“Is Alexander with you?” I hurriedly asked.


    Gai snorted. “No, he was supposed toe, but I found him asleep in his office. Wake him up for me, will you?”


    My stomach jolted. “Gai, I don’t…”


    “He has a bunch of work to do today,” she said. “I have to go. Wake him up, Olivia. That’s an order, not a request.”


    Nervously, I tucked my hair behind my ears as I recalled thest time I had woken up Alexander in Washington. But I didn’t really have a choice. I guess waking up my boss was a part of my job.


    Slowly, I turned the doorknob of his office and crept inside.


    Alexander’s head was resting on his folded arms, propped up by his desk. He had giant ck headphones covering his ears, like he didn’t want to be disturbed. That just made my stomach stiffen with anxiety, but I couldn’t back out now.


    Gently, I moved one of his headphones to the side and exposed his ear.


    “Alexander,” I said in a loud voice that rang throughout his office. “You need to wake up. You’re still at work.”


    He didn’t even move an inch. I tried to wake him up by shaking his shoulder and practically shouting in his ear, but he just wouldn’t wake <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    I groaned and narrowed my eyes. Was he pretending to be asleep? Would Alexander purposely ignore me?


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    11:42


    Honestly, he probably would.


    I nced over at a table in the corner of the room and saw the red tie Alexander had been wearing this morning strewn over it. He must have taken it off before his afternoon nap. The color gold glinted at me from the tie clip on the back of it. Maybe I could wake him up by poking him with the sharp pin…


    No, I could get fired for pulling a stunt like that.


    But if I allowed Alexander to sleep for the rest of the workday, I could also get in trouble with Gai or even him.


    I bit my lip as I considered my options.


    Oh, what the hell?


    With a shrug, I picked up the tie and detached the clip from it. As I stood there, I ruled out the areas covered by his clothing like his arms and legs. Finally, I decided on his hand. That shouldn’t hurt him too much. It was just a little prick.


    I kneeled down and took his warm hand in mine. Gently, I lifted his pointer finger and picked up the needle with my other hand.


    Carefully, I brought the tip of the needle until it was almost touching his fingertip.


    Just when I was rethinking my decision to do this, Alexander’s forehead twitched.


    A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as Alexander’s hand twitched in mine. Determination coursed through me. It was toote to back out now.


    “It’s okay, Alexander,” I murmured soothingly, hoping that I wasn’t lying to him. “My grandma used to do this same thing to me to wake


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    <b>Chapter </b>133


    me up from a nightmare. It’s only a little prick. It’s better than being trapped in a terrifying dream.”


    Just when the sharp point was a breath away from the tan skin of his finger, Alexander’s eyes flew open, and his hand tightened around mine, interlocking our fingers together.


    My gaze locked onto his as cold shock flowed through me. Acting on instinct, I tried to pull my hand away from his, but he was too strong.


    With a simple jerk of his muscr arm, Alexander pulled me on top of him.


    With a shriek, I fell onto his hard body until I was in hisp. Ipletely forgot that I was holding a sharp pin. Not until my hand was on his sturdy chest.


    Alexander didn’t even wince when I looked down in horror and realized that I had stabbed him in the chest.


    “Oh, no!” I gasped. “Alexander, I’m so sorry.”


    Without a word, Alexander put his hand over mine and gripped onto me, trapping my hand over his chest.


    Our eyes met as I wondered what the hell he was up to.


    “Let me go,” I demanded and squirmed on top of him.


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