He flopped down beside her with the same crazy grin on his face. No words were spoken between them. None was needed as they lay there beside each other.
As their breathing returned to normal, a smile remained on both of their faces. Ana knew that Lash was the one for her. It was there in the very core of her being. She knew that there could never be anyone else for her. Just him.
.
Chapter NINE
Ana tossed her cellphone to the bed. Jonathan just called to say that Ricardo couldn’t make it to the rehearsals, so Lash had given instructions to give her the whole day off to rest. Ana didn’t know what to do with herself. She was glad for the sudden break. At the same time, she was disappointed because it meant she didn’t have to go to the studio, therefore she wouldn’t see Lash today.
She still recalled the events from last night. It was imprinted vividly in her memory. The dance with Lash, the realization of how she felt for him, the exhilaration of being held in his arms, the unexplainable bond that tied them together as they lay on the dance floor, not touching, not speaking, yet feeling connected.
He didn’t say a word as he brought her back to the apartment. Ana didn’t feel the need to spoil the moment by inane conversation. She wanted to prolong the euphoria that wrapped her entire being even as she watched his car disappear into the night.
“Okay Ana,” she chided herself, “stop being so needy.”
Obviously, the free day was a bonus she never expected. Even if she felt anxious about not seeing him, maybe the time off would make him miss her. She hoped so. Ana decided to go and see Stefan and Nigel. They were good company. Stefan’s frivolous banter and silly laughter would make the day go faster, she decided.
She picked up her purse when the doorbell rang. Ana wondered who it was as she headed towards the door.
“Good morning, Ana.”
It was Lash standing at the threshold. Ana was so surprised she needed to blink twice before she was certain it was really him.
“Lash,” she squealed unable to disguise the pleasure in her eyes, “I was just thinking about you,” she blurted without reservation.
“You were?” Lash replied with a teasing look in his eyes.
“Yes,” Ana replied suddenly feeling nervous. “I-I wanted to thank you for giving me the day off,” she muttered timidly.
“You had something planned for today?” He asked her eyeing the purse in her hand. “I was hoping you could come with me. There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” he added.
“Of course. I just thought I’d go see Stefan. But I can do it some other time,” Ana replied quickly. . She wasn’t about to give up spending the day with Lash for all the Stefan’s in the world, she decided.
“Great,” Lash grinned, motioning her to his car.
“Where are we going,” Ana asked although she didn’t really care where.
“It’s a surprise,” Lash replied mysteriously.
Ana was satisfied for the moment. Nothing could take away the joy she felt just being with him. He could be as mysterious as he wanted. As they drove into the city, she did recognize the familiar façade of the Mancini Foundation building when they entered the driveway and stopped just outside the lobby floor.
Ana remembered this was where she found out about what happened to her mother. The report from the archives was unverified and there was no way she could be absolutely certain. But in her heart, she knew it was. She wondered whom Lash wanted her to meet.
“My office is this way,” he said.
He seemed a bit worried, Ana thought, as she followed him inside.
He led her past the lobby display and up the stairs to the mezzanine floor. They crossed a narrow hallway that led to a door. Lash pushed against the door and ushered her inside.
This office was modest, almost Spartan in design, when compared to the luxury of his apartment and the house he owned. It was probably by choice, Ana decided. She doubted his corporate offices would be this modest. An office table dominated the room along with vintage couches in several places. A palmistry print set decorated one side of the wall. Ana immediately noticed the Gypsy influence in the wall décor.
But it was the man who was seated across the office table that captured her attention. The old man was hunched over the chair with his chin nearly resting on his chest. He seemed to be asleep.
The sunlight filtering through the window illuminated the scant white hair around his balding and blotchy scalp. He looked very ancient, Ana decided, like one of those wizards in the fairytales of her childhood. The old man stirred lightly as they approached, raising his face slowly. Ana swore she could actually hear the creaking sound his bones made. Surely, the dull brown eyes were rheumy but exhibited keenness as he focused his attention on them.
“Mr. Vano, this is Ana Garcia, the girl I was telling you about. Ana, meet Mr. Manfred Vano. He travelled all the way from Zafarraya, Spain just to meet you.” Lash announced.
Zafarraya? The words from the lullaby that her mother used to sing to her? She didn’t think there was such a place.
She stared at the old man who was looking at her intently. Then she looked at Lash who seemed to be studying her reaction cautiously before he spoke again.
“Remember the report from the archives about the young girl who was kidnapped? You said you felt sure it was your mom. But we had no way of verifying.” He breathed deeply, “I took the initiative of calling some contacts in Spain. I faxed them a copy of that particular document. I mentioned that you remembered the word Zafarraya. They said they would try but made no promises. Well, they did find Mr. Vano here in Zafarraya. He was the cousin of the father of the young girl. Mr. Vano was the one who found the girl that was kidnapped.”
Ana gasped. She couldn’t believe what Lash said. She thought her knees would buckle and lose consciousness. This was surreal. Lash pulled a chair and made her sit.
“M-Mr. Vano, I-I don’t know what to s-say,” Ana stuttered.
Manfred Vano replied in a brittle voice, “you can start by telling me your mother’s name.”
“Nathalie. That’s all I know. The girl in the report was identified as Nathaliah. I thought there might be some connection,” Ana replied.
“The girl’s real name was Naa’ila. Gypsy names are hard to say. Nathaliah is easier. I won’t be surprised if that was the case here.” Manfred explained.
“Tell me about her,” Ana begged.
“Naa’ila means winner,” Manfred began, “and that she truly was, until that horrible episode in her life. When she was born, it was like a ray of sunshine for a poor family. Naa’ila was like a blessing to them. They pampered her in a way that was not usual for other Gypsy families. Naa’ila went to school while the rest of her kind worked the fields. She could read and write. She was spirited and carefree. No one could deny her anything because of her beauty. Alas, it was that same beauty that attracted the attention of a rival clan. When her father needed money to buy the field next to theirs, he approached the chief of the clan. His intentions were pure. He just wanted to give his daughter a secure future. He thought he had nothing to lose. If the rich clan asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage, then his debt would be erased. Naa’ila would have the bright future he always wanted for her. Unfortunately, his daughter was too educated to be forced into a loveless marriage. When her father realized he couldn’t convince her daughter to marry, he made plans to leave and bring his family somewhere safe. But the clan leader heard about it, and well, you know the rest of the story.” Manfred ended.
“My mom seems so different from the girl in your story,” Ana contradicted. “I don’t remember ever seeing her happy. There was always this dark cloud surrounding her. I couldn’t see past it. She was cold and distant, unemotional,” Ana added.
“Gypsy women are taught from an early age to hold on to their virginity until marriage,” Manfred said, “for someone like Naa’ila who was brutalized, she must have felt like whatever was taken away from her was something she
would never recover. Emotions can be painful. Sometimes the best way to deal with it is to feel nothing at all.”
A thought struck Ana. “If Naa’ila is my mom and you’re her dad’s cousin, then that makes you…”
“…Your grandfather,” Manfred cut in. “If you can accept that in your heart, then I would gladly consider you my granddaughter.”
Ana didn’t know what to say. This was all so unexpected. Manfred made a motion to rise. Lash dashed to his side to help the old man out of the chair.
“Mr. Mancini,” Manfred addressed him, “I think I will accept your offer to stay in your home. I’m afraid hotels are a bit too fancy for me.”
“I will be honored, Sir. Please call me Lash. A car is waiting for you outside. My housekeeper Sophia will take good care of you,” Lash promised.
Ana saw Manfred walk slowly to the door. It was like a dream. Everything she learned from him still felt raw and very real. She no longer doubted.
“Grandfather.” She called out to him.
The old man turned slowly to face her. Ana jumped from her seat and ran to him. The old man opened his arms to embrace her. Ana broke down and cried. Being held in Manfred’s arms felt cathartic. It was like being held by her mother. It was something she longed for, something Ana felt deprived of since she was a little girl.
Manfred held her close until her crying ceased. Then he held her face and kissed her on the forehead.
“Come see me in Zafarraya,” he asked her. “You have aunts and uncles and cousins there who would love to get to know you.”
Ana promised she would. Lash assisted the old man and walked down to the lobby with him. Ana was left behind in the room to ponder everything she had learned about her mom. It was sad and painful, and yet strangely, it was also freeing.
Chapter TEN
Ana replayed in her head all that she learned about the estranged woman that was her mother. She realized that who she was today was due to the way she was brought up. The constant longing for love and desire to find it in all her past relationships, the disappointment that each relationship built inside her, it must have been similar to the way her mom felt after being sexually abused. Self-preservation made her unemotional. If she didn’t feel it then it had no power to hurt.
“In a way, we’re the same,” Ana thought, “except I entered into every relationship with the notion that it was going to fail, so I refused to give myself wholeheartedly to anyone. My heart was always mine alone. I didn’t want to give it away because I was afraid, afraid I would lose it forever. When things began to go wrong, I accepted it because I expected it. I never fought for anyone’s affection because I didn’t think I deserved it. If my mom refused to love me, then nobody else would.
“I need to forgive my mom for being who she was. Then maybe I can forgive myself too. I won’t be defined by my past. Instead I will try to be a whole person – body, heart, and soul. I can’t live like there is a missing piece in my life. I can’t define who I am because of that missing piece. I need to be whole, to live freely, to take chances, to find love, and be confident in myself.”
“Ana, are you alright?”
She was so engrossed in her reverie she hardly noticed Lash had returned. He was panting.
“Did you run all the way back here,” Ana asked.
“I was worried about you,” Lash replied sheepishly.
“I’m fine… Oh Lash, thank you for finding him. To know that I actually have a grandfather… it’s so gratifying. I have a family. I’m not alone.”
“I wasn’t sure how you’d take it, but when I saw how deeply affected you were about the report of the young girl, I thought I’d give it a try. I hope finding the truth would make you feel better somehow,” Lash replied.
Ana couldn’t help herself. Her gratitude was overflowing. She reached out and hugged him. She lifted her face and said, “Thank you, Lash, for being so generous.” But just saying the words wasn’t enough. She pulled his face close and kissed him.
Kissing him was symbolic. There was no denying she felt overwhelming gratitude. But there was still that issue of the aborted kiss the night of the party. The woman in her refused to accept that she would forever be the girl he just “almost kissed.” Her newfound freedom demanded to know how it was to actually feel his lips on hers.
What she didn’t expect was the way Lash would react to her impulse. His arms tightened around her. One hand travelled to the back of her neck holding her even closer, increasing the pressure between their lips. It felt surreal how every curve of her slight body fitted perfectly into every plane of his like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Ana didn’t know how long they stayed locked that way. It could have been seconds or minutes. She just knew she wanted it to go on forever.
She pulled back and they stared into each other’s eyes. She wanted him. Her whole body conveyed that message as she noted his reaction.
Lash was hesitant, almost afraid. Like he was on the edge of a crevasse and didn’t quite know if he should jump or stay where he was. Ana understood. He didn’t want her to misinterpret anything between them. He wasn’t offering her something permanent. He was unsure about himself and was protecting her from being hurt again.
She wasn’t asking for anything more than what they had at that very moment.
“Make love to me,” she whispered huskily.
“Oh Ana,” Lash groaned in her mouth as his lips possessed her once again.
Ana was aware that her legs were quaking as his kiss ignited a fire inside her belly. Her whole body shuddered as he lifted her off her feet and brought her to a nearby sofa. Even as she relished the different new emotions that traversed her whole body, an abstract thought occurred that they were about to have sex in his office in a foundation dedicated to Gypsy culture on a sofa beneath the palmistry print set. It was too symbolic. The Gypsy in her soul was raring to be set free.
Lash kissed her neck with gentle touches of his lips even as fingers fumbled with the zipper on her back. Ana’s fingers feverishly moved to divest him of his garments. When there was nothing more left between them, Lash brushed back the hair that was partially hiding her left breast.
‘You have beautiful breasts,” he complimented her.
His eyes held a promise of what he intended to do with those breasts. He closed the gap between them so that they touched skin to skin.
He cupped her face with both hands. Ana raised her lips to receive his kiss again. Lash drove his tongue inside her. The sound of his ragged breathing excited her. His eagerness was setting her body on fire. The acceleration of her heartbeat was like a drum pounding against her chest.
He maneuvered her until the edge of the sofa hit the back of her leg. Then he was on top of her as he covered the length of her body with his. He trailed kisses on her neck before shifting his attention to her ears, sucking, squeezing, and biting, following a trail that led to her shoulders. From her shoulder he explored the nuances of her upper torso before he dove on and ravaged her breasts. It was as if an electric current passed through her body making the hair at the back of her neck stand on end.
Ana felt him move down to her belly. He nipped at her belly button before proceeding lower down. Ana held her breath as she realized where he was headed. She reached out for his shoulders in an attempt to stop him. But Lash merely shrugged her hands away as he found what he was looking for.
She bit hard on her knuckle and threw her head back in ecstasy as Lash reached her clit. Her backside took a life of its own as it lifted off the sofa. Ana never imagined that the touch of his tongue on her could send vibrations up and down her spine that was both wild and sweet. Her moans bounced off the walls like the notes of a musical piece that pulsed to its own tempo. Her body was in a frenzy as she ascended the heights towards what she only knew would be a powerful orgasm.
Lash ceased the attack on her sensitive button and shifted his concentration on the surrounding areas of her vagina before he scooted upwards aligning the base of hi
s shaft against her opening and rocked her.
Ana wrapped her legs around his thighs and pushed against him as he rocked her. Her legs flexed around his back urging him closer as her arms reached out and wrapped around his neck.
“I want you inside me now,” she demanded.
His back curved outward as he positioned his cock against her vagina. Then with a masterful stroke, she felt him enter and conquer her. He was inside her filling her completely. His thrusts were as confident as the hips that forced her to press against him, leading her to press back.
The sofa creaked in perfect cadence under their combined weight. The palmistry prints hanging on the wall shifted as the sofa bounced against them. Ana was in a heightened state of awareness. Her clit was slippery as his cock slid against it, the muscles of her vagina clenched around him, intensifying the friction as he moved in and out of her.
The Boss's Fiance Box Set Page 42