hapter 277


    After the stressful day I had, my temper was on a taut string that Alexander had just cut with scissors.


    “Why are you eavesdropping?” I snapped and put my hands on my hips.


    He raised his hands, and his eyes widened. But his innocent act didn’t fool me. “I’m working in my office through lunch, and I just came to the kitchen to fill up my water bottle.” He lifted his orange bottle as proof. “You were too busy to hear me walk in because you were talking on the phone. Also, you forgot your thermos of soup. I saw it sitting on your desk. Mike will be hurt if you don’t eat it.”


    I crossed my arms and turned away from him as my anger lessened and was reced with embarrassment for what he overheard. “I’m not hungry,” I mumbled.


    The next thing I knew, Alexander’s warm hand was cupping my face. He gently turned my head until I was looking at him. His expression softened, and his thumb rubbed soothing circles on my cheek.


    “Since everyone is at lunch and we’re alone, can I talk to you as your boyfriend for a moment, not as your boss?” he asked in a quiet voice.


    This reminded me of the deal we madest night how we were going to respect each other. My guard lowered, and I almost agreed.


    But when I looked away and caught sight of ourpany break room, it felt like someone had sshed a bucket of cold water on me. I was reminded that we were at work and anyone coulde back from lunch early and discover Alexander and me standing too close while


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    Chapter <i>277 </i>


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    he touched me in an intimate way.


    I shuffled away from him, gently taking his hand off my face until I could actually breathe again.


    “Please, Alexander. Can we just slow things down,” I said. “This is all happening too fast, and it feels like I haven’t had a spare moment to breathe.”


    Alexander just stood there with an unreadable expression on his face. A full minute passed like that before I couldn’t take the silence


    anymore.


    “Say something,” I said and held my breath as I waited for his reaction.


    *Olivia*


    “What do you want me to say?” Alexander told me, his voice deep and low. “How do you want me to react to you breaking things off before they even really started?”


    My mouth became dry, and I stepped forward, putting my hands on his hard chest before I could think better of it. I hated that I had been the one to put that hurt look in his eyes. Panic squeezed my heart in a vice- like grip. Even though things wereplicated between us, I didn’t want to lose him. I couldn’t handle that. Not having Alexander in my life was like living without oxygen.


    “No, I don’t want to…break things off,” I rified.


    Alexander’s expression softened.


    “After my…messy divorce, I need time to get used to the idea of having…something with someone,” I said, then looked behind him. When I saw that there wasn’t anyone around, I took his warm hand in mine and squeezed it. “And I think we should keep things between us.


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    Even though Mike already knows,” I frowned, “I don’t want to tell Gai, Rose, or even Ava right now. While things are new and we are still figuring things out, let’s just keep things between us…okay? Especially because if more people know about it, the more likely it is that someone at work will find out and then our lives will blow up.” –


    Alexander made circles on the back of my hand with his thumb, as he thought about what I just said. I waited for his reaction with bated breath. What if he didn’t want to keep our new rtionship a secret from our friends? What if that was a deal breaker for him? Was this the


    end?


    When he opened his mouth, I crossed my fingers behind my back.


    “Okay,” he said simply.


    My shoulders slumped with relief. “Okay?”


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