Chapter 27: The Funding

Azalea Johnson's POV

It has been days after Alex confessed his feelings for me and I did the same as well, I told him that I have loved him ever since we kissed during Amber's engagement party. He smirked when he heard my confession.

"Exactly when I felt your lips on mine, I know you were the one," he whispered before he went to kiss me and made love to me until we cannot move a muscle. Not that I was complaining, but I was so inexperienced in that department that I wondered if Alex felt happy and satisfied with me.

It was the morning after we made love last night. It's the weekend, so we kind of have the place to ourselves. I needed to stretch but I grimaced when I felt sore all over my body. Alex must have been making his wicked way onto my body again.

when I turned around to look at Alex, he was staring at me as he was smirking with his kissable lips. I licked my bottom lips at the sight before I looked into his eyes.

"I know what you're thinking, my love, but we have to get out of the bed if we want to make that proposal on time," he said as he was caressing my side when I put my hands under my head. I smiled at him.

"well, we can always postpone it until tomorrow," I said as I was staring at his handsome face. He smiled. god, I will do anything to keep that smile there.

"interesting offer but you know that science cannot be done tomorrow if it can be done today and we have a lot to do today," he said as he got out of bed and stood in his naked glory. I smiled at him before I went out of the bed as well and put the robe on my naked body.

"well, you can shower while I make breakfast," I said as I kissed him. He pulled me into his arms before he broke the kiss.

"shower with me, it will be nice and we can conserve the water more," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I slapped his chest before I shook my head.

"it's fine. You go and get a shower while I go to the kitchen," I said as I turned around and walked toward the door.

"you miss a lot then, Mrs. MacWatters," he said as he was walking toward the bathroom. I glanced at him over my shoulders. I smirked.

"Not that I don't see and taste them all," I said before I went out as he laughed at my remarks. I went to the kitchen and pulled some eggs and sausage. I put on the pan on the electric stove and put some olive oil in it and waited for it until it was hot enough. I pulled out some veggies and chopped them in track time before I went to look at the oil. It was ready. then, I tossed some sausages and waited for it until I put it on the plates as well.

"Smells delicious, darling," he said as he came inside the room with only wearing a boxer. I blushed but I kept my stoic face on. He smirked before he took his plate and he pulled me to sit on his laps. I laughed at it.

"I can sit on the stool next to you," I said as he was spooning some of the scrambled and the sausage that I had cooked.

"yeah, well, I love to feel your skin on mine so no complaining," he said as he scooped some to my mouth. I laughed.

"I have no complaints," I said before I ate the offered food before he scooped for himself. We ate the scrambled and sausages as we were feeding each other. I looked at him before he smiled at me. I feel wanted and loved. I could not be asked for anything else.

The telephone rang when we were having our breakfast. It was Alex's phone. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before he put me down onto the chair next to his.

"Just a moment," he said as he went to kiss my cheek as I was scooping some of his eggs. I nodded before he went to the living room and answered his phone.

"Hello?" He asked as he walked back to the kitchen before taking a seat next to me.

"yes, this is he speaking. What can I help you?" He said as he sipped on his lukewarm coffee. His eyebrows were knotting together before he drummed his fingers on the table.

"Right, right. Thank you so much, bye," he said before he put his phone onto the table. I waited for him to speak before he sighed.

"that was Aria calling," he started. I stopped in my eating and focused on him instead.

"she said that she wanted the proof that we were married and not for the contract that I drew or I would be blacklisted," he said as I took his hand.

"honey, that's terrible. And why would Aria do such things?" I asked him before he looked at me.

"I told her," he said. I arched my eyebrow at him.

"about us or about the contract that you made between us?" I asked him. He laughed before he shook his head.

"I should have not done that. Now, she will use that as her advantages," he said as he rubbed his face with his free hand. I squeezed his in mine.

"well, we don't need that stupid contract anyway. We are not married for funding anymore. We're married for love now," I said as I put my hand on his cheek. He leaned into it as he looked at me.

"I don't deserve you, you know that?" He said as he gripped mine on his cheeks. I smiled.

"well, I don't deserve you either but we did get married and that contract was off the rules anyway," I said before he chuckled. He stood up and get away from me before he went into his study. I resumed eating. Moments later, he appeared with the contracts.

"I guessed we can destroy it now," he said as he went to the fireplace and light it up. It burned before us before he nodded approvingly.

"now, where are we?" He said as he went to scoop me and put me on his laps. I straddled him before I gave him the spoon. He took it as he smirked at me.

"I believe that you were feeding me, honey," I said as I was snaking my arms on his neck. His eyes were dark now with desire.

"well, we could skip this part and onto the next one," he said huskily. I laughed.

"But I'm still sore," I said as I smiled at him.

"well, we have other ways to work with that," he said before he scooped me up and went to the bedroom. Our breakfast was left forgotten when Alex has his mind on something else.

Later that afternoon, we were getting dressed after we took a shower together. Alex's idea and we have some dessert in there after that. I was putting on my dress when Alex appeared behind me and helped me to zip my dress up.

"Allow me, my love," he said as he took it and zipped it. I pulled my hair to the side before he kissed my neck.

"are you ready?" He asked me as he was kissing me. I nodded.

"We should go before we cannot get out of the bed," I said before I took my handbag and went out with the proposal that I and Alex have been working on when we were not on each other. It took some adjusting and major editing but I think it was perfect now. We need to clear the rumors that were circling our collaboration about our research, which was why Alex insisted on me to meet with Aria in the NSF New York branch.

"I'm scared, what if she thinks I'm just using you and you were doing the same," I said as we were riding the elevator to the lobby. Not many people were breaking our elevator ride.

"well, we can always show the registration license that we will have today to her and prove that we did not do this to cheat NSF," he said as he kissed my knuckles. My nerves calmed at that gesture before we went out of the elevator to Alex's car.

He unlocked it before he went to open the door for me and closed it after I got in. He went to the driver's side and started the ignition. He sped off from the garage as my heartbeat did not stop beating so fast because I was nervous as fuck.

"so, you have come here to claim that you did no such thing after all?" Aria asked us as we were sitting in front of her desk. She was wearing a navy blue suit and her hair in a perfect bun compared to mine that was hanging loose around my shoulders.

"exactly. Aria, you cannot believe the rumors that were being spread to taint my reputation. You know me," Alex said. My heart ached as I thought about how much has she knew about Alex. Aria looked at me and then at Alex before she sighed.

"I cannot just dismiss the fact that you guys were ganging up to get the funding. But I'll tell you what, I see what I can do if you just give me the proposal and I will let the scientific community decide for you guys," she said. We smiled at that answer before I went to take the envelope out.

"here, it has all the details that you will know about the research that we will be conducting. But of course, Alex will be the main researcher," I said as I looked at Aria. She arched her eyebrow.

"very well. I see what I can do," she said as she put it on her desk. Alex cleared his throat before standing up. I followed him as well as Aria.

"well, we see ourselves out then. Thank you for your consideration, ma'am," he said as he shook her hand. I did as well.

"My pleasure," she said and for the first time, Aria smiled and it was not as wicked as I thought it would be.