by Elodie Colt
“Do you like it?” I ask, referring to the jet’s interior that can only be described as over-the-top ostentatious. Every piece of furniture curves elegantly throughout the cabin, the sofa lining up an entire wall in an S-shape. Soft grays make out the main theme, highlighted by shiny black surfaces, a gray carpet, and red cushions.
“It’s very… much. What’s a toy like that worth? Twenty million?”
I raise my thumb, pointing it up. “You might want to triple that.”
“Crazy.” She plops down into one of the plush seats, the thing so big it nearly swallows her whole, and props her feet onto the table. “How come you don’t own your own jet? I mean, it’s not as if you couldn’t afford it.”
“No one needs a jet, just like no one needs an island or a five-story yacht. It’s all about comparing cock sizes.”
“I see. So, you don’t need a jet because your cock is the biggest anyway.”
I grin at her remark, sinking down into the seat opposite her. “Well, you would know.”
“Not really.” She ruffles her nose, and the gesture is so cute, I have to fight the urge to bend over the table and bite it. “It’s not as if I have any comparison.”
And so it shall remain, is what I nearly say, but the thought messes with my sanity after it manifests in my head.
“You like the color red,” she remarks and stuffs two of the red decor cushions left and right of her to use them as armrests.
“Wine-red, yes,” I correct her, but for some unknown reason, she frowns, her gaze swerving over the seating area as if looking for something.
“Funny, there’s not one ounce of wine red in here. This…” she lifts the cushion under her left arm. “Cherry.” She takes the cushion under her right arm. “Scarlet.” She points to the three cushions on the seat next to me. “Merlot. Crimson. Ruby.”
My mouth drops open while I fight the smile on my face. “You’re right, my mistake. Actually, I also like the color of your lips.” I drop my gaze to them on purpose. “What color is that? Rose?”
My answer forms a cocky smile on her face. “Well played, well played.”
“So, what’s your favorite color?”
“Pantone 321,” she prompts leaving me perplexed, as usual.
“Sorry, but what’s that?”
“The PMS number for my favorite color,” she replies as if my question was misplaced, whereas her reply makes me utter an irritated laugh. “Jeez, not that kind of PMS. The Pantone Matching System is the name of an international color system used in the graphics industry. Pantone 321 is a shade of aquamarine.”
“Oh…” I drawl, faking surprise.
Ending the discussion, Leonara switches her attention to her favorite hobby while I open my notebook to send an email to my event manager. I ask him to find a gown in the exact shade 321 and include Leonara’s size, which I knew since she stepped into my office for the first time.
~~~
“Why am I here again?” she demands a few hours later. I’ve managed to sidestep her questions pretty well by now, but I might as well come clean, considering she has nowhere to go forty thousand feet above the ground. “You have no need for me anymore. All that’s left of Piero Alvarez are bones and ashes. Whatever he owed you, you should deal with the fact that you won’t get it back.”
For a moment, I consider telling her the truth, but if my suspicions are true, and they always are, Leonara is in more danger than before. It’s better for her to stay in the dark until the threat is eliminated. “See it as a holiday.”
“Flying to the other end of the world for a two-day trip? Is this the only free time you get the entire year? If yes, I’m surprised you haven’t had a burn-out yet.” I chuckle but remain silent, hoping she steers the discussion to safer ground. “I mean, do you really think it’s such a good idea to introduce me to your mother, the girl you kidnapped? I can’t see that one going down well.”
“Will you tell her I took you?” I counter, taking the drink the flight attendant hands me. Leonara just shakes her head, but it’s more of a that’s-not-the-point gesture than an actual no. I know she won’t start this topic in front of my family. She might not realize it, but I’ve gained her loyalty, something I truly respect. “There’s a gala taking place I have to attend. I host it every year.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You’ll be my escort for the evening,” I finally reveal, unable to hold back a smirk as I watch Leonara’s face becoming five shades paler.
“Are you joking?”
“No.”
She tilts her head around my frame, glancing at my two bodyguards sitting at the farthest end. “Emilio, did you check Daniel’s drink? I think the attendant put something in his scotch.” I hear Emilio chuckle from behind me, and Leonara turns back to me. “Not happening.”
“Certainly happening.”
“Uh-uh.” Her head shakes so fast from side to side, her hair flies with the motion. “This is the shittiest idea you ever had.”
I laugh, nearly snorting into my drink. “And why is that?”
“Seriously? What question is that? And why would you want me by your side, me of all the chicks you could have?”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s me,” she argues, as if this answers my question. Taking her feet off the table, she rests her hands on its surface and lowers her voice. “Galas are meant for maintaining appearances. It’s all about representing status, social etiquette, and courtesies. I can’t even tell a white wine glass from a red wine glass, I’ve never worn heels in my life, and every second word from my mouth is either a poor joke or an insult. What kind of impression do you think you’ll make with me? Besides…” she goes on before I can have my say, “… galas mean people. Lots of people. I hate people, I hate crowds, and I can’t stand to be…”
She gets more agitated with her rambling, and I notice an unanticipated flash of fear in her eyes. I knew Leonara preferred herself as her company, but I didn’t know her fear for society went that deep, which becomes even clearer when she makes that shoulder jerk again, and I realize I have to do something to ease her nerves.
Standing up, I walk over to her, offering her my hand. She looks at it in a daze before lifting her gaze to me.
“Come.”
“Where to?”
“Into the bedroom. We still have a few more hours until we land, and we should both get some rest.”
Her eyes are questioning, and she no doubt reads the hidden meaning behind my words. Tentatively, she puts her hand in mine, and I guide her to the other end of the plane opening a sliding door to a spacious bedroom.
A round double bed stands in the middle on a rotating platform so you can either view the window or the eighty-inch flat-screen TV hanging on the wall. Completely unnecessary, but it comes with the package.
“Fuck, yeah,” Leonara gushes before taking off and jumping face-first onto the bed, limbs spread like a starfish. If she weren’t so afraid about someone walking up to her from behind, I would take her right in this position. “I think I’m in love,” she croons, curling her fingers into the fluffy comforter.
When she hears fabric rustling from me discarding my shirt, she spins around quickly, her attention suddenly on my naked chest. With every calculated step I take toward her, she shuffles an inch backward unsure of what awaits her. Well, at least one body-quaking orgasm, I’ll make sure of that.
I crawl over her slowly but mindful not to touch her, figuring I should give her time to get comfortable with my proximity. A look into her eyes tells me she is excited rather than afraid, and I take it as a sign to go on.
Brushing a strand of hair from her face, I whisper, “Did anyone ever go down on you, Leonara?”
A sweet blush rises up her cheeks, and she replies with a trembling, “No.”
I knew the answer beforehand, of course, but I want to give her a hint of what comes next, which will be her directly on my tongue.
“Do you want me t
o?” I go on, snapping open one suspender of her jumpsuit, then the other. “Because I’d really like to taste you.” She doesn’t answer, which is a first, but her heavy breaths signal that she can’t wait for me to show her what it’s like.
Sliding the denim down her body and over her feet, I do the same with her underwear, exposing her from the belly down. Chancing a glance at her to make sure she’s okay with what I’m doing, I slightly nudge her legs apart and lower my head, skimming a finger over the cherry blossom tattoo on her inner thigh.
A cute giggle comes from her mouth. “That tickles.”
“Yeah?” I whisper over her skin, following the same path with my lips, which turns her giggles into breathy moans.
Leisurely, I place pecks all around her pussy, easing her into the feeling, but when I flick my tongue over her clit, her hips buck, and a hiss escapes her.
“Shit, do that again,” she pleads bashfully, and I smile at having her at my mercy. This time, I go at it full speed, sucking her bud into my mouth. Her hands fly out and dig into my hair to keep me in place.
I give her all I have in store—nibbling, sucking, and licking every part inside and out. Her moans echo through the room, each more licentious than the last. Her carefree nature turns me on like no other has ever accomplished.
“Oh my God, just like that,” she whines while I rub the length of my tongue over her clit. “Yeah, right there… More… Please, give me more.” I grant her the wish, pushing a finger inside her.
The additional penetration brings her over the edge like a rocket, and as if on cue, turbulences cause the plane to rattle, the whole interior vibrating as she rides out her climax on my tongue and finger.
“Damn, that was amazing,” she pants when she comes down from her high.
“You are amazing,” I say when I come back up.
Unfazed by my compliment, she gives me a shove, so I land on my back. “I want to taste you, too.”
Fuck, did she really say that?
Impatient as usual, she unbuckles my jeans and yanks my boxers down, my rock-hard erection springing right into her hand. An instant later, her mouth closes around the tip, and she sucks in my cock until it hits the back of her throat.
“Christ,” I exclaim as she sucks me off, her little tongue making warm circles.
“Am I doing this right?” she asks in between sucks.
I can only utter a strangled, “You’re doing… great.” Satisfied with my answer, she swallows my cock once more, using a hand to rub my length. “Shit, I’m close.” I pull her hair to tell her to come up, but she continues her onslaught. “Leonara, wait, I will…” She only increases her pace, hollowing her cheeks even more, and I can’t hold out a moment longer, coming in her mouth.
She swallows it all, eager to lick every drop while I drown in a flood of pleasure. When she’s done, she sits up, licking her lips and smacking them a few times.
“Tastes salty,” she remarks. “But good.”
I can only laugh at the face she makes, like a sommelier tasting a rare sort of wine and testing the aroma in the finish.
In my euphoria, I forget all about being careful and yank her down on top of me, swallowing her mouth with mine while my hands grab her ass. She tenses immediately and smacks my hands away.
“Shit, I’m sorry.”
Fear and shock glisten in her eyes, but it’s like she flicks a switch, her expression back to normal in a second. “What did you do with the spider?”
“What spider?”
“The tarantula. Did you set it free?”
“Uh… I put it in my terrarium.”
“You have a terrarium?” she asks in excitement, and I can only nod in bewilderment. “Cool,” she says before pushing off my body, lying down, and closing her eyes.
I wake to something tickling my shin, and I smile when I realize it’s Leonara’s toe wiggling in her sleep. Opening my eyes, I see her lying on her stomach, spread out like a starfish and with her face half-hidden underneath the pillow. It’s all I can do not to lie down on top of her and suck her delicious neck until her nerves are wrecked.
Countless times I’ve fucked Victoria in every position you can imagine, and countless times she’s sucked my dick, but it was never as mind-blowing as with twenty-one-year-old, inexperienced Leonara.
How will things turn out after we return from Australia, I wonder? An aching part of my heart yells at me to keep her, but I know I have to let her go at some point. I should do everything in my power to keep her far away from me, my life, and my enemies. Not surprisingly, word of that stupid painting spread like wildfire. Bringing Leonara to Mexico was already a huge mistake on my part. I’ll have to ensure her safety from now on, even if it means sending an entire squad to Florida to guard her sweet ass twenty-four-seven.
Leonara is eerily quiet on the drive to New South Wales. Her eyes stay glued to the landscape flying by outside the window, and I notice her nibbling her thumbnail all the while.
“Are you okay?”
Her head whips in my direction as if she just realized I’m sitting next to her. A forced smile ghosts over her face. “Just a little nervous.”
“Hey, everything will be fine. I won’t leave your side, okay?” I assure her and take her hand. Her gaze falls to our joined fingers, and my heart warms at seeing her smile.
Natalia and Valentina already wait for us there when we arrive at the mansion that’s home to the Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation. Valentina shrieks when I step out of the car, and I squat down to embrace her.
“Hey, beautiful girl. Did you miss me?” She presses a sloppy kiss onto my cheek, and from the corner of my eye, I notice Leonara watching the exchange with keen interest.
“Yes!” Pulling back, I brush a hand over Valentina’s head to examine her face. She looks healthy—well, as healthy as she could be. The only signs of her disease are the slightly bushy eyebrows and a puffy upper lip. “Did you bring me something?” Valentina jumps up and down, brimming over with excitement, and I chuckle, pulling a bag from behind my back.
“Of course, I did, sweetheart.”
She squeals again when she opens the bag, rummaging through the contents. Despite her being surrounded by medical equipment and doctors since she was two, Valentina is a little science enthusiast, so I bought her a microscope kit for kids, a Lego chain reactions craft kit, and a card game to strengthen her cognitive skills. God only knows how long she’ll have them…
“Daniel, my boy,” Natalia drawls, and I stand up to give her a tight hug and a peck on the cheek.
“Hello, Mother. You get prettier every day.”
She pats me on the shoulder and laughs. “Always the charmer, Daniel.”
“Natalia, this is Leonara,” I introduce the girl next to me who looks as if she feels completely out of place. Offering her comfort, I curl an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She glances up at my mother, her eyes brimming over with uncertainty.
“Oh my, I thought I’d never see the day when Daniel finally appears with a woman under his arm. Welcome to this beautiful country, Leonara,” Natalia greets her, open and warm-hearted as always, and welcomes her with a hug. I guess Leonara feared Natalia would be shocked seeing the multiple tattoos and piercings on her body, but my mother never judges people by the looks. She has a good heart.
“Thank… thank you,” Leonara stutters when Natalia releases her, causing my mother to laugh whole-heartedly.
“Daniel, I think I like this one. You should keep her,” she adds with a wink, oblivious to the inner tumult her words cause in me. I chance a glance at Leonara, who gives me a dirty smile.
“Yeah, Daniel. You should keep me,” she says to make the situation even more embarrassing, but I keep my composure.
“Yeah? Maybe I will,” I counter with a challenging look and a squeeze of her hip, rendering Leonara speechless in an instant.
“You are beaut… beautiful,” Valentina says with a slight stutter in between, her huge eyes riveted on Leonara,
who looks baffled by the compliment. Throwing me a brief glance in question, she squats down and smiles at my sister.
“Thank you, little girl. You are quite a beauty yourself.” This causes Valentina to giggle and blush a deep red.
“She is al… also very pretty,” Valentina goes on, pointing a finger at the mermaid tattoo on Leonara’s arm.
And just like that, the tension leaves Leonara’s shoulders, and she relaxes visibly. “Yeah, she is. And her hair has the same color as your eyes, you see?” With a genuine smile, she begs a closer look from Valentina, who shuffles toward her hesitantly to see what Leonara is showing her.
My mother’s intense gaze draws my eye, and I walk over to her, guiding her away from the girls to talk in private.
“Who is she?” Natalia asks, curiosity and awe underlying her question as she watches Leonara keeping Valentina busy.
“Someone I need to protect,” I answer vaguely. “Can you look after her in the afternoon and get her ready for the gala tonight? I need to make some final arrangements, and I don’t want to leave her alone. She feels uncomfortable around strangers.”
“No problem, Daniel. I love my job, I really do, but one afternoon without babysitting sick children sounds like a splendid idea. I’ll come get her in an hour, okay?”
Thanking her with another kiss on the cheek, I walk over to Leonara. She watches Valentina strolling away with Natalia, my sister waving a hand until she’s out of sight.
“She has the most awesome eyes,” Leonara remarks. “They are nearly cobalt. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
My lips curl into a smile. Everyone else would have commented on Valentina’s hyperactivity, her coarse features, or her speech problems. Not Leonara. She sees the world differently, and I simply love that about her.
~~~
For the fifth time, I make sure my bowtie sits straight, my tuxedo is wrinkle-free, and every hair is sleeked back, staying where it should.
Honestly? I hate these galas. I sponsor and host them for a good cause, true, but those shenanigans are all about kissing asses, dishing out compliments, and engaging in irrelevant conversations—annoying and a waste of time.