Chapter 114 Hitting Where It Hurts
Alexander's POV:
"Maybe in a bit," she said with a smile. "I just got back. Let's go when you're not so busy."
I nodded, understanding the real reason behind her hesitation. She was worried I'd been working too hard.
Since I'd signed that share transfer contract making me the largest shareholder in North Enterprises, my workload had doubled. While Warren and Victor remained as co-CEOs, my signature was required for any major decisions.
I'd been working around the clock to learn everything about North Enterprises—its operations, finances, ongoing projects. Warren and Victor had been surprisingly helpful, providing me with accurate data and insights.
I'd already integrated some operations between Sterling Group and North Enterprises, using the strengths of one to bolster the weaknesses of the other. The collaboration was yielding better results than either company had achieved independently.
I didn't tell Emma any of this because I understood her heart wasn't in corporate management. I wanted her to do whatever made her happy. And right now, I was happy just spending time with her on this beach.
My eyes met hers, and the atmosphere between us changed instantly. The air felt charged, electric with possibility. I reached out to cup the back of her head, pulling her into a deep, hungry kiss.
Emma wrapped her arms around my neck, responding with equal passion. Her body pressed against mine as we lost ourselves in the moment, the sound of waves crashing against the shore a distant backdrop to our connection.
Suddenly, I broke the kiss. I stood up from the sand, pulled Emma to her feet, and swept her into my arms in one fluid motion. I strode purposefully toward the parking lot, my desire growing with every step.
"Wait!" she protested, though her voice was breathless and weak. "My shoes—"
"Don't worry about them," I replied, not breaking my stride.
As we reached the parking lot, I spotted Bill, who had just returned from dropping Nick off. He was leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette. When he saw us, he quickly opened the car door and moved something from the front seat to the back.
"The shoes are on the beach," I informed him as we approached.
"Of course, sir," Bill replied smoothly, closing the door behind us after we got in. I heard the distinct click of the locks engaging.
The moment we were sealed in the privacy of the car, I yanked my tie loose with one hand while the other hand cupped the back of Emma's head, pulling her back into our interrupted kiss. I pushed her down onto the back seat, my body covering hers.
She let out a muffled groan as something dug into her lower back. Reaching underneath herself, she pulled out a small box and examined it. Her face instantly flushed red when she realized what it was.
"Where the hell did Bill get this?" she whispered, mortification and desire battling in her voice.
I took the box from her hands, a satisfied smile curving my lips. "Remind me to give him a raise."
When we finally finished, Emma was sound asleep in the back seat, completely spent. I stepped outside to smoke a cigarette, my shirt half-unbuttoned and hair tousled. When Bill returned, I extinguished my cigarette against the sole of my shoe.
"Where were you?" I asked.
"At the coffee shop nearby, sir," Bill answered.
By the time we reached the villa, Emma was still out cold. I carried her upstairs, and we slept until nine the next morning.
When we came downstairs, we found Bill sitting on the sofa in the living room, sporting two impressive dark circles under his eyes.
"Bill, did someone punch you?" Emma asked, leaning in to examine his raccoon-like appearance.
"Too much coffee last night, Mrs. Sterling," he explained with a resigned shake of his head. "Couldn't sleep."
"Are you sure you want to go to the office looking like that?" Emma teased.
"Take the day off," I interrupted, taking the car keys from Bill's hand. "Get some rest. If you're tired, just head upstairs to the guest room."
Bill's eyes lit up at my suggestion, and he practically sprinted up the stairs to the guest room.
"Shall we go, Recreation Department Director?" I turned to Emma with a smile. "Your procurement officer is taking a day off, so this deputy director will handle the shopping today."
I drove us to the shopping center, where Emma loaded our cart with enough snacks to feed a small army. As she was tossing bags of chips into the cart, I noticed her attention shift. Following her gaze, I spotted Vivian watching us from the end of the aisle.
"Well, isn't this just perfect?" Emma muttered to me.
When I turned back from looking at Vivian, my eyes widened in shock. While I'd been distracted, Emma had filled our cart with at least thirty boxes of condoms from the shelves on either side of the aisle.
"This," she said with a mischievous grin, "is called hitting them where it hurts."
I suppressed a smile, admiring her boldness.
Vivian approached us, her designer heels clicking against the floor. Her eyes flickered between Emma and me before settling on our overflowing cart.
"What a coincidence, Vivian!" Emma greeted her with false cheerfulness.
"Alexander and Emma," Vivian replied, her voice dripping with disdain. "Shopping together. How... domestic."
"Isn't shopping supposed to be done together?" Emma asked innocently. "Carrying all those bags alone would be exhausting."
"Vivian," she added, noticing Vivian's gaze fixed on our cart, "why do you keep staring at our shopping cart?"
"Oh! I see the problem. I took all the boxes from these two shelves. Did you need some? We've been friends for so long—here, let me share."
Emma grabbed several boxes from our cart and dropped them into Vivian's. I watched as Vivian's face cycled through various shades of red and white while she struggled to maintain her composure.
"Emma," she said finally, her voice tight. "I'm just concerned about you."
"You haven't visited the Sterling estate even once since becoming the family's daughter-in-law. Daniel and Amelia are quite upset about it."
"Really?" Emma widened her eyes in feigned surprise, then turned to me. "Honey, could you call your parents later? I just got back from my trip and I'm exhausted, but I'll visit them in a few days when I've rested. Please? Pretty please?"
She clung to my arm, looking up at me pleadingly.
"Of course," I replied, stroking Emma's hair before pulling her against my chest.
"Vivian, anything else?" Emma asked from within my embrace, blinking innocently at her.
Vivian was speechless with rage. I could almost see the steam rising from her ears.
"Emma, go pick out some cakes. I'll join you in a minute," I suggested gently, my eyes never leaving Vivian's face.
"Okay. Bye, Vivian!" Emma chirped, skipping off toward the bakery section.
Once Emma was out of earshot, I fixed Vivian with a cold stare.
"Vivian, you're my brother's wife, so out of respect, I'll remain civil," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "But don't push your luck. Both in the Sterling family and the North family, Emma is the treasured one. If you insist on making things difficult for her, you're making things difficult for me. Consider your actions carefully."
I didn't wait for her response. I turned and walked away, joining Emma at the bakery counter. As we checked out later, I caught a glimpse of Vivian through the window, stomping her foot in frustration before storming off to her car.