Chapter 19

The realisation causes me to push him away as if I just touched an open flame, raising my hands to my warm lips, my breaths coming out in short quick pants. I glared at Alexander as I tried to register what just happened, and then in the spur of the movement, I allowed my right hand to make hard contact with his left cheek; hard enough to turn his face. As the realisation of what I just did dawn on me, I did the next best thing. I made the short run for the door that we exited through.

My cheeks are aflame as I run through the kitchen to get to the dining room, my hand covering my lips as if just by looking at the others will know what we just did and for some reason, I feel disobedient like a child would feel when they broke a vase or stole a scoop of ice cream from the pint in the freezer. A 'did the wrong thing kind' of feeling.

"Where were you?" Damian asks leaning over to me as I plop down next to him, the plate in front of me holds something that looks to be a generous slice of white chocolate cheesecake. "Do you want to explain to me what's going on, Janette?"

"Alexander is my fiance," I murmur hurriedly, my eyes darting around to make sure everyone else on the table is near enough to overhear us. "He didn't know I had plans tonight, much less that I was invited by you."

Damian's eyes grow wide in shock at this new piece of information as he leans back slightly to let out a long low breath which makes me stab my cheesecake a little harder than I originally meant to with my fork, my lower lip trapped between my teeth.

"You mean to tell me," He boils straining to keep his voice soft enough for only me to hear. "Alexander Holt, the same man who got a divorce not more than three months ago, is the man who put a ring on you?"

Taking a bite of my cheesecake, I nod sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with him. Leaning back into his seat once more, Damian runs a hand through his already messy hair exasperatedly as he absorbs the news.

"Janette, is it for the money?" He finally asks, pulling my dessert plate away from me, pulling my chin up to look me dead in the eye, catching the attention of his mother who watches us out of the corner of her eyes. "Are you in any trouble at all? Finance wise?"

Shaking off his hold on my chin, I give him my hardest glare yet, and snapping as softly but as sternly as I can so that Mrs Higgens overhears me, "Damian Louis Higgens! How dare you!"

Holding his hands up in surrender, Damian has the right to look sheepish after accusing me of marrying for money. In the four months that we've known each other, he should know from the conversation we've had that I want to earn my own money before I ever get into a relationship.

And I do earn my own money still.

"Okay so maybe you're not in financial trouble," He mumbles, lowering his hands. "How the hell did the two of you even meet? Much less even fall in love? You are so...you know...you! Alexander is like...you know...him! The two of you are so different. Falling in love with him should be like the moon trying to kiss the sun without getting burned."

"Opposites attract," I reply quietly, pulling my desert back to me, glancing at Mrs Higgens for a split second to see that she has openly begun to stare at her son and me. "We met at work. He's my boss's friend. That's all I'm going to say, for now until Alexander and I choose to go public, your mother is scrutinising us like a scientist to a specimen."

Damian scoffs audibly when I say this but a dark teasing tone enters his once irritated voice as he nudges my side, whispering, "Speak of the devil. Someone looks irritated."

Looking up from my barely eaten cheesecake, I see Alexander swiftly manoeuvring his way around the tables and various people walking around. His heated grey eyes are trained solely on me as he ignores everyone trying to speak to him, some of the women follow his intense gaze to glare at me as if it's my fault they're being ignored.

Coming up right in front of me, his hand grips my arm just at my elbows, hoisting me up from my seat causing the men on the table to stand at attention, cautious of the scene playing out in front of them, the whole restaurant quietens down, everyone waits with bated breath to see what becomes of me at the hands of Alexander Holt.

When he finally kisses my mouth, everything goes oddly quiet, like the moment of silence between lightning and thunder. Lightning strikes as the silence in the restaurant is disturbed by some gasps of shock.

Pulling away from me to allow me to take in a short breath of much-needed air before he moves in to kiss me again. The kiss is the kind that steals your breath and gives it back, it's the kind that breaks open the sky as the thunder strikes and roars of approval from the younger unknowing staff of Damian's company cheer Alexander on.

What in the world has gotten into him? Did I  just slap the ever-loving crabs out of him or did I not?

Finally releasing me shortly after the cheers begin, I advert my eyes down to the floor in total embarrassment as the people on our table who heard the conversation from before eye us questioningly.

"Wha-what is the meaning of this Alexander?" Mrs Higgens stutters, slightly outraged as she looks between us. "Ms Summers has a fiance and so do you! This is cheating!"

Chuckling darkly, Alexander wraps his hand tightly around my waist, pulling me to him, he replies, "I said my fiance was well as an answer to your question, Mrs Higgens but you never asked who my fiance is."

"Alexander," I whisper-shout, nudging his ribcage roughly with my elbow. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Immediately as the words leave my lips Mrs Higgen's hands move to cover her mouth in shock. The table is quick on the uptake of the new information which I'm surprised that they hadn't noticed sooner.

I mean come on, Alexander was dropping hints like a dog who has diarrhoea.

"Damian, I do apologise for taking the limelight of your company's anniversary party," I speak hurriedly as Alexander gently or rather roughly begins to push me away from the table. "I wish I could have met your parents under different circumstances. Maybe lunch another time, yes?"

Damian's lips are pulled across his face in a broad smirk which makes me feel very bad about what Alexander has done but his mother's resounding response makes me feel a whole lot better.

"I'll get your number from Damian, Ms Summers!" She informs after me as Alexander already has me about two meters away from the head's table. "We have to meet for lunch soon!"

Giving her a smile of gratitude, I allow myself to be dragged out for the rest of the way out of the restaurant, the sound of hoots and 'encouraging' calls from the young men make my cheeks flush a bright red.

God, men are so immature!

Looking up at a stoic-looking Alexander, I sigh heavily. There's an even more immature one right here.

Surprisingly his car is already waiting for us at the entrance of the restaurant, opening the passenger door for me, Alexander rounds the hood to get to the driver's seat once I'm settled in and he presses the gas down just as soon as he's got his seatbelt on.

"Alexander, slow down or you're going to get us in an accident!" I shout warningly, gripping the edge of my seat tightly. "Alexander Holt!"

With the sound of his name being called, he slams on the brakes hard just as the street light turns red, the force of the car causes me to jolt forward but thankfully I have my seatbelt on. What was the safety slogan in Singapore again? 'Seatbelts save lives'?

Turning to him once I feel my heart rate go down, I snap sarcastically, "I want to get home to Danny in one piece tonight if you don't mind, Alexander."

He's silent.

"What's the deal with you tonight?" I snap, poking him in his suit jacket-covered arm. "Let's ignore yesterday's behaviour but how could you pull a stunt like that at Damian's company's anniversary dinner?"

"Do you really want me to believe that Damian Higgens is a friend of yours?" he counters acidly, pressing on the gas as the traffic light finally turns green. "How do you know him, Janette?"

"Why does that even matter?" I question him exasperatedly, leaning back into my seat. "What does it matter of who Damian Higgens is to me and how we met? I know him and that's it."

"Do you really expect me to accept that as an answer?" he asks back at me, his knuckles growing white with how tight he's gripping the steering wheel. "What happened to follow the rules that we've agreed on?"

"What exactly do you want to hear from me, Alexander?" I respond measuredly, looking at his face. "If we're talking about our agreement then I can reassure you that I am not cheating, figuratively or literally. He. Is. Just. A. Friend. I can't emphasise it more."

"That is not what I mean and you know it," He barks, pressing his foot to the gas pedal. "How do you know him?"

Rolling my eyes, I reply, "I met him at the same coffee shop you met me in. I can assure you that I have not violated any of our terms."

Sure...for now, my inner succubus laughs maniacally.

Taking his silence as his answer, I lean into my seat turning my body away from him to lean my head against the window because if anything I would rather look at the passing lights of the Seattle light rather than him.

That is until he serves into a side lane parking lot and slams the brakes so hard that it causes me to lurch towards the dashboard, my arms barely preventing my face plant.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I shout, turning to face him.

Then it happens again, he kisses me. His lips are pressed hard against mine, and my fist pounding his shoulders does not deter him, if anything, it spurs him further. Undoing the knot of my shawl, the light material falls delicately to my waist as he wraps his palm around my neck while his other snakes around my waist, impossibly trying to pull me closer to him despite the centre console being in between us.

Once I melt into his kiss, his lips leave mine for my neck, trailing light kisses along my jaw before he makes contact. A soft moan leaves my lips as tingles run from the place his lips touch down to my breasts then spine, stomach, pelvis, thighs and finally toes.

Fairly certain he leaves a mark on my neck, he releases me from his grip, settles back into the driver's seat and begins driving again.

"If I still need to make myself clear as to how it concerns me how you came to be friends with Damian Higgens," He states determinedly. "Our contract will either need to be rewritten or thrown out.