Chapter 2 : Bathroom Test

Three days had passed since Emily''s arrival at the villa. Three days of medical examinations, legal documents, and awkward silences. She''d signed the contractwenty pages of cold, clinical language that reduced her body to a list of functions and requirements. Two hundred thousand dollars had been wired to her father''s medical fund. The transaction was complete.

Now came the service.

Mrs. Henderson had delivered the message after dinner. "Mr. Sterling requests your presence in the master suite at nine o''clock."

Emily had nodded, her throat too tight to speak. She''d spent an hour in her own bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The girl looking back at her seemed like a strangerlonde hair brushed to a shine, green eyes wide with fear, lips painted a soft pink. She wore another silk dress, this one white and even thinner than the first.

At exactly nine, she knocked on the door to Alexander''s private wing.

"Come in."

His voice was muffled through the heavy wood. Emily pushed the door open and stepped into a space that was more like a luxury spa than a bathroom. The room was vast, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dark ocean. A sunken marble tub large enough for six people dominated the center, already filled with steaming water. Candles lined every surface, their flames dancing in the gentle breeze from the partially open window.

Alexander stood by the tub, wearing only a pair of black linen trousers. His upper body was bare, and Emily''s breath caught at the sight. In the flickering light, she could see the definition of his muscleshe broad shoulders, the sculpted chest, the flat stomach. He was more physically imposing without the armor of his suits.

"You''re punctual," he said, not turning to look at her.

"I... Mrs. Henderson said nine."

He finally glanced over his shoulder. His eyes traveled over her white dress, lingering on the places where the fabric clung to her body. "Take off your shoes."

Emily bent to remove her sandals, her hands trembling. The marble floor was warm beneath her bare feet, heated from below.

"Come here."

She approached slowly, her heart pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it. When she was within arm''s reach, he turned fully to face her.

"The contract specifies regular intimacy to maximize conception chances," he said, his voice matter-of-fact. "We begin tonight."

Emily nodded, unable to speak.

"Help me with my trousers."

Her eyes widened. "I..."

"It''s not a difficult task, Emily." There was no impatience in his voice, just calm instruction.

She stepped closer, her fingers fumbling with the drawstring at his waist. The linen was soft and expensive. As she worked at the knot, her knuckles brushed against the hard plane of his stomach. She could feel the heat of his skin through the fabric.

The knot came loose. She hesitated, her hands hovering at his waistband.

"Continue."

Taking a shaky breath, Emily hooked her fingers into the waistband and pushed the trousers down. They slid over his hips and fell to the floor in a pool of black fabric.

He wasn''t wearing anything underneath.

Her eyes dropped instinctively, then flew back up to his face, her cheeks burning. Alexander made no move to cover himself. He stood completely still, allowing her to look.

He was already semi-erect, his penis thickening as she stared. It was larger than she''d expectedhick and heavy, with a prominent vein running along its length. The head was flushed a dark pink, already glistening with a bead of moisture at the tip.

"Now the shirt," he said, though he wasn''t wearing one.

"I... you''re not..."

"My bathrobe." He nodded toward a chair where a white terrycloth robe was draped.

Emily retrieved it, her hands shaking. When she turned back, Alexander had stepped into the tub, the water rising to his waist. He sat on the submerged bench, his arms resting along the edges.

"Join me."

She hesitated, clutching the robe to her chest.

"Emily." His voice was still calm, but there was an edge to it now. "This is what you agreed to. This is what you''re being paid for."

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them back. He was right. This was the transaction. Her body for her father''s life.

She let the robe fall to the floor, then reached for the hem of her dress. The white silk whispered over her skin as she pulled it up and over her head. She stood naked before him, the candlelight painting golden patterns on her pale skin.

Alexander''s eyes darkened as he looked at her. His gaze was thorough, clinical almost, as it moved from her face down to her breastsull and heavy with prominent pink nipples that tightened under his scrutinyhen to her narrow waist, the gentle curve of her hips, and finally to the blonde triangle of hair between her legs.

"Come here," he said again, his voice lower now.

Emily stepped into the tub. The water was hot, almost too hot, but she welcomed the sensation. It gave her something to focus on besides the fact that she was naked in a bath with a man she barely knew.

She stood before him, the water lapping at her thighs. Alexander reached out and took her hand, pulling her down to kneel on the submerged bench between his spread legs.

"Wash me," he said, handing her a bar of soap that smelled of cedar and vetiver.

Her hands trembled as she worked up a lather. Starting with his shoulders, she rubbed the soap over his skin, her fingers sliding over hard muscle. She could feel the strength in his body, the power restrained beneath the surface.

As she moved to his chest, her fingertips accidentally brushed over one of his nipples. It hardened under her touch. Alexander''s breath hitched, just slightly, but she heard it.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Don''t be." His voice was rough now.

She continued, her hands moving lower, over the ridges of his abdomen. When she reached the waterline, she hesitated.

"All of me," he said, his eyes locked on hers.

Emily took a deep breath and slid her hand beneath the water. Her fingers found his thigh first, the muscle hard beneath her touch. She worked the soap over his leg, then moved inward.

Her knuckles brushed against his penis. It was fully erect now, thick and hot even through the water. She jerked her hand back as if burned.

Alexander caught her wrist. His grip was firm but not painful. "It''s just a body part, Emily. Like an arm or a leg."

But it wasn''t. It was the part that would enter her. The part that would try to plant a child in her womb.

"Touch it," he said, guiding her hand back.

Her fingers closed around him tentatively. He was smooth and hard, the skin like velvet over steel. She could feel the pulse of blood beneath her palm.

"Wash it," he instructed, his voice tight.

She soaped her hands again and began to stroke him, her movements awkward and unsure. Alexander''s eyes closed, his head falling back against the edge of the tub. A low groan escaped his lips.

"Like that," he murmured. "Just like that."

Encouraged, Emily continued, her strokes growing more confident. She could feel him thickening in her hand, could see the way his stomach muscles clenched with each pass of her fingers.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He reached down and stilled her hand. "Enough."

She pulled back, confused. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." He was breathing heavily now. "But if you continue, this will be over before it begins. And we have a purpose to fulfill."

He stood, water streaming off his body. In the candlelight, he looked like some ancient god rising from the seall hard lines and masculine power. His erection jutted proudly from his body, the tip swollen and dark.

"Stand up," he said.

Emily rose, the water dripping from her body. She was shivering, though the room was warm.

Alexander reached out and cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. "You''re afraid."

"Yes."

"Good." He leaned down until his lips were just inches from hers. "A little fear keeps things interesting."

Then he kissed her.

It wasn''t gentle. It was hungry, demanding, his mouth claiming hers with a possessiveness that stole her breath. His tongue pushed past her lips, tasting her, exploring her. One hand tangled in her hair, holding her still, while the other slid down her back to press her against him.

Emily could feel the hard length of his erection pressing into her stomach. She whimpered into his mouth, a sound of fear and something elseomething that felt dangerously like arousal.

Alexander broke the kiss, his breathing ragged. His eyes burned into hers. "Tonight, Emily. Tonight we begin."