Tycoon's Growing Obsession

10: That's too embarrassing

Alexander leaned against the headboard of the bed, holding Lydia in his arms, letting her head rest comfortably on his chest. A laptop was positioned on his thighs in front of them, the screen displaying a video conference with more than a dozen faces arranged in a grid.

However, he certainly hadn't turned on the camera or microphone only listening to his subordinates' reports about quarterly earnings, territorial disputes in Southeast Asia, and a security breach in one of his European operations.

If the people on the other side of the screen could see him like this holding a woman so tenderly, his fingers absently stroking her hair while they discussed weapons shipments and rival eliminations they'd probably lose their minds.

Mr. Ashford, the true king of both the legitimate business world and the underground empire. No one could imagine, or even dare to think of, those cold, calculating eyes softening with such tenderness. But then again, who could have imagined that he would meet someone like Lydia Chen?

Lydia slowly woke up, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Alexander's handsome face his strong jawline, the slight stubble that had grown overnight, those amber-grey eyes that seemed to hold entire universes.

Then she remembered. Last night. The confession. The celebration. The wine. The kisses that had turned into so much more.

They were officially together now. Boyfriend and girlfriend.

The thought made her heart flutter with a mixture of joy and nervousness.

"You're awake," Alexander said softly, noticing the change in her breathing. He lowered his head and kissed her lips—a gentle, lingering kiss that made her toes curl. Then his hand slipped under the covers and came to rest on her lower abdomen, his touch warm and possessive. "Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring breakfast in."

His touch reminded her of everything they'd done last night. They hadn't gone all the way Alexander had been adamant about that, saying he wanted her completely sober and sure when they took that final step. But they'd done everything else.

Everything.

Lydia felt heat flood her cheeks at the memory. She was about to speak, to say something—anything—to break the charged silence, when a voice suddenly emanated from the laptop.

"Sir, regarding the incident in Marseille, we've identified three of the five infiltrators. They're connected to the Volkov organization. We're waiting for your orders on how to proceed."

Lydia's eyes widened like saucers. She whipped her head toward the screen and saw more than a dozen serious faces staring back—or rather, staring at a blank screen, since Alexander's camera was off.

She immediately turned and buried her face in Alexander's chest, her heart pounding. She wanted to speak but was afraid of being overheard. Her hands, however, were anything but calm—she reached up and pinched his side hard, her silent way of saying What the hell?!

Alexander knew exactly what she was afraid of. He couldn't bear to tease his darling when she was genuinely distressed, so he leaned down and whispered directly into her ear, his breath warm against her skin.

"It's okay, baby. I didn't turn on the camera or microphone. They can't see you or hear you. I promise."

His eyes were full of tenderness as he continued, "How could I let anyone see my baby like this? You're only for me."

Lydia turned her head slightly and verified that the camera indicator light was indeed off. She relaxed marginally, though she still shot him a look that clearly said We're going to talk about this later.

She was definitely the first person who dared to think she could "take down" Alexander Ashford, the man who made world leaders nervous.

Of course, Alexander in love wasn't the fearsome demon everyone dreaded. He was more like a large, devoted puppy that Lydia could easily manipulate—at least when it came to her comfort and happiness.

"Wait until you're done with your meeting," Lydia whispered, squeezing his fingers in warning.

Oh well, she thought, settling back against his chest. He's my man anyway. There's nothing to worry about.

Upon hearing this hearing her tacit acceptance of the situation, her casual claim of ownership over him—Alexander promptly shut down the laptop without any warning or explanation to his subordinates.

The screen went black, cutting off someone mid-sentence about shipping routes.

"Alex!" Lydia protested. "You can't just they were in the middle of—"

"They can wait," Alexander said firmly, setting the laptop aside. "Ever since you woke up, I haven't been able to hear a word they were saying anyway. And besides, my baby's breakfast can't be delayed."

"But what if it was important?"

"Nothing is more important than you."

The simple statement, delivered with such absolute conviction, made Lydia's heart skip a beat.

From the moment she woke up to washing up and then to the dining table, Lydia was held in Alexander's arms the entire time. He carried her to the bathroom, stood outside while she used it, carried her to the sink where he'd already laid out a new toothbrush and her favorite face wash (when had he gotten those?), then carried her to the dining room.

"I can walk, you know," Lydia said, though she made no real effort to escape his hold.

"I know. But why should you when I can carry you?"

"You're going to spoil me."

"That's the plan."

The man experiencing love for the first time in his thirty years was truly terrifying in his devotion. He was incredibly, almost obsessively clingy.

The two shared another very affectionate breakfast. Alexander had ordered an elaborate spread—fresh croissants, fruit, eggs benedict, smoked salmon, yogurt parfaits, and Lydia's favorite jasmine tea.

If Lydia hadn't strongly refused, Alexander would have wanted to hold her in his lap and feed her himself.

"I'm not a child," she'd protested when he'd tried.

"I know. But indulge me anyway?"

"No! That's too embarrassing. What if someone comes in?"

"I gave orders that no one is to disturb us."

"Still no!"

Alexander had pouted actually pouted but relented.

After breakfast, he had work to catch up on (especially after abruptly ending that video conference), so Lydia settled onto the plush sofa next to his desk and pulled out her phone to play games.

She made it through two rounds of her favorite puzzle game before she suddenly felt restless. Bored. Contemplative.

It was hard to believe they'd already spent two months on the cruise ship. Her original plan had been to spend one month sightseeing on the ship and then disembark at her final destination Country D, where she'd planned to settle down.

She'd imagined a quiet life there. Traveling when she wanted. Maybe getting a dog. Growing flowers in a small garden. The inheritance her mother had left her was more than enough for her to live comfortably without ever working.

A peaceful, solitary life.

But now there was someone else in her life. Someone who'd changed everything.

Lydia looked at the man working diligently at his desk—his brow slightly furrowed in concentration, his long fingers flying across the keyboard, his lips pressed into a thin line as he read something on his screen.

She felt a surge of affection so strong it almost hurt.

Setting her phone aside, she got up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"What's wrong, baby?" Alexander asked immediately, his hands stilling on the keyboard.

He hadn't expected Lydia to initiate affection so spontaneously. A wave of pleasure washed over him—every nerve ending seemed to light up with joy. He loved it, loved when his little kitten sought him out, wanted to be close to him.

But he couldn't show how much it affected him. Couldn't let her see how desperately he craved these moments. It might frighten her, might make her pull away.