“I don’t have any plans,” he said, looking up from the screen. “We could get lunch together if you want?” he asked and gave her a slight smile, which nearly made her swoon.
“It would be my pleasure,” she replied, and her high cheekbones reddened. “Is twelve good for you?”
“Yeah. See you later, then,” he answered and fixed his eyes on the computer again.
As she was leaving, Lena accidentally knocked over a Starbucks coffee cup that had been left on his desk, and the liquid spilled onto his keyboard and ran down his pants. Poor Roberto jumped as if scalded. Lena started to wail and apologize. I took out some paper hankies from my bag, which I passed to them, and then ran to the kitchen for kitchen towels.
When I came back, Lena took the towels from me and started to thoroughly wipe Roberto’s pants. Watching this whole ridiculous situation, I barely managed to contain my smile. On one hand, I naturally felt pity for my coworker, but on the other, the entire scene was so funny. Lena was kneeling on the ground, wiping Roberto’s thigh while he was shouting, “Dammit, dammit, dammit all to hell.”
When she’d wiped away the very last drop of coffee, Lena apologized yet again and left.
Roberto looked at me angrily. “Don’t tell me you found this funny.”
“Sorry. It’s just that…” I trailed off, seeing his eyes narrowed in anger. “Can’t you see she likes you?” I blurted out.
“I can see she has butterfingers. Luckily, my pants are black and the stain doesn’t show much.”
“She simply gets anxious in your presence. How have you not noticed? I don’t get it.”
Roberto turned his head to me. “What are you trying to say?”
“You know full well. Don’t you like her?”
He sat on his chair, leaned back, and replied, amused, “Have you decided to find me a girlfriend?”
“Not really. I don’t want meddle. I just think she’s pretty cool,” I said, trying to justify myself.
A satisfied smile emerged on his lips. “She’s cute, but not as cute as you.”
I scowled, turned my head to my computer, and logged in. “Yeah, yeah, my beauty is like the sun shining down on the earth,” I said sarcastically without looking at him. I knew Roberto liked me, but there could be nothing between us other than friendship. I couldn’t imagine being intimate with him.
“To be honest, Alexia, I also think Lena is a cool chick,” he admitted.
My face glowed with joy. “I would’ve been surprised if you didn’t.” I turned back to him.
“But don’t you think she might go back to Sweden?” he replied and crossed his arms, lost in thought.
His words surprised me. I saw Roberto as a man who always knew what he wanted and looked for in life. He was self-confident and wouldn’t stop at anything, but now he looked uncertain. I’d never seen him like this before.
“Well, Alexander doesn’t know either whether one day I’ll decide to go back to the States, but he’s with me.” My lips were dry, so I licked them. I hadn’t had anything to drink since I’d arrived at work. I raised my bottle of mineral water and saw it was empty.
“Let me pour you some of my water.” Roberto approached me and filled a glass. I drank it at once, while he continued. “Alexia, I’m not Alexander… You know I’m quite sensitive.”
“Why do you think he isn’t?” I replied sharply. “Look, since I’ve been with him, I’ve not thought about going back to the States. Anyway, Lena has a crush on you. And she’s not eighteen—she’s mature and knows what she wants in life.”
“As usual, you’ve managed to persuade me, but it’d be your fault if I were to break her heart,” he said, sniggering.
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s my fault.” I pretended to scowl. I knew he was kidding.
* * *
At noon, I met up with Sebastian and we went to the nearby Japanese restaurant for sushi. We sat at one of the free tables, ordered our Food and I asked him in worry, “How are you?”
He looked quite worn out and his eyes were puffy.
Has he been overdoing it with the sleepless nights and nightlife?
“We’ve had a lot of work this week. I’m exhausted, but you look stunning as always,” he tried to compliment me.
“Thanks.”
God, I had no idea how to act around him. There was no problem before—we always had a good time together. We poked fun at each other, laughed. I could touch his shoulder, even hug him, without wondering whether he would get the wrong idea. But now, after he’d admitted how he felt about me, I felt awkward talking to him.
“Alexia, I’m sorry about my behavior. I don’t know what came over me. I’d clearly had too much to drink. I hope you’re not still mad at me.” He scratched his eyebrow nervously.
“To be honest, I was furious then, but I got over it.” I couldn’t stay mad at him for long. We’d known each other for ages after all.
“At the party, you were dancing with Alexander Kraftberg. Are you with him? I mean, are you two an item?”
“Yes,” was all I said. I could see in his eyes he was crushed. He’d never before shown in any way he liked me. We just partied together, and he never stopped kidding around, but now…
Is he just jealous of Alexander?
“Are you happy being with him?”
“I think so, yes.”
I myself was very uncertain about our relationship and didn’t trust Alexander. I knew he’d never been in a serious relationship before, and I had no idea how long he would be able to satisfy his sexual appetite just with me. Still, Sebastian was the last person with whom I would share my fears, which is why decided to withhold the truth.
“Next week, I’m going on a business trip to New York and Boston. Do you want to send something to your father through me?” He looked at me distractedly.
Dammit, he really didn’t look well. I wanted to tell him to take better care of himself, but how…?
“It’s very nice of you to offer, but I can’t think of anything right now.”
“Okay, if you remember something, give me a call. You know I’d do anything for you.”
I smiled at him politely.
During lunch, I tried to steer the conversation toward his cousin Lily and her new boyfriend Marco, but he knew no more about them than I did. Before we went our separate ways, I hugged him, but we didn’t give each other pecks on the cheeks like usual.
While we were hugging, I whispered in his ear, “Promise me you’ll take good care of yourself.” I had to say something—I couldn’t feign indifference.
A shy ghost of a smile appeared on his face.
“And no smoking weed. Please. It’s not good for your health, Sebastian.”
“I’ll try, but I don’t know if I’ll manage.” He stroked my shoulder.
“Bye and have a good time in the States.”
“Thanks. Bye, Alexia.”
* * *
It was six when I came out of the bank. I felt my pulse quickening. I was excited like a schoolgirl about seeing him again, the gorgeous Alexander Kraftberg who drew the eyes of all women. I hadn’t imagined even in my wildest dreams that I could meet such an incredible man and he would want to be with me.
The Rolls Royce stopped in front of me, and Henry came out to open my door. I greeted him and climbed into the back next to Alexander. I threw my arms around his neck, excited and beaming with happiness.
“Mmm, I’m glad to see you’ve missed me too, baby.” He kissed me on the lips. “How was your day?”
“It was mostly fine, but I had very long meetings and mountains of work. How about yours?”
“It was a good day. All my meetings went very well.”
I leaned on his shoulder and intertwined my fingers with his.
After we picked up the small luggage case I’d prepared this morning from my apartment, we went to Alexander’s house in Küssnacht. A woman of around fifty with short chestnut hair and brown eyes met us in the anteroom. She was wearing a dark-b
lue short-sleeved dress. I instantly liked her.
“Good evening, Mr. Kraftberg,” she greeted him politely.
“Mrs. Schmidt, meet my girlfriend, Alexia Welson.” Then he turned to me. “Alexia, this is the woman who takes care of my house.”
Mrs. Schmidt smiled at me and I noticed she was sincere. “It’s nice to meet you.”
We shook hands. “Me too.”
“Mrs. Schmidt, we don’t have much time. Did you manage to pack my things? Did you buy everything on the list I gave you?” he asked her seriously.
“Of course, Mr. Kraftberg. Everything you asked for has been taken care of. May I ask if you’re having dinner here?”
“Are you hungry?” He gave me a questioning look.
“Not particularly.”
“Okay. In that case, I say we have some food quickly and then leave. Excuse me for a while—I have to go and get changed.” He kissed me on the cheek and went upstairs.
I went to sit on one of the chairs at the dining table.
When he reappeared five minutes later, Alexander was wearing worn jeans, which nicely highlighted his tight butt and muscular thighs. His dark-grey T-shirt very clearly outlined the size of his biceps. He looked incredibly sexy, young, and carefree, and this made me hold my breath. He noticed I was gawping at him and smiled faintly. He was well aware of the huge effect his incredible looks had on women.
Reluctantly, I turned my eyes away from him and looked around his kitchen. It was equipped with all the latest appliances. The dream of every housewife. My eyes scanned the numerous glossy white cupboards, the massive double fridge, and the two ovens, one of which was for steam roasting. The kitchen worktop was made of expensive black granite. Four high chairs were arranged around an island bar. The numerous small lights on the ceiling added a certain coziness to the atmosphere.
Mrs. Schmidt had cooked chicken with rice, mushrooms, and steamed vegetables. It was truly delicious, and I wolfed it all down.
“You said you weren’t that hungry,” Alexander teased me, but he was looking at me tenderly.
“I’ve never had such tasty rice before.” I wiped my lips with the napkin.
“I’m happy to hear it,” said Mrs. Schmidt while taking away my empty plate.
After we finished eating, we went down to the garage. My eyes were wandering between the Rolls Royce, the Bentley, the Range Rover, and the three Ferraris—one black four-seat model and two two-seat versions in silver and red. I’d never seen such a collection of luxury cars, except perhaps at car shows. In the States, we had three cars—for me, my dad, and his wife—but six…? And just for one man…? That was too many.
“Why do you have three Ferraris? Are we taking the silver one?” I asked curiously. Henry was already putting our luggage in the trunk.
“So I always have one at my disposal. If something malfunctions, there’s a long wait until the replacement part arrives from Italy,” he replied, opening the car’s passenger door for me.
I gave him the sweetest look I could and asked him excitedly, “I absolutely adore sports cars. Will you let me drive it for a while, please, please?”
Alexander chuckled heartily. “Okay, but don’t drive too fast.”
I threw my arms around his neck and showered him with kisses. “Th-ank… you.”
When I let go of him, I saw that Henry was looking at us, amused. He was clearly having fun with us. My sexy boyfriend gave me the car keys and said, “We have a roughly three-hour drive. It takes an hour to get to the Gotthard Tunnel. We should swap there.”
“Agreed.”
I got in and pressed the engine ignition button on the steering wheel, smiling in expectation of the typical Ferrari roar. My God, the noise… It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The sensation was indescribable.
“Wow,” I shouted. “It’s amazing.” My eyes shone like those of a small child who’d just gotten her first racing bike. Alexander stroked my cheek, and I briefly pressed my face against his warm palm, which felt like it was warming my soul.
“I love seeing you happy. Your face looks even more beautiful.”
I kissed his palm. He set up the navigation and we set off along the driveway. On the street, I stepped on the gas. The car shot away like an arrow.
“Not so fast! You’ll kill us both,” shouted Alexander.
“Sorry. I’ll be more careful. This car has really fast acceleration,” I said, attempting to make an excuse.
“Music?” He glanced at me questioningly, and I nodded in agreement. From the speakers came the voice of Alex Clare—it was the song “Too Close.”
“I love this song,” I said, giving him a quick smile. I love you…
I wanted to tell him, I really did… but I was afraid of scaring him off. I didn’t want him to see me as a millstone around his neck. Alexander had never been in a serious relationship, and I had no idea how he would react to those words.
“This is my brother’s favorite song,” he said.
I saw from the corner of my eyes that he was staring through the window, deep in thought, looking sad again.
What the hell? What’s up with him?
I’d noticed he became sad whenever he talked about his brother, but why? The curiosity was killing me, but I didn’t want to pressure him into answering questions. He didn’t want to share his sadness with me. Did he not trust me? My heart was hurting seeing him so down and introspective.
“What are you thinking about, Alexia? You look tense.” His voice was raspy.
“Nothing,” I mumbled.
“Nobody thinks about nothing.”
His remark made me chuckle for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right. I was just thinking how nice it would be if I could read your thoughts.”
“Yeah, I would also like to be able to know everything that’s going on in that beautiful head of yours.”
I looked at him and he admonished me, “Watch the road.”
“Okay, then. What’s the big deal…? I only glanced at you. Are you going to give me a lecture now?”
He sighed. “No, baby. I just don’t want us to crash.”
Alex Clare started to sing “Damn Your Eyes.”
“Whenever I hear this song, I think of you and see your green eyes right in front of me.”
“You’re just saying this to change the subject from my driving skills,” I carped at him, but the truth was it felt nice to hear those words.
“I wasn’t. You actually drive very well,” he whispered.
I glanced at him again and he gave me another dirty look. “Keep your eyes on the road. If you’re going to keep looking at me, let me drive.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t look at you again, even if you beg.”
I heard him laugh and it spread like a rush of warm water throughout my body. I’d fallen for him really hard. And how could I not? He wasn’t just incredibly handsome, but also an incredible lover, a gentleman, and oh… those eyes and soft lips that had kissed every inch of my body. My thoughts started to drift in the wrong direction.
“Concentrate on the traffic. This isn’t the time to daydream.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You heard me just fine. Your body and face have very obvious tells when you’re thinking about sex.”
I gaped and then quickly closed my mouth. You had to hand it to him—he was very observant.
11
The sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, scattering orange and pink shades across the sky. It was incredibly beautiful. While there was still enough light, I had another chance to enjoy the breathtaking natural landscapes of Switzerland coming into our view—pastel green fields, the Alps, which extended in all directions, and small waterfalls. I’d visited many other countries, but for me, Switzerland remained the most magical place of all.
Before we reached the big tunnel, I pulled up at a rest stop and we swapped places. When Alexander got behind the wheel, his iPhone rang. He reached into his jacket pocket and took it out.
/> “Kraftberg,” he said in that serious voice of his that made everyone obey.
I heard a muffled reply.
“Okay. And did you manage to get the permit?”
I sat there staring at him and couldn’t get enough of it. He spoke so confidently. God had given him everything—brains, resourcefulness, and such beauty.
Am I capable of keeping him just to myself? This question niggled at me.
“Good. Herzling, keep me posted. I want to be notified of every last detail about the project.” He hung up and turned on the ignition, lost in his thoughts.
It was clear to me that making all those millions involved a lot of hard work, stress, grief, and many hours on the job. It wasn’t easy to manage such a large empire, but it didn’t appear to pose that much of a problem for him.
I was asleep when we arrived. We hadn’t slept the night before and the fatigue took its toll.
“Alexia, baby, wake up. We’re here.” He was leaning over me and trying to wake me up gently.
“Where are we?”
“At Lake Como.”
I rubbed my eyes and looked at him drowsily. He flashed his twenty-four-carat smile, which sped up my awakening.
How can he be so sexy?
I stepped out of the car and my eyes paused at the yellow, two-story, Italian-style house.
“Is it yours?”
“It’s company property.”
“It’s very pretty.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said and took our suitcases out of the Ferrari’s trunk. Then he unlocked the door, switched on the lights, and held the door open for me.
The house was very spacious. The lounge and kitchen were on the ground floor, and on the top floor, Alexander said, there were three bedrooms and three bathrooms, including one with a jacuzzi. We also had a large swimming pool at our disposal.
The big panoramic windows showed a beautiful view of the lake at night. The interior design of the lounge was very stylish. All colors were in soft, pastel tones, which gave it a very comfortable and cozy atmosphere. In front of the massive, beige, L-shaped sofa, there was a low, ovoid glass table with golden legs, and a huge plasma TV was hanging on the wall opposite the table. On the right, there was an elegant fireplace, and on the left, a dining table with eight chairs. An island bar separated the kitchen from the lounge. It was made of green granite, as was the kitchen floor. Six high chairs in beige leather upholstery were arranged around the bar. The cupboards were in an ivory shade. I noticed the kitchen was furnished so well that someone could easily be living there permanently. Everything was so luxurious, shiny, and exquisite.