Romancing The Mob (ON HOLD)

Chapter II

Ch. 2

            Three days later, the incident was forgotten. Laura lounged in the upstairs library, doing some reading for her classes that were to resume when the summer vacation was over, when Carlos’s voice called to her from his room a few doors down. Sighing, Laura joined him in his room to find her father standing in a pair of slacks and socks, watching as a maid packed his suitcase. Carlos took a sip from a glass in his hand, by the color of it Laura guessed it was brandy. A little early to be starting on the spirits, but that was her father.

            “Yes Papa”

            “I must go to France for a while.” He stated, pulling on a white dress shirt and buttoning it. Laura leaned against his dresser facing him while he looked in the mirror and did up the buttons.

            “Okay Papa”

            “I shall expect you to be packed within the hour.”

            “Scusi?” Laura frowned, and Carlos was avoiding her eyes in the mirror.

            “You are coming with me, Laura, and there will be no arguing about it. Now, go to get changed and packed.”

            Laura said nothing, but went into her room and began to pack. Her father never took her on business trips, so why was he doing so now? Frowning, Laura began to absently put clothes into her suitcase. She was far from being old enough to stay at home by herself, and she was never really by herself was she? Always with maids, butlers, and apparently the head of security now following her every move. Laura scowled at the thought of Alexei Giovanni, he had to be the most awful, reproachable man she’d ever met! For this reason, Laura chose to ignore him when he showed up at the front door to drive them to the airport. She ignored him again as he settled into a seat not far behind hers in the plane, and she absolutely refused his help when pulling her suitcase up the stairs of the apartment building where her father’s flat in Paris was.

            Huffing, but refusing to show she was in need of help, Laura pulled her suitcase up each step as she went, finally sighing when she reached the top, and wheeling it in behind her. Carlos Santos was snapping orders in fierce Italian into his mobile, and completely forgot to hold the elevator for his one and only child. Having it close in her face, Laura groaned, exasperated, and hit the elevator doors with an open palm. Hearing a distinct clearing of the throat behind her, Laura stiffened, knowing exactly who it was. A long fingered hand reached out to press the up button for the elevator, something Laura should have done herself, and the elevator to the right of her sprung open. Flushing deep red, Laura ignored Alexei again, simply pulling her suitcase into the elevator and staring furiously at the doors until they closed, with just her and Alexei inside. The elevator did not move, and Laura realized she had no idea what floor the apartment was on. She hesitated for a moment, and then Alexei leaned past her to press the button for the top floor. His smell hit her like a freight train, bowling her over. He smelled strongly of a clean, masculine scent, purely his own, and also just a touch of Italian air, spicy and fragrant. Laura had to keep herself from swooning on the spot, and it didn’t help that his forearm brushed hers as he pulled his arm back, making her body come into sharp awareness. Horrified, Laura crossed her arms in front of her upon feeling her body swell and tighten, just at the proximity of him. She willed the elevator to move quickly, and when the doors opened, she breathed an audible sigh of relief and hurried off the elevator into an expansive suite. Having never been to her father’s Paris flat before, Laura looked around for a second, trying to guess which direction her room would be in. Her father was seen in a room off the living room, already on his computer with files open in front of him, oblivious to her existence, as always.

            “This way, signorina”. A throaty voice said, making the hair on Laura’s arms stand up, and she stiffened as one of his beautiful hands took her bag from her and lifted it with ease, showing her the way to her room. Laura followed him down a hallway which contained two rooms. The room at the end of the hall opened into a pleasant enough, but obvious guest room, not a room for a daughter. The room next to hers was a study of sorts, with a heavy looking chase lounge and a large window. Alexei placed her suitcase on the bed and then turned to her. Laura’s eyes met his for a moment, and she took in a sharp breath. For a moment, just a second really, she could have sworn she had seen want in those dark blue pools, lust. But it was just as easily gone, replaced by pools of emptiness on an expressionless face.

            “Signorina” Alexei inclined his head to her before walking around her and leaving the room, closing the door part way. Laura let out her breath and put a hand to her racing heart. Oh my, that man did strange things to her.