"Would you like some wine, Evangeline?" Alexander asked her, tucking her strand of hair behind her ears, and she blushed hard at their proximity.
Her gaze shifted to his jaws. She gulped, her heart drumming inside her chest as she didn't know how to stand up and not embarrass herself more than she already did.
As if his hard body under her wasn't enough, his scent was making her think of crazy things.
"Let me help you," Alexander whispered to her before he leaned forward, placing his head in the crook of her neck, taking a whiff of her scent while he was at it. He liked how he could smell the hints of his body wash on her.
He was about to place his hand on the side of the sofa to take some support while making sure he didn't hurt his hand, when to his surprise, Evangeline tilted her head as if giving him some kind of access to her skin, and his eyes darkened.
He looked at the soft skin and then at the earlobe, feeling heat rush down his manhood.
"Evangeline," He whispered before placing his lips on her neck softly.
"As much as I would love to drink this kind of wine you are offering, I was actually talking about actual wine," Alexander smirked with his lips still on her neck, and Evangeline's eyes widened in shock.
She fidgeted in embarrassment before trying her best to stand up. Though Alexander wanted to tease her more, he let her sit straight this time, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable.
"Well, I...uh... I wasn't offering you something, okay? I was just ensuring I am not putting too much pressure on your wounded hand. It's your fault that you took it that way," Evangeline coughed, and Alexander looked at her, mildly amused.
"Of course, I don't doubt that even a second," Alexander said, licking his bottom lip, making Evangeline look down at her lap.
"So wine?" Alexander mused, and she hummed shyly, looking away.
"By the way, where did you learn to drive like that?" He asked, and Evangeline looked up at him as he walked to his wine cellar.
"I was a named criminal in Italy," Evangeline said honestly.
"Really? I don't doubt that," Alexander smiled, clearly not believing her.
"Strong?" He asked, and she shook her head.
"I can't get drunk," she said.
"Don't worry. I'll keep you awake," Alexander poured the wine into two glasses, his words meaning more than Evangeline could understand.
"So?" He asked as she walked to him and sat on the other side of the bar.
"I had a friend in Italy who was into cars and car racing. I learned from him," Evangeline said, and Alexander nodded.
"You are quite different from other girls. I like that about you," Alexander sipped his wine, looking at her from under his lashes.
"Don't fall for me though. I am not a good influence. I love destroying people. Play with them a little, hurt them a little, show them what love feels like, take them to the top, and throw them aside," Evangeline sipped her wine, and Alexander smiled, his eyes flashing evilly.
"And those plans are for my brother too?" He asked.
"I don't see why not. He is a decent man, quite caring, and quite a gentleman. I haven't tested other aspects of him, but-" Evangeline paused.
She didn't even realize when he moved from across the table and came right beside her.
He leaned and supported his body on the counter, looking at her interestingly as he sipped his wine.
"Why did you stop? I would like to hear more about it," He said.
Though his voice was calm, Evangeline could see the storm brewing in those eyes, and she gulped, trying to muster her courage and be resilient.
This was the only way to mess with this second Cane brother. Touch his family and make him know about it so that he can lose his sh*t. She nodded at herself.
"You already think that whatever I am doing, I am doing it to get my hands on your brother, so I don't understand why it would make a difference to you," Evangeline said, and Alexander chuckled.
A dark humorless chuckle.
"Sweetheart, you don't have an inkling about how a word can make a stark difference in things. I think I didn't make myself clear till now. But guess what? I don't want to make myself clear either. I like these red flustered cheeks or yours. This anxiousness in your eyes when you don't know what you are in for, I like all of that," Alexander smiled, placing his glass on the counter and turning her seat with a jerk so she was facing him.
With his hands on either side of the counter, he caged her and looked down at her.
"Cutey," he pulled her cheeks, and Evangeline narrowed her eyes.
"Mr. Alexander, don't you think you are being too brazen now?" Evangeline mumbled with her pouting lips as he was still pulling her cheeks, making her look like an angry bird, and he chuckled.
"Now I know how people call anything and anyone this cringe-worthy name. You are so cute right now," Alexander chuckled, and Evangeline swatted his hand away, but to her surprise, rather than leaving her cheeks, he placed his other hand behind her chair and pulled her forward, making her gasp.
"Mr. Alexander!" Evangeline narrowed her eyes.
"Miss cutie!" Alexander said with an amused expression, and she glared at him making him shake his head.
One of these days he will seriously forget track of - if he is keeping her away from spoiling his younger brother's life, or if he is keeping her close to himself because she is a species he has never been offered before, and now he thinks he might actually like this kind of species, close to him, under him with his hands behind her neck and -
"Sir, we have the intel on the Axe gang and -" The men paused as he looked at the scene in front of him, and Alexander's eyes darkened dangerously.
"I... I am sorry, Sir," the man gasped, and Alexander closed his eyes to control his anger, his grip on her chair tightening and Evangeline clearly noticed it.
"Get lost," He whispered in a voice that Evangeline didn't recognize, and a shudder ran down her spine, as her heart picked its pace again.
Was this the voice of the number one businessman in the province who leads the business and underworld on the tips of his fingers?
"I think you should hear him. It might be important," Evangeline placed her hand on his chest to push him away, feeling uncomfortable and a bit scared, but Alexander who thought she was touching his heart to calm him down, looked at her observantly before taking a deep breath as he placed his hand over hers.
"You are right," he bent, placing his face in the crook of her neck to smell her scent before he stood and looked back at his man, hiding Evangeline's form behind himself.