Page 29 of A Dangerous Proposal

Madison pressed her hands against his chest and leaned back breaking the kiss. He wanted to growl and pull her back so that he could feel her soft curves pressed against him, but he slowly lowered her to her feet. Her rapidly rising and falling chest and flushed cheeks partially mollified him.

“I have to go.”

Alex nodded but didn’t release her, and Madison didn’t step away. He saw the conflicting emotions war in her eyes and let his hands drop, stepping back to give her space.

Madison shoved a hand through her hair. “As hot as that kiss was… I can’t do this.”

Alex stayed silent, not exactly sure what ‘this’ meant.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” she amended. “My life is already beyond complicated right now, and adding you into it would just make things...”

“Adding me into it?”

He didn’t think it was possible, but the red in her cheeks deepened.

“Not that I thought you were going to be a part of my life… but I can’t…” She blew out a breath, clearly flustered. “I don’t have time or space right now for anything new. And I don’t know what you expect from this…”

He could see the vulnerability in her eyes and suspected it wasn’t a sight many had the privilege of seeing.

“I’m not going to make your life any more difficult than it is. However…” Alex pulled a small black card from his pocket and pressed it into her hand. “If you need a friend, I’m here.”

Her brow wrinkled. “Why? You don’t even know me.”

“I killed a man for you, Angel. We’re bonded.” He grinned as her mouth dropped open. He opened her door and gently guided her into her seat.

“But—”

“No buts.” Alex leaned in, clicking her seatbelt in place before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Partly to silence her, but mainly because he couldn’t resist another taste. “I’m going to follow you until you’re home and make sure that you are inside safely.”

Closing the door, he strode to his own car and waited until Madison finally pulled away. Her gated townhome community wasn’t far away, and after following her under the automatic arm, he waited at the curb while she gathered Jax and her bags and walked to the front door

He watched with a vague sense of relief as she typed in a code to the security panel. Alex hadn’t been sure how he would convince her to get a security system if she didn’t already have one.

Alex didn’t drive away until Madison was safely inside, the door shut behind her. Just before he left, she glanced back and lifted her hand.

This isn’t goodbye, Angel.

Alex was surprised when Liev strolled into his office a few days later. He arched a brow as his cousin flopped onto the couch in his office.

“What do you want? I have a lot to do.”

It was true. His schedule was packed, and the list of things demanding his attention felt endless.

However, his brain hadn’t gotten the memo, because no matter what he did, his mind circled back to a certain stunning podcaster.

“I’m bored.”

Alex wanted to throw something at his cousin, but settled for tapping his pen against his desk. “And you thought irritating me at work was the best solution?”

“I work here.”

That gave Alex pause. “Technically, that’s true.”

His cousin even had an office as head of security, but he rarely put in an appearance. Even with the infamous last name, Alex hadn’t been targeted by Kovalyov enemies in years. Primarily, because by all appearances, an attack on him wouldn’t gain Mikhail’s enemies anything.

“Why today?”

Liev rolled his eyes. “Why do you think? Your brother, and because of him my father, want me to encourage you to think about the list of names they sent over.”

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