Limits of Destiny (Volume 2)

by Sharlyn G. Branson

  Marriage mattered to me too, but in my opinion, the most important part was to be certain I would be happy with my husband for the rest of my life. And I currently felt so insecure in my relationship with Alexander that marriage was the last thing on my mind.

  “Christ, Lily… I can’t accept his proposal—I don’t actually love him,” I said and tightened my hair band.

  She blew a bubble with her chewing gum and popped it, reminding me of a sixteen-year-old. “And have you considered what you would do if Alexander were to propose to you? He is about to be thirty—an age at which most men start to think about having a family. And he’s unlikely to wait long, lest he risk losing such prime real estate as you.” She giggled.

  I knew Alexander was a very possessive man, but I believed he valued his freedom and was unlikely to consider such serious things.

  “Ha-ha, very funny.” I pouted.

  “Sorry, dear, but it’s the truth. After all, I see how he treats you—as if you belong to him. He’s possessive and won’t rest until he shackles you in the chains of marriage,” she stated confidently.

  “I don’t think he’ll, not now… I don’t want to think about such serious matters. To top it all off, he told me he doesn’t want kids in the foreseeable future.”

  Lily sat up in her chaise and stared at me in shock. “You’ve already talked about children?”

  “Calm down… On Monday, I have a scheduled interview with the chief editor of Emmanuelle. We discussed the questions together and that’s how we got to talking about starting a family.” I raised my arms over my head. “Speaking of kids, my father and Melanie are expecting a baby.”

  She shook her head. “Well, today it’s one shock after the other with you.” She couldn’t close her mouth from the surprise.

  “I was shocked too. They did it in vitro. I’m concerned about Dad—it might be too much for him.

  “Alexia, Colin will handle it. Ah… He’s so hot.”

  “Lily.” I stared at her. “What are you saying? He’s fifty years old,” I protested.

  “Fifty but very sexy. And he looks at least ten years younger. With that muscular body and those biceps.”

  Hearing her words, I almost choked on the soda water I was drinking. I threw my straw at her, and she giggled.

  “What’s so bad about what I said?”

  “Oh God, please stop,” I chided her. I really couldn’t accept that she was into my father…

  “I’m sorry, Alexia, but it’s the truth. Your father is a very, very handsome man,” she said somewhat dreamily.

  “It’s a good thing Francesco isn’t here to hear your babbling.”

  “Francesco is sweet. I’m really happy he wants us to live together.” She continued, her eyes gleaming.

  I didn’t understand her. How could she jump blindly into a relationship without considering the consequences? Or was I the silly one, with my excessive dwelling? Sometimes, I found it very difficult to make a decision. I always wavered and overthought things, which made resolving the dilemma even more difficult.

  I decided to tell her about Alexander’s wish for us to live together. Unlike me, Lily had gone through many relationships and separations and was much more experienced than me in that regard. She had lived with some of her boyfriends and knew the pluses and minuses of cohabiting with your other half.

  I told her, and she lay back down on the chaise and sighed. “Whoa, cool. You won’t have to cook or clean because he has help. You’ll live like a queen in his house and—”

  “I haven’t given him a definitive answer yet.” I interrupted her musings.

  “Excuse me?” She looked at me in great surprise, even went as far as taking off her sunglasses to see me better. “Are you all there? What are you waiting for? Approval from the Pope?”

  “Oh, come on—stop making fun of me. I just… don’t want to rush into it.”

  Disappointedly, she made a tsking noise and shook her head in disapproval. “You’re out of your mind.”

  “Stop it.” I looked at her sullenly. She was starting to get on my nerves.

  “How am I supposed to stop when I see how stupid you’re acting? Why couldn’t you accept? What are you waiting for? Good things happen quickly. Later, when he finds another woman to keep his bed warm, you’ll be the one crying on my shoulder.”

  I became angry, but I wasn’t sure whether I was angry with her for being so painfully candid or at myself for being so deluded.

  She didn’t stop there. “You must be crazy to refuse. Alexander is a real ladies’ man who needs a woman at his side… Haven’t you realized this yet?”

  I sat up and rested my head on my knees. “Dammit… You’re right.”

  How could I be so naïve? I’d never found it so difficult to make a decision as I did now. All this soul-searching was driving me insane. And the solution was right in front of me the entire time. Alexander wanted us to live together, so I should agree. Simple.

  I stood, wanting to swim for a while.

  Lily used her chin to point toward the pool and said as a warning, “Watch out for those two. They’ve been ogling us the last half hour and they seem a bit drunk to me.”

  “Don’t worry. Henry’s over there at the bar, and he won’t let us out of his sight.” I had no concerns when he was nearby. I knew he was watching over us and would do anything in his power to protect us.

  Lily decided to take a swim with me. We took off our sunglasses. I tied my hair in a tight bun, and we entered the pool.

  The water was very pleasant. The coolness had a very refreshing effect on me. I dived in to cool my head and emerged at the other end of the pool. I liked swimming underwater and hearing only muffled sounds. It made me focus on the movements and cleared my mind of thoughts about life and all the problems that came with it.

  One member of our audience quickly approached me and blurted out, “I didn’t know there were mermaids in this hotel.”

  He was blond with hazelnut eyes and spoke with a strong Russian accent. I wanted to get away from him, but he grabbed me by the elbow.

  “What’s the rush? I don’t bite. I just want to talk. My name is Vladimir. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Alexia,” I replied quickly and saw that Lily was coming over to us to rescue me.

  He also noticed her. “And here is your friend. Let me buy you a drink.”

  “No, thanks,” I replied and started getting out, when Vladimir grabbed me by the arm again.

  “Don’t touch me!” I hissed in his face.

  “Come on, babe. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Why so serious?”

  I had no intention of wasting my time in idle chatter with this guy. I also knew Alexander would find out, turn moody, and object to us staying at the pool. We would have to argue, and I didn’t want to get into a row. I wanted to spend a peaceful day in the company of my girlfriend, without any drama and scenes.

  Henry came over and held out his hand to help me get out of the pool.

  “The lady doesn’t want to be hassled,” he said with an expression that implied, Don’t touch her and there won’t be a problem.

  Lily followed me. I took my towel and wiped the droplets from my body, which gleamed in the rays of the sun. The Russian approached us again, this time accompanied by his friend.

  “Guys, we’re not looking for company,” I told them in a severe tone, but they seemed like they couldn’t care less.

  “Alexia, you’re very sexy, and the fact that you’re playing hard to get makes me like you even more.” Vladimir grabbed my arm again and pulled me to him.

  “Don’t you dare touch me, do you hear me?” I hissed through my teeth and pushed him as hard as I could. He didn’t even move—he was like a rock.

  Henry quickly pulled me aside and stood in front of him. “The lady made herself perfectly clear,” he growled in his face.

  Hotel security also came over. A few seconds later, a strong arm grabbed me by the waist, and I jumped in surprise. But I cal
med down when I saw it was Alexander.

  * * *

  Dressed in a grey T-shirt with white knee-length shorts, Alexander looked incredibly sexy.

  How did he find out what was happening? Was he watching me from somewhere?

  “What’s going on here?” he asked with a severe expression on his face.

  “These two are bothering us,” I replied.

  He approached them, said something, and they went away. What did he tell them? How did he manage to always make everyone obey him?

  I sat on the chaise and dug my hands into my hair. I knew he would now make us go back to the room, and I wanted to spend more time by the pool. It was so pleasant and relaxing here. If it weren’t for those two pricks.

  I looked at Alexander with determination. “I want to stay at the pool. Henry’s here and hotel security is also looking out for trouble. Nothing bad will happen to me.”

  Alexander tried to hide his annoyance, but the way he gritted his teeth quickly gave away that he was furious. He couldn’t be anything but furious after those lechers had tried to encroach on his territory.

  “Let’s go have lunch in the panoramic restaurant. We’ll decide what we’ll do afterward,” he said quietly.

  I checked my watch; it was quarter past twelve. Dammit, we could have stayed and ordered a bite to eat from the pool restaurant, but my boyfriend, who just had to control everything and everyone, was hardly going to agree.

  Lily rushed to pipe up, “Let’s go. I’m hungry.” She turned to Francesco, who had also come down with Alexander.

  Taking a deep breath, I crossed my arms over my chest. “My swimsuit is wet and I need dry clothes. I have to go up to the room and get changed.”

  We returned to the suite. I went into the bathroom and Alexander followed me.

  He sat on the edge of the bath, stretching his legs and folding his arms in front of his chest. He shook his head and mumbled, “How did you manage to avoid such creeps before…? I just don’t know.”

  Taking off my wet bikini, I replied, “Baby, he couldn’t have done anything to me even if Henry weren’t with us. The hotel has its own security after all.”

  I went into the shower cubicle for a quick a wash.

  When I returned to the bedroom to get dressed, I found Alexander waiting for me. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, resting his palms on the mattress to prop himself up. I opened the wardrobe and took out a luxury underwear set, including a strapless bra. I put it on and then donned a cream-colored silk dress with a neck strap. Turning around, I saw Alexander gawping at me. I went over to hug him, and he immediately grabbed me by the waist and enveloped me with his long legs, pressing me against his erection. I leaned in and kissed him on his soft lips.

  “Just watching you in the nude makes me hard. You’re so sexy,” he murmured and dug his head into my breasts.

  “Alexander, we can’t make our friends wait for us again.” I ran my fingers through his hair.

  “I don’t know how I’ll deal with you, baby.” He sighed. He dug his nose into the cleft between my breasts and inhaled deeply.

  “What do you mean how you’ll deal with me?”

  “There’s always someone who wants to jump on you like some wild animal,” he said and gently nibbled my chin. “How will I manage to protect you?”

  “How do you think I’ve managed without you so far?”

  “I have no idea. But now you have someone to take care of you, and that someone is me,” he proclaimed proudly and kissed the corner of my mouth, his fingers tenderly sliding along my naked back.

  I felt my body’s immediate response to his touch. It was always like this. There was no other man who could have such an effect on me as Alexander. It was as if there were some remote connection between his fingers and my nether regions. He didn’t even have to make the effort of touching me… down there.

  Alexander looked me in the eyes; his pupils were slightly dilated and his beautiful black eyelashes made his irises look even bluer. “You have incredibly delicate skin, my precious.” His playful fingers wouldn’t stop sliding up and down my back.

  I moaned.

  “Oh, baby, I’m glad to see your body reacts the same way as mine.” He parted his lips to kiss me. Slowly, he bit my lower lip and ran his tongue across it. Then he slid it deep into my mouth and started exploring every last inch of it.

  God, this man sure knew how to make a woman desire him.

  I pulled his head to me, pressed my body tight against his, and felt his huge, aroused member on my thigh.

  “Mmm…” I quickly withdrew from the kiss. “This is driving me wild.”

  “Very good. Now you know how I feel,” he whispered.

  “As soon as I feel your touch, my body blooms, giving me a crazy need to… No, no, no—this is madness.” I tried to step back, but he didn’t release me.

  “That’s how it should be. This way, we know we’re made for each other. It’s wonderful.” He put his palms on my neck and started to caress my face with his thumbs.

  “Wonderful… How will you go out like this… with this hard-on? Lily and Francesco are waiting for us.”

  “It’s fine. They’re probably doing the same.” He gave me a predatory smile.

  I went to put on my cream-colored Manolo Blahnik sandals, with Alexander carefully supporting me to keep my balance. The heels were around six inches high, but this no longer worried me, because since I’d met Alexander, I almost always wore high-heeled shoes. They made my legs seem even longer, something Alexander adored. In fact, he adored all of me.

  “I’ve decided to hire a yacht for this afternoon. Francesco and I will continue working, and you and your girlfriend can catch some rays,” he said, watching me patiently for my reaction.

  “Ah, Alexander. You’d do anything to ensure I didn’t go back to the pool.” I shook my head.

  “You’ll like it. You’ll see. So don’t rush to complain.”

  We exited the suite and headed toward the elevators.

  15

  The Al Muntaha Restaurant was chock-a-block full of people. Some were even waiting in the small corridor. Alexander let go of my hand and went to talk to the head waiter about the table he’d booked for us.

  While we were waiting, some man lightly nudged me in the back, and when I turned around, I was surprised to find it wasn’t some random person, but my first boyfriend, Christoph Forchel.

  Good God…

  “I’m sorry—” Christoph said, stopping short when he recognized me. “My God, I can’t believe it. Alexia Welson—it’s really you. You’ve become even more beautiful, a true lady.” He kissed my hand and his grey eyes shone even more brightly in the restaurant’s lights.

  “Chris,” was the only word I managed to get out. To put it mildly, I was stunned by our encounter.

  If someone had told me I would go to Dubai only to meet the man who took my virginity, I would have never believed them.

  Christoph Forchel was quite an attractive man. He seemed more masculine and somehow more handsome than before. He was wearing a pale-blue shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and black jeans. His grey eyes were incredibly beautiful and intelligent. They had fascinated me so much I’d decided to gift my virginity to him. Of course, his eyes couldn’t even begin to compare to Alexander’s divinely blue irises, but they had somehow… captivated me back then.

  “How long has it been since we last met? Going on five years, I believe.” He thoughtfully ran his fingers along his light-brown hair. “Let me have a good look at you.” He took a step back to see me better, then got close to me and stroked my shoulder. “You’re gorgeous. Let’s spend some time together, I beg you. I’d like to have a chat.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I mumbled.

  “Why? Will you allow me to take you to dinner tonight?” He looked at me searchingly and continued in a softer, quieter voice. “Say yes, please.” He came very close, our bodies only a few inches apart. Right at that moment, memori
es from the time we’d been together flooded my mind, making my stomach twist into a ball. “Tell me. When can I see you?” His hand wouldn’t stop stroking my shoulder.

  Feeling uncomfortable, I blushed. I knew, any second now, Alexander would come over and wouldn’t be happy at all to see another man had dared to caress me.

  I took a step back just as Alexander put his arm around my waist and pulled me to him.

  “Baby,” he said, his tone betraying that he didn’t like what he’d just seen.

  I glanced at him and then looked back at my ex. “I’m sorry, Christoph, but I won’t be able to… Oh, yes, meet my boyfriend, Alexander Kraftberg. Alexander, this is Christoph Forchel.”

  They nodded to each other, and then Christoph said, “I’m extremely glad we ran into each other, Alexia. A pleasant evening to you both,” he added and withdrew.

  I stood there confused and dumbstruck. This meeting would lead to countless questions from Alexander. After all, he was so jealous. Everything was going so well, we were getting on swimmingly, and now he would become aloof again and pout like a teenager.

  And of course, I didn’t have to wait even a minute before he asked me, “Who was that?” His expression showed he was angry, but despite his rage, he looked so handsome in his white shirt and black Boss jeans that sexily highlighted his butt.

  “Nobody we should concern ourselves about,” I replied, looking him in the eyes to make him understand I was telling the truth.

  Almost five years ago, Christoph Forchel had managed to attract my attention at a student party. He was tall and had a nice sense of humor, which back then was enough to make me feel happy when we were together. He also studied economy at the University of Zurich and was two years older than me. I’d just turned twenty when I slept with him for the first time. He was sweet and very gentle, which left a pleasant memory of my first sexual experience. But something wasn’t quite right… and in the months we were together, I never actually managed to fall in love with him. Maybe the problem was he was too young and didn’t surround me with the attention I needed. I liked him as a man and was attracted to him, but that nice sense of butterflies in the stomach I’d felt when I met Alexander for the first time was missing.