Chapter 9 - Alexander
**ALEXANDER**
Alexander didn’t know what was wrong with him. This young woman touched something inside him. And the way she looked at him with her mouth half open made his heart beat faster. He simply had to kiss her again. This time not so hesitant and cautious.
He put his hands on her back while he placed his mouth on her soft red lips. He could taste her breath, smell her scent. A hint of citrus surrounded her, refreshing and stimulating at the same time. His hands moved lower, pulling her closer, and he began to suck lightly on her lips. Then he felt her tongue brush the corner of his mouth. The girl was really bold, and that made Alexander smile inevitably. This mixture of self-confidence and insecurity fascinated him in a way he hadn’t experienced in a long time. As he gently slid his hand down her back and then let go, he realized that she was not as naive as she might have liked to appear. But he knew very well that intimacy was not a good idea here in the mall. There were too many eyes on them. Several times he thought he saw the flash of cameras out of the corner of his eye - a sign that the press was already on her trail.
“Hello, my darling...” he began, but she interrupted him brusquely, her voice slightly breathless and with a hint of reproach. “Darling? Weren’t we at sweetheart?” The way she looked at him and fluttered her eyelashes was so exaggerated that he looked irritated. She smiled almost artificially, and he couldn’t really tell what was going on in her head. This interplay of tenderness and brash directness confused him. At first she seemed to enjoy his touch, leaning against him almost devotedly - and then she brusquely interrupted him to impose her own direction on the conversation.
*What did she hope to achieve?* He wasn’t quite sure if she was putting on an act or if this was who she really was. It could be anything. She was an enigma, and although he usually had a good instinct for people, she was giving him a hard time. *Is she aware of the effect she has on people?* he wondered as she fluttered her eyelashes again, as if she had practiced it too often in the mirror.
*Oliver has made a strange choice*, Alexander thought as he tried to judge her. Was she really the right person for this job? A professional hostess would have a more subtle approach. But this woman was playing a game whose rules Alexander did not yet fully understand. But instead of getting angry, he decided to let things take their course. If it didn’t work out with her, he could always fall back on plan B. After all, the contract with Oliver had stipulated that Amelie should be at his side - not an Emily who was suddenly presented to him.
He still maintained eye contact with her. Her gray-blue eyes were intense, almost stormy. They reminded him of the sea he loved so much - rough, unpredictable and full of secrets. Maybe that was what attracted him. There was something dark and mysterious about her that challenged him. And Alexander loved a challenge.
With a gentle gesture, he ran his thumb across her cheek and then lightly down her chin. His touch was almost tender, but there was a spark in his eyes that betrayed he would remain in control no matter how unpredictable she was. In a raspy whisper meant only for her, he said, “Hello, my sweetheart. I’m looking forward to going shopping with you.” His voice was deep, a mixture of promise and provocation.
As he spoke the words, he watched closely to see how she reacted. The hint of uncertainty in her eyes was barely noticeable, but he had seen it. Even when she played with her brash manner, he knew that she was not as imperturbable as she pretended to be. Alexander had the feeling she was wearing a mask - and he was determined to find out what was behind it.
*Maybe this day will be more interesting than I thought*, he thought as he took a step back and held out his hand to her. “Ready, sweetheart? Business awaits us.”
She placed her hand trustingly in his.
*Interesting*, Alexander thought as he felt her warm hand in his. Her fingers were soft and well-groomed, and yet she was not like the women he usually had at his side - too smooth, too perfect, always concerned with keeping up appearances. Emily was different, and that was what irritated him. He looked down at her clothes: pink sweatpants and red sneakers. No long artificial nails, no evening makeup, a simple, though pretty, updo. It was almost as if she belonged to another world he didn’t belong to - and maybe she did.
Alexander frowned. Could it be that Oliver had taken the next best woman from a fitness center? Had the owner of the DarEnd-Agency really been that desperate?
“I suggest we skip the planned purchase for me and instead look for some clothes for you,” he said while he looked for signs on her face to see if she understood his motives. He couldn’t let her look like *that*, not with the press writing about them both. His reputation was impeccable, he had worked hard to be respected in the highest circles. A woman in jogging clothes who looked like an ordinary employee of a fitness center was not his type. He hadn’t become a billionaire and internationally known for his furniture designs by dating ordinary women. Style and elegance were his trademarks. So he had to make sure Emily fit his image.
She seemed hesitant, maybe even about to object, but then she nodded and smiled. *Good girl*, he thought, feeling slightly pleased. This was the first step in the right direction. She would have to learn to move in his world - a world where style and appearance mattered. It’s nothing personal, but he has expectations. He took her to one of the city’s most exclusive fashion stores, where mannequins posed in expensive designer clothes that fit perfectly into his world. “We’re sure to find something here,” he said as they walked through the door that opened automatically. The smell of luxury hit him as they entered the store, and he was sure they would find something that would put Emily in a whole new light.
A saleswoman, perfectly styled and smiling, approached them immediately. She recognized him, of course, he could tell by the slight twinkle in her eyes. But his interest was not in her, but in the woman at his side. “My girlfriend needs a new wardrobe,” he explained in a calm tone that brooked no argument. “Something elegant, timeless. Simple but stylish.”
The saleswoman nodded eagerly, ready to fulfill his wish immediately. *Of course*, Alexander thought. In this world, everything worked according to his rules. And Emily would have to adapt as well. When the saleswoman led Emily to the changing rooms, Alexander stayed behind, his eyes following her as he crossed his arms loosely over his chest. She was a challenge, he realized now. This woman was not a puppet that would easily fit into the role he had planned for her. But she would soon realize that she only had to look beautiful and never expect more from him. If she was hoping for sex, she had picked the wrong man.
*I can’t wait to see what else this evening has in store for me*, he thought as he waited for Emily to come out of the dressing room. It was a strange feeling to have someone like her in his world - raw, maladjusted, but with the potential to be transformed into something more. Still, he was not about to throw his principles overboard. She was a booked girlfriend, nothing more. There was no room for feelings between them.
But when she finally stepped out of the cabin, the knee-length dress clinging to her body like a second skin, the wide decorative belt perfectly matching her slender waist and seductively accentuating her breasts, he knew: the cool facade he usually hid behind was crumbling.