by Patricia Mar
But at that precise moment, among all the rest of the crew, with Fiorella staring at him as if she wanted to devour him and Polly spreading something on his pectorals to make them shine, Sara started feeling two devastating emotions. One part of her was burning so much with excitement that she had to lean against the wall, while the other part of her was indignant: Polly was touching him, Fiorella was eyeing him up, and he didn’t seem to care or even notice, and just kept flaunting his body. He seemed to be quite at ease and not at all embarrassed, while she was on fire. Could such a man be really hers? Or would she always have to share him with all the other women in the world? The pictures they were taking would soon be public, and thousands of women would sigh as they imagined taking that small towel off. She was becoming ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. Daniel noticed her look and stared back, uncertainly.
Could he read her desires? Could he? She was sure he could – she felt like an open book, exposed like never before. But could he also see her frustration? She was jealous. She couldn’t stand the fact that he was happy to show himself naked to the others, when she would have liked to have him all to herself. This was one aspect of the whole situation she hadn’t thought about and which she feared might make it even more difficult for her to let herself go. She could hear her mother, Virginia and Lia laughing at her for her worries. Even her Grandma Glicine was a more modern woman than she was. Maybe only Aunty Nora would comfort her. But Daniel looked so proud to have her there. And the camera was kind to him: it kissed him like a brave lover and caressed him like a protective partner. He would close his eyes and show sides of himself that Sara didn’t know: his primordial sensuality, his natural ability to hypnotize just by using his body. It was too much for her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, it was impossible. But her instinct suggested she should get out of there and take a few deep breaths of the unexpectedly cold late September air. She had to clear her head before she saw more than she could take. Slowly, without drawing any attention to herself, Sara left the room and disappeared.
She walked quickly down the underpass, went to her room, grabbed her jacked and hat and went out in the open air. The sun was high in the clear sky and for a moment she felt her heart in her throat. She took the resort shuttle into the town, and, remembering that she hadn’t eaten, went straight to a bar and ordered a large breakfast. But distracting herself was hard. Her head was full of Daniel, and she could even see him when she closed her eyes. She was falling in love, she knew she was – it was written in her heart. It was marvellous and terrifying, thrilling and frightening at the same time. She felt so tiny and fragile, in a relationship which was still so uncertain and full of shadows, like a promise not yet fulfilled. She hated feeling that way when all she wanted was to enjoy life and face the future with optimism and spontaneity.
Having such an inflexible character was a problem when it came to feelings. It had never brought her luck and now she began to worry that it might cost her dearly, literally. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of a phone. For a moment she hoped it might be Daniel looking for her, wondering where she was. But it was only Virginia.
“So how’s your mountain adventure going, Heidi?”
“You tell me, because I’ve no idea.”
She told her sister everything that had happened, expecting a good telling off, but the answer she got was a simple sigh.
“You really don’t like making things easy for yourself, do you?”
“No, sis, never.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know. I’d like to go to him, kiss him and…”
“Do it then.”
“I think I’m in love with him. I’m in trouble.”
“Sara, are you being serious?”
“I’d never joke about something like that, not with you.”
“Er, listen – before we continue this conversation, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s actually the reason I called.”
“Has something happened?” asked Sara, suddenly worried.
“No, no, don’t worry. It’s not about the family – it’s about you.”
“Me?”
“I’m Whatsapping you a picture. You’re in Gossip News – they’ve a picture of you and Daniel kissing at the Desdemona on their cover. You’re officially the new flame of the world’s highest – paid model.”
Chapter 17
Dinner for Two
When she got back to the resort she found Daniel waiting for her in the hall, which she hadn’t been expecting. He was sitting on a chair, staring into space as though lost in his thoughts. He raised his eyes and saw her, smiled hesitantly, then got up and walked towards her. Sara’s smile was hesitant too, mainly because she was playing for time. She slowly took her jacket and hat off.
“You disappeared without a word.”
“I didn’t want to bother you – you were working.”
“Sure.”
Daniel sounded doubtful, as though he wasn’t sure what he ought to say. He took her hand and led her over to the sofas. He clearly wanted to talk. They sat side by side. A few guests walked past, shooting them curious looks. They must have recognised Daniel.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
He was direct.
“I hadn’t had breakfast and I needed to…”
“Talk to me, Sara. Are you wishing you hadn’t come? Why did you leave? I was so happy about you seeing how I work.”
He was proud of his job and wanted to share a part of himself with her, but Sara had rejected him, again. She was doing it all wrong.
“I was really enjoying watching you working, honestly.”
“Why did you leave without saying anything, then? You just vanished.”
“It’s one of my magic tricks.”
“Please, don’t joke about it.”
He was serious.
She couldn’t reveal the whole truth – it was too embarrassing, and it was her problem. She couldn’t tell him that she just hadn’t been able to stand there watching him swan about half naked while another woman covered him with body cream, knowing that millions of women around the world would soon be drooling unrestrainedly over those pictures. She was ashamed of her thoughts and preferred those worries to remain private. Talking about it would just make her look ridiculous.
“I was just feeling uncomfortable, Daniel. Really uncomfortable.”
“Why, Sara? Was it because of Fiorella? I didn’t pay any attention to her. I really don’t care about her, believe me.”
“No, it’s not about Fiorella.” Well, it wasn’t just about her. “It’s about me. You looked so handsome and sexy that I just wanted to run over and kiss you until I passed out.”
That at least was true. Daniel’s eyes shone with pure joy.
“I wish we were alone. I thought about you a lot last night.”
Sara smiled back at him. “So did I. I don’t know what I should do with you.”
Daniel’s loud laughter made her last doubts disappear.
“Same here. You’re a tough one, Sara De Michele. I didn’t think I’d have to work so hard to win you over.”
“The most elusive prey is always the most interesting, though. Where’s the fun in getting everything you want straightaway?” asked Sara, raising her eyebrow and giving him a sly smile. She was trying to act as confidently as Wonder Woman to hide her tension and her desire.
Daniel looked at her silently for a moment, then said, “Listen, I’m done for today. Would you like to do something together? Last night it was cold and snowy – we could go and check the off piste. Can you ski?”
“No, I’m sorry,” replied Sara, mortified.
“We could go to the chalet, have a glass of grog and spend some time alone.”
“I’d like that.”
“Let me go get my jacket and…”
“Daniel, hold on.” She stopped him.
“Yes?”
“My sister sent me this picture a little
while ago.” She passed him her smartphone, showing the picture in Gossip News, a magazine who claimed to know all the sordid secrets, affairs or scandals of the stars. “I thought you ought to know.”
Daniel shrugged.
“I knew they wouldn’t waste any time. But anyway, I’d already been told. I was going to tell you about it as soon as I had a chance. Does it bother you?” he asked.
“No, I was thinking about you… maybe for you…”
“Shush, Sara.” He put a finger up to her lips. “You talk too much.” Then he kissed her tenderly and got to his feet. “I’ll be back soon – don’t disappear again.”
She watched him walk away, finally relaxed. He didn’t care about the picture or that as far as the rest of the world was concerned she was his official girlfriend. Maybe she had underestimated him. She hadn’t taken into account the fact that Daniel Gant was relaxed because he had nothing to hide – because he showed his feelings honestly and because, unlike her, he wasn’t not a victim of his own irrational paranoia.
She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice two grim faced women with backcombed hair and restless eyes chatting over coffee. They pointed at her and sniggered. When she accidentally met their gaze, Sara realised with absolute certainty that, from then on, like it or not, she would be seen as Daniel Gant’s latest girl. She had to start accepting it.
The day passed too quickly, and the hours spent together seemed precious. They talked a lot and told each other about their lives, as in the background the snow fell softly.
They had agreed to have dinner with the rest of the crew, but they would have preferred to be together, alone. Having the chance to get to know each other without expectations or pressure was amazing. They had said goodbye, promising to meet at the resort restaurant later. Sara was about to enter the elevator, when Daniel ran over to her. There was something in his eyes… a light that made Sara smile at him before she even heard his words.
“Have dinner with me in my room. I’ll organise a romantic evening, just for you and me. A bottle of good wine and your company, the only company I want. Tell me you’ll come.”
He was eager for her to accept, she could see it in his face. It was an invitation which she didn’t want to refuse any more.
“Just give me time to get changed and I’ll be there.”
She didn’t add anything else but smiled at him while the lift door closed. Sara had a shower, hoping to soothe some of the tension she could feel rising inside her, then covered her body with a perfumed cream. She didn’t want to forget any detail – she wanted to be fantastic for him. Well, she couldn’t work miracles. Someone like her could be passable at best.
“I’ll never be a Delphina McDougal – I might as well just drown my sorrows in a tub of ice cream, I’m hopeless anyway.” She was starting to feel the pressure of the evening ahead of her. She was aware nothing would be the same any more and she wanted to be ready for him, for everything he, or both of them, desired. She looked at herself in the mirror, clad only in a soft bath towel, and tried to see herself through Daniel’s eyes, which for some reason seemed to adore her. Her face was radiant, her eyes shone like gems.
She felt more alive than ever before, and seemed even to look different: provocative, sensual – feminine, in a word. She meant to be irresistible for him. She wanted Daniel Gant not to be able to make do without her any more. She wanted him to thank destiny the following morning for having allowed him to encounter her, and to want her at his side forever. She carefully put on some make-up, trying to highlight her strong points without going over the top, then put on a black lace lingerie ensemble, a white silk blouse, and an amethyst necklace for a touch of luxury. The outfit was completed by a pair of smart black trousers. She then looked at herself in the mirror again and smiled in satisfaction. Daniel Gant would fall in love with her because she was smart, special and unique. And anyone who didn’t think so could go to hell. She blew a kiss to her reflection and left the room.
With her heart ready for fresh backflips and a beautiful smile brightening her face, she knocked on Daniel’s door. He was wearing a black shirt and grey trousers. How could you blame Fiorella for wanting to get her claws back into him?
“You look splendid, Sara.” He kissed her cheek and let her in. Daniel’s suite was even bigger than hers; it was practically an apartment, and a beautiful, elegant one at that. She noticed a table in a corner of the living room set for dinner, with a red candle right in the middle. Its dim glow, together with the suffused lights, made the atmosphere extremely romantic.
“Oh, it’s all perfect!” she exclaimed. Daniel pulled back her chair and then removed the metal serving covers from the plates, sat down opposite her and served her a glass of good red wine. Sara observed his calm and natural movements. Daniel Gant was always ready for any occasion, always impeccable, always at ease. They were so different, but the attraction was quite palpable, and there was no way to hide it. That combination of pheromones and emotion was explosive.
They chatted away pleasantly while they had dinner, but something had changed between them during the afternoon. There was a new electricity in the air. A whisper, a quiet voice suggesting something was about to happen and that everything was about to go as it was supposed to. They didn’t rush, savouring all the dishes and drinking the delicious wine while holding hands, Daniel casually caressing her palm. Finally they fed each other the dessert, melted chocolate filled their mouths with pleasure and stimulated their palates. It seemed as though everything was alluding to something else. Was it written in the stars? Would it happen that night? Sara didn’t want to hold back any more – she wanted to let herself go, now that she was finally sure of her feelings.
That would be the purest demonstration of what was in her heart. She could only hope Daniel felt the same way. At some point, as though they exchanged a secret code, they stopped talking. Daniel went over to the stereo and the delicate, captivating melody of When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars filled the room. Daniel took Sara in his arms. He put his hands on her hips then slid them round to her back, holding her against him. Their bodies were close, and their hearts were racing madly. Daniel made her sway languidly and Sara rested her head against his chest. She let him lead, her eyes closed as she breathed in his scent and listened to his rhythmic breathing. Daniel’s fingers knew how to caress her, leaving a warm trail where they passed, even through her clothes. Sara wanted more and was ready to welcome it. Her body reacted and she began moving herself sensually against Daniel. She could tell how Daniel was feeling at that moment by his uneven breathing.
“Sara, I really want you. If you go on like this, I won’t be able to resist you.”
His voice was hoarse, tormented and deep. Pure music to Sara’s ears.
She smiled and raised her eyes to his.
“This time, I won’t stop you.”
She kissed him, as a sign that she was ready and willing.
Daniel lifted her up, and Sara instinctively put her legs around his hips. They continued kissing, their bodies yearning for one another and their passion starting to consume them. Still embracing her, Daniel took her to the bedroom and laid her gently down on the bed. Their eyes locked, unable to look away. He lay down at her side, sweetly caressing her face.
“Tell me you won’t disappear tomorrow morning, that you’ll stay with me, in this bed, that you’ll let me love you. Tell me you won’t be afraid of the consequences of tonight.”
It was as though he could read what was in her soul. Sara was mad with happiness and desire.
“I want to trust you. I want tonight to last forever.”
He kissed her forehead, cheekbones and lips, and then began exploring her neck, breathing in her perfume.
“I don’t want it to end either. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, Sara De Michele, but I’d gladly spend my life in a lift for you.”
She smiled, but only for a moment, because the shivers that Daniel’s kisses provoked on her sensit
ive flesh made her gasp, leaving her without the strength to talk. Daniel’s hands started to roam her body, unbuttoning her blouse and caressing the groove between her breasts. The black lace revealed her naked body. He ran his fingers along the line of her bra, pulling it aside gently to kiss and caress the exposed skin with his tongue. Sara was in ecstasy. She arched her back and realised she was ready for him, for that passionate man who had managed to win his way through all her reticence. She was falling madly in love with him, there was no way back. With uncontrollable excitement, they took off their clothes and began exploring each other’s bodies, tasting and loving each other freely, asking for more, wanting more, demanding and hungry.
Pleasure consumed them. They were two victims of a cold, dark night, where the snow had unexpectedly started falling again from a complicit sky. That bed had turned into a temple to a new passion, because the fiery ardour and desire that existed in both hearts had a single fearsome name: love.
Chapter 18
Mark Your Territory
Her face was immersed in a soft pillow which smelled of Marseille soap and of Daniel. With her eyes still closed she was enjoying that special morning fragrance, feeling the intense white light seeping in through the closed curtains. In that pleasantly drowsy, half-asleep state, she felt something tickling her naked back. It was Daniel’s fingers, caressing her while he gave her shoulders quick, hot kisses. Enjoying the attention, Sara stretched her body like a cat and lifted herself up, leaning on her elbows and turning her head to look at him. She didn’t mind him seeing her naked – in fact, the way he looked at her made her feel more beautiful than ever before. And at the moment, Daniel was looking at her with such eagerness, his eyes sparkling with secret satisfaction, that it seemed he wanted to eat her.