Chapter 3

I told myself he was a man of ironclad logic, and to him, I was just another line in a complex contract. A brief on a page, nothing more. My looks, which most men seemed to find striking, meant nothing to his analytical gaze. He was probably just focusing on a problematic clause or a hidden liability.

Once, during a late-night strategy session at his firm, he had been the lead counsel overseeing a project. His presence, though strictly professional, had sent shivers down my spine. I remembered closing my eyes, my face burning, as his steady, observant gaze moved over the documents I held, his hand occasionally brushing mine as we turned the pages. I tried to focus on his calm, measured breathing, on the scent of expensive ink and aged leather in his office. When he had finally declared the deal "legally sound," I had opened my eyes to find him adjusting his glasses, a faint flush on his own high cheekbones. I had dismissed it then, too. Wishful thinking, fueled by a secret, forbidden longing.

"Hold on, hold on!" Kasey's voice cut through my reverie, shrill and demanding. "I really, really need to use the restroom. Brendan, darling, please pull over at the next rest stop! I can't hold it any longer."

My body tensed. My hand was still resting on Graham' s thigh, his fingers still wrapped around mine under the blanket. I instinctively tried to pull away, to create some distance. But his grip tightened, a silent, firm assertion. I froze, my heart thumping against my ribs.

Brendan, ever the compliant one, sighed dramatically but pulled into the next service area. "Alright, Kasey-bear, but make it quick. We're already behind schedule."

Kasey, of course, wasn't going alone. "Brendan, sweetie, can you come with me? I'm a little scared of those dreary highway restrooms. You know how delicate I am." She gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.

Brendan glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes briefly meeting mine. A flicker of something, guilt perhaps, crossed his face. He hesitated, a rare moment of consideration for my presence.

It was Graham who broke the silence. His voice, low and calm, cut through the tension. "Alexia's asleep, Brendan. You go on with Kasey. I'll stay here."

Brendan's shoulders visibly relaxed. He didn't even question it. Graham's word was law in their family. He nodded, a grateful expression on his face. "Thanks, Graham. You're a lifesaver."

A moment later, the car doors opened and shut. The air instantly felt lighter, cleaner. The tension, however, remained, thick and palpable between Graham and me.

Then, he spoke, his voice a low rumble next to my ear. "Alexia." My name on his lips was different, softer, more personal than Brendan's clipped tones.

He reached down, pulling the blanket off my lap. My hand, which he still held, was exposed, linked with his. He looked at my forehead, a faint sheen of perspiration there. "You're sweating," he observed, his voice devoid of judgment.

I lowered my head, my cheeks burning. I picked up my water bottle, trying to take another sip, anything to avoid his gaze.

He gently gripped my wrist, stopping me. "You shouldn't drink too much water all at once," he admonished, his voice still calm, but with an underlying current of authority. "Your nerves are still a little frayed from the drive." He sounded like a seasoned legal advisor taking charge, but his touch was anything but formal.

I suddenly looked up, my eyes locking with his. "Are you sure you're such a brilliant lawyer, Graham?" The words slipped out, laced with a challenge I hadn't intended.

A faint frown creased his brow. "Why do you ask?" His gaze was steady, unwavering.

"Because," I said, my voice barely a whisper, "I've been following your advice, and I still feel... unwell." My eyes flickered to the door, then back to his.

His frown deepened. "Still unwell? Is the tension returning?" Concern etched his features, genuine and immediate.

"Yes," I breathed, my voice thick with a mixture of defiance and desperation. "Do I need a private consultation, Counselor Odonnell?" My gaze sharpened, a silent challenge in my eyes.

Through the tinted windows, I saw Brendan and Kasey, their backs to us, Kasey clinging to Brendan's arm, laughing at something he said. He leaned down, whispering in her ear, and she giggled, pressing her body closer to his. The perfect picture of a couple. A knife twisted in my gut. The rage, momentarily forgotten, flared again, hotter than before.

A sudden, overwhelming wave of anger washed over me, raw and consuming. Not just at Brendan, at Kasey, but at myself. For enduring. For hoping. For caring. For letting myself be this humiliated. Something inside me snapped.

My free hand shot out, grabbing his. "Check me then," I demanded, my voice low and fierce. "Do your job."

He pulled his hand back quickly, a sudden jerk that surprised me. My heart sank. Had I gone too far? But then his hand was on my neck, gripping the back of it, his thumb pressing into the soft skin just beneath my ear. He pulled me closer, his face inches from mine.

His breath, warm against my lips, carried a faint scent of mint and old paper. "Alexia," he warned, his voice a low growl, "be careful what you wish for." His eyes, normally so composed, were dark and blazing.

"Are you implying I'm trying to tempt you?" I challenged, my voice shaking slightly, but my gaze unwavering. "Is that what a reputable lawyer does? Accuse me of... seduction?"

His answer was a sudden, searing kiss. His lips, firm and demanding, crushed against mine. He didn't ask, he took. My glasses, which I hadn't even realized he had removed, were gone, leaving my vision slightly blurred at the edges.

His mouth moved over mine with an intensity that stole my breath. I tasted him-a hint of coffee, a distinct, warm scent that was uniquely him. It was intoxicating.

I instinctively pushed against his chest, a pathetic attempt at resistance, but he held me tighter, his other arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me flush against his hard body. My struggles were futile.

A soft gasp escaped my lips, and he took advantage, deepening the kiss, his tongue tangling with mine. My head spun, dizzy with the unexpected assault on my senses. My lungs burned for air.

My body went limp, a sudden weakness in my knees. I couldn't stand, couldn't push back. I was drowning, consumed by the sheer force of him.

He continued to kiss me, relentlessly, expertly, until my lips felt bruised and numb, my tongue a foreign object in my mouth. My hands, without conscious thought, tangled in his shirt, clutching the fabric as if to ground myself.

We broke apart, both of us panting, our chests heaving. My vision swam. My eyes, wide and unfocused, met his. The corner of his mouth tilted up, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk. He reached up, his thumb brushing over my swollen lower lip, wiping away the faint dampness.

"Don't worry, Alexia," he murmured, his voice husky, "I'll make sure you're thoroughly 'satisfied' later."