Sophia's POV.
Before this vacation, when we went shopping, Stephanie had made me buy a cute black lacy bra but I kept it ever since and finally decided to wear it today.
I was really glad how much it went with my denim shorts.
Alex's eyes scanned me intensely. I almost shivered when he let out an audible breath, locking his eyes with mine. He opened mouth to say something but quickly shit it without a word, and finally gulped, a frown settling on his lips.
“Sophia—”
“I'll see you in the water.” I sprinted towards the sea and swam in the shallow end, looking back to find Alex, still standing in the same spot, watching me.
I let out a laugh when a beach ball hit his head and bounced away. A kid approached him, probably apologized, and left after retrieving the ball.
Shaking his head, he approached me.
“What kind of sorcery are you weaving over me, Sophia O'Brien?” His blue eyes bored into mine and I didn't realize he'd swam so close to me until his face was mere inches away from mine.
I swallowed. You aren't so bold now, are you?
I blurted out the first thing I could think of to save face. “Will you teach me how to surf?”
“On the next vacation. I'm having a hard time concentrating right now.” He whispered.
“Next vacation?” I bit my lip. His arm slipped around my waist and pulled me to his chest. “Yes. Next vacation. Just you and me.”
My mouth opened in surprise.
“Now you're getting too confident, Mr Hayes,” I said as I tried freeing myself from his grasp, but he only held me tighter.
“No. I'm optimistic, Ms O'Brien.” His gaze darted down to my lips and slowly, his face angled towards mine. My hands subconsciously lifted to his shoulders and ever so gently, he brought his lips down to mine.
His one hand skimmed across my back while the other gripped my chin gently and parted my lips to deepen the kiss.
Trailing his fingers from my waist down to my hips and reaching my inner thighs, he gave a small squeeze. I let out a whimper.
“Alex,” I whispered against his lips.
His eyes opened and locked with mine, both of us breathing heavily.
“We're out on a beach.”
“So what?” He questioned.
“We shouldn't.....” I trailed off.
“As you wish.” He whispered and pulled away reluctantly, but not before trailing his fingers along my lower lip.
As we got out of the water, I spotted Blake in the distance. He wasn't looking our way as he seemed busy talking to some girl.
Alex must've noticed him too for he held out my tank top for me. “Please.”
Suppressing a smile, I slipped into it.
While we walked back, Blake did meet me to say goodbye. Alex wasn't too happy about it.
But once we got into the plane a few hours later, he seemed at ease once more. Everyone seemed pretty tired and spent the journey sleeping.
Finally, it was night when we landed in New York. I said my goodbyes to everyone and especially thanked Alex's parents for inviting me and Stephanie on their family vacation. I felt my heart warm when they said we were family now.
The Hayes were exceptionally nice people.
“Home sweet home,” Stephanie said when we got out of the airport. I chuckled.
Alex offered to drive us to our apartment.
“No. You seem exhausted like everyone else. Go home and rest. We'll just take a cab.”
He ignored me as he took our bags and loaded them in the trunk of his car.
“We'll be fine, you don't have to drive us.” I insisted.
“Hop in.” He took the keys from his chauffeur and got in.
Not left with much of a choice, I beckoned to Stephanie as I got in the passenger side of the car while she got in the back.
It was a short drive to the apartment but my eyes were already droopy by the time he parked the car.
“Thanks a lot for the ride.” I stifled a yawn.
Stephanie got out at that moment, thanked Alex, and started walking indoors, probably in an attempt to give us some privacy.
“Goodnight, Sophia.” He smiled.
I was delighted for some reason. I hadn't seen this content in a while.
“Good night, Alex. Thank you so much for such an amazing vacation.” I said, getting out of the car.
Sleep came easy and the next morning, I was excited to go to work. To see him.
I got ready in a hurry and rushed out to get in a cab, listening to songs to help pass the time.
Once at Hayes Industries, it was almost embarrassing to admit that I had butterflies in my stomach as I climbed up to his floor.
Knocking on his office door, I stepped inside, instantly realizing that he had a visitor, sitting on his chair. Alex was nowhere to be seen. Her gaze lifted to mine, causing my smile to drop.
“Hi, Sophia.” Her smile didn't reach her eyes. “Remember me?”
I managed to fake a smile. “Emily.” I studied her more closely.
She was sitting on the chair, placing her long legs which were perfectly shown, thanks to her almost butt-revealing skirt, on the desk. Strong pink full lips, mascara that made her eyelashes almost touch her forehead, piercing eyes and she was chewing gum audibly in a very unladylike manner. But even with all that, she still looked extremely beautiful.
What is she doing here? Why's she in Alex's office? Did he send it to her?
I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't really. I was filled with so much anger and contemplated throwing something at her to shut her annoying chewing sound up.
But just as I was about to say something, I heard her very unfriendly voice ring.
“Sorry love, this office does not need cleaning for now. You could perhaps start with the bathroom, then come here.” She kept on chewing.
Huh? Huh? Huh???
She didn't just say that. “Excuse me? How dare you—”
“Now you listen to me and listen well.” She said, standing up and pointing a warning finger towards me. “I don't know who you think you are parading yourself around my man but I'm here to tell you that you're just a mere secretary hired out of pity and you should know your place, else I'll get you removed! I did it the first time you know,” she said with a fake smile.
I was about to throw back an angry retort when something caught my attention
***
Didn't she say she was pregnant?
It'd been over six months and there was still no....baby bump?
Then it hit me!
She was lying!
She was never pregnant!
I frantically looked around, wondering where Alex could be.
“Looking for Alex?” she mocked. “didn't he tell you that he won't be coming in today? I guess you're not as important as you thought, considering he told me. And it became the perfect opportunity to come here to warn you without, of course, my baby bump.” she laughed at the last line like the maniac that she is.
Oh my God!
She's been lying all these while and extorting money from him. She's indeed heartless!
She sat back down on the chair, placing her elbows on the desk. Her hands gripped together, forming a comfortable seat for her chin to rest on.
The position she sat in at the moment allowed me to have a better view of her chest, which was partly shown because of the few buttons she had opened from her shirt.
She blew a balloon with her gum and it blew off, sticking on her lips in the process, as he seductively licked the remains and smirked at me.
“Alex is mine and mine alone! So get that into your thick skull if you know you want to keep working here.”
I dug my nails into my palm in an attempt to calm myself down. I wet my lips and looked directly into her eyes.
“You seem to be missing something, Emily.” I started, trying to maintain my civilized position as long as I could.
“But I have to disappoint you that you're the intruder here and everybody already believes Alex and I are a couple.”
Well, even if it's just pretend she didn't have to know that.
“And assuming you were attentive enough, you would've known that but you were too busy blackmailing him into funding a non-existent pregnancy? You are the devil's pawn. Just wait till he hears this.”
I clenched my fists, noticing her judgy look as it gazed into every inch of me.
And then... she laughed. She laughed.
“And you think he's going to believe you?” She started, smoothly, but then her expression suddenly hardened and she clenched her jaw as her eyes became more piercing than ever. “You joke funny. Alex wanted to keep the whole pregnancy issue a secret so it hasn't been hard to hide the fact that I'm not. If you get what I mean.” She winked.
She stood from the chair, stepping in my direction as her heels echoed. She was....tall.
It only stood to my disadvantage that I had to glare up at her from below.
She pointed a finger at me, her long, well-manicured nails displayed in the process. “You think he loves you?” She chuckled “Oh honey, he's just using you and when he tires of you, he'll throw you off and go to the next available thing in a skirt!”
Hot moisture crawled up my eyelids but I held it back.
I turned on my heels and started heading towards the door of the office, my fury blinding my sight.
I angrily opened the door and dashed to exit it, but I bumped into the wall— or at least I thought so—, and stumbled backward, slightly losing my balance in the process.
I caught myself at the last moment and regained my balance.
I heard Emily give quite an audible gasp and I opened my eyes. Somehow she wasn't chewing anymore.
My breath got stuck in my throat as I took in the scene before me. The towering height of Alexander Hayes stood at the doorway.