Trapped in the Billionaire's Gilded Cage

Chapter Four - Sweet Proposal

They continued their love-making, of course, if one could call what they did with a name as soft and tenderly couched as that. Rachel couldn’t remember how many times she reached the zenith of pleasure. She couldn’t remember how many times she screamed, how many times Alexander came, how many times they achieved an orgasm together. All she knew was that, at the end, it all blurred together into one pleasure filled haze.

At the end, when they collapsed into the sheets in heaps of boneless flesh, Rachel could barely say her name straight, much less think a coherent thought.

“That,” she gasped, “that was amazing.”

“Yes, it was.” Alexander replied, his chest rumbling with amusement. Rachel propped herself up on his chest, leaning against it and staring at his disheveled and yet sinfully gorgeous appearance.

“I suppose you have a lot of experience pleasuring women, don’t you Reddington?”

“Call me Alex.”

“Alex? Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t be asking you to if I wasn’t, now would I?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t that too familiar?”

“We have had non-stop bareback s*x for over three hours. We are quite a ways past familiar territory, Rachel. We’ve bulldozed through it with the speed of light, even.”

Rachel shivered when he said her name. She liked the way it sounded on his tongue.

“Well…” she drew out the word mischievously, circling his n*****s with her fingernails, “if we’re so familiar, I suppose you wouldn’t mind telling me the secret to your wealth then, Alex.”

There was silence. Their gazes were locked, hers challenging, his light brown eyes scrutinizing. They remained like that for long minutes, until he broke the tense standoff with an amused snort and stood up from the bed.

“Oh come on, Reddington.” She whined when she saw him move towards his discarded boxers.

“You are quite a persistent young woman, Rachel. And it’s Alex.”

“It comes with my profession, as I’m sure you’re well aware of.”

“Indeed. Now, if you would excuse me.” He said, and then strode out of the bedroom in only his boxers.

..................

Alexander considered his frankly stupid idea as he poured out two flutes of champagne next to a tray full of light comestibles. This was risky beyond measure, he knew. But he supposed that was the reason why he was doing this, instead of proposing to her immediately. He took the tray and the drinks to his bedroom, and walked in on her coming out of his bathroom with only a small towel tied around her waist, leaving her bountiful breasts bare. Alex felt his loins stirring.

“Sorry, but I had to use your toilet.” She said as she tied her long crimson locks, which had been loosened into a flowing waterfall of red hair during the course of their love-making, into a long ponytail. “My bladder would probably burst if I had delayed a second longer.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m glad to be of service.” He said as he placed the tray on a short table next to the bed. He stared at her as she sauntered through the room, her perky bosom still misty with condensation, which was probably sweat, and her hips and legs teasing him from behind the tiny cloth that did little to nothing to hide her modesty. When he realized that she had stopped talking and moving, he looked up and saw her staring at him with a small impish smile. She was aware of her effect on him, it seemed.

Thankfully for his sanity, she decided to get dressed, though by dressed he meant she only wore her slight, almost transparent white shift.

“Sit, Rachel,” he gestured at a place next to him on the bed after she was done dressing, “we need to talk.”

“Oh?” she sat.

“Yes. But first, let us eat.” He gestured at the tray of food.

They dug into it with a gusto that wasn’t surprising. s*x, like most physically strenuous activities, tends to build up quite the appetite. They didn’t talk while they ate, though Alexander did take the chance to study her in detail. She was a rare beauty, Rachel. She didn’t have the porcelain smooth skin and perfect complexion that one born in wealth would have, but she compensated with her natural gifts, which was better by far in his opinion.

Her cheekbones were high, her nose was aristocratic, her eyebrows, even without shapers and trimmers, were elegantly curved. Her neck was slender and quite alluring, and Alexander found himself dwelling on in when she took a large gulp of her champagne flute. He supposed in certain lightings her white skin would almost be sickly and wan, but in his opinion it provided quite the excellent contrast with her fiery hair. Her lips were a pale pink when nothing was used to adorn it, and they were shaped like Cupid’s bow. They were pursing now in something resembling befuddlement, and Alexander finally realized that she had caught him staring. He looked down and realized that they had cleared the tray of food. He set it aside.

“So,” he began, “let’s talk.”

“What’re we talking about?” she asked.

He stared at her, and he saw when she began to squirm underneath his piercing gaze.

“You’re a beautiful young woman, Rachel.”

“Oh. Uh, thanks, I guess.” She replied. He noted that she sounded like someone used to receiving praise like that. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Rare it is that a beautiful woman is left unnoted in this world of theirs.

“I have a proposition for you.”

She noted his words, and her eyes narrowed in wariness and what seemed to be the beginnings of anger.

“I won’t be your w***e or mistress, Reddington. This is only a one-night stand kind of thing. In fact, probably shouldn’t have done this in the first place.”

“On the contrary, I don’t want you as my mistress, Rachel. I want you to marry me.”

There was silence. Rachel was staring at him, her jaw loosened, her eyes widened in shock. Alexander remained as placid as a still lake, resolute in his words.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me correctly, Rachel Wilson. I want you to marry me. I do not like repeating myself.”

“B-But why? You don’t even know me? As far as you know I’m just some pesky reporter you met at some party, and definitely not marriage material.”

“We can offer some things to each other, Rachel Wilson. I am in need of a wife, and last I heard you are in need of some vital information.”

Silence again.

“Wait, does that mean what I think it means?”

“Indeed. You marry me, and I’ll tell you the secret to my wealth.”

She stood up and began pacing around the room.

“This is too much too fast. But why? You haven’t really told me the reason why?”

“I have. I told you that I’m in need of a wife, and urgently. The particulars are not yours to worry about. Don’t worry; it’ll only be for six months, and you will be generously compensated.”

She paused; “Six months?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll tell me all about how you got so filthy rich?”

“After the marriage has been terminated, yes.”

She paused again, chewing her lips pensively. Alexander found himself drawn like a moth to flame by the surprisingly sensual action.

“Will I still be allowed to investigate when we’re married?”

He frowned and considered her request. After a minute or so of deliberation, wherein Rachel stared at him with an emotion in her eyes that vacillated between disbelief and hope, he finally came to a decision.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”

She rushed to protest, but Alexander quickly raised up his hand to silence her.

“You are an exceptional woman, Rachel, but there are certain secrets within the company that I cannot allow to get out. You are too exceptional of a reporter not to catch them. You will only get the secret to my wealth after the marriage has been terminated, and not a moment before. Will that be satisfactory?”

Rachel stared at him, thinking deeply. Alexander waited for her decision with bated breath; a lot of things rested on her accepting, and he would be disappointed beyond measure if she didn’t.

Eventually, she shook her head, and Alexander felt his heart fall in disappointment.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this.”

He rested back in his chair and closed his eyes. Seeing the fact that he was not replying, she rushed to explain.

“Look, it’s a very tempting offer, but I have a job to do, and I can’t put it on hold for six months with nothing to show beyond a flimsy promise,” she said, sitting down and looking at him with her bid beautiful eyes when he glanced at her. “I can’t just tell my superiors to wait for months for a scoop that probably wouldn’t be worth it. If I told them I was in the process of investigating, they might allow me. But I can’t.”

Alexander nodded. He knew that getting her to accept was a far-fetched idea. He laughed.

“You are quite right, Ms. Wilson. I suppose I wasn’t thinking straight.” He said. He looked at her, and smiled devilishly; “It’s disappointing that we won’t be getting married. However, there’s nothing against us having s*x, is there?”

Rachel blushed, then she smiled and fingered the hem of her shirt. “No, of course not.”

And so Alexander carried her to his bedroom for one last round of lovemaking.