The man we just met was Alexander's worst enemy? How dangerous was he? Because if he stood as a threat to Alexander, he was definitely dangerous.
I said nothing else as I walked quietly with him to the dance floor.
As I rested my hand on Alexander's shoulder, his warm fingers wrapped around my waist, drawing me into the rhythm of the waltz. The music swelled, and we moved as one, our bodies swaying in perfect harmony. The glittering chandeliers above cast a dazzling glow. I tried focusing my gaze on the chandeliers instead of his eyes.
"Look at me, Olivia. Look into my eyes. People are watching", Alexander said.
When I did, my eyes were fixed on his, the mask that hid his features only adding to the allure. I felt like I was floating on air, my heart pounding in time with the music. Alexander's gaze held mine, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my soul tremble. In that moment, the world around us dissolved, leaving only the two of us, lost in the magic of the night. I felt myself falling, my defenses crumbling, as the music and his presence wrapped around me like a gentle spell.
"Do you look at every woman like that? All your whores and sex toys?", I asked, stammering at every word.
It was dumb of me to ask that. I sounded like a bitter step sister to Cinderella, but those were the only words that could leave my lips.
He looked at me with burning passion, it made me want to melt to the floor. It made me jealous of other women. Was this how he looked at other women when he wanted them? Wait a minute! Did he want me?
"I have a confession to make", he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
"What is it?", I asked, regretting the masquerade ball.
I was half a step away from cheating on Ryan. I wanted Alexander to kiss me, and I was ready to kiss him back with so much passion. But it was not technically cheating if I told Ryan that my parents had married me off to Alexander, and I had to act like his wife for a while before I would figure a way out of the wedding, right?
"I like you. You're annoying, but I feel different when I'm with you", Alexander said in almost a whisper.
My heart melted. I could not tell if Alexander was telling the truth or if it was part of an act because people were watching, but part of me wanted to believe that he did like me so badly, because he had not said it casually and easily like he normally declared other things. He had said it like it was a tough thing to get out of him, and that was what made it more believable.
"Well, uhm–", I said, my throat going dry. I could not speak.
What was I supposed to say? This seemed too good to be true that I could not say that I liked him back. He was a Mafia Boss and a fuck boy, I on the other hand was in a committed relationship!
"I am going to kiss you now", he said.
"Huh?", I asked, wanting to protest.
But he did not let me protest, his lips crashed into mine. A lot of people were watching so I could not pull away, and make a scene about it. I savoured the taste of his lips on mine, and deepened the kiss. This was for the public eye alone. My heart was still meant for Ryan, and Ryan alone.
I wished that I was still firm on my love and desire for just Ryan as I was before. I wished that I was not craving Alexander's touch.
He pulled away from my lips as we continued dancing slowly.
"You taste so good. I know you want me as much as I want you", he said.
Narcissistic man! But he was right. I wanted him to touch me so badly. I did not know how much he wanted me so I was unable to compare, but I knew he wanted me badly from the way he looked at me.
But I had already done too much by kissing him knowing what kind of man he was, and the fact that I was already in love with Ryan. I knew that the guilt that I would feel later on if I tried anything more was going to affect my mental health.
"I think you just like sex, and that makes you want to have me. But you can't because I can see through your act. You're just trying to get me to lay with you so that you would be happy with yourself that at least you have gotten me", I said, running out of breath.
It took a lot of self discipline to say what I said when in reality I wanted him to kiss me more, push me against the wall as he had when I first visited his house, and give me good sex from behind.
"What if I choose to only have sex with you?", he asked, taking me by surprise.
"What do you mean by that?", I asked in genuine shock and confusion.
"Well, I love to control women, I don't necessarily like them. Yes, I am addicted to sex but I can control myself if I choose to. We are going to get married, and whether or not you choose to be in love with someone else, I am not going to let you go. I know you like me too and it's sort of confusing you, and you're scared. Well you ought to be, but all I need from you is your loyalty to the Mafia, more more money and power from your end, respect for me, and you can probably have fun with me, you know sex with me, and I would choose to have sex with just you", he said firmly.
"I don't understand what you mean. Do you mean I can still choose to be with Ryan, and you would be okay with me having sex and affair with him but still with you. I was okay with you having sex with your women, because that would be a fair game. But when you choose to have sex with just me, but you would still let me have sex with another man that's not you, that is sneaky and I don't believe you would condone such a thing", I said.
I could not believe that I was casually talking about sex with Alexander. His reasoning at this point was outrageous.
"Of course, I wouldn't condone you having an open relationship when I am not having one. But I can assure you that once you have tried sex with me, you wouldn't want to be with Ryan anymore", he said.
"You dickhead. Are you bragging about your sex game now?", I said, trying to keep my voice as low as possible.
"Maybe. But here is a different deal. If you hate my sex, and everything I could offer you. Then you can leave. Remember I had said that after the masquerade ball, if you aren't comfortable with us. Then I will let you go. Let me add to it, if by the time we have sex tonight, and you're still not into me, I promise you I'll do everything within my power to rebel against my father. I will make sure that this marriage doesn't take place", he said.
I rolled my eyes. Alexander must have thought of me as his sex toy. He looked at me and thought that sex was enough to move me into being with him. Narcissistic son of a dumbass.
"Also", be continued, "If the marriage works out, you do know that we will both be expected to produce an offspring, of which we would be required to have sex on multiple occasions. I am quite sure you don't want that."
He was right. The question that I had been meaning to ask him from the first time that I came to his house was if we would be required to have sex, and raise a child with each other. But deep down, I already knew the answer to that considering the family we both came from. Of course the Adams and the Brewers would want grandchildren that will build up their legacy. And I did not want that.
Alexander smiled as I looked away from his eyes. He knew that he had hit a nerve. His deal had landed me in a dilemma.
If I had sex with him and he kept to his words, I would be marriage free. He was strong-headed, violent, and manipulative. If he was strongly against marriage, he could walk out of it even if it was tough.
But having sex with him came with a lot of risk like him not keeping to his words and still being indifferent about the marriage, hurting Ryan badly if he found out about it, and most importantly the fact that I did find Alexander sexually attractive just like he found me equally attractive.
"How do I know that you're going to keep to your word?", I asked.
"I made a contract for the both of us, if you decide to have sex with me, you will sign the contract which clearly states that I would have no other option than to opt out of the marriage if you do. Then if you decide that you don't want to have sex with me, you will sign a different contract which states that you would continue with the marriage. Everything is written on paper, and you can read through it. If I try to double-cross you, you can bring your lawyers into the case, and sue me", he said.
That was too easy to believe.
"No. My family and your family fully support our marriage. If I try to bring in my lawyers against you, their lawyers as well as yours will be brought against me and then I will lose the case. Having sex with you, Alexander, can jeopardize my life, and unless I have something really tangible against you, I cannot accept such a dangerous deal because I know the kind of person you are. So how about this, I walk up to Maximilian to get his business card right now, and we go have this sex you say can make you end this upcoming marriage if I choose not to continue with it. But if you double-cross me, I would be allowed to speak to Maximilian, and hear what he has to say about you. And trust me, I will use whatever he has on you against you, and will work with him to bring you down. Remember you can't easily kill me like you did with Jade. But if you decide to keep your side of the deal, you can burn down Maximilian's card on your own, and I'd never speak to him again. So, do we have a deal?", I asked, smiling darkly.
I saw Alexander's composure shift; he was not as composed as he had been before. I had definitely touched a nerve.
His eyes darkened. "Deal."