Chapter 17 - Iosif
“Iosif,” Clara said, looking down at her hands in her lap. I could hear some hesitation in her tone. “I know how you feel.” She spoke softly, and I felt my heart leap. She was a delicate flower to be treasured.
Shifting closer, I placed my arm around her. “You’re safe here with me,” I replied gently.
She smiled at me and then spoke again. “My eldest brother, Kolya, has tried to keep me from this world we live in. He has always been paranoid that I would get exposed. Like I was a dirty little secret.”
“Dirty little secret?” I huffed. “No, dear,” I added as I took her hands. “You’re definitely not a dirty little secret.”
Clara smiled at me, her eyes shining brightly. “It’s how he makes me feel sometimes. Hiding me from the world. He’s been doing it since I was young,” she added. I could hear the sadness in her voice.
“I’m sorry you had to endure that,” I said, pulling her closer. I could understand her pain even though it was different than mine.
“I know I’m free with my hidden identity, well, in a way,” she continued.
The sadness I heard earlier was still there, but there was something else as well.
“I don’t feel free. I’m permanently under Kolya’s thumb.
His rules and regulations. Guards or family, wherever I turn.
He monitors my friends and tells me where I can go and when. It’s not the life I want.”
I watched the pain fill her eyes as she stared out into the distance. “I understand,” I whispered, squeezing her tightly. Thinking about what she had just told me made me think back. Back to a time, I was like that with Zhenya. This surprised me.
“Iosif,” she said, bringing me back to reality.
I shook my head and looked at her as I replied. “Yes, Printessa?”
“What do you want from Kolya, from my brother? Tell me why I’m really here?” she pleaded.
I swallowed hard on the knot in my throat.
I didn’t want to hurt her. It was never my intention.
I realized I couldn’t let her find out what her brother had done.
Not even if it justified what I had done.
“You know what?” I said, getting up. “The day is still young. There is so much more to do. Come on, there’s somewhere else I want to take you. ”
Extending my hand, she took it eagerly. As she found her feet, I started heading back. Clara pulled on my arm. “What about the stuff?” she inquired.
“Just leave it, my men will come get it. Come on,” I huffed, pulling her lightly. “We’ve got places to go, things to see and do.”
She came willingly, and we moved quickly back to the car. The driver was standing at her door, waiting. “To the hotel!” I ordered in a light mood as we got in.
The driver smiled and nodded. Once we were back at the hotel and in the lift on our way to the penthouse, I turned to Clara. “You know what?” I huffed.
She smiled softly as she shook her head.
“I think we must grab our things. I have so much more to show you,” I said excitedly.
“More,” she said, giggling.
“Yes, more, much, much more,” I replied as we got to the suite.
We moved rapidly, grabbing our clothes and chucking them into our bags. As she got her last things, I called the pilot to book our flight.
I was thrilled to be able to show her more. Now that I knew what her life was like, I could give her what she wanted. She hadn’t been roaming the world as I had thought. This trip would surely open her eyes to a new world. I will show her the beauty life has to offer.
As we headed to the airport, Clara kept asking. “Where are we going? What have you planned?”
I smiled at her, placed two fingers on my lips, and turned, making it as if I was locking my mouth. I wanted to keep the anticipation growing. We had barely taken our seats when the plane took off. I had anticipated the eight-hour flight and had a romantic dinner in place for us.
Once the plane was in the air and we could move around, I got up and smiled at her. Holding out my hand, I spoke softly. “Clara, join me?”
She turned her head to the side, eyeing me. Then took my hand and got up. Where are we going? You know we’re on a plane, right?” she asked.
Laughing, I nodded. “Yes, know,” I said, walking towards the front of the plane. Pushing the curtain aside, I waved my arm from one side to the other. “Dinner, Printessa, dinner.”
Her eyes grew wider as she looked around. There were candles burning and flowers everywhere. In the middle of the room was a round table with two chairs. Our food was waiting for us on the table.
“This is nice,” she said as I led her to the table and pulled out her chair.
I took my place across from her and poured some wine. “So, you really not going to tell me where we are going?” Clara asked.
“Nope, it’s a surprise,” I replied as I cut my steak.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Watching my squirm,” she added. She sounded slightly annoyed at me, but I was fine with that.
Grinning, I leaned in as I answered her. “Maybe a little. But how can I not? You look so cute when you’re frustrated.” I felt my stomach turn as she stuck her tongue out at me. I loved dropping little comments like stones into a pool, leaving ripples.
Clara narrowed her eyes as she glared at me. “You’re playing a dangerous game,” she whispered.
“I’ve played worse,” I replied confidently.
There was a glint in her eyes as she stared at me. “I do not like not knowing where I’m going,” she breathed out. Her tone was calmer and sounded sincere. Clara lowered her head, staring at the food before her.
“I know,” I huffed back, lowering my tone as well. “But… sometimes not knowing is the only way to let yourself feel alive.”
She raised her eyes as she spoke. “You say things like that and then act like they mean nothing.” I could hear the sarcasm in her tone.
Her words had impacted me, but I didn’t flinch. “They always mean something to someone,” I added. For the longest time, we sat there staring at each other. I hated the fact that she could so easily get under my skin.
Clara took a deep and slow breath before speaking again. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I wanted to show you the world. What life can look like if you…,” I inhaled slowly. “Looks like once you stop allowing someone else to write your story.”
I could see I had hit a nerve as she straightened out abruptly. She blinked rapidly and swallowed hard. “You think a secret plane trip is going to fix the world? Going to rewrite everything?” she whispered.
Leaning in, I took her hand and squeezed it as I replied. “I’m sorry if I offended you. No, it won’t magically fix things. But it’s a start.”
Taking a deep breath, I sat back as I continued. “You mentioned that no one ever allows you to breathe. I just wanted to give you some air.”
Clara looked away. I could see a tear rolling down her cheek. Something in me shifted. I felt guilty and so turned on, I could jump out of the plane. She looked back at me, smiling weakly. “You’re dangerously good at saying things in a way that pulls all the cords,” she whispered.
“I don’t say these things to just anyone, Printessa,” I added, feeling my chest pulling tight like a weight was suddenly placed on top of it. The air between us suddenly felt warmer, heavier.
We sat in silence, staring at each other. I caressed her fingers, hoping she understood what I meant.
“Do I get a clue?” Clara asked out of the blue. Her voice was thinner, filled with emotion.
Smiling warmly at her, I nodded my head. “Okay, one,” I replied. “There’s a sunrise waiting for you like you’ve never seen. Plus, no one in the world will look for you there.”
Clara’s eyes lit up as she smiled. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” she mumbled, looking down.
“Good,” I shot back. “Then I know I’m doing it right.”
Once we finished dinner, we settled back in the recliner seats. I had the flight attendant put on a romantic comedy. Once Clara had fallen asleep, I went ahead and completed the arrangements for when we landed in Spain. I made a booking at one of the most exotic hotels, La Bionda.
Then, I sat and planned our itinerary for the day. I knew we would land pretty early. So, we would first book in, then have breakfast. Once breakfast was done, we could head out to some of the museums for the day.
I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep. First was Museo Nacional del Prado. Las Meninas, the Golden Mile Museum, El Retiro, and so many other places. There were also places in Barcelona I wanted her to see. I knew this was a bit out, but I felt sure she would love it.
She wanted to capture the world, and this was the place to start. As the plane landed, I leaned over and softly touched her shoulder as I spoke. “Clara, Printessa, we’ve landed.”
Her eyes flickered and then opened. She smiled at me as she stretched out. “That was a nice nap,” she said, sitting up.
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed the nap,” I replied jokingly. “You’ll need the rest as our day is filled to the brim.”
Clara smiled, took my hand as I extended it, and got up. As we got off the plane, the car was waiting. Once our bags were in the room, we headed for breakfast. Clara walked with her head on a swivel as she tried to capture all there was to see. After a delightful breakfast, we headed out.
As the day moved on, we had lunch between visits. We stopped at some food trucks along our way. We bought food from three different stores. One had a couple of traditional Spanish foods, another a variety of snacks, and one only dessert.
Our next stop was one of the biggest art galleries. My eyes darted around as we slowly moved through the building. My brain was trying to absorb as much of it as possible. It was astounding. But I felt it didn’t compare to the one we visited in Mexico.
This one, however, had more high-end stuff.
But I felt they lacked a certain beauty.
As we turned a corner, I stopped. The piece before us captured my attention.
It was a painting of a woman trapped in a cage.
Her legs were bound together as she sat resting on her knees.
Her hands were on her thighs, also bound.
Her hair hung over her face as her head dipped.
I stared at the painting for a while. Comparing her life to mine. The only difference was that my binds were invisible. You couldn’t see my cage.
“You okay?” Iosif suddenly asked next to me.
“Yes,” I reassured him. “This painting is filled with pain and sorrow.”
He looked at it and then back at me. “Yes, it is,” he replied.
We strolled through the rest of the gallery, looking at more paintings. Iosif purchased a couple to add to his collection before we headed out.
As daylight turned into darkness, we headed back to the hotel. We stopped in the hotel bar for a couple of drinks before heading up. I ordered a bottle of champagne for the room once we decided to call it a night.
I was worn out and felt sure Clara was, too. Yet, she was on such a high due to all the excitement, she couldn’t stop speaking. By the time we had finished the bottle in our room, she was more than a little tipsy. I noticed it in her speech and the way she used her hands to explain things.
She lay across the couch with her feet dangling over the side. “Today was fun,” Clara said, slurring. “Can I help decorate your home when we get back?”
I smiled at her as I responded. “Yeah, sure, you seem overly excited.”
Clara sat up and bumped my shoulder with her tiny fist. “I might be, but I’ve never decorated a house before,” she replied.
Placing my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her closer. I kissed her forehead as I spoke. “We can take each room in the mansion and redo it if you like.”
She nodded profusely and then stopped. “The world has just started spinning, or is it me?” she asked.
“It’s getting late. Maybe we should head to bed?” I suggested. Standing, I held out my hand for her.
Clara took my hand and stood up. Letting go, she turned and started moving towards the bedroom. “I’ll see you in there?” she said over her shoulder.
Before heading in, I ensured all the windows were closed and the door was locked. As I entered the bedroom, Clara sat up. She was in the middle of the bed instead of on her side. She smiled seductively at me as I moved to the bathroom. I washed up and headed to bed.
“Come on, Clara, scoot over,” I said, stopping next to the bed.
She pulled her face at me but moved to the side. I got in and killed the bedside light before turning to face her. She placed her hand on my chest and slowly moved down. As she reached the top of my pants, she slid her hand into them.
Gently, I took hold of her wrist and pulled her hand out before she could reach my cock. Looking into her eyes, I whispered. “What are you doing?”
She raised her head and held it up with her hand as she rose to her elbow. “I want to have some fun,” she replied.
“Clara,” I said softly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. You’re a little over the top, don’t you agree?”
She pushed me onto my back and flung herself on top of me. Leaning down, she took my lips in a firm and slightly aggressive kiss. “Tipsy or not, I want some fun,” she said as she sat up.
“It’s always fun doing things with you. Especially such activities. But, I think this can wait,” I replied softly.
Clara pushed her hands through her hair, biting her lower lip. As she brought her hands down, she started unbuttoning her shirt. She smiled seductively at me. Once she had undone most of the buttons, she grabbed her breasts and squeezed them firmly.
Clara flung her head back, breathing out loudly. “Don’t you want me?” she asked.
Grabbing both her hands, I pulled her closer as I spoke. “Let’s get some sleep, my tipsy Printessa.”
Clara struggled with me as she lightly swung from side to side. But she didn’t struggle long. Feeling her going limp in my arms, I lowered her back. “I’m not tired,” she mumbled.
“I know,” I replied as I covered her with the blankets. “But I don’t think making love now is a good idea. Not while you’ve had a bit too much.”
Clara didn’t answer. Leaning closer, I heard her snoring softly. She was out like a light. I smiled as I kissed her cheek and forehead. Lying back, I wrapped my arms around her and dozed off.