Page 97 of The Art of Being a Psychopath

THIRTY-NINE

ALEX

She was right when she said I’d been overthinking. I’d let a certain someone get into my head, with all his talk about saviour complexes and her being vulnerable. He’d always had a way of doing that. I needed to stop it happening. I didn’t want him to dictate or control any part of my life. Not anymore.

In my confusion, I’d thought I needed to go slow. Build trust and strengthen our connection. But she trusted me now, and our connection was undeniable.

I wasn’t a slow burner.

And I was thanking every one of my lucky stars that she’d come to my bedroom tonight, because this was exactly what I wanted, her lying naked in my arms, sighing contently after I’d taken her to the heights of pleasure that she’d never experienced before.

Giving pleasure was what I loved the most. It turned me on more than anything. As I’d eaten her pussy like a starving man, I’d rocked against the mattress, coming just as hard as she did when she whimpered and cried out. I don’t know if she knew that, but she had as much control over me as I had over her.

After she’d rehydrated, I turned the lights off and pulled her into my arms as we lay together in my bed. It felt so right, having her here, and I knew I’d never let her go. This was where she belonged. With me, by my side, in my bed.

“Can I ask you something?” Her quiet voice echoed in the darkness, and I buried my face in her neck so that I could inhale her intoxicating scent before replying.

“You can ask me anything.”

“Why me?”

I started to give her neck little kisses, whispered kisses, brushing my lips so softly against her skin.

“You know why.”

She moved her head to grant me better access to her neck as my kisses went from whispers to something stronger.

“But this all feels so sudden.” She sighed. “Not this night, exactly. I’m not talking about sex. It’s this... us. One minute, you’re a stranger in an art gallery, and the next, you’re... everywhere.”

With my lips pressed against her smooth, silky skin, I wondered how to respond and decided to go with the truth.

“I might’ve lied to you, that night.” I grimaced in the dark, hoping she wouldn’t react badly. “And in my defence, I did ask if we’d met before when we were introduced.”

She shuffled her body sideways to face me.

“You mean we’ve met before? But I don’t...”

“You don’t remember me, and I’m not surprised. The first time I met you, you had a lot occupying your attention. And to be fair, I wasn’t seated in your line of sight.”

“Whether you were seated in my line of sight or not, I’m pretty sure I’d have remembered you. Where did you see me?”

I put my arm around her waist to pull her closer to me, and because I wanted to touch her in any way that I could. It always calmed my raging thoughts to have her close.

Lazily, I stroked and caressed her hip as I explained.

“A few weeks before that night at the gallery, I was at a meeting in your offices to discuss a possible merger with a company that I sit on the board for. I was seated at the table in the boardroom when you came in. You were very apologetic for being late to take the minutes, even though the meeting hadn’t started. Gold made you sit next to him, blocking you from my vision, but I saw you. I also heard the way he spoke to you in front of everyone, belittling you, making sexist jokes and remarks at your expense. I’d always hated the guy, but that day, I realised I fucking loathed him. But you? You took everything in your stride. You didn’t let anything faze you. You were professional and gracious in a room of arrogant assholes and entitled pricks, present company excluded, of course.”

“Oh my God,” she gasped, putting her hand over her mouth for a second. “I remember that meeting. I think I might’ve cried in the bathroom after, even though I wanted to punch the wall. I went with the less violent and destructive outlet to vent my anger.” She paused, then added. “That was the day Mr. Harrison slapped my ass when I got up at the end of the meeting. He was such a fucking creep. Always touching the female staff and making everyone uncomfortable. I never saw him in the office again after that meeting, though. I think maybe they fired him.”

I didn’t want to elaborate on what’d happened to that fucker. I didn’t want to kill the mood, so I just hummed in response.

“Maybe they did.”

She reached up to touch my face, stroking my cheek, as she said, “I wish I could remember you, though. I know you’d have stood out to me. I guess I was a bit flustered and too focused on taking the minutes. But this is a face I’d never forget.”

I placed my hand over hers, threading our fingers together.

“It was a crowded boardroom. And I tried to stay in the background as much as possible.”