“I didn’t mean Zurich, but you.” I slid my hands under his jacket and hugged him tightly.
He responded to my embrace, bent down, and kissed me tenderly. Our tongues intertwined, and I felt a warm wave of pleasure wash over me. Small shivers broke out all over my body.
“I missed you,” I said quietly while undoing one of the buttons of his shirt and slid my palm across his strong bare chest. I wanted to feel his smooth skin under my fingers.
Alexander put his hand under my green silk dress and stroked my thigh. “Mmm… I want you, baby, but we won’t get to lunch if this continues, and I would like you to tell me about your new boss.”
I withdrew reluctantly. “You attract me like a magnet… I can’t resist you.”
He burst into full-throated laughter. “I’m glad you can’t, my little magnet.” He took my hand and led me to the round table, where the food he’d ordered for us was sitting on trays with silver lids.
I sat on one of the four soft leather chairs and looked around. The room was huge. There was a desk of solid dark wood, a stylish beige leather sofa, and a coffee table that matched his desk. Beautiful pictures hung on the walls.
Alexander opened the lids of the trays and delicious smells wafted from them—still-warm chicken tenderloins with mashed potatoes, boiled sweet corn, and a green salad with tomatoes, olives, and white cheese. Saliva pooled in my mouth. “Mmm… It smells so appetizing.”
“Now tell me about your new boss.” His blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. He couldn’t wait to get the lowdown.
“I’m thirsty. Will you pour me a glass of water?”
Alexander looked pointedly at me, raising an eyebrow, but said nothing. He poured sparkling mineral water into my glass and handed it to me. I drank almost all of it. My lips had gone dry from the worry that had taken hold of me. I felt like I was facing an approaching tornado, which was about to engulf me any second.
“I’m listening, Alexia.” His voice was very serious.
I took a deep breath, feeling like there wasn’t enough air. “My boss will be replaced by Ralph Egli.”
“And who is Ralph Egli?”
“My ex-boyfriend.”
“What?” he shouted. He threw his napkin on the table and gave me such an icy look that I shivered. “And you think you two can work together, is that it?”
I didn’t say anything.
“Is that it?” He was out of control. Saying he was furious would be putting it mildly. His jaw muscles throbbed from the way he gritted his teeth.
“Alexander, don’t take that tone with me.” I rose from the chair. I couldn’t be so near him, not when he spoke to me like that.
He briefly closed his eyes and then opened them. They now looked softer. He stood up and came over to me. “I’m sorry… I’m just not myself. I can’t remember the last time I was so angry.” He put one of his hands on his waist and nervously ran the other through his hair.
“I don’t like it when you spend time with Vanessa either, but you do it anyway.” I tried to wriggle out of the situation. After all, I wasn’t exactly over the moon when he saw her. But he wasn’t interested in the fact that he was hurting me by paying attention to her.
“Don’t involve Vanessa in this, please. I don’t work with her and we don’t see each other every day.”
“But you do see her and she’s sort of an ex since you’ve fucked her.”
“She is not an ex.”
“On the contrary, and I’m certain she wants to get you into bed again. What’s the difference?”
“Where are you going with this?” He looked down at me and narrowed his eyes.
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “I asked myself that question too—how will I work with Ralph? I was stunned when I found out… And I understand you don’t like it. But, Alexander, you have to trust me. I have no interest in him.”
“You don’t, but he does in you. And after we have an insignificant fight, when you’re feeling confused, he’ll exploit your weakness.”
“I’ll be completely straight with you.” I started. “I don’t want to work in your company. Not now.”
Fire flashed in his eyes when he looked at me. “Why are you being so stubborn, Alexia?”
“Because I don’t want to find myself unemployed and on the streets if we split up.”
“I would never leave you on the streets, for God’s sake. Never,” he said, emphasizing the last word.
“I don’t want to. Please. You have to understand.” I put my palm on my forehead, trying to suppress the emerging headache.
“I don’t understand you—you said you loved me.”
I was speechless. So he wasn’t asleep and he heard me. God…
“Alexia, look me in the eyes.” He looked at me searchingly, and I dove in the blue abyss of irises. “Do you love me?” he said very softly.
“Of course I love you,” I whispered.
“Then why are you making things between us so difficult?”
“I’m not making them difficult. I just think my future is more secure this way.” I sighed and looked at my fingers.
“So you can work with Ralph, but not with me?”
“I’m not in love with Ralph,” I objected and stared into his eyes.
“I don’t get you, Alexia. You don’t want to take a job offer from me because you love me. Sounds absurd. I’m not going to meddle in your affairs; you’re completely free to choose. You can choose to work in a financial department or be involved in the interior design of hotels and houses—”
I interrupted him. “What do I know about interior design?”
“You have good taste, Alexia, and most importantly, I fully agree with it. I only have to introduce you to the business. I know what I’m talking about, and I think you’ll do just great.”
How does he always manage to turn things to his own advantage?
I decided to adopt the “waiting” strategy. Alexander wouldn’t agree to my remaining at work with Ralph, but I didn’t want to start working for him straightaway. Still, the interior design job sounded quite interesting. It would be a challenge for me and I wanted to see if I could handle it.
“Let me think on it, please.” I put on my sweetest expression.
“Until when?” He wouldn’t give up so easily.
“You’re not going to pressure me with a deadline, are you?”
“How long do you need to think?” he repeated, his voice quiet.
“Let’s say one or two weeks. We’re going to Dubai, right? So I won’t be at work for a week. Please don’t pressure me. I don’t want us to fight.”
He took a deep breath and said, “Fine. Now let’s eat because the food’s going cold.”
“Thank you.” I hugged him and kissed him on the lips, which made him relax visibly.
We sat at the table again.
“Are you staying over at mine tonight?” he asked while cutting a piece of chicken.
“Yes, if you want me to.”
“Of course I do. I wouldn’t ask you otherwise.” A playful smile brightened his face, which made me beam too.
I no longer cared that I hadn’t won the battle for the job. At least he’d given me time to think. Time I intended to use to find a way out of this situation. Why couldn’t I be a little more persuasive? Whereas he was such a skilled negotiator. He could be very convincing. It was clearly a gift. Alexander always got his way. He was shaping me into what he liked. And I let him because I couldn’t resist him and perhaps because I felt his ultimate goal was to eliminate all annoyances so nothing would stand between us.
We’d finished lunch. I was standing by the window, arms crossed, taking in the amazing view extending in front of me—Zurich, the lake, and the Alps. It was stunning. In the distance, I could see the majestic towers of Grossmunster, the beautiful aristocratic buildings of the city, and the small vessels sailing in the lake.
Alexander came over and embraced me, intertwining his fingers into mine, and then took a dee
p breath. “Mmm… I love your perfume mixed with the scent of your delicate skin. It’s unique.”
I leaned my head back and rested it on his shoulder. He started to softly kiss the sensitive area behind my ear, which made me purr with pleasure. “I don’t want you to feel the future of our relationship is uncertain, baby.”
“But I really do feel that way, Alexander.” I sighed. “You’re still satisfied with me, but after some time, when the thrill is gone… you’ll get tired of me. You’re a very attractive man and can have any woman you want.”
“And what, you’re not attractive? You can also have anyone you want, Alexia, but you love me and don’t want anyone else. You won’t hurt me.”
“I’ve not cheated on my exes and I wasn’t even in love with them.”
He started to softly suck the bottom of my ear.
“I’ll never get bored of you, baby. You’re the only woman who can drive me crazy and, at the same time, attract me with such great force that I’m unable to control myself. Even when I’m angry with you, I want to grab you and kiss every inch of your body.”
“You want to control me like you control your empire.”
“Empire?” I couldn’t see him, but I sensed the smile on his face.
“Yes, this here, to me, is a property empire. Sometimes I think, to you, I’m just another piece of property on which you want to build a hotel without having surveyed whether the ground is unstable or hides a mysterious archaeological treasure. You want to control everything, as always, and do with me what you like, and to hell with what I want. I haven’t demanded that you stop seeing Bert Gras, even though you know full well I don’t like him and see him as a sick pervert. You, however, immediately see red when I go to lunch with an acquaintance.”
“Yes, I’m trying to keep you all for myself. You belong to me, baby, and before you ask, I declare that I belong to you too.”
I checked my watch—it was quarter past one already. “I completely lost track of time. I’m late for work.”
“See, if you worked for me, you wouldn’t have to rush off to anywhere.”
“You never give up, do you?” I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
“Never.” He turned me around and passionately kissed me on the lips.
21
I sat at my desk, still with Alexander in my thoughts. We’d been together only minutes ago and I already missed him.
Was this normal? Was I too deeply in love with him?
I was afraid of my strong feelings, afraid of getting hurt.
Was he right and would it be better to start working in his company? We would spend more time together this way.
Look at me. This is how I yield to temptation, and who will suffer and get burned in the end but me…
I shook my head to scatter these thoughts and got on with my work. We had a department meeting in an hour, and I had to prepare a report.
I left the bank at six and quickly walked over to the Bentley, which was already waiting for me. I sat in the back and quickly kissed Alexander. “Hi, honey.”
I looked in the mirror and met Henry’s eyes. “Hello, Henry.”
“Miss Welson.” He nodded politely and fixed his gaze back at the traffic.
“Are you still mad at me?” I asked Alexander.
“A little,” he admitted.
“I don’t want us to argue again.”
“We won’t. You definitely have a great power over me, and however mad I get at you… when you look at me with those angelic eyes of yours… I just can’t stay mad at you for long.”
I rested my head on his shoulder and relaxed. I felt exhausted after the long day of work and the argument we’d had during lunch. “I promise you we’ll have a thorough discussion of the work issue and solve it together, but I don’t want it to happen tonight.”
“I have other plans for tonight,” he said and dug his nose into my hair.
* * *
For supper, Mrs. Schmidt had cooked spicy chicken legs with rosemary potatoes. They were incredibly delicious. It was high time I learned to cook better.
“Mrs. Schmidt, I can say with certainty that you are an exceptional cook. The food was amazing.” I started, adding “Can I ask you for a few of your recipes? I’d like to learn to cook as well as you.”
She gave me a warm smile and replied, “Of course, whenever you wish, Miss Welson.”
Alexander took my hand and ran his thumb across my knuckles. “I don’t think you’ll need to cook, baby.”
Pardon?
“Every woman has to know how to cook properly,” I objected.
“Not every woman.” He looked at me and pressed his lips against my cheek. “I have a little more work, so if you need anything, I’ll be in my study.”
“Okay.”
“It won’t take long. An hour or so,” he said and stood up.
After I helped Mrs. Schmidt in the kitchen so she could leave for home sooner—it was already half seven—I decided to have a quick shower and tuck myself into Alexander’s bed with a book. I stopped at The Great Gatsby. I had read it, but I wanted a fresh look at it.
My eyelids were starting to feel heavy when Alexander walked into the bedroom.
“I’m sorry for leaving you on your own, but I had work to finish. What are you reading?”
“The Great Gatsby. Have you read it?”
“A long time ago.”
“The love story is quite sad, but I like how it’s told. How behind the splendor in which Gatsby lives hides his sad and lonely heart, yearning for a life with his only great love.”
Alexander undressed and lay next to me on the bed. I snuggled up to him—his body was so warm and comfortable.
“You know, you’re a hopeless romantic,” he said.
“Ha… Mad as a hatter more like.”
He propped his head on his elbow. “Why did you say that?”
“Because I’m a crazy romantic, and romance is an anachronism.”
“I like you like this.” He put his full weight over me. I spread my legs and felt his erection. “I bet your favorite writer is Nicholas Sparks.”
“You’re right. I love his novels and I’ve read all of them more than once. He’s great. It’s no accident that so many famous directors are inspired by his books and make movies based on them.”
“That’s true.” He took hold of my face and gently pressed his lips briefly to mine. “If you only knew how happy I am that you’re in my bed right now.”
“So tell me. Is it true that no other woman has slept in your bed?”
“Not a single one.” He shook his head. “I feel different with you.”
“And what’s so different about me?”
“Everything, baby. You’re so sweet and sexy at the same time. Your kisses… Nobody has kissed me like that. They warm my soul because I feel you’re giving yourself to me fully. You’re the first woman I don’t just fuck, but make love to, where we give ourselves to each other fully.”
He started to gently play with and suck on my lower lip, which made me open wider and meet his tongue. I was in seventh heaven. Nobody had said such things to me before. I felt how my body tingled from the touch of his hands, how it bloomed from his sweet kisses, and the wetness between my legs increased.
“I have an erotic present for you, baby.” He raised his head to see my reaction. “But you can decide whether you want to try it.”
My curiosity kept on growing as I watched him get up from the bed, go into the bathroom, and come back hiding something behind his back.
“What’re you hiding?” I asked.
He gave me a devilish smile. “Close your eyes,” he ordered. I obeyed. “Now open.”
I sat there staring and wondering why I would need that. “Alexander, what do I need this vibrator for? Do I look unsatisfied to you?”
“Generally, when we have sex, no, but right now, Miss Welson, you look to me like you have a great desire and need to—”
I interrupted. “I need yo
u, not this… piece of plastic.”
“Baby, you’ll like it—you’ll get to have both. Let’s play a little.” His eyes sparkled playfully.
“So you want to play. Fine. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to try it.” I bit my lower lip. I couldn’t believe I was being so frank with him.
Leaning over me again, he put his lips on my nipple and sucked on it hard. I cried out, more in surprise than pain. Then he took my hands, intertwined his fingers with mine, and lifted my arms above my head, constantly kissing me wherever he could. Gently he nibbled at my skin, stroked it with his tongue, gradually making his way downward. I closed my eyes, my senses sharpened, and the feeling became even more intense. His lips slid down my belly, traced a small circle around my navel, and finally reached my pussy. Alexander spread my legs widely and started to gently tease my clitoris, flicking, licking, and sucking it until the arousal in my groin became unbearable.
“This feels sooo good,” I moaned, on the edge of climaxing. I gave myself to the pleasure. My leg muscles tightened and the hot wave of the orgasm washed over me.
Alexander took me in his arms. When he was sure my breathing had calmed down, he rose. He took the lubricant from the night table, squeezed some onto the vibrator, and then slowly, very slowly and carefully, ran it along my still-tingling labia.
He switched it on, and I instinctively closed my legs. “God, Alexander, not so hard.”
“Sorry, we’ll do it at the lowest setting and then I’ll increase the power bit by bit. I forgot it’s your first time.” He lowered the vibration level, and I closed my eyes. It was nice, maybe too nice, feeling the pleasant vibrations in my vagina, sensing his hot breath on my skin. I was gripping the bed sheet so hard my fingers turned white.
“I love watching you come, baby. You have no idea how sexy you look,” he whispered and started to kiss me passionately.
Opening my lips, I met his tongue. When he withdrew from me, I protested because I wanted more. Then he traced a path of kisses along my belly and breasts. I arched my neck, and when he touched my clitoris with his thumb, he shot me up to the zenith of pleasure. Мy body shivered in convulsions. I came hard and long, left breathless.
Limits of Destiny (Volume 1) Page 19