When the food was served, neither of them spoke.
The air between them was charged—Sophie could still feel the ghost of his touch from earlier, the heat of his foot teasing her under the table. But she refused to look at him.
She focused on her plate, cutting her steak into precise pieces, chewing slowly, pretending everything was fine.
Alex, on the other hand, was completely at ease, casually sipping his wine, not a care in the world.
When they were almost done, Mr. Hayes’ phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, then sighed. “I have to take this. Important call.” He stood, gathering his things. “You two go ahead and finish. I’ll have my assistant finalize everything tomorrow.”
Alex stood up, shaking his hand. “Of course. It was a pleasure.”
Mr. Hayes turned to Sophie with a polite smile. “Miss Sophie.”
She forced a smile. “Safe travels, Mr. Hayes.”
The moment the door clicked shut, Sophie exhaled hard, her chest heaving like she’d just run a marathon. But her relief was a joke—Alex was already on her like a starving wolf.
She felt him before she saw him, the heat of his body carving a path through the air. His eyes, dark as sin, locked onto hers like he was seconds away from devouring her whole.
Before she could even think to move, he grabbed her chair and spun her around with a force that made her gasp. His lips crashed into hers, hot and demanding, swallowing her protest before it could even form. Her hands flailed for a second, caught between shoving him away and clawing him closer. But she didn’t push him. She couldn’t. Because deep down, she’d been craving this—his mouth, his hands, the way he owned her space like it was his goddamn birthright.
“Alex…” she managed to choke out between kisses, her voice trembling with a mix of panic and desire. “Not here.”
But he didn’t stop. If anything, her words only made him more determined. His hands slid down to her waist, gripping her so tight she felt like she might bruise. He pulled her closer, until her thighs were straddling his.
His tongue plunged into her mouth, exploring her with a possessive hunger that left her dizzy. She moaned softly into the kiss, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, deeper. His hands roamed her body, kneading her ass, her hips, sliding up to cup her breasts through the thin fabric of her blouse. Her peaks hardened instantly, aching for his touch.
When he finally pulled away, they were both panting, their lips swollen and glistening. His eyes burned into hers, intense and unrelenting. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he growled, his voice low and rough.
Sophie blinked, still trying to catch her breath. “Excuse me?”
“You think you can avoid me?” His voice was a dangerous purr, sending shivers down her spine.
She turned her face away, reaching for her fork with trembling fingers. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Alex exhaled sharply, his frustration palpable. “Sophie.”
She took another bite of her food, ignoring him, pretending like her entire body wasn’t on fire.
“What happened?” he demanded, his voice like a whip crack. “Why are you acting like this?”
Silence.
“Did I do something to offend you?”
More silence.
His patience snapped. “Answer me, or I swear to God, I’ll leave you here.”
Her fork clattered against the plate. She knew he wasn’t bluffing. With a huff, she turned to him, her eyes blazing. “Why would you introduce me to your ex?”
Alex froze, his expression unreadable for a moment before a slow smile spread across his face. “Jealous?”
“Jealous? Don’t flatter yourself,” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
He leaned closer, his breath hot against her ear. “Are you sure?”
She narrowed her eyes, her jaw clenched tight. “People don’t act that nice to their exes, Alex. People don’t hug their exes like that. People don’t—”
“Peck their exes on the cheek?” he finished for her, his smirk widening.
She clenched her fists, her entire body vibrating with barely contained rage. “Exactly.”
Alex chuckled, leaning back in his chair like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Mara is my ex. That’s all.”
Sophie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Right. Because exes hug passionately for no reason?”
“You call that passionate?” he teased, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Damn, I must not be doing my job right.”
“Don’t change the subject,” she hissed.
“I’m not,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, sultry rumble. “I just think it’s cute that you’re upset over nothing.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, he slid his foot onto her lap. Her entire body tensed, her breath catching in her throat.
“Alex—”
“Come here,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
She hesitated for a second, torn between standing her ground and obeying him. His eyes held hers, dark and demanding, daring her to defy him.
“I’m your boss,” he reminded her, his tone dripping with authority.
Sophie exhaled sharply, pushing her chair back as she stood. Her heart pounded in her chest as she walked toward him, every step feeling like an eternity.
Alex’s gaze darkened with approval as she approached. “Strip,” he ordered, his voice low and gravelly.
She hesitated for a split second before reaching for the hem of her blouse. Slowly, deliberately, she pulled it over her head, letting it fall to the floor in a heap. Her hands moved to the waistband of her skirt, undoing the zipper with trembling fingers. The fabric pooled at her feet, leaving her standing there in nothing but her bra and panties.
Alex’s jaw tightened as he took her in—bare, vulnerable, completely at his mercy. “Everything,” he growled.
With a deep breath, she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, letting it slide down her arms. Her full breasts bounced free. Her hands moved to her panties next, sliding them down her legs until she was completely bare before him.
“Fuck,” Alex muttered under his breath, his eyes raking over every inch of her naked body.
“Come here,” he murmured, his voice thick with desire.
She stepped closer until she was standing between his legs. Her hands moved to his shirt, unbuttoning it slowly, her fingers skimming over his toned chest. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin, the way his muscles tensed beneath her touch. When his shirt was open, she pushed it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.
Her hands moved to his belt next, undoing it with practiced ease before reaching for the button of his slacks. She pulled the zipper down slowly and her breath hitched as she freed him from his confines, taking him in her hand and stroking him slowly.
Alex let out a low groan, his hands gripping the arms of the chair tightly. “That’s it,” he growled, his voice rough with need.
Sophie climbed onto his lap, straddling him as she positioned herself on top of him. Their lips met again in a frantic kiss, his hands gripped her hips tightly as he guided himself inside her, sliding into her with a groan that made her shiver.
She moaned against his lips as he filled her completely, stretching her in the most delicious way.
Her hands tangled in his hair as she began to move on top of him slowly at first but quickly picking up speed until they were both panting and sweating with exertion and pleasure—as they moved together in perfect sync; bodies slapping against each other loudly in the otherwise silent room filled only by sounds of their heavy breathing and moans mixed together into one beautiful symphony of lustful ecstasy...
And then…deepening their connection further still as their mouths met once more—hungrily devouring each other’s tongues while continuing this wild ride despite nearing climax now because neither wanted this moment ever end so badly…until finally…they came undone together screaming out their releases loudly enough shake walls around them before collapsing spent but satisfied atop one another while trying catch breaths simultaneously.