"A weekend at the lake house?" Sophia asked, trying to keep her voice professionally neutral even as her pulse quickened. Alexander had just announced the family trip during Friday morning breakfast, and the twins were already bouncing with excitement.
"Can we go fishing, Daddy?" Ethan asked eagerly.
"Can we have s'mores by the fire?" Emma added, clapping her hands.
"All of that and more," Alexander promised his children, but his eyes were fixed on Sophia. "I think we all need some time away from the city. What do you think, Sophia? Can you handle a weekend of camping and outdoor activities?"
The challenge in his voice, the subtle heat in his gaze, told her this trip was about much more than family bonding. After a week of stolen kisses and secret touches that left them both aching for more, the lake house would give them privacy they desperately needed.
"I think that sounds wonderful," she replied carefully. "I'll pack the children's things."
"Pack for yourself too," Alexander said, his voice dropping slightly. "Casual clothes. We'll be very... relaxed up there."
The way he said 'relaxed' made a heat pool in Sophia's belly, and she had to look away before she did something unprofessional like kiss him senseless in front of his children.
Three hours later, they were driving north in Alexander's Range Rover, the twins chattering excitedly in the backseat while Sophia tried to ignore how devastatingly handsome Alexander looked in jeans and a navy henley instead of his usual suits. His sleeves were pushed up, revealing strong forearms, and every time he shifted gears, she found herself staring at his hands and remembering exactly what those fingers could do to her body.
"You're staring," Alexander murmured quietly, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"I'm admiring the scenery," Sophia replied primly, though her cheeks flushed pink.
"So am I," he said, his eyes raking over her own casual outfit, fitted jeans and a soft cream sweater that hugged her curves perfectly. "Very much."
The lake house turned out to be a stunning cedar and stone structure nestled among tall pines, with a private dock stretching out over crystal-clear water. It was rustic luxury at its finest, and Sophia fell in love with it immediately.
"It's beautiful," she breathed, standing on the wraparound porch as the twins raced down to explore the dock.
"My grandfather built it," Alexander said, coming to stand beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. "Elena and I used to bring the twins here when they were babies."
Sophia tensed slightly at the mention of his late wife, but Alexander's hand found hers, squeezing gently.
"I want to make new memories here," he said quietly. "With you."
The next few hours passed in a blur of family activities. They took the boat out on the lake, with Alexander teaching the twins to steer while Sophia watched from the bow, the wind whipping through her hair. When they anchored in a secluded cove for lunch, Alexander couldn't seem to stop touching her, a hand on her back as he helped her onto the dock, fingers lingering when he passed her a sandwich, his thigh pressed against hers as they sat on the boat's cushioned bench.
"Daddy, can we swim?" Emma asked after lunch.
"The water's still pretty cold," Alexander warned, but the twins were already stripping down to the bathing suits Sophia had packed under their clothes.
"They'll be fine," Sophia laughed, watching them cannon-ball into the lake with squeals of delight. "Kids don't feel the cold the same way we do."
"Speaking of swimming," Alexander said, his voice taking on that rough quality that made her stomach flutter, "did you bring a suit?"
Sophia's cheeks flushed. She had packed a bikini, a simple black two-piece that was perfectly modest but still showed off her figure. "I might have."
"Good," Alexander said, his eyes darkening. "I want to see you in it."
That evening, after a dinner of grilled fish and corn cooked over the fire pit, the twins finally crashed, exhausted from their day in the sun. Alexander carried a sleeping Ethan up to the loft while Sophia tucked Emma into the twin bed in the guest room.
When she emerged, she found Alexander on the deck, two glasses of wine in his hands and a fire crackling in the stone fireplace. The sun was setting over the lake, painting the sky in brilliant oranges and purples.
"They're out cold," Sophia said, accepting the wine gratefully.
"Good," Alexander replied, his arm snaking around her waist to pull her against his side. "Because I've been waiting all day to do this."
His mouth claimed hers in a kiss that was hungry and desperate, weeks of careful restraint finally breaking free. Sophia melted into him, her free hand fisting in his shirt as she kissed him back with equal fervor.
"God, I've missed you," Alexander groaned against her lips, even though they'd made love just the night before. "Every second we have to pretend during the day is torture."
"I know," Sophia breathed, setting her wine glass aside so she could wrap both arms around his neck. "I know exactly what you mean."
Alexander's hands roamed her body with increasing urgency, reacquainting themselves with every curve. When his palm slid under her sweater to touch bare skin, Sophia gasped and arched into him.
"The children," she protested weakly, even as her body betrayed her by pressing closer.
"They're sound asleep," Alexander assured her, his lips finding the sensitive spot just below her ear. "And we're alone. Completely, utterly alone."
The promise in his words made her shiver with anticipation. Here, away from the mansion and prying eyes, they could finally be themselves without fear of discovery.
"Show me the lake," Sophia said suddenly, surprising them both with her boldness.
Alexander's eyes blazed with understanding. "Are you sure?"
Instead of answering with words, Sophia pulled her sweater over her head, revealing the lacy bra underneath. Alexander's breath caught, his eyes drinking in the sight of her in the firelight.
"You're going to kill me," he said hoarsely, but he was already leading her down the wooden steps toward the private dock.
The night air was cool against Sophia's heated skin as they walked to the end of the dock, the moon reflecting off the still water like scattered diamonds. Alexander turned to face her, his eyes dark with desire and something deeper, more tender.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his hands framing her face. "So perfect."
This time when he kissed her, it was slow and reverent, like he was savoring every second. Sophia lost herself in the sensation of his lips, his hands, the way he worshipped her with every touch.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Alexander rested his forehead against hers.
"I love you," he said simply. "Here, in this place where I thought I'd never feel happiness again, you've given me everything."
"I love you too," Sophia replied, her heart swelling with emotion. "More than I ever thought possible."
Alexander's hands moved to the button of her jeans, and she didn't stop him. Here, under the stars with nothing but water around them, she felt wild and free and completely his.
"The water," Alexander said roughly, nodding toward the lake.
"It'll be freezing," Sophia protested, even as heat pooled low in her belly at the wicked gleam in his eyes.
"I'll keep you warm," he promised, and the rough promise in his voice made her knees weak.
Twenty minutes later, they were wrapped in a thick blanket on the dock, their abandoned clothes scattered around them like fallen leaves. Alexander's arms held her close as they watched the stars reflect on the water, both sated and glowing with contentment.
"This is perfect," Sophia murmured against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"You're perfect," Alexander corrected, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "And you're mine. All mine."
"All yours," she agreed sleepily, feeling safer and more cherished than she ever had in her life.
As they lay there under the vast night sky, the lake house wrapping them in privacy and peace, both knew that this weekend would change everything. The professional boundaries they'd been clinging to were dissolving completely, replaced by something deeper, truer, and infinitely more powerful.
They were no longer employers and nanny stealing secret moments. They were simply Alexander and Sophia, two people desperately in love, finally free to show each other exactly how much they meant to each other.
And it was absolutely perfect.