Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

A lexandra

Men were fickle beasts.

I couldn’t help but allow the single thought to outweigh others that were more important, including taking my final exam. They were either hot or cold, possessive or non-caring.

With Nico, he was all things, including obsessive.

Sexy.

Possessive.

Frustrating.

Dominating.

Infuriating.

I could think of so many more.

The ruthless man had caught me in the kitchen making a cup of coffee, half scaring me to death. He’d stood just inside the doorway staring at me for a full twenty seconds before daring to open his mouth for a greeting.

His words had been perfunctory, telling me he was headed to a meeting, but that we would spend the afternoon and evening together. I could swear the man was a damn robot or that an alien being had crawled into his body, taking over his highly intellectual mind given his stiff actions.

I’d stood there with a blank look on my face, longing to dare him to show some emotion, but I’d held off. One thing I could easily sense about the man was when he wasn’t in the mood to be fucked with.

He had a half dozen not so nice things on his mind. Interrupting him with innocuous bullshit or a single romantic thought could have pushed him over the edge.

But the moment had been weird, awkward. As so many of them had been. This afternoon upon his return, I would bet with everything I had that a light switch would be flipped, the darker yet passionate side of him spending the evening with me.

His actions were enough to make my head spin, for God’s sake.

Yes, they were fickle, but they were also cute.

And sexy as hell, especially when they were sleepy.

And perfectly dominating when they needed to be.

Plus Nico was damn good with his mouth and tongue.

Whew. Now I was hot and bothered all over. I fanned my face and forced myself to peek back down at my laptop screen.

One last short essay and I could consider my task done.

Daydreaming was out for now, even if a smaller part of me still considered it ridiculous behavior. At least I was no longer ashamed of myself.

Chuckling, I reread the question for the fourth time and was able to block him out of my mind.

The question was asking for a summation of what I’d learned.

That was easy for me and always had been. I had a photographic memory and could recite an entire chapter of a book word for word with ease after I’d read it.

I was also passionate about becoming a doctor, appreciating learning about the human anatomy.

But after writing the first six paragraphs, likely needing ten more, it suddenly dawned on me that so much of the last semester had been around blood vessels and various arteries within the body and the head.

Almost instantly, another image of the vivid fear on the man’s face followed by his hollow eyes only moments later as his head rolled toward me entered my mind.

Fuck. I was still so screwed up it was crazy.

I sat back, rubbing my eyes. I would not allow some brutal Greek criminal to derail my career. With a vengeance I returned, adding six more paragraphs to my original six.

After proofreading, I was more than satisfied, taking only a few seconds before hitting send.

I’d never been one for celebrating basic accomplishments. It was a part of me that felt the hard work was required, but I felt like doing a little jig all by myself in the room. Why not? It had nearly broken me thinking I couldn’t finish. After all the horror, I’d done it.

One more year left if I was a good girl then an internship.

I pushed back the chair, wishing I had music playing so I could dance to it. I did a little dance in my bare feet just like I’d wanted, even tossing my hair back and forth. The happiness slowly faded as reality attempted to climb back in, but that was alright. Unless I’d truly fucked up, I’d saved my career for now.

It would buy me time so that… So that what? Nico could figure out my life? So that I could enroll in an Italian university? Shit. I’d need a translator for months, another pushback of what I wanted to do.

Unacceptable.

I had to be able to push harder.

I had to find a way home.

Blip.

The sound was suddenly foreign to me. But as soon as my brain registered that it was an email, my stomach sank to my knees. What if there was something wrong with the email? What if it hadn’t gone through? What if I couldn’t get it to go through? It was Italy, for God’s sake.

I was reminded all over again of the painful reason I was here in a foreign country.

Pretending to enjoy spending time with an overbearing, arrogant man.

I was distraught, more so than I should have been. But I jumped back onto the chair, anger and worry a sickening combination.

I was almost frantic, but quickly realized the email to the university had gone through. Who the hell had sent me an email?

I’d been afraid of the boogeyman when I was a kid. It was silly to fear something that didn’t really exist, but I’d been certain there was one hiding in my closet, another under my bed. I’d learned to sleep with the covers over my head on my stomach and had done so for years.

My aunt had been stymied as to how the phobia had developed. I had never been allowed to watch scary stuff, including on my iPad. I’d been allowed to read to my heart’s content, but nothing that would provide me with night terrors.

The single time I’d lied to Aunt Kim had been when I’d finally been allowed to spend the night with some childhood girlfriends after a birthday party. The sleepover had been supposed to be fully chaperoned. We were seven or eight. I honestly couldn’t remember. But the birthday girl’s parents were easily distracted, finally leaving us alone in the basement. There was a television and no controls on the satellite.

With popcorn in our hands, we’d watched two horror movies. I’d been the only one to stay awake through both of them. After that, I’d needed a nightlight in my room. I’d been forced to lie or my aunt would never have allowed me to see my friends again.

Of course, that had been a short-lived friendship for the five of us. The year I’d gone to junior high had been the one my aunt had finally accepted enough help from Nico to move from an apartment into the lovely house she still owned.

But it had been on the other side of the city.

The nightmares had remained for a couple of additional years.

But I’d overcome them with rationality, my logical mind finally accepting the movies hadn’t been real and there were no evil creatures running around in the dead of night.

Now I knew I’d been right all along.

Only the real monsters were harboring even darker evil, capable of doing much worse than the creatures in my nightmares.

It was confirmed by the email I was sent by an unknown source, but it was clear to me a monster had sent it.

The evil creature was determined to find me.

He’d hunted me down.

The words were clear, the meaning not something I could shove aside.

You fucked up, little girl.

You screwed with the wrong person.

Just like your daddy.

I will find you and when I do, I will enjoy spending time getting to know you.

Before…

What? My father?

What the hell was the asshole insinuating? Maybe he was using the tactic to try to rattle me even more. That had to be it. I took several deep breaths, finding a slight place of peace before reading it again with a more critical eye. Just a toss out there threat. Not that I knew what I was talking about, but that’s what my instincts were screaming.

Get control. Breathe. He can’t hurt you.

Could he?

It wasn’t signed, but if it had been, the lettering would have been done in blood. In my mind, I could see his horrible cold eyes as they’d captured mine. I rose from the computer very slowly, still staring at the screen. My stomach was in knots, my mind pushed into a place I’d never wanted to go again.

For all my effort at shoving aside my terror, I was failing rapidly.

I had to shut down or I’d lose it.

Panting, I doubled over and raced into the bathroom, halfway shutting the door. I didn’t want anyone hearing me. I had no way of knowing if my entire room had been bugged. Oh, God. Oh, God…

I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet, emptying my stomach as wave after wave of nausea swept through me.

Seconds later, I was finally dry heaving, my guts churning. I could barely breathe, coughing and half laughing from the range of emotions.

When I couldn’t spit out anything else, I sat down on my butt, folding my arms over my knees. The words were engraved in my mind.

How long before the monster found me?

How long before he stripped away this small moment of happiness as well? He wanted me to acknowledge the email. He was hoping I’d say something to expose where I was.

Fuck him.

Fuck what happened.

Fuck it all.

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks and I wiped them away with all the fury I could muster. No. Fuck, no. This asshole wasn’t going to do this to me. No more. I was finished with school. I had reason to celebrate. The bastard wasn’t going to take that away from me. He could eat shit and die.

The goofy expression from years before allowed me to get my ass off the floor. I flushed the toilet, moved to the sink, and turned on the water.

After washing my face, I made faces at myself, even sticking out my tongue. It was exactly the silly routine I’d done my first year of med school when I’d been terrified off my butt to take a single test.

It had always worked and by God, it was working now.

Besides, the house, grounds, and everything inside were completely protected. The criminal was bluffing. I wasn’t going to fall into his twisted game. Nope.

I erased it from my mind. Nico had mentioned in his grumpiness this morning we’d have a good time this afternoon. I planned on allowing that to happen and that meant changing clothes.

It was time to stop looking like a goddamn college student and shift into being a woman. I was a woman with curves and needs and the desire for passion. Why not flaunt it? Why not allow the man I did give a damn about to know I was all woman?

With new resolve, I returned to the bedroom, closing the email and turning off the computer. It was time to put this aside.

And live.

There were various ways a man gazed upon a woman as she walked into the room. Admiration. Respect. Love.

But the way Nico lifted his head, his usually clenched jaw relaxing as he allowed his heated eyes to fall to my two-inch-heel sandals was priceless.

Lust was the only correct word to use.

I’d caught it before in waves when we’d had wild sex, but his look this afternoon was completely different.

It was almost as if he was seeing me for the first time. Silly as it sounded, I felt warm and gushy inside. He also had no words at first and I liked that as well.

“Cat got your tongue, mister?” I couldn’t help but tease him. He was so stoic and emotionless so much of the time.

“Whew. You look amazing.” As he walked closer very slowly, I still sensed he was doing everything in his power to attempt to ignore his feelings, but it was no use. I’d snarled him with a fishhook.

I wasn’t certain whether to be proud of myself or not, but right now, his obvious desire felt damn good. I needed the change in feelings. I needed the shockwave of electricity that made me feel alive.

“Why, thank you.” I allowed him to come closer instead of me going to him. He was the kind of dominating man to beckon with a single finger. Little did he know women were always in charge. Yeah, right. Not with him, but a girl could dream.

When he was close, I’d be damned if he didn’t place his hands into his pockets. Did he think that was going to fly with me?

I decided to play the game, swaying my hips before inching even closer.

His nostrils immediately flared and he couldn’t seem to help himself, gripping both my arms.

“Be careful, my bellissimo fiorellinom ,” he warned. “I won’t play fair.”

“Who said I wanted you to?”

He laughed, the darkness in his voice making me chuckle. “You are more than a handful. Were you able to complete your exams?”

And when I find you…

Nope. It wasn’t going to happen. “I did. Emailed and everything. I am done for the year. Thanks to you.”

“I’ll think of something for you to make it up to me. What do you think?” His caresses were light but sensual, my nipples already pushing against my dress. Of course I’d chosen not to wear a bra. Why bother? He might rip it off.

“I think I did very well. I won’t know for a couple days at least, but I feel good about them.”

“Then it is time to celebrate.” He lowered his head and I lifted mine. I was certain he was going to kiss me and even pressed my hands against his chest.

But he had restraint, barely brushing his lips across mine.

I was breathless, even closing my eyes until I felt him pull away. “Did your meeting go well, honey ?” I was still using my teasing voice, trying to be lighthearted. Maybe more for myself than for him.

The wrong question to ask. A shadow fell across his face for a few seconds, but he managed to smile. “Better than I’d expected. Now, you are the most gorgeous woman in the world and I adore this dress, but you are way overdressed.”

“Why? I thought you were taking me to late lunch or something.”

“In a manner of speaking, yes, but where we’re going has entirely different clientele than what you were thinking.”

“More casual or are they perhaps pig farmers?”

He hemmed and hawed, another unlikely trait. “Well, let’s just say it’s best for you to be wearing jeans, which I plan on changing into. Grab a light jacket if you bought one in your attack on our internet stores.”

His entire face was clenched, his jaw able to cut stone. I knew he was trying to make this very special, but my stomach was still gnawing at me.

“Very funny,” I growled, punching him in the gut. “Is this some huge surprise I’ll like or hate?”

I adored the frown on his face. “Why would I share something with you I believed that you would hate?”

“Because you’re trying so hard not to care about me.” I hated when the damn words just slipped out.

His sigh was heavy and he took a step away. “It’s not that.”

“Yes, it is. You feel guilt and anger toward yourself.” Way to go, Alex. Put him more on edge.

“Because I accepted a duty years ago that I take very seriously, Alexandra. That’s why. It’s not about you, but about the friendship that I had with your father.”

“I didn’t have the benefit of knowing my father, but I suspect if he was like me at all, he’d say you fulfilled your obligation tenfold and could move onto having a life you want to live. You seem so unhappy. I hate that. Did a girl hurt you years ago?”

His heavy sigh continued. “Nothing like that at all. I’m just cautious because I need to be.”

“Yeah, I know. Because of your family. I get it, but don’t treat me like the child you came to visit a few times in your life. I’m not that any longer.”

He smiled and nodded. “You are right. I’ve tried to keep you as a picture of the girl I used to know. You’re your own woman now. I need to respect that.”

“Yes, you do.”

“One tough lady. Now go change. And before you ask: Because I said so.”

“Fine. I’ll change, but you better be in jeans.”

“Oh, I assure you, I will be. Who knows. I might wear cowboy boots.”

“And I could have a heart attack.” I backed away, more lighthearted than I’d felt just a few minutes ago.

The ugliness would linger, but for now I could enjoy without worry.

Until night fell.

Once again, I refused to go there.

I laughed as he shook his head, racing out of the room and up the stairs so I could quickly change. It took me no time, although I did throw clothes around the room in finding the perfect shirt. I selected a tee shirt, one in royal purple that had cute little cutouts.

Childish maybe.

But the bad feeling had settled in my stomach. I could feel danger in the air.