Page 42 of A Dangerous Proposal

Caught off-guard, she responded automatically. “Felix has visitation for the holiday.”

“Who’s Felix?”

“Biological father.” The warm glow she’d reveled in was gone. She shifted to get out of the bed, but his hand whipped out, and he grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t run.” His hold wasn’t painful, but she found herself stopping.

Madison flopped back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling with an irritated huff.

“You don’t like him.”

She glared at him, her nostrils flaring. “No.”

“Is Jax safe?”

Her face twitched, and then crumpled before she caught herself. “Why would you ask that?”

“Because you look like you’re about to come out of your skin at the mention of the man.”

There was something too relaxed about his voice, and Madison rolled back to glare at him. “You already know, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

The easy admission surprised her. “Just… yes?”

“What’s the point of lying? You’d just see through it.”

“It’s none of your business,” she snapped.

“Maybe not, but I was curious about you.”

“‘Just a businessman, Madison,’” she mocked in a deep tone, parroting back his words to her from that night at his house.

“How does me Googling you make me not a businessman?”

She narrowed her eyes. “You only Googled me?”

Alex shrugged, and she didn’t miss that he didn’t answer the question.

“Why so interested?”

His hand traced along her bare shoulder, goosebumps rising at his touch. “I’m interested in everything about you.”

“Why?”

“Maybe I want to marry you.”

Madison burst out laughing, and after a minute, Alex’s lips tipped up.

“Rude. I didn’t think the first time I asked a woman to marry me, she would laugh.” His eyes twinkled mischievously down at her.

“Is that what this? Are you proposing?”

Alex’s brow wrinkled. “Absolutely not. I’ll at least bring you flowers when I do it.”

Madison shook her head, chuckling. He had been nothing like she’d expected tonight. Alex Kovalyov was addicting, and she needed to be careful before she confused all the amazing sex endorphins for something else.

“I should go.” She sat up and moved to get out of the bed again, only to find herself tugged back down and Alex’s body hovering over hers.

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