Chapter 302

"You're attracted to me, aren't you?" Alexander's velvety whisper caressed Evelyn's ear with intoxicating warmth. "I can sense it."

His tone left no room for argument, those mesmerizing hazel eyes burning with absolute certainty.

Evelyn's breath hitched at their proximity and his bold declaration.

"You're intoxicated," she countered evenly, though uncertainty flickered in her gaze.

Was this genuine drunkenness or calculated performance?

"Drunkenness has its perks," he murmured with a lazy smile. "At least this way I get to see her..." The last word nearly dissolved into the night air.

The evening breeze danced through his tousled hair as his expression softened with an affection Evelyn had never witnessed before - raw, vulnerable, and utterly disarming.

He studied her face intently before closing the remaining distance between them. Each exhale carried the rich aroma of aged whiskey that made her pulse quicken.

"I've missed you desperately," Alexander confessed abruptly, his intense stare pinning her in place.

Evelyn's heart stuttered. As she raised her hands to push him away, his fingers traced the curve of her cheekbone with devastating tenderness.

Skin against skin, she found herself drowning in those hypnotic eyes that seemed to set her entire face aflame.

"Release me, Alexander."

"Never again," he vowed, fingertips now brushing her eyebrows with reverence, as if memorizing every detail. "I'll never let you slip away again."

Her traitorous heart hammered against her ribs with chaotic rhythm.

Though she couldn't decipher his thoughts, the naked adoration in his gaze threatened to unravel her defenses completely if she didn't look away soon.

When she attempted to break free once more, Alexander captured her lips in a searing kiss that stole her breath. The contrast of his cool mouth against her heated skin sent electric currents down her spine.

Evelyn's eyes flew open in shock. She never anticipated this bold move.

His long lashes cast delicate shadows beneath the amber streetlights as he kissed her with single-minded focus, his expression more solemn than she'd ever seen.

Sensing his intention to deepen the kiss, Evelyn abruptly turned her face aside.

His lips grazed her flushed cheek instead before he buried his face in the curve of her neck, his entire weight leaning into her. "God, how I've missed you," he slurred, every fiber of his drunken being consumed by Evelyn Sinclair - the woman he'd finally acknowledged as his heart's true desire.

Only the car at her back prevented Evelyn from collapsing under their combined weight and the emotional whirlwind. Drunk people always felt twice as heavy, and Alexander chose that precise moment to succumb to sleep.

The crisp autumn breeze cooled her heated skin as dawn's first light crept over the horizon, rousing Alexander from his alcohol-induced slumber. Fragments of the previous night surfaced slowly - Evelyn's presence had felt so tangible, the memory of their kiss branded into his consciousness.

Taking stock of his surroundings, he found himself alone in the car, clothes disheveled, Vivian conspicuously absent.

Stepping out, his breath caught at the silhouette before him - barefoot on the sand, golden hair dancing in the morning wind, cheeks still faintly pink. The living embodiment of his dream.

'Evelyn.'

The name echoed through his mind as he moved toward her.

Noticing his approach, Evelyn turned from the ocean to offer a tentative smile. "Finally awake?"

Alexander nodded, remorse shadowing his features. "Did I... overstep any boundaries last night?"

Evelyn's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "They say alcohol reveals one's true nature, don't they?"

His expression darkened immediately. "Are you saying we...?"

"How do you intend to take responsibility for this, Alexander?"