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Olivia
My body yearned for sleep, but work had other plans. The scent of freshly brewed coffee tantalized my senses.
“Alexander? I didn’t expect anyone else to be here this late.”
Alexander leaned against the counter, tie loosened and sleeves rolled up, revealing taut forearms that made my eyes linger.
“Neither did I.” A small smile played on his lips as he glanced up. He gestured toward the coffee pot with a nod. “Help yourself.”
“Thanks.” I poured myself a cup, the aroma wafting to my nostrils. I leaned against the counter opposite him, cradling the ceramic mug with my hands.
“You know, Olivia, you don’t have to stay so late. No one expects you to shoulder everything.”
The intimacy of his tone caught me off guard. I studied his face, looking for the sanctimonious tyrant I had begun to think of as my enemy.
“Sometimes it feels like I do.” The words tumbled out of me before I could prevent myself from saying them. “I just… I want to prove myself, you know? Show everyone I’m capable. That I’m good at what I do.”
“Olivia.” His eyes met mine with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. “You prove yourself every day. You work hard and do a good job. You haven’t even been here a month yet. I’m tough because I need my people to perform. But if you weren’t good at what you do, you wouldn’t be here.”
“Thank you, Alexander.” It was strange to see this side of him.
“My bosses were hard on me, too. Before I ran my own company.” He looked down, thinking. I didn’t want to press him to speak. It looked like he was debating whether to say what he was mulling over. “In my family, my dad wasn’t home a lot. It was seen as a weakness to devote yourself to anything other than work. Anything other than the business.”
I nodded, surprised to see the emotion on his face from recalling it.
“That can’t be easy.”
“It’s a trait that I struggle with myself. So, when I see it in other people…” He looked at me, no longer with the penetrating gaze, but with a softer understanding. “When I see it in someone like you. I realize it’s something I don’t want to cause in other people.”
He was quiet again. I paused, just looking at him. His face lacked the brutal coldness of earlier. There was an angelic side to it that I’d never seen before. Even though he was fifteen years older than me, he still had a sweet quality that made him look younger.
“Someone as talented as you shouldn’t beat yourself up so much, Olivia. Don’t let it keep you from living, either. It’s different when you have the success or failure of a company on your shoulders. But you, you don’t need to deal with that.”
His words struck a chord. For a fleeting moment, I imagined what it would be like to truly live. To genuinely embrace every thrilling, terrifying, beautiful moment life had to offer. As I stood there in that dimly lit kitchen, sharing a late-night confession with Alexander, maybe I was taking a step toward that dream.
“Let’s make a deal.” I found my hand alighting on his for just a moment, then pulling it back. Both of us closed our eyes for a second at the physical connection, unable to help it. “I’ll keep you from yourself, and you keep me from myself.”
“It’s a deal.”
The warmth of Alexander’s gaze lingered on my skin, bringing my vulnerability to the surface. I inhaled deeply, deciding to take a risk. “I was always afraid that I wouldn’t meet everyone’s expectations. Especially yours.”
Alexander leaned against the counter, facing me, his eyes widening. “Olivia, you have no reason to feel that way. Ever.”
My fingers traced the rim of my mug. The heat seared my skin, anchoring me to that moment. “But what if it’s not enough? What if I can’t keep up?”
His hand reached out, lightly touching my arm, and this time he held it there. It sent a chill through my body. “You’re more than enough. Trust yourself. You’ve got this.”
I looked into his eyes, searching for any hint of insincerity, but all I found was warmth. My soul burned with a longing to explore his depths. I wanted to find out who the man was who I caught a glimpse of, the one who seemed so different from the aloof CEO I saw at work.
“Thank you, Alexander.”
“Anytime.” His fingers lingered on my arm, moving up and down on my skin for a moment before he withdrew them.
As the silence stretched between us, the air crackled. The distance separating our bodies shrank, as if we were being drawn together by a magnetic force. The contours of his face became more defined in the dim light. The curve of his lips tempted me even more than they had before.
“Olivia,” he murmured, his voice laden with desire.
“Alexander,” I replied, echoing his intensity.
