The weight of her secret. 

She couldn't help her heart from fluttering at his possessive words, but she knew she had to act more independent, so she nodded to him.

 "Give me some time to find a replacement for me at the bar and sort things out," she said, her eyes meeting his. 

She needed to tell the mayor about this change, and it would take a little time to arrange everything. She watched his reaction to her words, curious about how he would respond to her attempt at control.

Alexander's eyes darkened with a mixture of possessiveness and satisfaction as she asked for time to get things sorted. He nodded, his hand finding her waist, not ready to let her out of his sight just yet. He would wait, give her time, but he would be watching, eager to have her close. He couldn't help but wonder what she meant by 'sort things out,' her voice holding a hint of concern that he wanted to understand.  

He leaned in closer, his eyes holding her gaze, reminding her of his power.