Chapter 55

Evelyn's words tumbled out in a rush. "Claire was only teasing, you mustn't—"

Her voice trailed off, swallowed by the tension thickening the air between them.

Without warning, Alexander closed the distance, his lips claiming hers in a searing kiss.

Evelyn's breath hitched.

His strong fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head back as if she weighed nothing. The bustling world around them dissolved into silence—only the whisper of fabric and their ragged breaths remained.

The faintest hint of whiskey lingered on Alexander's tongue, intoxicating her senses.

A bolt of lightning shot through Evelyn's veins, making her fingers tremble.

His calloused palms slid down her waist, settling possessively against the small of her back. The contact sent delicious tremors racing along her spine.

Pressed against his solid frame, she felt fragile. Powerless.

Drowning in the heat of his touch, she didn’t dare breathe.

Just as the kiss deepened—

Alexander's phone buzzed violently between them.

The sharp ring of the phone shattered the moment like glass.

Alexander pulled back reluctantly, his forehead still pressed against Evelyn's. Their ragged breaths mingled in the charged silence, pulses thundering in sync.

After a long beat, he released her with obvious reluctance and strode to the table to answer the call.

Evelyn remained rooted in place, her lips tingling from the kiss. Her mind reeled, replaying every electrifying second while her heart refused to slow its frantic rhythm.

When Alexander returned, he was already shrugging into his dress shirt, his playful smirk replaced by a businesslike frown.

"Last-minute trip to Singapore. I'll be gone at least three days."

Evelyn's breath caught. She nodded quickly, springing into action as she hurried to their walk-in closet.

Her fingers flew through his wardrobe, selecting two Tom Ford suits for formal meetings and a Brioni for investor dinners. She paired each with silk ties in complementary hues.

Remembering his preference for comfort during flights, she added cashmere sweaters and tailored joggers, folding everything with military precision.

Alexander's eyebrows lifted when he saw the meticulously packed suitcase.

His expression softened as he caught her wrist, pulling her against his chest. "You're incredible," he murmured against her hair.

The scent of his cologne enveloped her as his fingers traced her jawline. "I'll miss this," he said hoarsely.

Evelyn's breath hitched when his thumb brushed her kiss-swollen lips. "The plane leaves in ninety minutes."

A wicked gleam returned to his eyes. "Then we'd better make these count."

His mouth crashed down on hers with renewed urgency as he backed her toward the bed—

The doorbell's chime froze them both mid-step.

Alexander growled in frustration while Evelyn bit back a laugh. "Your timing is impeccable," she told the unseen visitor.

He gave her one last searing kiss before releasing her. "This isn't over," he promised darkly.

As Evelyn straightened her blouse, she noticed the unfamiliar number flashing on Alexander's phone screen. Singapore's country code.

Her stomach dropped.

Business trips never started with midnight calls.

Alexander nuzzled into Evelyn's fragrant hair, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "No browsing those steamy romance novels while I'm away, understood?"

Evelyn pressed closer to his chest, her reply barely audible. "I wasn't even considering it..."

A smirk played on Alexander's lips as his throat moved visibly. "If curiosity gets the better of you, just wait for me. We'll... investigate those scenes together."

Evelyn's pulse spiked at his implication.

Did he mean what I think he meant?

Investigating together?

Before she could process it further, his phone buzzed again—sharp, insistent.

She watched him stride out, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving her torn between anticipation and flustered embarrassment.

The moment she was alone, she hurried back to her bedroom on tiptoe.

The second her head hit the pillow, memories of their kiss consumed her—the heat of his mouth, the way his body had pinned hers. She yanked the blanket over her head, cheeks burning, and let out a muffled groan.

Her fingers twitched with the urge to smack her own face.

Why did he have to say it like that?

Now I can’t stop imagining it.

Her mind raced. "If that call hadn't interrupted us... what would have happened next?"

And the way his body had felt against hers... that low, teasing question—Was I satisfied?

Seriously?

This was the same Alexander Whitmore people whispered about—cold, controlled, untouchable? Since when had he become so... dangerously flirtatious?

Was it just with her? Or had he always been like this beneath that polished exterior?

Sleep refused to come. Evelyn twisted in her sheets, phantom touches burning across her skin until exhaustion dragged her under near dawn.

Meanwhile, thirty thousand feet in the air, Alexander stared blankly at the business magazine in his lap. The same page had been open for fifty-three minutes.

He reclined his seat, shutting his eyes. The memory of Lucas's voice echoed from last night's whiskey-fueled conversation.

"For God's sake, man, just take what's yours!" Lucas had slammed his glass down, ice clinking. "You're legally bound to her now—what's holding you back?"

A smirk curled Alexander's lips.

"That body of yours is a weapon. Flex it. Let her see what she's been missing." Lucas had gestured wildly. "And that face? Christ. Use it."

The plane hummed around him.

Alexander's fingers tapped against the armrest.

Oh, he intended to.

Alexander could charm a dozen women like Evelyn without even trying!

"Wait, Alex, don't leave yet!"

Ignoring Lucas, Alexander casually picked up his suit jacket from the couch and shrugged it on.

Lucas, undeterred, kept up his relentless persuasion.

"Alex, believe me! I'm betting our twenty-five years of friendship on this!"

"Just walk by her in nothing but a towel, and Evelyn won’t know what hit her. I guarantee it!"

Alexander said nothing, merely adjusting his jacket before stepping out of the lounge.

The memory of Evelyn’s reaction tonight played in his mind, and his lips curved into a smirk.

A wicked grin spread across his face as he thought, Looks like Lucas’s ridiculous plan actually worked.