Chapter 21 Say It Louder
Mia hurried over, trying the knob herself. It wouldn’t move. Her brows knitted together. “It’s really locked,” she said softly, glancing at him.
“Mom!” Alexander called out, his patience thinning. “What’s going on?”
Outside, Camila — who had been hovering nearby — froze mid-step.
Her eyes widened, darting to Thomas. “This brat! How did he know I was the one who locked it? He’s too smart for his own good!
” she whispered through gritted teeth. Then, straightening, she called out sweetly, “Oh, I’m so sorry!
I was just checking if the lock was working properly.
The key broke off! I’ll call the locksmith right away. Just wait a few hours.”
Alexander dragged a hand down his face, exhaling in disbelief. “Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath.
Turning back to Mia, he found her standing near the door, unsure whether to laugh or panic. His gaze softened instantly.
“Come here,” he said quietly, reaching for her hand again. His fingers wrapped around hers as he guided her deeper into the room.
He stopped by the edge of the bed and gently pressed her shoulder, urging her to sit.
The mattress dipped softly beneath her weight.
Then, without a word, he climbed onto the bed beside her, one knee sinking into the mattress as he leaned forward, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.
Mia, leaning back, looked up at him with her heart pounding wildly inside her chest, her shoulders slightly tense.
Alexander leaned forward, bracing one hand on the mattress for support, while the other lifted slowly to trace her arm.
His fingers brushed over her shoulder, a deliberate, teasing touch, before moving up to cup her cheek.
His eyes darkened slightly, intensity shining in their depths, and his voice dropped to a low, soft whisper.
“Mia,” he said, “will you help me with a little… play?”
She blinked, caught off guard, her curiosity warring with a flutter of nervousness. “A play?”
He gave her a faint smile, the kind that made her heart skip. “My mother wants proof that our relationship is real,” he said softly, leaning just a little closer. “We need to convince her… otherwise, she’ll never believe this marriage isn’t just for show.”
Mia frowned slightly, tilting her head as she considered his words. “How do you plan to convince her?”
Alexander’s smile widened, dangerous and dark. “You and I are going to convince her right now,” he said, leaning closer until the heat of him pressed against her.
Then his lips were on hers. The kiss was a demand, a storm of fire that left her gasping. He tipped her head slightly, deepening the contact, and she felt herself pulled completely into him. His tongue slid against hers, making her gasp before he caught the sound with his mouth and swallowed it.
When he finally pulled back slightly, their foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling, lips still brushing. Her chest heaved, knees weak, every nerve alive, completely undone by him.
He didn’t stop. His lips traced the edge of her jaw, the corner of her mouth, then lower — her throat, her collarbone — each kiss slower, hotter, hungrier.
With a controlled motion, he guided her backward onto the bed, his body hovering close enough that she could feel his warmth without being trapped beneath it. His breath hitched as his lips found her neck again, his mouth opening against her skin before he sucked lightly, tasting her.
Her hands clutched the sheets, heart racing, his voice dropping low against her ear. “We have to make sure she believes it completely,” he murmured, his words brushing her skin like another kiss.
“Ahh…” A soft sound escaped Mia’s throat, part surprise, part breathless surrender. His lips brushed the same spot again, harder this time, earning a quiet, involuntary moan from her lips.
Outside, Camila — standing by the door with her ear pressed against it — froze for a second. Then a triumphant smile spread across her face. Turning away, she waved at Thomas. “Let’s go, Thomas. Are you planning to keep standing here?”
Thomas smiled, and followed her quietly down the stairs. Their footsteps echoed through the corridor, carrying them back into the living room.
Inside, Alexander didn’t pause. He shifted, tilting his head so his mouth hovered above her collarbone.
His lips brushed against the hollow of her throat, leaving a trail of warmth that made her shiver.
His tongue moved in unpredictable strokes, sometimes grazing, sometimes pressing.
Every touch branded her senses, each breath mingling with hers.
A flicker of something wild crossed his gaze when he saw her skin redden under his pressure. He bent closer, lips grazing the side of her neck, teasing the tender patch beneath her ear.
“Hahhh…” she moaned, body shuddering underneath him.
He paused only to savor the slight hitch in her breathing, then returned, mouth sliding along the curve, fingers tightening at her waist.
She trembled under his intensity.
“Oh God,” a helpless murmur slipped past her lips.
His jaw pressed lightly against her, teeth brushing softly, lips molding to every contour, exploring, claiming, leaving her skin taut with his touch.
The room contracted around them, the sounds of the distant hallway fading until there was nothing but the rough press of his lips, the brush of his hand, the heat of his body, and the electric pull between them.
His eyes darkened as if every ounce of restraint had been ripped away, leaving only the raw need to mark her as his.
Then, his hand slid up her thigh, tracing the curve beneath the short hem of her dress. Mia let out a soft, breathless whimper and pressed her hand against his.
“Mr. Graves,” she whispered, her other hand pushing against his shoulder, urging him back.
Alexander’s lips lingered near her jaw, hovering just above her skin as he lifted his head, meeting her eyes. Dark, intense, and almost feral, his gaze bore into hers. “What is it?”
“I think… your mom has already left,” Mia said softly.
Alexander drew a long breath, the tension coiling through him.
His lips brushed her temple once more, and his fingers lingered at her waist before he eased back. Inch by inch, he drew away, every movement measured, reluctant. It was clear he had to force every inch of it.
A while later, Mia emerged from the washroom, dressed and relaxed.
Alexander sat at the table, laptop open, fully absorbed in a meeting.
Seeing him busy, she quietly climbed onto the bed, curling under the covers.
She listened absentmindedly to his voice over the call, exhaustion finally taking over, and soon she was asleep.
In her sleep, she whispered his name: “Alexander…”
Alexander’s head jerked up, startled. She was still asleep, her chest rising and falling gently, yet the soft whisper of his name, spoken in such a vulnerable, intimate way, sent a jolt straight through him.
A soft, almost involuntary smile curved his lips, though he quickly shook his thoughts away, forcing his attention back to the meeting in front of him. “Repeat that, please,” he said, his voice calm, commanding.
Still, despite his words, his eyes kept flicking toward her.
In her dream, Mia felt Alexander pressing impossibly close, his heat enveloping her completely.
She sank back against him, his chest hard and warm against her spine, every beat of his heart sending shivers up her spine.
His hands moved over her shoulders, kneading, pressing, teasing, each touch sending shivers down her back, sparking sensations she had never known.
“Mr. Graves… I’m so tired,” she whispered, eyes fluttering shut, voice trembling.
Alexander’s fingers didn’t stop. They traced her shoulders, sliding lower, brushing against her chest. His lips found her ear, warm and heated. “You have to endure it,” he whispered, voice low, throaty. His lips brushed against her ear, sending a shiver through her.
Before she could respond, his body shifted, pressing her onto the pillow. His lips were on hers in a harsh, heated kiss, and when they parted, his mouth traveled down to the sensitive hollow of her neck, teeth grazing lightly, sending a jolt of heat through her.
“Mr. Graves… please,” Mia moaned, her fingers clutching at his shoulders, trembling with need.
A deep growl rumbled from his chest. “That’s not my name,” he whispered, teeth grazing her skin, lips brushing against her pulse. “There’s a punishment for calling me by the wrong name.”
Her fingers dug in deeper, nails grazing him as she whispered obediently, “Alexander…”
His eyes darkened with raw, hungry pleasure. He leaned down, capturing her lips again with a possessive, demanding force, before pulling back just enough to whisper, commanding, “Say it again.”
“Alexander!” she cried, voice raw, lost in the intensity of the moment.
Her dream deepened until every breath felt real.
He smiled faintly, eyes glinting with approval.
“Louder, Mia,” he ordered, voice low and dangerous, his hot breath flicking across her ear.
She gasped, lost in the moment, and cried his name again, louder this time, the sound echoing in the air. “Alexander!”
The sound tore through her so suddenly that she jolted, eyes snapping open, breath uneven. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she lay on her side, one hand pressed under her head. It took her a few seconds to realize… it had all been a dream.
Across the room, Alexander froze mid-meeting. His laptop screen reflected a row of startled faces from the conference call — all staring, wide-eyed.
“Who was that? Did a woman just call Mr. Graves’s name?” one whispered.
“Was that… his girlfriend?” another murmured.
“We’ll continue later,” Alexander snapped the laptop shut, ending the meeting in one swift motion.