fingers that knew exactly where to…
“Nope!” I sat up straight, shaking my head. “Not going there. Not tonight.”
My pandas continued their silent judgment. I stuck my tongue out at them and crawled into bed, knowing tomorrow would bring fresh chaos.
Morning arrived with brutal efficiency. I smoothed my skirt for the hundredth time as I rode the elevator to the top floor, my stomach doing backflips. The doors opened to reveal our usual morning parade of busy employees, but today felt different. Everything felt different.
I knocked on Alexander’s office door, clutching my tablet like a shield.
“Come in.”
My heels clicked against the hardwood as I entered. Alexander sat behind his desk, his suit jacket discarded and his sleeves rolled up to reveal the forearms that had starred in last night’s dreams.
“Good morning, Mr. Knight.” My voice came out steadier than I felt.
“Lock the door.”
My fingers fumbled with the lock. When I turned around, he’d moved to lean against his desk, watching me with that predatory gleam that made my knees weak.
*Come here, Madison”
I inched forward, my heart threatening to burst from my chest “I have your schedule for today-”
Chapter 12
+25 BONUS
“The schedule can wait.” He caught my wrist, tugging me between his legs.
“Someone might-”
“The door’s locked.” His thumb traced circles on my pulse point. “And I haven’t kissed you good morning yet.
“Oh.” Heat flooded my cheeks. “That’s… um…”
His lips curved into that infuriating smirk. “Are you always this articulate in the morning?”
“I’m perfectly artic-”
He cut me off with a kiss that scattered my thoughts like confetti. My tablet clattered to the floor as his hands slid up my
sides, pulling me closer. I melted against him, forgetting about schedules, meetings, and everything that wasn’t his mouth on
mine.
