I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 4

Natalie looked up, meeting his cold gaze.

He wasn’t pressing the issue, was it, because he had no intention of explaining where he’d been on all those nights he didn’t come home?-

Without another word or even another glance at her, Alexander put on his suit jacket and left.

“Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Ramirez was going out of his mind looking for you these past few days. He didn’t even go into the office. He was so worried.”

The housekeeper, Susan, who had been keeping her distance, emerged from the kitchen.

On the stairs, Natalie’s fingers twitched. A strange current shot through her heart.

Worried?

She gave a bitter laugh. She was just a pawn. How could he possibly be worried about her? Besides, he had mocked her for playing games.

“Susan, I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap. You don’t need to call me for dinner.”

With that, Natalie turned and went upstairs.

She woke up to a pitch-black room.

Natalie reached out and switched on the bedside lamp. A figure on the sofa caught her eye, making her jump.

Looking closer, she saw Alexander leaning back with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

When had he come back? She hadn’t heard a thing.

His thick lashes rested gently on his cheeks like dark butterfly wings. The lamplight cast a faint shadow beneath his strong nose, making his features appear even more defined and striking. A few strands of hair fell casually across his forehead, softening the harsh lines of his face and erasing the coldness of the day.

Perhaps it was the sudden light, but his eyelashes fluttered before his eyes slowly opened.

Their gazes met. Natalie froze for a second, then quickly looked away as she slipped out of bed.

“You’re awake. Let’s go downstairs for dinner,” Alexander said, standing up as well.

“I’m not hungry.”

Natalie poured herself a glass of hot water, her eyes fixed ahead, a cool indifference emanating from her.

Alexander was surprised. She used to live for the moments he came home for dinner, even learning to cook specifically for him.

The confusion lasted only a moment. Maybe she really wasn’t hungry. He didn’t press it.

As he turned, he remembered something. “You said you had a gift for me. What was it?”

The day she had tried to bring him lunch, she had sent him a message about a gift.

Natalie’s hand instinctively went to her abdomen.

Her other hand, holding the glass, tightened until her knuckles turned white.

Her back was to him. Her eyes stung, but she fought back the lump in her throat, refusing to let him hear any trace of emotion in her voice.

“The gift broke, so I threw it away.”

Alexander frowned. “You didn’t do it on purpose, did you? To get back at me for standing you up?”

He moved closer, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he reached out to touch her slender waist. A flicker of desire lit his deep eyes. “Did you miss me?” he murmured, his voice a low, seductive whisper.

His fingers traced light patterns on the soft skin of her waist, sending a shiver through her.

She tilted her head up, her lips parting instinctively to respond.

Suddenly, Camila White’s words from the phone call echoed in her mind: “He’s in the shower…”

In an instant, Natalie’s head cleared.

She pressed her hands firmly against his chest and turned her face away, her voice hard.

“Don’t touch me!”

Alexander’s brow furrowed, the desire in his eyes instantly turning to ice. “I can’t touch my own wife?”

He seized her slender wrists, pulling her closer again. But then he saw the redness in her eyes, a look so vulnerable it made him want to protect her. For a moment, his resolve softened.

Just then, his phone rang, shattering the tension. He glanced at the screen: Camila White. He answered immediately.

“Alex, I’m not feeling well. Can you come over?” The woman’s weak voice carried from the earpiece, loud enough for Natalie to hear.

“I’ll be there in half an hour.”

Alexander turned to leave. A chill washed over Natalie, but she reached out, a last, desperate hope compelling her to grab the corner of his jacket.

Her voice trembled. “Do you have to go? Aren’t you going to explain?”