Limits of Destiny (Volume 1) (13 page)

Mrs. Schmidt had cooked chicken with rice, mushrooms, and steamed vegetables. It was truly delicious, and I wolfed it all down.

“You said you weren’t that hungry,” Alexander teased me, but he was looking at me tenderly.

“I’ve never had such tasty rice before.” I wiped my lips with the napkin.

“I’m happy to hear it,” said Mrs. Schmidt while taking away my empty plate.

After we finished eating, we went down to the garage. My eyes were wandering between the Rolls Royce, the Bentley, the Range Rover, and the three Ferraris—one black four-seat model and two two-seat versions in silver and red. I’d never seen such a collection of luxury cars, except perhaps at car shows. In the States, we had three cars—for me, my dad, and his wife—but six…? And just for one man…? That was too many.

“Why do you have three Ferraris? Are we taking the silver one?” I asked curiously. Henry was already putting our luggage in the trunk.

“So I always have one at my disposal. If something malfunctions, there’s a long wait until the replacement part arrives from Italy,” he replied, opening the car’s passenger door for me.

I gave him the sweetest look I could and asked him excitedly, “I absolutely adore sports cars. Will you let me drive it for a while, please, please?”

Alexander chuckled heartily. “Okay, but don’t drive too fast.”

I threw my arms around his neck and showered him with kisses. “Th-ank… you.”

When I let go of him, I saw that Henry was looking at us, amused. He was clearly having fun with us. My sexy boyfriend gave me the car keys and said, “We have a roughly three-hour drive. It takes an hour to get to the Gotthard Tunnel. We should swap there.”

“Agreed.”

I got in and pressed the engine ignition button on the steering wheel, smiling in expectation of the typical Ferrari roar. My God, the noise… It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The sensation was indescribable.

“Wow,” I shouted. “It’s amazing.” My eyes shone like those of a small child who’d just gotten her first racing bike. Alexander stroked my cheek, and I briefly pressed my face against his warm palm, which felt like it was warming my soul.

“I love seeing you happy. Your face looks even more beautiful.”

I kissed his palm. He set up the navigation and we set off along the driveway. On the street, I stepped on the gas. The car shot away like an arrow.

“Not so fast! You’ll kill us both,” shouted Alexander.

“Sorry. I’ll be more careful. This car has really fast acceleration,” I said, attempting to make an excuse.

“Music?” He glanced at me questioningly, and I nodded in agreement. From the speakers came the voice of Alex Clare—it was the song “Too Close.”

“I love this song,” I said, giving him a quick smile.
I love you…

I wanted to tell him, I really did… but I was afraid of scaring him off. I didn’t want him to see me as a millstone around his neck. Alexander had never been in a serious relationship, and I had no idea how he would react to those words.

“This is my brother’s favorite song,” he said.

I saw from the corner of my eyes that he was staring through the window, deep in thought, looking sad again.

What the hell? What’s up with him?

I’d noticed he became sad whenever he talked about his brother, but why? The curiosity was killing me, but I didn’t want to pressure him into answering questions. He didn’t want to share his sadness with me. Did he not trust me? My heart was hurting seeing him so down and introspective.

“What are you thinking about, Alexia? You look tense.” His voice was raspy.

“Nothing,” I mumbled.

“Nobody thinks about nothing.”

His remark made me chuckle for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right. I was just thinking how nice it would be if I could read your thoughts.”

“Yeah, I would also like to be able to know everything that’s going on in that beautiful head of yours.”

I looked at him and he admonished me, “Watch the road.”

“Okay, then. What’s the big deal…? I only glanced at you. Are you going to give me a lecture now?”

He sighed. “No, baby. I just don’t want us to crash.”

Alex Clare started to sing “Damn Your Eyes.”

“Whenever I hear this song, I think of you and see your green eyes right in front of me.”

“You’re just saying this to change the subject from my driving skills,” I carped at him, but the truth was it felt nice to hear those words.

“I wasn’t. You actually drive very well,” he whispered.

I glanced at him again and he gave me another dirty look. “Keep your eyes on the road. If you’re going to keep looking at me, let me drive.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t look at you again, even if you beg.”

I heard him laugh and it spread like a rush of warm water throughout my body. I’d fallen for him really hard. And how could I not? He wasn’t just incredibly handsome, but also an incredible lover, a gentleman, and oh… those eyes and soft lips that had kissed every inch of my body. My thoughts started to drift in the wrong direction.

“Concentrate on the traffic. This isn’t the time to daydream.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me just fine. Your body and face have very obvious tells when you’re thinking about sex.”

I gaped and then quickly closed my mouth. You had to hand it to him—he was very observant.

T
he sun was
slowly setting behind the horizon, scattering orange and pink shades across the sky. It was incredibly beautiful. While there was still enough light, I had another chance to enjoy the breathtaking natural landscapes of Switzerland coming into our view—pastel green fields, the Alps, which extended in all directions, and small waterfalls. I’d visited many other countries, but for me, Switzerland remained the most magical place of all.

Before we reached the big tunnel, I pulled up at a rest stop and we swapped places. When Alexander got behind the wheel, his iPhone rang. He reached into his jacket pocket and took it out.

“Kraftberg,” he said in that serious voice of his that made everyone obey.

I heard a muffled reply.

“Okay. And did you manage to get the permit?”

I sat there staring at him and couldn’t get enough of it. He spoke so confidently. God had given him everything—brains, resourcefulness, and such beauty.

Am I capable of keeping him just to myself?
This question niggled at me.

“Good. Herzling, keep me posted. I want to be notified of every last detail about the project.” He hung up and turned on the ignition, lost in his thoughts.

It was clear to me that making all those millions involved a lot of hard work, stress, grief, and many hours on the job. It wasn’t easy to manage such a large empire, but it didn’t appear to pose that much of a problem for him.

I was asleep when we arrived. We hadn’t slept the night before and the fatigue took its toll.

“Alexia, baby, wake up. We’re here.” He was leaning over me and trying to wake me up gently.

“Where are we?”

“At Lake Como.”

I rubbed my eyes and looked at him drowsily. He flashed his twenty-four-carat smile, which sped up my awakening.

How can he be so sexy?

I stepped out of the car and my eyes paused at the yellow, two-story, Italian-style house.

“Is it yours?”

“It’s company property.”

“It’s very pretty.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he said and took our suitcases out of the Ferrari’s trunk. Then he unlocked the door, switched on the lights, and held the door open for me.

The house was very spacious. The lounge and kitchen were on the ground floor, and on the top floor, Alexander said, there were three bedrooms and three bathrooms, including one with a jacuzzi. We also had a large swimming pool at our disposal.

The big panoramic windows showed a beautiful view of the lake at night. The interior design of the lounge was very stylish. All colors were in soft, pastel tones, which gave it a very comfortable and cozy atmosphere. In front of the massive, beige, L-shaped sofa, there was a low, ovoid glass table with golden legs, and a huge plasma TV was hanging on the wall opposite the table. On the right, there was an elegant fireplace, and on the left, a dining table with eight chairs. An island bar separated the kitchen from the lounge. It was made of green granite, as was the kitchen floor. Six high chairs in beige leather upholstery were arranged around the bar. The cupboards were in an ivory shade. I noticed the kitchen was furnished so well that someone could easily be living there permanently. Everything was so luxurious, shiny, and exquisite.

And of course, it would be… After all, this was owned by Kraftberg International, not some small provincial agency dealing with holiday rentals.

Alexander took my hand and we went to the second floor. While we were climbing the stairs, he noticed the ring on my finger and, visibly annoyed, asked me, “What’s this?”

His eyes were suddenly fierce, like a predator’s.

“You can see very well what it is.”

“Don’t try to be clever with me. Just tell me who gave you this ring.”

I’m not sure why, but when I saw how sour he looked, I decided to tease him a little. “It’s from my ex-fiancé.”

His jaw dropped and his eyes turned the color of a stormy sea.

I couldn’t stand looking at him like this, so I quickly fessed up, “Sorry, that was a poor joke. I have no ex-fiancé.”

Alexander gave me the evil eye.

Dammit, why did I have to say something so dumb? What came over me?

“Actually, this ring is my mother’s, but it’s not her engagement ring. That one is being kept for my brother. This is just a precious reminder of her.” I sat on the edge of the bed, which was covered with a grey satin quilt and had a very comfortable mattress. I stared at my hands.

“You know full well,” Alexander began, “that some paparazzo could take your picture, and then it would be all over the media that—”

“I know,” I interrupted. “I’ll stop wearing it. I don’t want to put you in an awkward position by making people think we’re engaged.”

He scratched his chin, his eyes locked onto me. “I don’t give a crap, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“You’re right.” I took it off my finger and kissed it before putting it away in my bag. I had a sentimental attachment to this gold ring, and not just because it was a precious reminder of my mother, but also because it was incredibly beautiful, with its beveled round base covered in small and large diamonds.

Alexander came over to me, put his hands on my shoulders, and whispered, “I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“The decision to stop wearing it was mine. You didn’t force me… I just don’t want to complicate our relationship. Anyway, I’d already thought it’s quite likely my picture will appear in some tabloid in the near future. The thought gives me the creeps. I know it wouldn’t be nice to read things that have no bearing on the truth.”

“I’m sorry, honey. That’s just how it is.”

“When the time comes, I’ll wear it again. Now, I think it’s time to unpack.”

“Do you want me to bring you something to drink?”

“A glass of soda water, if there is any.”

“Back in a sec,” he said, kissed me quickly on the cheek, and went down the stairs.

When he returned, I’d almost finished unpacking. I hadn’t brought a lot of stuff with me, just the bare essentials, which is why the unpacking didn’t take long.

Alexander came over to me and handed me the glass of water. I watched him while I was taking a sip and noticed he was looking at something in my suitcase that made him smile.

“What’s this?” he asked while taking out my Samsonite blindfold and the funny pen with a fluffy top that I’d gotten as a gift from a bookshop.

“What? This?” I laughed. “I sometimes use it when I can’t sleep. And this here… is just a pen. Funny, right? Looks like a tiny person with a fluffy hat.”

Alexander considered something and tapped his index finger on his lips.

“Hmm… Can’t you think of where we could use all this?” He gave me a piercing look with a provocative smile on his face, showing his explicit sexual invitation.

“I think I know what you’re getting at.”

He approached me from behind and crossed his arms around me. He leaned in and softly pressed his lips against my shoulder. I rested my head on his powerful biceps and kissed him. Turning to face him, I ran my fingers across his perfectly defined six-pack, then farther down his soft, fine hairs, and then ever lower…

“What are you thinking of doing?” His eyes immediately darkened with passion, sensing the imminent pleasure.

“Something you’ll like very much.”

I undid the top button of his jeans, then one more, and stuck my hand down his boxers. His body shivered from the sweet excitement when I touched his erect member. I undid the remaining buttons and pulled down his boxers. Looking at his penis, I wondered how it could be so big and how my body could accommodate it so well.

“You want to taste me?” His voice had become warm and seductive.

“You’ve tasted me and now it’s my turn.” I knelt and lightly licked the head of his cock—pink with a blue hue.

Mmm… so soft, like velvet.

I put my hand around his shaft and started to stroke it up and down. Bending my head, I put it in my mouth, sucked hard on it, and then pushed it down to my throat. He was aroused and very hard. I ran my tongue down to his balls, cupped them in my hand, and started to squeeze them gently. When I looked up, I saw he had his eyes closed, his lips slightly apart.

“Oh, baby,” he moaned and tilted his head back. His abdominal and thigh muscles shivered.

Seeing the power I had over him, I felt triumphant. I started to suck hard, running my lips along the full length of his member. My tongue ran across its wide head, taking it deep in my mouth—repeating this again and again.

He dug his fingers into my hair and started to squeeze at it frantically while rhythmically moving his hips. I glanced at him and saw he was looking at me with glazed eyes.

“Fuck… This feels amazing,” he whispered and started to powerfully come into my mouth. Hot jets of sperm poured down my throat. I swallowed the salty liquid and licked my lips, proud of myself.