Alexander, Just Be Quiet

Evelyn tore at Alexander's tie, leaving it hanging loosely around his neck.

Alexander, seated in his wheelchair, went completely still. His eyes locked onto Evelyn, wide with shock at her sudden action.

Seeing his stunned expression, Evelyn paused, her lips hovering just a breath away from his. "What's wrong?" she whispered softly. "Are you distracted now?"

His voice was a low, gentle rumble. "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said, even as his arms tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

A faint frown touched Evelyn's brow. She wasn't interested in talking. This wasn't about conversation.

"Alexander, just be quiet," she instructed, pressing a finger to his lips to stop any further words. "From here, you just need to follow my lead."

She was determined to prove that their first time wasn't just a drunken accident. Her feelings for him were real. She wanted to close the distance between them, to truly connect.

Alexander let out a shaky breath, a soft "okay" escaping him.

Later, Evelyn was completely spent, collapsing into a deep sleep in Alexander's arms as exhaustion finally claimed her.

He held her close, his own breathing ragged as he fought for control.

Once he was sure she was asleep, Alexander carefully rose from his wheelchair. He scooped her up gently and carried her to the bed, tucking the blankets around her with infinite care.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers softly brushing the damp strands of hair from Evelyn's forehead.

His mind raced, replaying the events of the evening.

Evelyn's boldness hadn't satisfied the hunger inside him. It had only made it sharper, more demanding.

He had to keep up the act of being disabled in front of her. That meant letting her take the lead while he forced himself to hold back.

A frustrated sigh escaped him. The only solution right now was a cold shower.

In all his twenty-eight years, Alexander had never felt so thoroughly tormented.

He thought that if Sebastian ever found out about this, he would never hear the end of it.

After his cold shower, a measure of calm finally returned to Alexander.

He slipped quietly into bed beside Evelyn.

Just then, she murmured in her sleep, shifting slightly. "Mmm... cold."

Alexander hesitated for only a second before gathering her into his arms, pulling the duvet tightly around them both.

Instinctively, Evelyn curled into the warmth of his broad chest, her breathing evening out once more into peaceful slumber.

Alexander watched her sleeping face, the desire to stand tall before her, to reveal his true self, burning stronger than ever.

He ached to hold her openly, to give her the complete security she deserved.

But danger still circled them.

To protect Evelyn, he couldn't afford to be reckless.

His arms tightened around her. He silently vowed to remove every obstacle, and quickly.

No matter what, he had to find that woman before Theodore Vance did.

Elsewhere, a tall, imposing man stood on the balcony of a luxurious villa, his gaze fixed on the distant city lights, a storm of emotion in his eyes.

He slowly looked down at the butterfly pendant resting in his palm, his warm fingertips tracing its delicate contours with a strange tenderness.

This man was Theodore Vance, the very source of Alexander's high alert.