Chapter 20 - Emily

**EMILY**

Emily hesitantly approached the table where Alexander Fitzpatrick sat. The fact that the bodyguard was right behind her gave her strength. She paused uncertainly at her chair.
“Hi,” she said in a low voice and smiled shyly, “I’m sorry I stormed off like that.”
Alexander stood up, walked around the table and pushed her chair forward so she could sit comfortably. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart, I’m sorry. This terrible thing should not have happened.”
Suddenly she felt his hands on her shoulders and a hot sensation spread through her. When she felt his lips on her temple, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to let her erotic feelings for him get the better of her. He was the CEO of the company where she was just one of many bookkeepers. She was a nobody to him. It was pure coincidence that she was sitting with him in the restaurant as his date. After this meal, she would go home and he would... She had no idea what he would do then, and she shouldn’t care.
“Let’s get something to eat,” he suggested, sitting down across from her again, “even if you only eat a little. We don’t have to stay long. My suite is already prepared, we can always retire there to rest.”
She winced. Again he hinted that he had booked more than just a shopping trip and a dinner together. The agency owner Oliver had only told her about the shopping trip - she hadn’t even expected this dinner. But accompanying Alexander Fitzpatrick to his hotel suite seemed too intimate. Even though he was extremely charming and attractive, she couldn’t forget that he wouldn’t have given her a second glance as a woman if he’d met her at the company. He would never have approached her on the street. She just didn’t belong in his world. So how could she let him take her to his suite and surely want more? If there was anything about sexual services in the contract, Oliver Daron should have told her - shouldn’t he?
Emily waited for her boss to continue and demand that she see him more often, but he only fixed her with a moment. Then he relaxed and motioned for the waiter to serve. After that, they concentrated on the delicious meal. And it really was excellent. The carpaccio was thinly sliced and a pure delight. The main course was also delicious. She had never had such a tasty rack of lamb. Even the au gratin mashed potatoes were an explosion of flavors that amazed her.
“Do you like it?” he asked in the silence of the meal.
“Yes, Alexander, it’s delicious, indescribable.” She smiled. “Thank you, I’ve never eaten anything like it.”
He smiled contentedly, as if he had prepared the meal himself. She felt a tension creep into her body. She sensed that he was about to bring up a sensitive subject, and she steeled herself inwardly. She wished they could have postponed any unpleasant topics of conversation until after dessert.
“Emily, I’ve noticed that you’re still hesitant when it comes to my hotel suite or another meeting.” She flinched uncomfortably at the words, but he didn’t let up and continued. “You seemed to enjoy the shopping trip. You are not uncomfortable being seen with me. We talked easily and laughed together.”
He leaned back in his chair and looked at her intently. She cleared her throat softly, reached for her wine glass and took a sip. She wrestled with herself. Should she contradict him? She didn’t know what to do, since he obviously didn’t want to hear her voice. And she couldn’t tell him the truth about being his accountant - at least not until they knew what was in the contract she had blindly signed. “Emily, why are you making this so difficult?” He leaned over the table and studied her intensely with his brown eyes, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine despite her reluctance. She couldn’t resist his charisma. “Darling, why don’t we do this again? I’m sure your contract doesn’t say anything about a one-time meeting.”
She raised her head. This was her only chance to stand up to him. She looked at him over the edge of her wine glass. Her voice sounded slightly hoarse as she answered him. “Oliver Daron assured me that I was only filling in for Amelie and that this would be a one-time meeting.” She played nervously with the stem of her glass. Why was he frowning? He had signed a contract with Amelie himself. Emily was sure that he hadn’t received a new contract, otherwise she wouldn’t have had to tell him that she was only the replacement. Why did he insist on seeing her more often? His next words clarified things for her.
“You do realize that dozens of pictures have been taken of us today? You can read in all the newspapers and magazines tomorrow that we are lovers.” He slid a hand across the white damask tablecloth toward her, and she hastily backed away. She preferred not to risk skin-to-skin contact. She was too upset at the moment. His physical closeness only made it harder for her to stand firm and reject him. “The hot kisses we exchanged, my dear, clearly prove that we are more than just superficial friends.” His voice was harsh, his gaze persuasive. She licked her lips nervously and gripped her wine glass almost convulsively.
“Emily,” he continued, “you can’t tell me you don’t feel it. This... spark between us. We’re perfect for the press, there’s something that resonates between us.”
His words made her skin tingle, and reluctantly she had to admit that he was right. It was that spark, that unspoken tension, that kept her on edge. But that was exactly what frightened her. Men like Alexander were dangerous. Not in the traditional sense, but dangerous to the heart. To self-control. To what she had built in her life. While he saw her only as a purchased hostess, she was about to lose her heart to him. And with each meeting, she also risked her job, the one that earned her the money to pay her rent.
“This is not my life, Alexander,” she finally said quietly, more to herself than to him. “You’re... you’re a billionaire. You’re used to getting what you want. But I was really just standing in for Amelie. The robbery earlier...”
„Forget the robbery,“ he interrupted her harshly, “that’s not my everyday life. The bodyguards screwed up, and someone will have to answer for it. But this has nothing to do with you and me.”
Emily closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Everything had gone exactly as she had expected. He didn’t allow any other opinion. If he wanted her, she would have to comply. Now she was afraid that she would lose her job in the accounting department if she continued to refuse to accompany him as a hostess. And if necessary, she would go to his suite. *But would that be so bad?* She wanted him - he wanted her. Men and women met for one-night stands every day. So why not her?
“Alexander, I can’t do this,” she finally said, but her voice sounded less convincing than she had hoped.
“Why not?” His voice was even lower now, almost a whisper. “I’m not a rich bastard who brutally imposes his will on others. I promise I’ll never do anything you don’t really want me to do.”
Emily felt her defenses begin to crumble. Everything in her was screaming at her to stay in control, to not let him hold her. But there was this urge, this inescapable desire to believe him. To give him a chance - to play the game with him and maybe fall completely for him.
“Just one more meeting,” he suggested, his eyes fixed on her. “And if you still want to get out of the contract, I won’t object.”
The words hung in the air, and Emily felt the world around her grow quieter. There was a promise in his eyes that made her heart beat dangerously. He was a temptation she would find hard to resist. Amelie was incredibly annoyed that she had fallen ill.
She sighed softly and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at him again. “Okay,” she finally whispered. “One more meeting.”
Alexander leaned back and gave her a smile that was as calm and confident as if he knew exactly what she was going to say. He lifted his glass and tapped it gently against hers. “To our next meeting.”
She smiled at him tentatively, her thoughts far away. *What will he ask me later in the suite?*