“The call starts in five minutes,” she took a sip and opened a folder of documents. “I figured pants were optional since they can’t see below the desk anyway.”
I settled onto the edge of the bed—close enough to hear but out of range of the camera. “You sure you don’t need me to clear out?”
“Stay. Eat,” she looked over her shoulder at me as she pushed her earbuds into her ears. “I like having you here.”
Alex straightened her shoulders as she turned back to her laptop, transforming from the woman who’d been hiding under pillows twenty minutes ago into someone who could command a room—even half-dressed.
“Good morning, everyone,” she smiled. “Thanks for making time for this.”
The shift was immediate. Her voice dropped into that crisp, authoritative tone I’d heard before as she switched from soft and vulnerable to sharp and completely in control.
“Let’s start with the Jordan situation. Joe, what’s our status on the criminal charges?”
I tried to focus on my breakfast, but found myself watching the way she moved—leaning forward when making a point, gesturing with her hands, the slight furrow between her eyebrows when she was listening and jotting down notes. The confidence in her voice as she took control of the entire conversation.
“Good. And the FBI’s findings on the code theft?” she asked. “I want to make sure we have everything documented before we move forward.”
The confidence in her voice—zero hesitation or fear—only complete certainty about what she wanted to have happen. Alex in her element, running the show, was intoxicating in a completely different way.
“Understood. What about the forensic analysis of his systems?” She pulled a folder closer, flipping through documents while keeping the conversation moving. “I need confirmation that we’ve recovered everything he stole.”
She was handling multiple people, multiple complex issues, and keeping track of multiple details I couldn’t even follow. And doing it all while sitting there in her underwear like it was completely normal.
“No, absolutely not,” she said flatly to whatever proposal someone had made. “We are not negotiating with Titan at all. They’re complicit in all of this. I want to move forward with filing the FTC and SEC complaints and the lawsuit. Frank Fucking Goodwin can get bent for coming at me.”
Heat shot through me at her casual authority, the way she could drop an f-bomb in a business meeting and make it sound like strategic planning. This woman—brilliant, fierce, completely in command—was mine.
“Marcie, what’s our legal position if they try to claim Jordan’s work as independent development?” She straightened in the chair, chin lifting slightly. “Because I want ironclad documentation that everything he took belongs to Catalyst.”
She listened to whatever Marcie was telling her—eyes fixed and determined and her posture still ramrod straight. She wasn’t just running a company; she was defending something she’d built from the ground up.
“Perfect. Tabitha, what about the employee communications? I want everyone to know exactly what happened and why we took these steps,” her voice softened slightly. “Make sure the messaging emphasizes that we’re protecting their work, their jobs, and their futures. This isn’t about punishment; it’s about preserving what we’ve built together.”
The way she shifted between legal strategy and protecting her people—completely natural, no hesitation—made my chest warm.
“Good. Send me the updated documentation by Thursday and we’ll schedule a follow-up call.” She set the file folder to the side and took another sip of her coffee. “Thanks, everyone.”
The transformation back was just as dramatic. Shoulders relaxing, that boardroom authority melting back into the Alex who belonged in my arms.
“How’d that sound?” She pulled out her earbuds and stretched in a way that made the sweater ride up slightly.
“Like you could buy and sell half the entertainment industry before lunch,” I stood up, unable to resist moving closer. “That was incredible to watch.”
She blushed. “It’s just business.”
“That wasn’t just anything.” I moved behind her chair, hands settling on her shoulders. “That was you being brilliant. Watching you take control like that...” I let my thumbs work at the tension in her neck. “That was sexy as hell.”
“Finn…”
“Alexandra, I’m serious. Especially the part where you said Frank Goodwin could get bent,” I murmured, leaning down to brush my lips against her ear. “Really liked that.”
Her breath caught. “I’m sitting here in my underwear.”
“Trust me, I noticed. Makes it even better. My brilliant girlfriend, conquering corporate America in her panties.”
She laughed, the sound breathless. “You’re terrible.”
I let Alex finally eat her breakfast while I cleaned up and got properly dressed for the day instead of “stumbled out of bed and down to pick up food” ready. Much to my disappointment, Alex had pulled on a pair of leggings and was brushing her teeth when I emerged from the bathroom.
