She frowned for a second, and then burst out laughing.
Chapter Nine
Cruz
We spent the next two hours or so sitting at the bar in first class, talking. I was amazed to find a large fully-stocked bar complete with stools and a barman. I found the barman a bit too friendly for my liking though, and he pissed me off when he occasionally thought he was part of our conversation. Alexandra had found it tremendously entertaining when, after the third try at butting in, I’d told him in no uncertain terms to mind his own damn business.
I wasn't one for deep conversation, but I found talking to Alexandra easy. She was friendly, intelligent, and sassy, which more than made up for my social ineptitude.
She had pressed me on my past, and I had reluctantly told her about my stint in the military, and even mentioned my ex-wife’s infidelity. Alexandra had merely nodded sagely, her eyes narrowed, making me feel like I was being analyzed.
We were now approaching our first destination, the luxury hotel in Paris. Alexandra’s dad had paid for a big blacked-out Mercedes saloon to be ready for me at the airport.
Olivia and Lucy complained about the quality of the bottle of champagne in the central unit between them in the rear.
Alexandra sat in the passenger's seat. I could feel her gaze on me occasionally and when I had the chance, I would look back at her, only to find her smiling at me, absentmindedly playing with her hair. There was no doubt in my mind that she was sending me signals…
Keep it together, Cruz, I warned myself.
I distracted myself by concentrating on the road. I had memorized three routes in case we were being tailed, though after leaving the plane, there had been no sign of our three Russian friends.
Still, I was starting to get nervous. My long dormant libido had been aroused, and I was developing feelings for Alexandra. Lack of emotion for so long left me confused at the turmoil I felt. And overriding it all was a desire to keep the girl safe. To wrap my arms protectively around her and never let her go. But such thoughts distracted me from my job, which only left me feeling angry with myself.
“We’re here, gals,” I said gruffly as I pulled up outside the grand front entrance to the hotel. As soon as I’d parked, the girls’ doors were opened by attendants, and two bell boys began unloading the trunk.
“About time,” muttered Lucy. I glanced back at her and Olivia, seeing that the ten hours or so of drinking had certainly taken its toll on them; they looked like shit.
Alexandra, on the other hand, still looked radiant. She’d been sensible and had interspersed her alcoholic drinks with water and the occasional coffee.
I took the girls into the hotel while they checked in, memorizing their room numbers. They were on the top floor of the hotel, presumably in a large penthouse suite.
After they’d been checked in and I was confident they were safe, I left to get my guns from the safety deposit box across the street.
Alexandra
Cruz was a mystery. Just as I saw him start to open up, his rusty emotions showing through his gruff facade, they’d suddenly fade quicker than they had appeared.
His confusing anger and distance made me want him even more.
Cruz
The next few days, I decided to keep my distance from Alexandra, for two reasons. Firstly, I was making sure she didn’t distract me from my job; we were now in a place where serious danger could present itself at any moment, and I wanted to stay sharp. Secondly, I needed time to try and make sense of the feelings that had suddenly risen within me. I felt that she was special, and I’d fallen for her much quicker than I’d imagined possible. Even with my hard demeanor and my brutal past, I found myself afraid that I would get hurt, which made me push her away even more. But a nagging thought in the back of my mind kept telling me that I needed to make a decision because there wouldn’t be any second chances with this girl.
Alexandra spent the next five days with her two friends, shopping and spending far too much money on shit they didn’t really need. They’d spent the nights partying at expensive nightclubs, extravagant pool parties, big mansions, and even once on a luxury yacht moored on the river.
I’d stayed with them throughout but kept my distance. Partying wasn’t my thing, a realization I’d come to nearly fifteen years ago. I just wasn’t fond of going somewhere with music so loud that you couldn’t hear yourself think, let along what anyone else tried to say to you. And it was pointless trying to talk to women under those circumstances. Plus, how was a man supposed to enjoy his drink under such conditions?
Needless to say, instead of joining the girls in their partying, I became a silent, protective figure. Alexandra was the only one of the trio who even noticed me, giving me an occasional smile or wave. She would even come over to speak to me sometimes when her friends were goading drunken rich guys.
She’d confided in me that she was getting pissed off with her friends, who only wanted to look good, party, and sleep with random men. She said she’d been laughed at when she’d mentioned wanting to visit a museum, or even going out just for a fancy meal instead of getting drunk.
“Do what you want. Fuck what your friends think. You ain’t gonna be in Paris forever. Gotta make the most of it. So to hell with those airheads,” I’d said to her, gesturing to her friends who were taking selfies with some half-dressed guys eager to show off their top heavy, gym sculptured bodies. It was the most words I’d spoken to her in one go since we’d chatted on the plane. She had beamed at me in return, glowing radiantly from the small bit of attention I’d given her.
As it turned out, she took my advice and had persuaded the girls to visit a few museums during the day, and even talked them into dining at one of Paris’ most exclusive restaurants that evening.
Lucy and Olivia had been making a show of being incredibly bored throughout the day, as they’d traipsed behind Alexandra. While she had marveled at artwork, antiques, and various historic artifacts, they had spent most of their time plastered to their phones, flicking through pictures of their various exploits from the previous nights on Facebook and Instagram.
I watched them, feeling irritated over their seemingly pathological need to show off their exploits online, as well as the way they obsessed over taking perfect pictures rather than actually enjoying the moment. It seemed a bit soulless to me, but I'd grown up before cellphones, the internet, and even home PCs, so maybe I just didn’t get it.
At least Alexandra seemed more down to earth though, actually enjoying doing real stuff. Seeing her happy reignited the fire within me, and I was struggling to repress it for a second time.
Alexandra
Much to Lucy’s and Olivia’s annoyance, I’d taken great pleasure in dragging them through various museums throughout the day. I’d genuinely enjoyed the exhibits, artwork, science, and natural history. But I’d almost enjoyed their petulant boredom even more.
I’d gotten fed up with the constant partying, drinking, and mindless shopping, not finding any of it meaningful. I especially didn’t like drunken rich guys who just expected me to jump into bed with them.
Olivia and Lucy, on the other hand, had enjoyed that attention, and had both had a precession of one-night stands with various sleazy men—much to Cruz’s annoyance, as his flawless security perimeter had been breached. He would often sleep on an armchair outside of my room when Olivia and Lucy were ‘entertaining’ in their respective suites.
The guys mainly ignored Cruz, as they only had one thing on their mind. Cruz tolerated them, but watched them carefully. I doubted he would think twice about swatting them like flies if they even hinted at causing any sort of trouble. I’d half hoped that one of them would give him an excuse to do just that; the thought of him showing his strength and dominance made me hot just thinking about it.
Unfortunately, none of the guys were that stupid.
As I was getting ready for our outing to the expensive restaurant I’d booked for the evening, I partially was getting ready for Cruz. I
wanted to flaunt myself in front of him and see if I could get away with some flirting, even if just for a few glorious moments.
All three of us were getting ready in my room, with Olivia and Lucy seemingly forgiving the ‘boring’ day I’d put them through as they chatted away about their various conquests and exploits from the previous week.
I was only half-listening as I curled my hair, catching small pieces of their conversation. “...not very good. Didn’t know what he was doing. His dick was massive, though. So that sort of made up for it,” Olivia was saying, regaling Lucy with sordid details of her most recent encounter. “See, look!”
I turned around to see Lucy staring with fascination at Olivia’s phone screen. “Alexandra, you gotta see this!” she said.
“No, thanks.” I turned back to the mirror and resumed curling my hair.
“You’re so frigid, you boring old lady,” Olivia said. “I bet you got turned on by those statues earlier though, right?” she said, laughing condescendingly.
“Those museums were so boring,” Lucy chimed in. “There’s still quite a few shops I want to see though. We coulda had a look around those.”
I bit my tongue, thinking that if I had to traipse around another ridiculously expensive department store or boutique, I would murder them both. Or maybe persuade Cruz to do it.
“Look, I’m sorry I had to drag your uncultured asses to see something interesting of actual historic value. I was wrong in thinking you might enjoy it,” I sighed, my voice sounding harsher than I meant to it.
“Whatever. It’s just not our thing,” Olivia said.
Her attitude made me think of Cruz’s advice to essentially just tell them to fuck off. In my mind, I replayed the deep rumble of his voice.
Apparently, things were simple when you were Cruz Miller, but that made sense, considering his size. I personally didn't think I’d get away with his solution, but it was damned tempting.
“Oh, look at this,” Lucy said. “The guy I met the other night, you know, the one with the yacht?”
“Oh yeah, Mr. Grabby,” Olivia said, absently.
“That’s the one. He’s having a party tomorrow on his yacht. Says if we’re lucky, he’ll take us wherever we want.”
“You mean if you let him fuck you again, then he’ll take us wherever we want.” Olivia said, sourly.
Just listening to them, I already dreaded the thought of being stuck on yacht for weeks on end with people like Olivia and Lucy.
But being bunked up with Cruz for a week, however…
My knees felt weak at the thought of what we could get up to in a week together. Barely leaving the cabin. However, I still didn’t know if he was interested in me like that.
Better to approach him on my terms, here in the hotel, I thought. Or maybe in Prague….
“I think I’ll give that a pass,” I said. “You two go ahead though, if you want.”
I glanced back at them, seeing that they weren’t remotely ready yet, to my frustration. Perhaps if they didn’t spend so much time drinking, arguing, chatting, and staring at their fucking phones…
I was nearly ready, while they were still applying their makeup, and sitting in their expensive underwear.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a sleek navy-blue dress with a revealing neckline. A dainty silver necklace with a blue sapphire pendant hung down just above my cleavage. I had decided against wearing a bra, so the outline of my breasts showed clearly through the dress.
My curled hair cascaded in big locks down my shoulders, and I wore sapphire blue earrings that matched the color of my dress and necklace.
Olivia got up to refill her champagne glass. “Fucking hell, Alexandra. You look stunning!” She gaped at me, unashamed. “Looking to finally get laid tonight, are you?”
“No, I don’t fuck random sleazy guys I meet without knowing their names,” I retorted. “Just get ready so we can go and eat. I’m starving!”
I left the girls to get ready and left the room. At least with them taking so long, I had a while to try and spend some time with Cruz.
I found him pacing near the entrance, obviously as frustrated as me with the tardiness. I was amazed to see him wearing a suit--plain black with an immaculate bleached white shirt. Bright silver cufflinks sparkled at his huge wrists, and he was wearing a skinny black tie.
He looked fucking hot.
“Hey.” I smiled at him, brushing my hair over my right shoulder.
He stopped pacing and turned to face me. I imagined his eyes lit up as his gaze wandered down my body for a wonderful moment. When I noticed his eyes at my chest, I squeezed my arms together slightly, stretching them out in feigned boredom.
His eyes definitely widened that time.
“Hey, Lex. You look nice.”
I smirked. “You sure know how to compliment a girl!”
“It’s one of my charms,” he retorted. “Are the two slowcoaches ready yet, doll? Or are we in for a long wait again?”
“They’ll be ready soon. If not, you can dine with me instead.” I winked at him. “Where did you get the suit? You look handsome.”
“Oh, this?” He looked down at his suit as if it was some strange fashion he’d never known of before today. “I hired it. Guy on the front desk said I wouldn’t get in the restaurant otherwise.”
It was true, bodyguard or no, he wouldn’t get past security.
Well, he could, but not by walking past them.
Cruz
I was blown away at how beautiful Alexandra looked. I wasn’t often stunned into silence, but seeing her approach in her flowing blue dress, curled hair, and understated makeup had nearly knocked me over. The dress wasn’t too tight, but showed off curves in all the right places.
I was going to have to keep my eyes off her, in order to do my job of keeping her safe. And that wasn’t going to be an easy task by any stretch.
We chatted idly for a while as we waited for the other girls. Alexandra stood uncomfortably close to me, touching my arm on occasion. I was on edge, and all I wanted to do was to turn towards her and pick her up in my strong arms, kiss her passionately, and carry her back to her room...
So lost in my fantasy, it took a moment for me to realize she was still talking to me. I made an effort to listen better, all the while trying to keep my gaze on her face. But I kept failing.
“...his yacht. They’ll probably go with him, I think. They can't resist the urge of a week-long party.” She sighed. “The thought of being stuck on a yacht for a week or more with those two is unbearable. So, I think I’ll still head to Prague. That’s still cool, right?”
I shrugged. “Whatever you want, Lex.”
She smiled back, our eyes locked for a second. Our reverie was interrupted by the sound of high heels clicking on marble floor.
“Hope we’re not interrupting you two love birds,” Olivia said, wearing a short tight dress and ridiculous wedges. Lucy was dressed in a similar fashion, but with heels instead of wedges and a dress bit longer yet showed more cleavage than was necessary.
In short, they both looked like strippers on a night out.
I stood up to my full height and crossed my arms, trying not to crease my shirt. “Right then,” I said, looking at the three in turn. “Let’s go.” I opened the door to let them through, and all three giggled as they left the suite.
As Alexandra walked through the door, I got a brief but wonderful view of her ass, her big pert buttocks showing through her dress.
That just made my damn day, I thought, suppressing a grin.
Chapter Ten
Cruz
Not having far to go, we arrived at the restaurant about five minutes later; both the hotel and restaurant were in the exclusive part of the city.
I struggled to concentrate on keeping an eye out for danger with Alexandra sitting next to me in the car, chatting away. Although it pained me to ignore her, I knew I had to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
As we left the hotel, I ha
d caught a brief glimpse of a few shady figures in a black nondescript saloon parked on the side of the road near the hotel. I had a feeling in my gut that something wasn’t right. That they were watching. Their car didn’t follow us, however.
I managed to get past the security on the door of the restaurant, surprised to find one of the bouncers was bigger than me. He was around 6’ 8”, dark-skinned, and mean-looking. I wasn’t scared of him at all though. I knew I would be much quicker than him, and that unless he was like me, his huge frame would be difficult to maneuver in a close fight.
As we entered the restaurant, we were ushered straight through and taken to a table at the back--one of few on a raised platform. It was almost in a closed-off booth, but the walls didn’t extend all the way around the table. It would be easy to keep an eye on the girls, so I relaxed a little.
I took the girls to their table, which gave me a chance to look at the diners at the nearby tables as I approached the platform. One table had a middle-aged couple, drinking champagne and staring lovingly at each other; they didn’t even notice us approach. Another table was empty but had a gold-embossed ‘Reserved’ placard on it.
The last table had what looked like an American family seated around it, chatting noisily and sharing from large plates of expensive food arrayed haphazardly on the table. There were about eight of them. A lady who I guessed was the mother, seated at the center of the table, caught my gaze and smiled warmly at me. I nodded back.
No trouble, here then. Yet. Depends on who’s going to turn up on table number four.
I left the girls to their table, with Alexandra gazing longingly at me as I turned to walk away. I’d decided that it would be better if I kept a low profile. On the left of the restaurant as we entered was a long, ornate bar which stretched halfway down the building. I walked through the restaurant, surveying the patrons seated on the less glamourous, yet still expensive tables on the main dining floor. None struck me as dangerous. The only threat there was from rich and pretentious men who though they were entitled to any woman they chose.
March Heat: A Firefighter Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 49