Claiming Alexandra Read online

  CLAIMING

  ALEXANDRA

  A BILLIONAIRE

  ROMANCE

  * * *

  A MAN IN CHARGE - BOOK 1

  Sofia Romano

  CONTENTS

  Copyright

  A Man Who Knows What He Wants

  Book 1: Claiming Alexandra (this book)

  Claiming Alexandra

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 by Sofia Romano. All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The following story contains mature themes, strong language and sexual situations. It is intended for mature readers.

  A Man Who Knows What He Wants

  Book 1: Claiming Alexandra (this book)

  More to come...

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  Claiming Alexandra

  I wanted her to be mine since the first time I saw her.

  I’m her boss. I can’t seem to get any work done with her in the office.

  I’m 10 years older than her but I can hardly control myself. I’m obsessed. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt this way and I’m going to to make her mine.

  I won’t stop until she’s carrying my baby, so the whole world knows she’s mine, no matter who tries to stop us.

  Is it right to pursue my secretary? Maybe, maybe not, but nothing is going to stop me from Claiming Alexandra.

  *Claiming Alexandra is an insta-everything standalone instalove romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.

  Chapter 1

  Gideon

  I have wanted her to be mine since the first time I saw her.

  She’s the secretary for the New York office of my company. My new office. But I can’t seem to get any work done with her outside my office window.

  I didn’t want to leave my life on the West coast at first. A new life here seemed empty and dull. But she’s a bright spot in this new life I’m building, and I want it to be built up around her. Claiming her as my own. Taking her. Putting a baby in her.

  But I have to be careful. I know she’s unlike any woman I’ve met before. She has a strength to her. I know a woman like her needs to be approached delicately.

  I pick up my office phone and dial 0.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Fontaine. How can I help you?”

  I can’t help but smirk.

  “Please, call me Gideon.”

  She makes a delicate sound.

  “How can I help you, Gideon?”

  The sound of my name on her lips makes my mouth water.

  “Would you come into my office, Alexandra?”

  “Of course, sir. I’ll be right in.”

  I hang up the phone and watch her rise from her desk. It feels so good to watch her. The sight of her legs and her ass in that tight skirt is enough to get me hard. She presses her body into the door and pokes her head into my office.

  “Yes, Gideon?”

  I give her the most charming smile I can.

  “I’m sorry, Alexandra. I forgot what I wanted to ask.”

  “Well, alright then. Let me know if you remember,” she says with a smile.

  Chapter 2

  Alexandra

  When 5 o’clock finally comes, I stand up from my desk and stretch. It’s so nice to have an office job now. It’s amazing to see how much my life has changed since I moved to New York City. I was scared to leave my life behind, of course. But staying back there was scary too.

  As I straighten up the papers on my desk, I can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me, but when I turn around, there’s just the boss’ closed door.

  Mr. Fontaine is so strange. I’ve never worked somewhere like this before, but he’s nothing like I imagined an important executive to be. He’s about ten years older than me, for one. One afternoon, I saw him without a shirt. It wasn’t weird or anything; the air conditioning in the building was being repaired, and he was working late. He was sitting at his desk wearing just a tank top. It was almost shocking to see how muscular he is. And I would have never expected him to have tattoos either.

  He’s incredibly attractive. It’s no wonder he’s caught my eye. But I’m his secretary. I can’t look at him like that. Especially when I’m sure he’s never given me a second thought.

  Chapter 3

  Gideon

  On Friday afternoon, I decide to make my move. I can see her through the window, leaning over her desk, exposing more and more of her thighs as her skirt rides up. I pick up my phone.

  “Alexandra, can you come into my office for a moment?”

  She hesitates for a moment.

  Have I worried her?

  “Nothing serious. I’d just like to ask you something.”

  I hear a sigh of relief through the phone.

  “Yes, Gideon. I’ll be right in.”

  After a moment of waiting, she enters my office.

  “Have a seat.”

  She sits across from me. She bites her lip, and the sight of that alone drives me insane. I want to know what those shy lips taste like. I lean back in my chair, letting her sit for a tense moment. I can see the curiosity and nervousness on her face, the tension crackling between us. She looks down at her lap, then back up at me.

  “What did you want to see me about?”

  I can’t help but smile. I let her dangle for just another moment.

  “Is this about the Richardson account? Because I know I made a mistake, a-”

  I hold up a hand. She cuts herself off immediately.

  Good girl.

  “I’m going to take you out tomorrow night.”

  Her eyes widen. She presses her lips into a tight line.

  “Is it a company event?” she asks after a moment.

  “No.”

  I let that sink in. She shifts in her seat.

  “I want to get to know you better, Alexandra. I want to ensure that you are well taken care of in your position here.”

  “Oh, sir, I am. Believe me, I am.”

  “If that’s true, then you should have no issue with me taking you to dinner. It can be an evening between colleagues, strictly professional.”

  I lock my eyes on her face. Her lips part. Her breath catches in her throat.

  “If that’s what you want it to be, that is.”

  She licks her lips and nods.

  “A car will arrive at your door at 7 pm tomorrow.”

  Chapter 4

  Alexandra

  By the next morning, my head is still swimming. I don’t know how I can make it to the evening. I couldn’t fall asleep until after 3 am, and it shows in the bags under my eyes. Even in the shower, I have a knot in my stomach.

  It’s not that I don’t tru
st him. He’s my boss, for crying out loud. Nothing about him is untrustworthy. I just don’t know what he wants from me. He made it seem like it was professional, sure. But what’s professional about a dinner for two? With nobody else around? On a Saturday night?

  By the afternoon, I’m starting to think it was a dream. Maybe I imagined the whole thing. Maybe it was my silly little brain coming up with nonsense again. But then I get a text from a number I don’t have saved.

  Looking forward to tonight. Wear blue.

  The words send my stomach into summersaults. This had to be a date, right? Nobody would tell their secretary what to wear if they didn’t have some kind of interest in her. Hell, nobody I’ve ever dated told me what to wear. Not that I’ve dated much, anyway. Not with the life I used to lead. There was no time for guys, and the ones I was around weren’t exactly great catches.

  The day passes painfully slow. I pull a royal blue cocktail dress out of the back of my closet, something from a cousin’s wedding years ago. It’s not half bad.

  At 7:00 on the dot, there’s a knock on my door.

  Chapter 5

  Gideon

  The door to her building opens, and Alexandra descends the stairs. Her legs are long and pale, and they glow in the setting sunlight. A surge of heat fills me. Her hair falls loosely around her shoulders, and her dress is the perfect shade of blue. I shift my posture to try to hide my growing erection. I wish I could take her, right here and right now. If I could, I’d fuck her in the middle of the sidewalk. Press her back up against the streetlamp and slide my hand under her dress. But I can see her biting at her lip, tugging at the hem of her skirt.

  I know she’s not ready. But she will be soon.

  She slides into the back seat with me. Her perfume fills the air, and it takes great restraint not to take a deep breath to pull it in.

  She gives me a shy smile as the driver pulls away.

  “It’s nice to see you, Alexandra.”

  She blushes. “It’s nice to see you, too. I’ll be honest, I thought about not coming.”

  “Oh? And why is that?”

  She avoids my gaze. “I’ve had some bad experiences with men. It’s a little hard for me to trust people now.”

  “Do you trust me, Alexandra?”

  She looks deeply into my eyes. I want so badly to reach out for her, to hold her.

  “I do. I’m not sure why, but I do.”

  “You deserve to have trustworthy men in your life. Men who will provide for you, show you the world.”

  “Show me the world?” she asks with a laugh. “I thought this was just dinner.”

  I can’t help but smile back.

  “Tonight, sure. But who knows about tomorrow?”

  Chapter 6

  Alexandra

  When the car finally stops, I feel like there has to be some kind of mistake. The restaurant is extravagant, with golden pillars flanking the bright red door.

  Gideon thanks the driver and gets out. Before I can really process everything, he’s opening my door and offering me a hand to step out. I take it without thinking.

  Was that a mistake? I don’t want to seem like I’m flirting with him. But his hand is huge and strong and so warm in the crisp autumn air.

  Maybe it’s okay to flirt with him a little. Maybe I want him to know how curious I am about him.

  The hostess looks like a model, with perfect blonde hair and a red-painted pout. I should’ve worn different lipstick, I think. But his eyes don’t follow her as she trots off to the back of the room. He turns back to me, giving me a look that sends a shiver down my spine. He’s looking at me like he wants me, like I’m some kind of delicious morsel that he could just devour.

  Unless that’s just my imagination.

  I raise my eyebrows, a wordless question. He smiles.

  “What?” I ask. I feel like a teenager again.

  “I’m just glad to be here with you right now.”

  I can feel the heat spread across my cheeks.

  “Let’s see if you still feel that way after you see me eat.”

  I’m surprised to get a chuckle out of his stony face at that.

  Chapter 7

  Alexandra

  The food is extravagant. Gideon explains that the chef is someone famous; the kind of important chef who doesn’t have to give you a menu at all. He just asks about dietary restrictions and brings out courses upon courses. There are fresh, bright-tasting salads sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, a soup that tastes like a more grown-up French onion, and a risotto with beets and lamb. It’s delicious, but then again, so is he.

  I didn’t expect the conversation to flow so easily. I could listen to him talk in his deep, smooth voice forever. He tells me about when he used to live in in Seattle, his move, his life. But it’s never just about him. He asks me about myself, and when I tell him something, he listens.

  I try not to tell him everything. There are things about me he shouldn’t know, chapters of my life that might bring this to a halt. But I try to keep things light, and it’s amazing to hear him laugh. He never smiles at work. Every time I can make him crack a smile, I just want to do it again and again.

  When we’re done eating, he suggests a walk. I agree without thinking. I realize as we walk out the door that all I want is to spend more time with him. I can’t bear the thought of the night being over with right now.

  The shops we pass are all amazing, expensive brands. All of them are closed up now, but even with the lights off or dim, I can see the bold fashions in each window.

  “I’m really not used to this kind of thing,” I admit as a Louis Vuitton store catches his eye.

  He turns to me and gives me a look that makes my knees weak.

  “A life where nights like this are normal is what you deserve.”

  I stare down at my hands.

  “Is this a date, Gideon?”

  “Do you want it to be?” he asks.

  I don’t know how to answer. Of course I want it to be. I want to kiss him and to feel his arms around me. But he’s my boss, a billionaire, with years more experience than me.

  “In my opinion, all good dates end in a nightcap. It just so happens that I own part of a hotel on the next block. Would you like to stop there for a drink?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Chapter 8

  Gideon

  I need everyone in the hotel to know that Alexandra is mine. The doorman pulls the door open for us, and I pull her tightly to my side. My arm wraps around her waist. I can feel the rise and fall of her chest against my side.

  It is perfection.

  We head toward the front desk, and the manager happens to be there. Good. He knows me. I watch his gaze bounce between my hand and Alexandra’s face.

  “Good evening, Mr. Fontaine. How can I help you this evening?”

  “I’d like to access my suite. And have room service bring up a bottle of champagne from my reserve.”

  “Wonderful,” he says, clacking at the keyboard. “And will you be checking out in the morning?”

  I look down at Alexandra, who is biting her lip. She looks up at me and gives the tiniest, shyest nod. She wraps her arm around my waist and presses her face into my chest. I tighten my grip on her.

  “Yes. And please ensure that we are not disturbed by staff this evening.”

  “Understood,” he says sliding a keycard across the counter. “Have a lovely evening.”

  Chapter 9

  Alexandra

  By the time we get upstairs and into the room, my panties are already wet. Something about the way he touched me in the lobby made me feel like my insides were on fire. It was like he wanted the whole world to see we were together, like he wanted to show me off to anyone who was watching.

  I’ve never felt that way before. I want to feel it again and again and again.

  The room is gorgeous, with a plush loveseat and an enormous bed with perfect white sheets. I don’t know how they’ve managed it, but there’s a bottle of cham
pagne sitting on the table before we get to the room, nestled in a bucket of ice with two glasses.

  Gideon pops the cork effortlessly and pours us each a glass.

  “What should we toast to?” I ask.

  “To you. To this night. To us.”

  Us. There is an ‘us.’

  The thought isn’t scary, doesn’t send me running like it would with most guys. The thought of there being an ‘us’ in me and Gideon makes me feel lighter than air.

  “Yes,” I say with a smile. “To us.”

  Our glasses clink. The champagne sparkles against my tongue.

  I am falling in love with this man.

  We finish our glasses and then pour another. It is so easy to talk with him. Stories I would never tell anyone else pour effortlessly out of me. It feels like I could tell him anything. He makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. Halfway into my third glass, I start to feel a little odd. Lightheaded and hot. Far too warm. My whole body feels warm, and it gets worse every time he smiles at me.

  “I’m feeling a little lightheaded. I’m going to go take a bath.”

  “I didn’t realize you were such a lightweight,” he says with a smirk.

  The bathtub is enormous, and a hoard of small bottles of colorful liquid sit on the edge of the tub. I grab the bubble bath and pour it in as the hot water runs. I undress quickly and sink into the sudsy water.

  I sink deeper, letting the warm water envelop my skin. Everything feels so good. I have a golden rose-scented bubble bath, champagne in my belly, and a gorgeous man waiting for me on the other side of the door.

  “I could get used to something like this,” I sigh as I let the water rise up my neck.

  “You can,” a voice says.

  I open my eyes. Gideon is sitting on the edge of the bathtub. He leans down and brushes a strand of hair out of my face, his fingers brushing my cheek.