Chapter 184
Madison
My phone buzzed again. Alexander glanced at it. “Aren’t you going to check that?”
“No,” I said, tucking my phone into my purse. “It’s probably just Jackson again. Nothing important.”
Alexander’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Good. It’s nice to see you remember the terms of our arrangement.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why did you ask me to agree to this girlfriend deal in the first place? There are plenty of girls waiting in line for Alexander Knight’s attention.” I gestured vaguely with my hand. ” You could have your pick of models, actresses, or socialites who’d jump at the chance.”
“I believe we’ve already discussed this,” he replied, his tone maddeningly calm as he navigated through traffic.
“Yeah, we talked about it, but it’s been a few weeks and I don’t remember exactly what you said.” I turned slightly in my seat to face him. “Refresh my memory?”
Alexander’s eyes remained fixed on the road, but I caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. “I like you, Madison. As a human.”
“Like me, how? Romantically?” I pressed, surprising myself with my boldness. “Or is it just attraction to my body?”
His knuckles whitened slightly on the steering wheel. “I don’t think I want to answer that question.
What we have is a contract. It doesn’t matter if either of us likes the other. It’s a business arrangement.” He paused, then added casually, “Of course, we could always extend it if you want to spend more time with me.
I laughed. “I remember rejecting that offer several times already.”
“I’m just asking.” His voice was light, teasing. “Do you like me,
Madison?”
“I’ll give you the same answer you gave me,” I replied, matching his tone. “It doesn’t matter if I like you or not. It’s a contract.”
Alexander chuckled, the sound rich and warm in the confines of the car.
My phone buzzed again in my purse. I ignored it, but Alexander raised an eyebrow.
“Your friend is persistent.”
“He can wait,” I said firmly.
4
1/3
Chapter 184
+25 BONUS
“What’s his story anyway? This Jackson character.”
1 shrugged. “We were friends. Lost touch for a while. Now he’s back.”
“And clearly interested in more than friendship,” Alexander observed dryly.
“Maybe. But it doesn’t matter, does it? I signed your exclusivity contract.”
Alexander’s smile was predatory. “Yes, you did.”
The car slowed as we turned onto a desolate street lined with abandoned warehouses. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the cracked pavement, adding an eerie stillness to the scene.
“This doesn’t look like the kind of place Leo usually hangs out,” I remarked, taking in the graffiti- covered walls and broken windows.
Alexander pulled the car to a stop beside a black car I recognized as Leo’s. “These kinds of places are good for interrogation,” he said calmly.
As Alexander cut the engine, I reached for my purse, but his hand caught my wrist.
“Before we go in,” he said, his voice low, “I want to be clear about something.”
I waited, my pulse quickening under his touch.
“Whatever we learn in there stays between us. This investigation isn’t just about finding who drugged me anymore. It’s also about protecting Knight Industries.”
“I understand,” I nodded.
“Good.” His grip softened, his thumb tracing small circles on my inner wrist. “And Madison?”
“Yes?”
“I do like you. As more than just a body.” His eyes held mine, surprisingly sincere. “That’s part of why I chose you.”
Before I could respond, he released my wrist and exited the car, leaving me momentarily stunned. My fingers brushed the spot where his touch had lingered, still warm from his grip. His words echoed in my head: “I do like you. As more than just a body.”
What did that even mean? I stared at his retreating back as he strode toward the warehouse, his confident gait never faltering.
He liked me? Alexander Knight, billionaire playboy who could have any woman he wanted, claimed to like plain Madison Harper?
I shook my head, gathering my purse. This wasn’t romance. This was business. It was an
2/3
Chapter 184
+25 BONUS
arrangement, a contract with very specific terms that benefited us both. He got a convenient body to warm his bed, and I got my mother’s medical bills paid. It was simple and transactional.
But if it was just transactional, why did my heart skip when he looked at me that way? Why did his touch linger on my skin long after his fingers were gone?
No, I was reading too much into his words. When Alexander said he liked me, he probably meant I was less annoying than other women he’d been with. Or that I was convenient because I already worked for him. Or maybe–and this seemed most likely–he enjoyed the power dynamic of sleeping with his assistant.
Whatever feelings I thought I detected in his eyes were just projections of my own confusion. This wasn’t a relationship. It was a business deal with orgasms as a bonus feature.
I finally stepped out of the car, the cool air hitting my flushed cheeks. Alexander was already at the warehouse entrance, holding the door open with an impatient expression.
“Coming?” he called, his voice carrying across the empty lot.
I hurried to catch up, my heels clicking against the cracked concrete. The warehouse loomed before us, its windows boarded up and walls covered in faded graffiti. It was not exactly the kind of place I’d expect Alexander Knight to conduct business in.
Inside, the warehouse was surprisingly clean compared to its exterior. The space was mostly empty except for some crates stacked against the far wall and a single light illuminating the center of the
room.
Two figures stood in the pool of light–Leo and Anthony. They turned as we approached, both dressed in expensive suits that seemed at odds with our dingy surroundings.
“About time,” Leo said, checking his watch. “We’ve been waiting for twenty minutes.”
“Traffic,” Alexander replied smoothly.
Anthony’s eyebrows rose slightly at my presence. “Ms. Harper,” he greeted with a nod. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Leo also nodded in my direction.
“Where is he?” Alexander asked, getting straight to business.
Leo jerked his head toward a door at the back of the warehouse. “Through there. We’ve got him secured.”
My stomach tightened. Secured? What exactly had they done?
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.
