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“That was just me putting on lotion.”
“Lotion? Why does putting on lotion make you scream.” Leo's eyes roam my naked body. I grab a hand towel to try and cover myself. Anger builds on his face; he turns me around to look at my back. I flinch at his touch.
“Who did this to you?!” his voice is almost a growl.
“Nobody ‘did’ it to me. I forgot to put on suncream, so I got a little burnt.”
“This is more than a little burnt. Wait here.” He disappears out of the bathroom but is back within seconds, holding a little brown bottle.
“Turn around”
I turn and face the mirror; Leo stands behind me, studying my back. Rolling up his sleeves, he pours the bottle's contents into his hands. He gently places them on my back, his eyes darting straight to the mirror to see my reaction. I nod for him to continue. Carefully Leo spreads the lotion over my back. He’s so gentle. Goosebumps spread over my body, my tiny hairs standing to attention. The sensation doesn’t fit coming from the dangerous man behind me. He has me mesmerised watching his movements. I notice myself start to blush as his furrowed brow scans my body. Leo must notice, too, as a smirk crosses his chiselled face. I shouldn’t feel this relaxed in the hands of the devil. My body betraying common sense.
“Why are you doing this, Leo?”
Holding my eyes in the mirror, his mouth brushes my ear.
“Kat-er-rine. This body belongs to me. I look after my belongings. I do not like my things getting spoilt. In the future, you will look after yourself. Do you understand me?”
“Yes” is all I can manage. His hands leave my body, and he disappears from the bathroom, leaving me breathless.
When I enter the bedroom, he’s sat in a chair, reading his phone. Wrapped in my robe, I get some pjs out of my case.
“You may as well unpack properly; you’re not going anywhere.”
“Get out!” Leo laughs at my outburst. How can he make me so relaxed one minute and the next so infuriated? Striding over to stand straight in front of me, he cups my face.
“I am going nowhere, Katherine. And neither are you.”
“Don’t touch me!” I bat away his hands.
Smirking, he releases me.
“You don’t want me to touch you? That’s not the impression I got five minutes ago. Five minutes ago, your skin tingled and pimpled with my touch; it flushed at my stare.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. My skin crawled at your touch and flushed through fright. I was just too scared to tell you to stop.”
His eyes hold mine for a moment. I think I see hurt, or is it anger? The moment passes, he leaves the room, the door slamming and locking behind him.
I curl up in bed and try to sleep. This is a nightmare.
Waking up to the sound of a message alert on my phone, I realise I’ve slept through the full night. It must be all the sun I got yesterday. I pick up my phone and read the message.
Leo: Breakfast in the dining room, 10 minutes.
“You're late,” Leo states, not looking up from his breakfast. I don’t bother to reply. I took about 15 minutes to shower and get ready; I took my time, not caring what he wants. Alga serves me my breakfast choice from the spread she has laid out on the table. Answering Alga is the only time I speak. I can feel Leo glaring into the side of my head, but I don’t look at him. Marco enters the room.
“I need a word.” Leo nods for him to go ahead. But Marco stares at me.
“Lei non puo capirti.”She cannot understand you.
Huh, that’s what they think. Marco reluctantly informs Leo that a large cargo they had due to be delivered today had not made it. It had been found in the middle of the ocean, empty with all the crew members dead. I can see Leo is trying to keep calm in my presence, so I leave the room while Leo blames Marco for not preventing the disaster and not having found the culprit already.
Out on the patio, the morning sun is already warm on my skin. That lotion Leo used has really helped the burning. The garden and pool look beautiful; it’s a real paradise out here. If only I could enjoy it. If only I wasn’t being forced to live with a dangerous criminal. Why couldn’t he be the kind, caring, funny boy I first met? I miss home, my friends. I miss work; I miss my life. Leo joins me, taking a seat at my side. He lights a cigar, something I have noticed he does when he is stressed.
“Bad news?”
“You could say that.”
