A long and heavy sigh that was so unlike Ezekiel filled the silence as soon as the door was slammed shut after Alex's departure.

  Then he slowly faced her. His expression neutral, as if he had not just talked to Alexander completely in the nude and that he was not naked even now. It was as though, him being naked before her was nothing but normal.

  "You should… really go get dressed first." She finally managed to tell him, though it came out a little more choked than she would have liked. They were both adults and powerful ones at that – well, it was in the past tense for her, but what the! – so why were her reactions so different from his?! She almost felt a feeling of unfairness thinking about it. But getting back to the point, it was really getting harder to keep her gaze straight and trained on his face than to allow her eyes to roam and wander around to areas lower than his chest.

  He did not say anything more, but instead of quietly heading back to his walk-in closet where his clothes are, he turned back to the door and opened it again. Alicia was confused seeing him doing that. Did he really not mind that other people would see him in his birthday suit? Was he not a very private person? Why does he not seem that way right now?

  "Lucas!" he called out.

  "Yes, Your… umm… I mean, boss!" Lucas' voice echoed.

  "Go bring me some clothes."

  "Clothes…? For a woman?"

  Ezekiel threw a gaze that said 'isn't that obvious?' "Yes Lucas. And do make haste."

  "Uhm, boss. What is her size again? Height… weight?"

  He stilled and glanced back at Alicia. "Five… six?" he looked as though he was calculating something complicated in his mind while Alicia could only blink at him. He opened his mouth but seemed unsure. "Slim." He eventually said then hurriedly dismissed Lucas.

  Just before the door could be closed, he opened it again. "Lucas."

  "Yes?" the big man whirled around and was back before him in an instant.

  There was a moment of pause. "Don't forget the undergarments." His voice was significantly lower than earlier. However, since Alicia was in close proximity, she obviously heard his words clearly. And could not help but have a violent blush suffuse her face. Were they not talking about the undergarments for… her?!

  "Oh… wait, boss."

  "Now what."

  "Umm… The size??" Lucas coughed a little.

  "What…??"

  "The bra size, boss. Cup size, chest size, waist size… hip size." Lucas steadfastly rambled it out without losing his composure. Alicia, who was listening from behind the door, had to give it to Lucas for being so steady. She really did not know whether to laugh or cry listening in to this conversation between these two men.

  Ezekiel's mouth parted and he ran his fingers through his hair before another quiet sigh left his mouth.

  He glanced back at Alicia and saw her red all over, completely flustered and embarrassed. Most probably realizing that it was her they were talking about as she was not wearing any undergarments right now.

  "Like if she's 32B…" Lucas gave an example thinking that his boss was still confused but trailed off at Ezekiel's exasperated sigh.

  "I think her chest size is more than 80 centimetres, waist might be 60 and hips… close to 90." He said all those in a hurried voice before he quickly shut the door.

  He shook his head a little before finally pulling Alicia along and walked back to his closet.

  "You… what happened last night when…" she asked while Ezekiel led her hand to leave it touching his neck to get dressed. Since doing it once yesterday, Alicia knew the drill and did not overreact and kept her hands touching the skin of his neck to ensure that they were connected. "Umm… I mean, when… umm… after I fainted?" Though she tried to keep calm and express herself calmly, the words somehow came out with her stuttering and stammering as though she was embarrassed.

  "Nothing, Alicia." He held her gaze and answered calmly. "I simply removed your wet underwear and put you in bed. That's all."

  Alicia did not avert her gaze from Ezekiel as he continued getting dressed, never backing down from their staring contest. Eventually, she gave in first and sighed.

  "So… you're going to attend the baby shower next week?" she changed the topic, looking away.

  "There's no way I can."

  "Why? Because you don't want anyone to see me with you?"

  He halted for a moment. "You don't mind being seen in the flesh… tagging along with me?" he returned the question, one of his elegant brows curved up in query.

  "You can reject Alexander's invitation?" she gave him another question instead of an answer.

  Ezekiel unceremoniously wrapped his hold on her wrist them moved her hand this time, to his waist.

  Alicia pressed her lips a little tighter at the touch. He looked unbothered as he lifted his strong arms and slid his shirt over his head in one smooth move. "It's inevitable. I can't let anyone, even Alex, see you."

  Intrigue coloured Alicia's eyes before she asked in a hesitant voice. "You don't trust Alexander?"

  Another pause. This time it was longer. "I do. He's the only one I can trust. But still… never fully."

  "Why? You and Alexander are…" Alicia paused in her questioning. She was not sure if she should pry about this matter, but she could not deny she was really curious. She could not forget what he had told her, that statement of 'no trust, no betrayal'.

  "Alex is the only one I trust without question. But it's not wise for me to fully trust him especially now that he has Abigail."

  She frowned hard and was about to speak when he continued.

  "Because he's still the type of man who can burn the world without care if something bad happens to his beloved. If a situation where Alex needed to betray me or break my trust for the sake of Abigail or his children, he'd definitely do it without question. I hope such situation will never happen but it's not impossible. You know that anything can happen anytime."