Ch. 4
Opting out of taking a cab, and ignoring Marva’s suggestion of calling her security to pick her up, Laura began her long walk back to the apartment, reveling in the dusk that had settled over the town. On this side of Paris, it was quaint and small, with cramped little shops and dusty cobblestone roads, but Laura knew it like the back of her hand. Sighing a little, reveling in her freedom at last, Laura adjusted the large bag of baked goods Marva had sent her away with. She wondered why she couldn’t remember Alexi Giovanni from when she was younger? Marva had insisted that he had been there, but Laura had no memory of him sweeping up the store. Those had been amazingly lazy summers, wonderful summers running through the streets, unawares of security guards and the media.
Closer to the apartment now, Laura looked left and right as she attempted to cross the street. The sun had almost completely disappeared from the sky, and it was getting increasingly dark. Laura waited for a black van to pass her by before checking to her left again, and started to step away from the curb. Before she could even put her foot down, someone was grabbing her from behind, one hand coming up and covering her mouth, while a rough arm hauled her up against a male body. Laura was too stunned to struggle at first, but when she was suddenly pushed forward, she screamed against the hand over her mouth and began to thrash wildly. The doors to the black van she had just seen flew open and she was thrust into waiting hands. The door slammed shut and Laura immediately began to scream again, and hit out with everything she had. Her elbow connected with someone’s eye, and a fierce expletive earned her a swift slap across the face. Laura gasped, and then a hand was forcing her face into a cloth. She smelled something pungent and foul, and struggled to turn away, but was no match for them, and the fumes got to her, making her pass out quickly.
Hearing voices filter in and out woke Laura up slightly. The crick in her neck hurt and her body was screaming to be stretched. Laura moved slightly, only to feel her hands tied together in front of her and her ankles bound as well. Her head hurt, and Laura had to suppress a groan. The events of her kidnapping flew back to Laura, and she had to breathe deeply for several minutes to calm herself down. Opening her eyes, Laura found that she was still in the back of the van, and that it was no longer moving. The voices were coming from the outside, and Laura strained to understand them better, but couldn’t make out their guttural French through her cloudy brain. Looking around, Laura tried to find something she could use to cut her restraints, but there didn’t appear to be anything around her. Oh god, Laura thought, she should have just listened to her father and never had left the safety of the flat. She whimpered, but quickly forced herself to realize that crying wouldn’t solve anything.
The voices outside suddenly became much louder and closer, and Laura scooted away from the doors of the van and pressed herself into the corner, willing herself to shrink. The door handle was turned down and the door was pulled slightly ajar, but suddenly there was a loud bang that made Laura’s fears climb and she jumped at the sound. There were more voices now, yelling from a distance, and the door to the van was suddenly slammed shut. The new voices got closer, then there was shouting all around her, followed by the sounds of flesh on flesh and the click of something metal, then suddenly it was silent. Laura was breathing heavily, but as the door handle to the van turned, all breathing stopped. With the door suddenly thrown open, Laura yelped, out of pure fear, and cringed away. Opening her eye slightly to peek out, Laura nearly wept with relief at the sight of Alexi Giovanni.
“I have come to take you away from here, Signorina”
Laura let out a strangled sob, and he reached a hand out to her. “Come.” Laura help up her hands, shaking her head, trying to force back the tears his sudden presence had evoked. Clearing her throat, she controlled herself.
“I-I can’t.”
She looked at the floor instead of at him, in shame, but if she had looked at him, she would have seen the concern and guilt flash through his eyes. With surprisingly gentle hands, Alexi pulled Laura towards the van doors, then took something sharp out of his pocket and swiftly cut away her restraints. Her wrists and ankles were sore, but as Laura moved to get out of the van, Alexi scooped her up in his iron clad arms and carried her away. Laura’s hands clasped around his neck instinctively, and she couldn’t help but curve into him, breathing in his masculine scent. His tight chest muscles and bulging arm muscles made Laura even more aware of just how thin her sundress was, and how aware her body was of how very sensual the whole experience was.
Tucked away into the back of the range Rover, they drove back to the flat in silence. Laura began to protest when Alexi swooped her into his arms a second time, but the firm look he fixed her with stopped her. Alexi marched right into the flat, even though it was pitch black inside, and maneuvered his way to her room easily. Setting her down outside of the bathroom, Laura looked up at him, then away, suddenly shy. With a curt nod, Alexi was gone, and Laura stood there, staring at the spot he had been in, for longer than she cared to know.
Ch. 5
Covering in sweat and gasping for air, Laura Santos woke up from a nightmare, reliving the events of the night before. Running a hand through her hair, Laura got up and dragged herself into the shower. Shutting her eyes wasn’t the best idea, then she would get an image of that van, and the stomach sinking feeling of being forced into the van against her will. With a shake of her head, Laura cleared her thoughts and turned to her dresser. Picking a simple pair of denim leggings and a billowey shirt, Laura left her hair down and wet as she walked to the kitchen to find something to eat. Surprisingly, Laura found her father gulping down a cup of coffee over the sink. He glanced at her, then frowned, and Laura froze, knowing he would blow up at her over last night’s incident.
“You did not like the car I chose?” He demanded, and Laura stared at him for a full minute before stammering.
“I-I-escusi?”
“The car, they tell me you did not even test drive it!” Carlos frowned deeper and put down his cup, picking up a stack of papers from the table. “You did not like it?”
Laura looked down, realizing he had no idea what had gone on last night. “I just, don’t like pink. But ti was a nice car.” She added. Carlos was silent for a moment, before nodding and kissing her head on his way out.
After breakfast, Laura cleaned her dishes and decided to curl up with a book. She was looking through the books in the limited library, and frowning. Her own collection at their house in Italy was extensive, while more of these books were for show than for reading. A squeak of the door hinges had Laura tensing, on edge, fear staring to build in her, but when Alexi walked into the room, the fear faded and was replaced with the usual burning in her stomach that she felt whenever he was near.
He was doing a sweep of the room, Laura noticed, as he checked the windows and carefully swept his hands along the window sills and frames of the doors. He even rattled the bookcases, to make sure they were securely fastened to the wall. As he turned to go, brushing dangerously close to her, Laura blurted out.
“Thank you.” Alexi paused, his back to her, his body so close she could reach out and touch him with the tips of her fingers, and Laura hurried on. “For, the sweep, and of course for yesterday.” Laura forced a small laugh, which had Alexi’s piercing eyes focusing on her, and his body slightly closer to hers. Under his scrutiny, Laura swallowed and forced a smile. “I guess I owe you my life.” Laura half whispered, and suddenly the air was electrically charged all around them. Her eyes had remained on her hands all this time as they fiddled with the book she had finally picked up, but now she looked up into his hypnotizing pools of midnight blue. The tension built, and Laura stopped breathing as one of his skilled hands came up to stroke the curve of her cheek very lightly. She stilled, as his hand drifted down her cheek and chin, then followed the curve of her neck lightly, coming to rest on her collarbone.
Staring into his midnight eyes, Laura felt herself leaning towards him, lifting onto her tip toes to reach him. And with a small flicker of question across Alexi’s face, a lift of his eyebrow, Laura just raised onto her tip toes, offering herself up to him. And like that, he was there, pressing his mouth against hers, just the softest of kisses. Laura closed her eyes at the onslaught of sensations, his mouth moving on hers, his smell, his hand on her collarbone. Her whole body tingled with just that one touch, and Laura sucked in an audible breath. It was enough to break the spell, and just as fast, that compassion and warmth Laura had seen in his eyes, was gone as he turned away abruptly and left the room.
After tossing and turning all night, thinking about Alexi and what that kiss had meant, Laura was anxious to see him today. They had a lot to talk about, mainly what they were now, or what they were going to do now, and why she felt so tingly when he was around. She spent twenty minutes in front of the mirror fixing her hair, and another ten minutes deciding what she should wear. Finally satisfied with her slim fitting jeans and a breezy top, her hair half up and half down, Laura took a deep breath and walked down to the kitchen. Cher was sitting at the kitchen table in a robe, sipping her coffee, and Laura barely kept from rolling her eyes.
“Morning.” Laura mumbled as she walked through the kitchen to her father’s side of the flat, not waiting for Cher’s reply. Laura knocked on Carlos’ bedroom door, and went in when he replied. Carlos was on the phone as he pulled his jacket on. Laura sat on the edge of his dresser, watching him. He threw a tie around his neck, then gestured to it, and Laura tied it for him while he barked orders into the phone. He shut the phone with a sigh, and then looked at Laura as she finished tying his tie.
“I like your hair like that.” Carlos said, lifting a strand of her hair and smiling faintly at her. “You don’t wear your hair down enough.”
Laura smiled faintly back, then cleared her throat. “Papa?”
“Hm?” Carlos replied, looking at himself in the mirror and fixing his cufflinks.
“Papa….about….Signor Giovanni-”
Carlos snorted. “Signor Giovanni no longer works for us.”
Laura froze. “You fired him?! Oh Papa, it wasn’t his fault-“
“He quit.” Carlos cut across her. “Came into my office yesterday afternoon and just turned in his resignation. Ridiculous, non?”
“Yes,” Laura whispered. “Ridiculous.” She turned away, her head spinning. He had left? Alexi had just left? Not only left, but quit. Why would he do that? One reason came to mind for why he could have left, and it was her. All because of her stupidity. After all, she’d all but thrown herself at him, like some adolescent fool, and now he wanted nothing to do with her.
Blinking back tears, Laura turned away from her father. “When are we going back home?”
“Soon, I was going to fly us there tomorrow but-“
“Can I fly ahead today? Please, Papa, I can’t stand it here any longer.” Laura half whispered, and Carlos frowned at her.
“Ciao, yes, si, buono, I will arrange it.”
On the plane ride back to Italy, Laura swore that these tears would be the last tears she shed for Alexi Giovanni. The man had done strange things to her heart and body from the moment she’d met him, and if she could erase every inch of him from her memory, she would. Never again, Laura vowed, never again.