Alexander, surprised at the sudden contact, immediately held Mona by the shoulders and pushed her away albeit just slightly so as to not arouse suspicion. They were in front of hawk-eyed journalists after all. The camera flashes made him dizzy, but he still mustered enough strength to force yet another fake smile.
To compensate for the kiss that might have been warily cut short, he snaked an arm around her waist before facing the crowd again. His lips felt dirty and a strong urge to wipe any traces of her on his skin with the sleeve of his jacket was getting harder to ignore with each passing second. The remaining sliver of professionalism was the only thing that kept him from doing so.
"Anyway," he spoke into the microphone. "That is all for today's press conference. Have a good day."
