AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sink into the soft cushions as he talks to someone at the door to the suite. My fluffy robe clings tightly to my hips. I’m naked under the robe, my heart thudding at the thought of him walking in, tugging at the cord holding my robe in place, his eyes sweeping down my body and not being disgusted by what he sees.
“You seem miles away,” Alessandro says, carrying a silver tray over to the table. “Come and eat. Room service is good when they know they’re serving the owner.”
Crystal glasses catch the light as I sit opposite him. The city outside the window twinkles like a blanket of stars as the sun sets over a thousand windows.
He pours two glasses of champagne. “To chance encounters,” he toasts. “And to saying yes.”
I gaze back at him, my heart swelling with a mixture of emotions too complex to name. “I never imagined a night like this could exist outside of dreams,” I confess softly. “I bet you spend every night of the week doing this kind of thing.”
He shakes his head. “Haven’t been in here since I bought the place in ’98.”
“I wasn’t even born,” I tease. “Was it all in black and white then? Gramophones and wireless sets?”
“Cassette tapes and dial up Internet, if that counts. Everything was done by fax back then.” He chuckles, a sound that fills the space with warmth. “Makes me sound ancient, doesn’t it? But, ah, the stories these walls could tell. This place before I took it over. Rife with crime. We sure cleaned it all up.”
I lean forward, captivated. “What’s it like? To see the world change so much?”
Alessandro’s eyes soften, reflecting a tapestry of memories. “We made our own rules to bring order to chaos. I had to learn to be confident, to take control when my father died, fight for survival at first, but then to thrive, to profit.”
“How did you learn?” I ask, skepticism threading through my curiosity. “To be so confident, I mean.”
“It’s about believing you are strong. If you carry yourself with the belief that you are powerful, the world starts seeing you that way. Fake it till you make it, but with conviction. Shoulders back, own the room you walk into, know you’re better than those around you.
“Make them believe you’re in charge and you soon will be. The mind is your most potent weapon. Sharpen it with belief, and you shape the world around you.”
“So, you’re saying I just need to believe in myself? That’s it?” My voice carries a mix of hope and disbelief. “There’s got to be more to it than that. You’re a billionaire, right?”
Alessandro smiles, his gaze steady and sure. “Believe in your strength, your worth. The rest will follow. You’ll see, one day, you’ll look back and marvel at how far belief has taken you. I might be sitting in one of your hotel suites in ten years time.”
“Or a senior center,” I say with a wink.
Tears shimmer in my eyes, my heart overflowing with newfound admiration for this man who killed to save me a few short hours ago.
“You’re upset,” he says, moving fast toward me. “What’s wrong?” His hand runs through my hair and I collapse against him.
As his arms envelop me in a comforting embrace, I feel a shiver run down my spine, a sense of unease settling in the pit of my stomach. I pull away slightly, searching his eyes for answers, only to find a flicker of darkness clouding their usual warmth.
A wave of self-consciousness washes over me. Is he looking at me with desire, or is it pity? My curves have always been the part of me I’ve wished to hide, not highlight. Can I truly be what he desires, or am I just a naive girl, out of her depth?
I get my answer a moment later when he kisses me again. The moment his lips meet mine, the world tilts on its axis. It steals the breath from my lungs, not gently, but with the fierce assertion of a storm claiming the shore.
His lips are firm against mine, moving with a confidence that speaks of vast experience, a mastery of the art that leaves me dizzy. There’s no hesitation in his touch, no searching for the right angle or pressure.
He knows all, as if by instinct, and I find myself swept up in the certainty of his embrace, able to surrender to the sensation without a single doubt.
His hand cradles the back of my head, fingers threading through my hair.. His other arm wraps around my waist, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us, only the heat that floods my veins, warming every corner of my being.
The kiss deepens, his tongue tracing my lower lip before he confidently claims full access, his taste mingling with mine.
There’s no need for me to think, to worry about what to do next; He leads, and my body follows, responding to his every move with an eagerness I didn’t know I possessed.
I’m scared, so incredibly scared, of how intense this all feels. How can a kiss, a single kiss, ignite such a fire within me, stirring feelings and desires I’ve only ever dreamed of?
And as we finally part, gasping for air, I’m left with the echo of his desire, the warmth of his lips still pressed against mine.
The fear lingers, a shadow to the light of my awakening desire, whispering of the depth of my feelings for him, feelings that have rooted deep within me in such a short time. It’s terrifying, this vulnerability, this overwhelming need for someone I’ve only just begun to know.
He pauses, his gaze locking onto mine. “Is this what you want?” he asks, his voice a blend of desire and concern. The question, simple yet profound, offers me a choice, a chance to voice my desires or my hesitations.
