Chapter 18
The next morning, I woke up startled and a bit disoriented. I had heard some noise, and it seemed like it was coming from the bathroom. I quickly got up without thinking, grabbed the lamp closest to me, and slowly walked in the bathroom to see what was happening. There he was, standing half naked, in all his glory, combing through his wet hair. My mouth turned dry as I admired the perfectly taut muscles on his stomach, tracing all the way down to…I swallowed hard, feeling like I got caught when my eyes met his burning gaze in the mirror.
“Why are you here?” I inquired, putting the lamp down on the table next to me.
“It”s my bathroom,” he answered simply.
“You don’t have one in the other room?” I asked, irritated.
“Yes,” he mocked, “but all my things, including my clothes, are here, aren’t they?”
I rolled my eyes. A slow smile grazed his lips as he gaze intensified.
“Well, that was your choice, wasn’t it?” I continued, ignoring the heat I felt coursing up my body.
“I am happy to go back to the other room.”
“So you can try to escape?”
“No, but—”
“You’re not going back there.”
“Fine,” I said, exasperation taking over. “I can take the room you currently sleep in if that means you won”t be barging in whenever you want to shower.”
“I’ll have Dolores transfer you there,” he said as he walked past me to go to his closet. “Now if you don’t mind…” he added as he started taking off the towel around his waist, a mocking smile on his face.
Annoyed, I quickly ran out, closing the door behind me with my eyes closed tight. I heard him laugh, mocking me. I decided to ignore him and walked to the bed. As I was about to make it, giving myself something to distract me from the need I felt to run my fingers on his chiseled chest, Dolores walked in with coffee.
“Buenos días, se?orita!” she said as she put the tray down on the table.
“Buenos días, Dolores,” I answered with a smile.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, yes, I was only talking to Alejandro half naked!”
Dolores gave me a perplexed look.
“He just showered, and he is now getting dressed in his closet,” I explained, trying to sound casual and not as flustered as I was.
Dolores gave me an awkward look. When I understood what Dolores thought, I quickly corrected her.
“No, no, he didn’t sleep here, Dolores. Just seems to think he has to shower here.”
“Ah,” said Dolores with a smile.
“Would you mind please moving my things into the bedroom where he is currently sleeping? He agreed, and I don’t want him barging in here half naked every morning.”
“I understand,” teased Dolores with a smile.
I avoided her inquisitive stare as I went to take my coffee on the balcony. I was enjoying feeling the sun on my skin; there was barely a breeze. I still had a view of the pool, shining in various shades of blue under the still burning sun of July. I could see that my older bedroom wasn’t very close to this one, relatively speaking. This new one sure was.
A few minutes later, Alejandro came out of the bathroom and joined me. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a burgundy polo shirt. I couldn’t help but admire his toned arms in the polo. He rarely wore polos, and I was enjoying seeing a more relaxed version of him. He stood next to me, looking out.
“Such a nice day.”
“And very hot,” I complained.
“Yeah. If you promise to behave and not stupidly try to escape again,” he said, turning slowly toward me, “you could use the pool.”
“So generous,” I mocked. “Friendly reminder that I only tried to escape because I was attacked.” He stayed silent.
I was too excited about being able to use the pool on such a hot day, and frankly, I was tired of fighting with him. Dolores had already provided me with a few gorgeous bathing suits that I was eager to use. I needed the distraction.
I moved to the bedroom where Alejandro was sleeping. It was slightly smaller, but I liked it better. It was a bit more feminine, with a light-oak king bed and matching nightstands. The closet was also a walk-in, where Dolores had already placed my clothes as well as my notebook, but what got me excited was the record player.
I smiled and put on the Luis Miguel vinyl and managed to put the needle on track number five. I then sat down at my new desk, happy to have found my notebook again.
I wrote until I looked up and saw it was dark outside. I found writing my fears and confusion therapeutic still. Now I was tired, my fingers hurt, and I felt a little tension in my back.
I hadn’t seen Alejandro all day, and when I asked Dolores for him around dinner, she told me he wasn’t home. I had a great idea. I could go swim a bit and take a dip in the Jacuzzi with Alejandro absent. It was the perfect timing. It would be easier at nighttime without Alejandro there. It would help release the tension in my body. If I was forced to stay here, I might as well enjoy the amenities.
I opted for a black bathing suit, very simple on the front, cupping my breasts on the sides, with strings going from my shoulders to my lower back. I grabbed a towel and made a stop by Dolores’s bedroom to tell her.
I didn’t want Dolores going to my room and getting concerned. Alejandro had told her that I could go to the pool, and she no longer locked my bedroom door. Don’t get too comfortable, I reminded myself. All this freedom is illusory if you can’t leave the house. But for tonight, I would enjoy a nice bottle of wine that I selected from the wine cellar while soothing my nerves with the feeling of hot water caressing my skin and thawing my tense muscles.
The water in the pool was just right. It was no surprise as it had been sunny for days now. The skies were dark blue with the most beautiful stars shining from every corner. I could not get enough.
I did a couple of laps and stopped to admire the quarter moon. This felt like a wonderful utopia. The property was surrounded by trees, and everything was so quiet. I could hear the faint sound of the music I had left playing in my room since the windows were open. I could almost forget that I was a hostage tonight. I felt transported to another planet, swimming under the stars.
When I was done and feeling a little tired, I decided to take it slow and go enjoy the wine in the jacuzzi. I had picked a lovely malbec, the right temperature for this heat if one didn’t want to drink white wine. I closed my eyes, letting the water detangle every tired muscle in my body. I could feel the constant pain of anxiety that I had in my neck slowly fade away.
“I am glad to see that you chose to enjoy the place.”
I jumped and squealed at the sound of Alejandro’s voice. He was standing next to the Jacuzzi, wearing a black bathing suit. I was just staring at him, entranced by the moonlight highlighting every single muscle on his firm body. My mouth was agape, no sound coming out of it.
What could I possibly do when a body like his was just there, within reach?
I watched as he slowly got into the hot tub sighing at the feeling of the hot water on his skin. He walked next to me, never taking his eyes off me, and poured himself some wine into the glass he brought with him. Of course he came prepared.
He walked back to the other end of the jacuzzi and sat facing me. He savored a sip of the malbec, enjoying the oaky taste. I swallowed and tried to slow my breathing.
I wondered what the wine would taste like from his lips.
Alejandro was still staring at me, where the water glistened off the tops of my breasts, his darkening eyes continuing to peruse my every curve, appreciating the sudden lack of coverage. His eyes looked like they were burning as he started to breathe heavier. Desperate to regain control, I distracted myself by pouring some more wine in my glass.
“I see you are enjoying the records,” he commented.
“I am. Music is the most beautiful form of art humans could have ever created.”
“I can’t disagree with that.”
“Spanish is such a beautiful language. Those songs just get under my skin and feed my soul.”
He smiled. “You never cease to surprise me, and I agree.”
My heart skipped a beat. I was starting to enjoy the lightness that a few glasses of wine were creating in my brain. I lifted my head to look at the stars.
“I love how magnificent the skies are here. I too often forget to look up, but here, the view…it’s just magical.”
“It is,” said Alejandro, still scrutinizing my every move, my every breath.
I was enjoying the sensation of having my mind slightly turned off and my bodyweight carried by hot water. My senses were relaxed and yet entranced with just the mere proximity of this man. I was staring at him more, biting my lips ever so slightly, but I did not care. I didn’t care if he saw the fire in my eyes, or if he noticed my accelerated breath. I wanted his hands all over me, between my legs, between my now wet folds.
“I think you are out of wine,” I said softly, lips parted.
Alejandro’s eyes flared. He slowly walked to me, his eyes locked on mine, the tension in the air palpable. God, I would give everything for him to kiss me right now. He was now standing right in front of me, his face bent toward mine.
He grabbed our glasses and set them down behind me. He got closer to me, putting each of his arms on my sides. We were both breathing heavily, my lips parted, waiting, inviting, hoping for his. Alejandro’s hand began perusing my body under the water, starting from my thighs, coming up my hips, then my waist. I was unable to move. My hot skin felt every touch as an explosion of sensations. I moaned and let my head fall back, unable to pretend that I didn’t want him to take me right here. Alejandro groaned.
“God, you are so fucking beautiful,” he whispered.
He continued with his fingers up and down my neck, slowly going down my cleavage. I felt my nipples harden in anticipation. We both slowly moved our heads toward each other, hesitating in pain, not being able to resist being so close. When Alejandro”s lips finally touched mine, I felt hunger, bold and raw, rise through me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my fingers in his hair. Alejandro’s groan vibrated through me.
His hand curved around my waist, pulling me closer, his other hand possessively grabbing my head. I moved my hand down Alejandro’s back, feeling his muscles tense under every stroke.
“You have a girlfriend, Alejandro. We need to stop.”
“I don’t, mu?eca. It’s been a while since anything happened with Karina. I promise.”
I felt my heart skip a beat, the words being just what I wanted to hear, even if I wasn’t sure I believed them fully.
“Still, we shouldn’t be doing this,” I said in a small voice.
“I know,” he grunted. “But you, mi ni?a…you are driving me fucking crazy. I can’t stop wanting you.”
I moaned as he took my mouth back in his, feeling myself get wet for him.
“I can’t stop thinking about you” he added in a raspy voice, as his hands grazed my breast, sending shock waves between my thighs.
I brusquely pulled away when I heard a crackling noise. We both looked to our right, but no one was there. I blushed with shame and desire, and the moment was over. I was so sexually frustrated I felt like I would combust into flames if someone lit a match around me. I felt like I was going to explode. But that would have been a huge mistake. He wasn’t a single man, and I wasn’t either. He and his girlfriend had kidnapped me, for crying out loud.
“I better go back up,” I said, avoiding his eyes and quickly passing next to him to get out of the water.
I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around me, and quickly went into the house. I started running. I felt like if I did not get in my room in a few seconds, I would just collapse. When I got to my room, I let myself sit on the floor to regain my breath. I knew one thing: if I stayed in this house any longer, he would have me, body and soul, and I wouldn’t be able to fight him.
When I was calmer, I took a cold shower and dried my hair. It was a habit taught to me by Martha. She always said I would get sick if I slept with my hair wet. Thankfully, Dolores always left a glass of water in the room. As the doctor had told me, exercise could make me a little dizzy, and well, the rise in physical sensation seemed to be as bad for me.
If I would feel all this guilt after the act, was it even worth it? I could never really allow myself to fully enjoy all the new feelings Alejandro was making me discover if, in the back of my head, I knew he was a criminal. I put on the ivory silk gown I had with the matching robe. I didn’t know if it was still the wine, but I was feeling brave and needed answers. I was itching for something—company, a fight, anything that got us in the same room as each other.
My earlier reasoning was obliterated by the still present tension in my body, begging for release. I had heard Alejandro’s door a few minutes after I got into my room, so I knew he was in his room. So much for the Jacuzzi relaxing my body, I was more worked up than before I went in.
I swallowed, and before I could backtrack, I knocked on his door, instantly regretting it. Alejandro came to open the door wearing what looked like boxers and a heavy robe. He also had just showered.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
He moved out of the way, closing the door behind me.
“What’s wrong?” he questioned with a frown.
“I need to know why I am here,” I said calmly, turning to face him.
“Why all this questioning again?” he asked frustratedly, walking away from me, shaking his head.
“Can you really blame me for wanting to understand?” I pleaded.
He took a couple of seconds.
“No,” he admitted, turning back to me. “No, I can’t. But I can’t tell you anything. Isn’t it enough that I don’t treat you badly?” he asked, his voice getting deeper. “Can’t it be enough that you are safe under my protection?”
“No, Alejandro. No, it can’t, and you know that. My real life is not here; it’s in California. My friends and my fiancé are all probably worried sick. My life is on hold right now because I am here, in some sort of limbo, with no idea of why or how to get out of it. You must put yourself in my place.”
He shook his head, his eyes closed for a bit. He walked to his dresser, picked up something and walked back to me.
“Here you go.”
He handed me my engagement ring. I looked up to his face and was met with coldness.
“Take it,” he said between clenched teeth.
He opened my fist and put it in my palm. I closed my hand and gave it no mind, my attention only focused on him.
“Why did you have it?”
“Karina had no right stealing it from you. I know you found it in my office,” he explained.
I had forgotten about the ring, too troubled by the pictures at the time to care.
“But why are you giving it back to me?”
“You miss him, right?” he asked with a tight jaw and pursed lips. “You miss that guy?” Closing the small space that was between us, his gaze burned through me, stripping me to my core.
“No, not this again.” I sighed. “I just…I just can’t allow myself to…to feel…if I don’t know,” I admitted with tears burning my eyes, my throat tight.
Alejandro cupped my face in his hands, our foreheads touching, his breathing getting heavier, a grave expression on his face, his eyes half closed.
“Tell me, mi ni?a. Tell me how you feel,” he whispered against my lips. “Tell me what you need.”
My throat was closing, tears rolling down my face. When he talked to me like this, all I wanted was to lose myself in his embrace, pretend this was just a nightmare, everything but him and me in this moment.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered, kissing my tears away.
He grabbed my lips with the most tender kiss we had ever exchanged, causing more tears to come out. I put my hands on his sides, gently pushing him.
“I saw pictures in your office,” I finally confessed.
Alejandro took a step back and turned, shaking his head.
“Fuck,” he muttered, bending his head in frustration. “What did you see?”
I could feel his anger, so palpable, as I stared at his tense, broad shoulders, and I wondered if I had made a mistake. Was this the part where he would choke me the way Juan had wanted? I swallowed a few times. It was too late to backtrack.
“Tell me!” he shouted in a deep voice, turning around and grabbing me by the arm.
“Stop it!” I screamed. “Let me go!”
I backed up, hitting the bed with my legs.
He stood there, looking as menacing as when we had first met. He wasn’t going to let me go without an answer.
“I saw the picture of a dead man,” I finally admitted.
We both stood in silence for a minute, unspoken words in our gaze.
“Did you kill him?”
His frown deepened, his jaw tighter, his nostrils flaring.
“Would you believe me if I said no?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Did you?”
“No. No, I did not kill that man.”
I searched his eyes, but all I saw was anger and pain. I believed him. He looked tortured.
“Did you know him?”
Alejandro walked to the bed and sat down at the end a few feet from me, his head buried in his hands. My chest was squeezing. I was worried. This man, so strong and impenetrable, now looked hurt and beaten. I walked closer to him. Alejandro lifted his head to meet my gaze.
“That man was my brother, and he was murdered,” he said with a broken voice.
My eyes opened wide in shock and shame. I was making him relive what was clearly a painful memory for him.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, laying my hand on his shoulder. “What happened?”
Alejandro got up and walked to the window.
“We won”t be talking about that,” he declared in a definitive tone. “What else did you see?” he asked, turning his back to me.
I swallowed hard to try to get rid of the lump forming in my throat, but I still kept going.
“I saw diamonds,” I admitted. “Is that why you kidnapped me? You want those diamonds?”
Alejandro turned back around and walked toward me. “Yes.”
I took a step back, feeling like he had punched me.
“So you think Richard will give you those diamonds for me?”
“Eventually. You are his daughter, after all,” he reminded me in a cold and calculated voice.
“Why? Why would you do this when you have all of this?!” I asked, gesturing around the room.
“Those diamonds are worth over three hundred million dollars,” he dryly explained.
I sat on the bed, tears blinding me. Hearing the truth from him stated so carelessly was making this horrific situation all too real. I got up and started laughing uncontrollably, my voice laced with pain and disappointment. What did I expect? Why else would someone kidnap a person?
“If you think my life is worth more than three hundred million dollars to that shit of a man, you might as well kill me now.”
Alejandro frowned and grabbed me by the arm.
“No, you don’t understand,” he said as he got interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket. He let go of me and answered.
“What?” he shouted. “When? I’ll be right there,” he said as he hung up.
He walked to me and caressed my face. I pulled away. I could not stand him right now.
“We will talk more about this when I come back. I promise,” he said before he darted out of the room.
I ran back to my room, dropped the ring on my nightstand, and got in bed immediately. I had to sleep. I had to sleep to stop feeling the indescribable pain that was threatening to tear me apart.