Chapter 306
Madison
+25 BONUS
In the elevator, we stood in silence. Alexander’s jaw was tight, his posture rigid. Something about Katherine’s appearance had affected him, but I couldn’t tell if it was desire, anger, or something else entirely.
“You’re quiet,” he observed as we descended.
“Just processing.”
“Processing what?”
I met his gaze directly. “Katherine. Her effect on you.‘
His eyebrow arched. “Her effect on me?”
11
“You bid two hundred thousand dollars to have dinner with her, then claim you won’t go. You neither accept nor reject her invitation to meet again. It’s confusing.”
The elevator doors swished open, revealing the bustling hotel lobby.
Alexander placed his hand on the small of my back once more, steering me with a firm yet gentle touch toward the grand entrance where his driver stood waiting by the sleek black car.
“Not everything requires an immediate answer, Madison,” he said as we stepped outside into the cool night air.
“Some things do.”
Alexander opened the car door for me, waiting until I slid inside before joining me. Once settled, he instructed his driver to take us to his penthouse.
“I have work tomorrow,” I reminded him.
“So do I.” Alexander’s hand landed on my knee, his fingers tracing slow, deliberate circles on the silk of my gown. “That doesn’t mean I’m done with you tonight.”
My body instantly responded to his touch, heat flooding between my legs despite my determination to stay focused, “You didn’t answer my question about Katherine.”
His fingers paused their journey up my thigh. “What specifically about Katherine requires an immediate answer at this moment?”
I shifted in my seat, trying to ignore how his fingertips were now drawing small patterns just above my knee.‘ Why didn’t you just tell her no? About dinner, about meeting again? You just left it open.”
“Would a clear rejection have made you feel better, Ms. Harper?”
“Yes,” I admitted, hating how vulnerable the single word sounded.
“Why is that?” His fingers resumed their upward path, pushing the silk fabric higher.
I bit my lip, trying to focus as his hand inched toward the apex of my thighs. How could I explain that watching
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Chapter 306
+25 BONUS
Katherine touch him so casually had made me feel like I was disappearing? That his two–hundred–thousand- dollar bid had sent my mind spiraling with questions?
“It would just be clearer,” I finally managed.
“Clearer for whom exactly?” His voice dropped to that low, seductive register.
“For everyone involved in this situation.”
His lips curved into a knowing smile. “Including you?”
“Especially me,” I confessed, meeting his gaze directly.
His hand slid higher, bunching my dress around my waist. “Are you jealous, Ms. Harper?”
“I’m concerned about our arrangement’s parameters,” I corrected, my breath hitching as his fingers traced the edge of my lace panties.
“Our arrangement states exclusivity,” he reminded me, his touch teasing along the elastic. “I haven’t forgotten the terms.
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My mind raced, trying to reconcile his words with his actions. If he wasn’t interested in Katherine, why spend a fortune on dinner with her? Why not clearly decline her invitation?
“And dinner with an ex–girlfriend falls within those parameters?” I asked, gasping as his finger slipped beneath the lace to find me already wet.
“It would be strictly business,” he murmured, circling my clit with maddening lightness. “But as I said, I have no intention of claiming that dinner.”
My hips involuntarily tilted toward his hand. “Then why not just tell her that?”
“Because Katherine thrives on rejection. Tell her no, and she becomes more determined.” His finger dipped inside me, making me bite back a moan. “Give her nothing, and she eventually loses interest and moves on.‘
“Sounds like you know her fucking well,” I managed, struggling to maintain my train of thought as his thumb found my clit.
“I do.” He nipped my earlobe. “Which is precisely why I know exactly how to handle her.”
The car pulled up to his building, forcing him to withdraw his hand. I squeezed my thighs together, frustration and confusion warring inside me.
As we stepped into the elevator, I couldn’t stop my mind from racing. If he truly had no interest in Katherine, why not just say so? And that bid, two hundred thousand dollars just to prevent someone else from having dinner with her, didn’t add up.
“You’re overthinking,” Alexander said, pressing me against the elevator wall. “I can practically hear the gears turning in that beautiful head.”
“I’m trying to understand what happened tonight,” I admitted as his lips found my neck.
Chapter 306
+25 BONUS
“What needs understanding?” His hands gripped my ass, lifting me slightly. “Katherine is my past. You’re my present.”
Present. Not future. The distinction wasn’t lost on me.
The elevator doors opened to Alexander’s penthouse. He stepped out first, his hand finding the small of my back as he guided me inside. The space felt different tonight, charged with an energy I couldn’t quite name. Perhaps it was Katherine’s unexpected appearance, or maybe it was the lingering questions spinning through my mind.
Alexander loosened his tie as he walked toward the bar. “Drink?”
I shook my head, contemplating whether I should leave. The smart move would be to call a car and go back to my apartment. Put some distance between us. Process everything that had happened tonight. But something kept me rooted to the spot: curiosity, desire, or maybe just the need to understand where I stood.
“No, thank you. I’ve had enough tonight.”
He nodded, pouring himself a generous measure of scotch.
I watched him take a long sip, his throat working as he swallowed. The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken questions.
Why Katherine? Why now, after all these years? What was their story, really? And why wouldn’t he just give me a straight answer about any of it?
But I didn’t ask. What was the point? He’d just deflect again and offer another non–answer wrapped in seduction. That seemed to be his specialty when it came to difficult conversations.
Alexander set his glass down and moved toward me, his eyes darkening. “You look tense, Ms. Harper.”
“Just tired,” I lied.
His lips curved into a knowing smile. “Liar.”
“Excuse me?”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
