His serious tone made my anger spike. Why did he have to torture me like this? Thest thing I wanted to talk about was his blind date.


    “I think that you should pursue things with her further,” I snapped, telling him what I thought he wanted to hear so that this conversation could end.


    But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished that I could take them back. I didn’t mean them. I was onlyshing out at him in a bizarre, masochistic sort of way.


    Alexander’s gaze narrowed, and his mouth became a thin line.


    The car became deadly quiet, and the mood around us twisted into something ufortable that made me crave a gulp of fresh air.


    “Listen, I-”


    I had no idea what I was about to say, but Alexander cut me off by holding up his hand and turning to the window. The space between us felt like a million miles apart. I wasn’t sure how to bridge the gap. The rest of the car ride was filled with this awkward mood that I couldn’t think of any way to fix.


    When we got to the apartment building, we said goodnight to Richard and left the car. In the elevator, I tried to think of something to say to break the tension, but my mind was nk. As soon as the doors opened, I made a beeline for the exit, but Alexander’srge body blocked me.


    I gasped as I slowly looked up at him. Anger and body heat seemed to be rolling off him in waves. He allowed the elevator doors to close


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    behind him. Then, he reached out and grabbed my hips, spinning me around until my back was pressed to his hard front. My legs trembled from his scaring touch.


    He lowered his mouth until it was inches away from my car. His warm breath made me shiver, and I wondered how it would feel if he bit my carlobe and sucked on the sensitive skin of my neck.


    “I would like to give you feedback on your job performance tonight,” he whispered in my ear and trailed his hand slowly down my arm.


    A shiver went up my spine, and I couldn’t help but press myself closer to his hard body. Our breathing hitched as my bottom pressed against his hard length. Pleasure shot through me, and my hands grasped at his dress pants, pulling him closer to me.


    Before anything else could happen, the elevator chimed, the doors opened, and cool air swept into the small space, clearing my head so that I could think straight again.


    I spun around to see Ava standing there, her mouth open in shock. Immediately, I stepped away from Alexander, but the damage was already done. Ava had already witnessed our inappropriate position.


    I swallowed nervously and grabbed Ava’s hand, dragging her away from Alexander and into my apartment. Once I was safely inside, I leaned against the door and tried to catch my breath.


    “What was that all about?” Ava asked and raised her eyebrows suggestively.


    “Alexander is crazy,” I said and crossed my arms. “He spends his days thinking of new ways to mess with my head.”


    “Sure,” Ava said and shot me a knowing grin.


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    I rolled my eyes as I listened at the door. Had Alexander left?


    “You know that Alexander is totally infatuated with you, right?” Ava said in a loud voice.


    I pped my hands and gave her a loaded look. “Shh! He could still be outside.” I waited a full two minutes and only slightly rxed when the hallway remained quiet. “He is gone. Besides, there is no way that we could be together. His family would never allow a scandal like mine to stain their precious reputation.”


    Ava crossed her arms and looked at me with a skeptical expression.


    “If Alexander was interested in me, why would he make me go on a blind date with him?” I pointed out.


    “Duh, because he wants to make you jealous,” my friend said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    I snorted. “That’s preposterous,” I replied.


    “Girl, from the jealous look in your eyes, I can tell it worked,” she said, and a knowing smile formed on her face.


    !


    I gasped in outrage and turned away from her. I hated that she could read me so well..


    “Even if Alexander did have feelings for me–which he does not—it wouldn’t matter,” I said in a firm tone.


    “Why not?”


    “Because Alexander and I are only destined for heartbreak,” I said and swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Everything is tooplicated between us. I can’t bear to go through another rtionship that doesn’t end well…especially not with Alexander. I don’t think I could survive a


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    heartbreak like that.”