Chapter 19: The Proposal

Azalea Johnson's POV

After Alex came to get me from my labs, we were walking down to my car. I know that my department and Chemistry department were so far apart and I don't think Alex will let me walked back here just to get my car.

I went to put my stuff inside the trunk before Alex handed out his hand. I looked at it before I looked at him. He rolled his eyes and said,

"keys,"

I gave it to him. He went to walk me toward the passenger's seat and opened the door for me. I got in and he closed the door before he went to the driver's seat. He started the ignition and went out of the parking lot as he weaved through the parking lot like a pro.

"have you parked here before?" I asked him, interested to know if he ever shows up here to meet his then-girlfriend. I shook my head at that thought.

"No, I just kind of memorize all the parks so that it would be easier for me to park my car," he said as he went toward the Chemistry building.

"Surely you have a reserved parking spot?" I asked him. He looked at me before smiling at me.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," he said before we just road in silence. I looked out the window the whole time until the car stopped.

"let me get your stuff," he said as he went out of the car and went to the trunk to get my bag before he closed it and went to my side and opened the door for me.

"sure you don't have a girlfriend before?" I asked bluntly. sometimes, I wanted to curse my sharp tongue. Alex smiled before he took my knuckles and kissed it.

"if I have, you would have known," he said before dragging me into the building.

His office was not what I expected it to be. It was freaking neat and clean. Everything was labeled and it was nice and smelled good inside here. I looked around the bookshelves that Alex had. Chemistry of the water, Composition of the mineral that we called ICE, The expedition to the Artics and so on.

"Is this all yours?" I asked as I pointed at the scientific journals that were lining along the bookshelves. Alex dumped my bag before he went to my side. He picked one out and handed out to me.

"The incredible discovery of a treatment for malfunction of nerve system but Distinguished Professor, Mr. Alexander MacWatters," I read it over and there it was, on the front page, Alex with a witty smile and his charming face.

"I was only 23 at the time when I made my name," he said proudly. I looked at him before rolling my eyes.

"well, you are a genius then," I said before I gave it back to him. I went to look at his collection of rocks. I don't take him as a collector.

"Ah, my rock samples. My friend, the one that you meet at the dinner, gave me," he said as he looked at them.

"Brad?" I said to him. He chuckled.

"Yeah, him. He is a geologist in the Bay Area and often when he went to the excavation site, he would take some samples and give to all of us," he said as he picked up a sample that almost looked like water from a certain angle.

"Us?" I asked him. I wanted to know who was 'us' that he referred to.

"yes, my best friends. There are four of us. Me, Brad, Cam, and Dylan," he said as he looked at me. I nodded as I don't want to pry anymore onto his personal life like I wanted to.

"so, can we started on that proposal?" I asked him as I wanted to make sure that we don't stray away from our purpose here. I don't want to make myself comfortable for this marriage of convenience more than it already was.

"Yeah, right. Let's get onto that before midnight," he said as he went to the table that I have put my laptop. I took a seat in front of the computer and he sat next to me on the left. Our thighs touched and I blushed at a simple contact.

I turned to look at Alex but he was so focused to notice the intimacy that we just had from our sitting position alone.

"did you have working on them already?" Alex asked as his hot breath was trickling down on my neck. I shivered but I tried to hide it from Alex.

"Yes, I have but I don't know if it will be the standard proposal that can get funding," I said without a stammer and that was big progress with the proximity of our body together.

"Hmm," he said as he looked over the proposal that I already made halfway. I was holding the mouse before his big hand was on my hand. I shrieked away.

"oh, sorry, I just wanted to scroll it down a bit," he said as he smiled at me before I released the mouse and I let him do whatever he wants. unfortunately, now he trapped me under his arms. I sit still as I don't want to make a sudden move that might alert him.

I looked into his eyes and they were dark. Dark with desire but he tried to restrain it. He suddenly moved out of the table and went to the door.

"I will get us something to drink to keep the energy. You might want to work on that while I'm gone," he said. I nodded before he went out of the door. I was releasing the breath that I don't even know I was holding.

What the hell was happening to me?!

Alexander MacWatters' POV

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. I almost lost control in there. Her sweet peach scent was all over my nostrils as I was trapping her inside my arms as I looked at her proposal.

I thought that I would lose it and fuck the consequence of not being tied to the knot. I need her and I need her now. I went fishing for my phone and it was deep inside my pocket. I cursed at myself and these stupid trousers.

"Curse you, pants," I said before I retrieved my phone and dialed my lawyer's number.

"Hello?" His voice filled the emptiness of the hallway.

"hey, I need you to speed up the marriage contract and I wanted the part where the intercourse will not be performed gone," I said as I tried to restrain myself from running inside the office and make Lea pleaded for my meat.

"um, is Ms. Johnson consented to that term?" He asked me. I rolled my eyes at his straightforwardness.

"I was the one that pays you, remember? And yes, Ms. Johnson has been very open to me that she would like that terminated as well," I said as I was trying to make sure that he did it exactly as I did.

"if that's the case, I would like to speak to Ms—"

"the hell you will never speak to her ever again. She's mine and only I can talk to her, understood?!" I shouted into the phone before the line was silent for a moment and I was breathing heavily. My lawyer sighed.

"very well, if that's what you want, sir. I'll the contract and marriage registration over at your place tomorrow morning," he said calmly.

"Make it quick and I wanted it to be perfect," I said before I hung up the phone. I was standing in front of the vending machine and I purchased two coffee, all black for me and Lea. I hoped she would like my choice since I would assume she was all black-type of gal.

I went back to the office after I calmed myself. I don't want Lea to look at me like I was losing my mind. When I opened the door, someone was talking inside the office. I tried to listen but it was muffled. I opened the door and I was surprised to see Maya was there. Damn it!

"oh, hey Alex. I was wondering where you were going and I did not know that you were working late with Azalea," she said as Lea was looking at me. I gulped. I told her that I don't have a girlfriend before but she had met my ex the director of NSF and now my other ex, my colleague.

"oh, yeah. I have been trying to make a discovery and I thought it would be good to focus on the ocean now," I said as I put the cold coffee onto the table. Maya eyed it as she sighed.

"you still remember that I drank all black, thanks," she said before she took one and opened it before drinking it fast.

"ah, still like old times. anyway, I was just here to drop something that the department wanted you to look at. It was nice seeing you here Azalea. Is Silas in the building when you come out?" She asked Lea but Lea just replied with a shook.

"Alright, I might catch him at home. I see you later and you as well Alex. Thanks for the coffee!" She said before she went out of the office and closed the door. As soon as I returned to Lea, she was crossing her arms at me.

"Like old times?" She asked me. Jealousy was ringing in her voice. I smiled inwardly that I know she must be cared to be jealous.

"Yeah, we're colleagues. We spent some time together and of course, she asked me out—"

"so, she's one of your exes. unbelievable," she said as she threw her arms out and walked out the door. After I registered what happened, I went after her.