Chapter 49

Olivia POV

My breath caught in my throat. Part of me, a larger part than I wanted to admit, was tempted to say yes, to let his clever fingers slip beneath my leggings and find out just how wet I already was. But another part of me, the part that still had some sense of self-preservation, knew that would be a mistake. Sex with Alexander wouldn’t just be sex; it would be surrendering a kind of power I wasn’t ready to give up.

“No,” I said firmly, placing my hand over his to stop its downward progress. “Not tonight.”

To my surprise, Alexander didn’t push. He simply nodded, his eyes still dark with desire but also showing a flicker of respect.

“Your call,” he said, removing his hands from my body. “I’m a patient man. When it happens, and it will happen, Olivia, it’ll be because you’re begging for it.”

“Pretty confident about that, aren’t you?” I raised an eyebrow, trying to regain some equilibrium.

“I am.” He shifted me off his lap, setting me