Chapter 172
Madison
I leaned against the wall in Alexander’s office, watching him take the last of his calls for the day. The Bloomberg interview had gone even better than the first, and the Fox Business segment had been nearly perfect. Alexander had been calm, articulate, and confident enough to reassure investors without seeming arrogant.
“That’s correct,” he said into the phone, his voice steady. “Knight Industries welcomes any regulatory review. Our books are open, our practices are transparent, and these allegations are baseless.” He paused, listening. “Yes, I understand. Thank you for your support.”
He hung up and ran a hand through his hair, looking tired but satisfied.
“Good news?” I asked.
“The market’s closed, and we ended down only four percent. Some of our other stocks performed better, some worse, but overall…” He shrugged. “It could have been much worse.”
“That’s a relief,” I said, feeling the tension that had been coiled in my shoulders all day finally start
to loosen.
Alexander stood up and stretched, his suit jacket pulling tight across his broad shoulders. “Ready to go? You must be exhausted.”
I nodded, gathering my things. “It’s been quite a day.”
“The understatement of the century,” he muttered, checking his phone one last time before pocketing it. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
The elevator ride down to the parking garage was quiet. We were both too tired for conversation, and I was grateful for the silence. The crisis seemed to be contained, at least for now, but I couldn’t help wondering who was behind it all. Someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to damage Knight Industries, first drugging Alexander and now attacking the company’s reputation.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Alexander said as we reached his car. “I can practically hear the gears turning in your head.”
I smiled faintly, “Just wondering who’s behind all this.‘
“Join the club,” he replied, opening the passenger door for me. “But that’s tomorrow’s problem. For now, let’s just be glad we survived today.”
The drive to my apartment was peaceful. The city lights blurred past as Alexander navigated through the evening traffic with easy confidence. I leaned my head against the window, watching the
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streetlights flicker on as dusk settled over Manhattan.
“You were impressive today,” Alexander said, breaking the comfortable silence.
I turned to look at him, surprised by the compliment. “I didn’t do much. You’re the one who faced the board and the media.”
Alexander kept his eyes on the road, but I caught the slight curve of his lips. “You organized my entire schedule, coordinated with PR and legal, and made sure I didn’t miss a single interview.”
“That’s my job, Mr. Knight,” I replied, straightening in my seat. It felt strange to hear him acknowledge my efforts so directly.
“Yes, it’s your job as my PA,” he agreed, stopping at a red light and turning to face me. His eyes held mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. “And it’s also your job to take care of me as my girlfriend.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Well, if that’s the case, then it’s also your job to take care of me because you’re my boyfriend.”
The light turned green, and Alexander accelerated smoothly. “Fair point, Ms. Harper.” His hand left the steering wheel to rest briefly on my knee, the warmth of his touch seeping through my skirt. ” And how might I take care of you tonight?”
My mind immediately went to places it shouldn’t, especially given how exhausted we both were. I cleared my throat. “By dropping me at my apartment so I can get some sleep before we do this all over again tomorrow.”
He chuckled “Sleep. Right. That’s definitely what I had in mind.”
“Sure it was,” I muttered, fighting a smile.
“I heard that.”
“You were meant to.”
Alexander’s laugh filled the car. It was unfair how a simple laugh could make my stomach flip like that.
“I like it when you’re sassy,” he said, his eyes briefly leaving the road to meet mine. “It’s refreshing.”
“Only when I’m exhausted,” I replied, stifling a yawn. The events of the day were catching up with me, and the comfortable leather seat wasn’t helping my struggle to stay alert.
“So I should keep you sleep–deprived for maximum entertainment value?”
I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t. I’m barely functioning as it is.”
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He turned onto my street, slowing as he approached my building. “I don’t know. You functioned pretty well today. Better than most of my executive team, if I’m being honest.”
“Careful, Mr. Knight. That almost sounded like a compliment.”
“Did it?” He pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. “How careless of me. I’ll have to watch that.
”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and gathered my purse. “Thank you for the ride.”
“Wait.” His hand caught mine as I reached for the door handle. “You’re forgetting something.”
I turned back, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Before I could ask what he meant, Alexander leaned across the console, one hand coming up to cup my cheek. His lips met mine in a kiss that started gently but quickly deepened. Despite my exhaustion, my body responded immediately, a warm current running through me as his tongue traced my bottom lip.
When he pulled back, his eyes were darker than before. “Sleep well, Madison. I need you sharp
tomorrow.”
“Right,” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathless. “Sharp. Got it.”
I climbed out of the car on slightly unsteady legs, acutely aware of his eyes on me as I walked to my building’s entrance. At the door, I glanced back to see him still watching, the engine idling. I gave a small wave before disappearing inside.
Once in the elevator, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. What was I doing? This arrangement with Alexander was supposed to be straightforward–a business deal with benefits. So why did my heart race whenever he looked at me like that? Why did I feel this flutter of anticipation when his hand brushed mine?
The elevator dinged, jolting me from my thoughts. I made my way down the hallway to my apartment, fumbling slightly with the keys.
Inside, I dropped my purse and kicked off my heels with a groan of relief. My feet were killing me after standing through all those interviews and meetings.
Theaded straight for the bathroom, peeling off my work clothes as I went. Under the hot spray of the shower, I let my mind empty of stock prices, media statements, and board meetings.
The water sluiced away the tension of the day, and I tilted my face up into the stream, eyes closed.
Of course, without the distraction of work, my thoughts immediately turned to Alexander–the intensity in his eyes during the interviews, the feel of his lips on mine just minutes ago.
“Stop it,” I muttered, reaching for the shampoo. “You’re being ridiculous.”
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I scrubbed my hair, perhaps more vigorously than necessary, as if I could wash away these inappropriate thoughts and the day’s stress. By the time I stepped out of the shower, my skin was pink from the heat, and my mind was marginally clearer.
Wrapping a towel around myself, I padded to my bedroom and rummaged through my dresser for something comfortable. I settled on a simple tank top and cotton shorts, slipping them on without bothering with underwear.
I flopped onto my bed, my damp hair spreading across the pillow.
My eyelids grew heavy as exhaustion finally caught up with me. The last thing I remembered before drifting off was the feeling of Alexander’s lips against mine in the car and the intensity in his eyes when he pulled away.
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.
