Alexander pulled back at last but his hand remained firm at her waist. His eyes burned as they stayed locked on her face.
He dragged her closer again, closing the small distance between them, his grip possessive. His gaze bore into hers, dark with fury that hadn’t cooled in the slightest.
“Why the fuck did you move?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Why the fuck did you try to disappear?”
The rage twisting his expression looked like it could burn everything in its path.
“I would’ve done something really fucking bad if I didn’t find you today,” he continued, breathing hard, his jaw clenched so tightly it trembled.
His eyes searched her face, the anger fracturing into something sharper, more unsettled.
“Did you quit because of me?” he demanded. “If it’s because I showed up at your work, I’ll stop. I won’t go there anymore.”
His hand slid up from her waist to her face, cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed her skin as his voice lowered, rough but restrained. “I don’t want you to sacrifice your life because of me.”
“Mr. Graves,” Mia whispered, her fingers tightening around his wrist as she tried to peel his arm away from her waist, “let go of me first.”
He didn’t.
Instead, Alexander’s arm cinched tighter around her, dragging her fully against his chest until there was no space left between them. His hand slid up from her waist to her face, gripping her jaw and tilting her head upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“You stopped coming to my office because you didn’t want to see me,” he said sharply, every word edged with restrained fury. Hurt. “And now you won’t even go to the job you found for yourself just because I appeared there?”
His thumb dug into her cheek, pressing just hard enough to hurt as his gaze tore over her face, dark and restless. “Do you hate me this damn much?” he demanded, the words ripping out of him.
Mia swallowed, her throat tight. “I didn’t leave the job because of you…”
Before Alexander could respond—
“Mia, who is it?” Liana’s voice called from inside the house.
Mia stiffened. Panic flashed through her eyes.
“Just a friend, Aunt Liana!” she called back quickly, forcing her voice steady. “I’ll be back in a minute!”
Mia grabbed Alexander’s arm that was still locked around her waist and yanked at him, dragging him away from the door before Liana could come closer. Her steps were fast and uneven as she pulled him across the wide garden, heels scraping against the stone path, heart pounding hard in her chest.
Alexander didn’t resist.
He let her pull him, his grip loosening just enough to allow it, his eyes never leaving her face.
They crossed the garden in silence, the distance stretching until the house disappeared behind them. Only when they reached the main road—completely out of sight—did Mia finally stop.
She turned and shoved at his chest, pushing him back a step toward the black car parked nearby.
“Mr. Graves, please leave,” she said urgently. “I didn’t do anything because of you. You don’t have to feel guilty. Please, just go.”
For a split second, he stood still.
Then Alexander moved.
His hand shot out, gripping her waist again and yanking her back toward him. In the same motion, he stepped forward, driving her backward until her spine hit the tall outer wall of the mansion.
She gasped—
And his mouth crashed down on hers.
The kiss was rough, consuming. He didn’t give her time to breathe as his mouth claimed hers again and again, relentless, demanding. Her body was trapped between the cold wall and his solid frame, every inch of her pinned as his hands held her firmly in place.
