Chapter 43
Alex ran his hand down Zoe’s bare back, feeling the smoothness of her skin beneath his fingertips. His body moved on instinct, his lips pressing against her neck, but in his mind, it wasn’t Zoe he was touching.
No matter how hard he tried to stay in the moment, Mia’s face kept invading his thoughts. The way she looked at him when she took that envelope, the way her lips trembled before she fought back her tears-it haunted him.
Zoe moaned softly beneath him, arching into his touch, but Alex felt nothing. Her skin, once familiar and exciting, now felt foreign, distant. He closed his eyes, pushing his length deeper into her, but it was all wrong. It wasn’t Zoe beneath him-it was Mia. Her voice, her scent, her touch.
“Fuck,” Alex muttered under his breath, his movements faltering.
Zoe’s hands roamed over his chest, her breath hot against his skin, but all he could think about was how different it felt. Mia had barely touched him, yet she was all over him, in his head, in his blood.
He cursed again, harsher this time, before pulling away from Zoe abruptly.
“What the hell?” Zoe gasped, her body still trembling from the sudden loss of his warmth. She watched in disbelief as Alex rolled off her, reaching for his boxer shorts and slipping them on with a sense of urgency she didn’t understand.
Alex didn’t say a word. He simply walked to the balcony, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. His hands shook slightly as he lit a cigarette, taking a long drag and exhaling slowly into the cool night air.
Zoe sat up on the bed, the sheets pooling around her waist, her face twisted in frustration. She stared at Alex’s back, at the tense line of his shoulders, and felt a wave of irritation rise inside her.
“What is your goddamn problem?” she snapped, her voice cutting through the heavy silence.
Alex didn’t turn around. He took another slow drag of his cigarette, the smoke curling around his fingers as he stared out into the darkness beyond the balcony.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice void of any real emotion.
Zoe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but his nonchalant attitude only fueled her anger. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, marching towards him with a determined stride. She grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around, her eyes blazing.
“You’re kidding me, right?” she demanded, her grip tightening. “You just stopped in the middle of fucking me.” she paused, motioning towards the bed in frustration. “What the hell is going on with you? Because I swear to God, Alex, I’m losing my mind here.”
Alex stared at her, his face unreadable, but that familiar smirk he usually wore was nowhere to be found.
“You’re smoking,” Zoe continued, motioning to the cigarette in his hand. “A big, fat sign that something is wrong. And you haven’t even touched me properly since we got back together.”
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair, his exhaustion evident. “I’m just stressed, Zoe.”
Zoe crossed her arms, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Stressed? That’s all you’ve got?” she scoffed.
“We never really broke up Zoe. You were just playing one of your stupid games.”
“That’s not the point Alex”
1/3
Chapter 43
Alex walked past her, heading back inside the room. Zoe followed him, her frustration bubbling over.
“Is this about the game?” she pressed. “You hated it that much?”
Alex didn’t respond. He sat down on the couch, his fingers tapping against his knee as he took another long drag from his cigarette.
Zoe hesitated for a moment, then walked over to him, sinking down beside him on the couch. She traced a finger down his arm, leaning in close, her lips brushing against his neck.
“I should have stopped when you kept complaining about sleeping with a Turner,” she whispered, her voice low and sultry. “I didn’t know you’d hate it this much. I’m sorry, baby.”
Alex’s entire body tensed at the mention of that name. Turner. Just hearing it made his jaw clench, his heart race.
He was going insane.
Mia Turner was supposed to be a mistake-an inconvenience he could pay off and forget. But instead, she was everywhere. He saw her when he closed his eyes, heard her voice when he tried to sleep. Every damn day, it got worse, like a drug he was becoming addicted to.
He needed to see a doctor. Tomorrow. He couldn’t keep living like this, there was something seriously wrong with him.
Zoe’s lips pressed against his neck again, trailing lower. “Let me erase her touch, baby,” she murmured, her fingers moving across his chest. “Let me erase that memory.”
But Alex felt nothing. Not even the slightest spark of desire.
Zoe-the woman he once couldn’t get enough of—now felt like a stranger touching him. Her lips, her hands… they felt wrong, like they didn’t belong to him anymore.
He closed his eyes, willing himself to focus, to let go of the weight pressing on his chest. But all he saw behind his closed lids was her. Mia. Her wide, broken eyes, the way she had looked at him that night, like he had taken something from her she could never get back.
He exhaled sharply, standing up so abruptly that Zoe nearly fell off the couch.
“What the hell, Alex?” she snapped, glaring at him. “You’re acting like a fucking lunatic.”
Alex ignored her. He tossed the cigarette into the ashtray and ran a hand down his face, his exhaustion settling deep into his bones.
Zoe stood up, placing her hands on her hips, anger rolling off her in waves. “What the hell is really going on? Is this a punishment? You’re punishing me? Another game?”
Alex’s gaze met hers, and for the first time, there was no cocky amusement, no indifference-just something raw and restless hiding beneath the surface.
“I need to sleep,” he muttered, brushing past her.
Zoe watched him walk away, her anger giving way to something else-something close to fear. Because for the first time, she realized that maybe, just maybe….
She didn’t have Alex Blackwell wrapped around her fingers like she thought she did.
And that scared the hell out of her.
