DEADLY PASSIONS

Chapter 1

2019
Lucian and Alicia
Lucian stepped out of the conference room a bit tensed up. It was becoming harder to strike a deal with Andermans. He decided he needed a breather, and his mind immediately snapped to Alicia. He smiled despite himself, he shouldn't be thinking positively, but he couldn't fight his thoughts. He swiped his card over her door and stepped in. Her office was adjoined to his, after all, she was his personal assistant. Her table sat at the extreme end and files sat in a neat pile at one side.
   "Alice.." He called.
Silence. He looked around one more time and stepped to ask the secretary
   "No idea" she said without looking from her computer. Great! Now she disappears just like that! He thought to himself before disappearing out of the room. He was afraid,  what if...what if she did what she did last time...no, he shouldn't be thinking like this, he should be happy that she'd maybe run away, but a part of him refused to be happy with the thought.
Her apartment stood towards the edge of town, it didn't take long to reach there, and he was only hopeful. Her car was not at her usual spot, oh no.
  The door was slightly slammed shut and the moment he stepped in, Suzie, the home girl recognized him.
  "Welcome home Lucian" she rang out. He paid no attention to her and turned to the kitchen, untouched, no sign of her either. It was past six pm, she was as much aware of her curfew as her punishment for being late, but right now, he could only think of finding her. He stepped back in the living room and eyed the bowl of stones where she usually dumped her car keys, nothing. Eyeing the stair case, he thought he'd take a leap of faith, hoping she might be there,  thoughts of an empty wardrobe and scattered clothes filled his mind. He shut his eyes, no, not this time please. Rose oil scent and Franco Asian scents hit his nostrils, he smiled, that was her bath gel. The floor was neatly littered with silk and nylon and a bit of small lace on the bed. He fingered the lace and picked it, bringing it to his face. She smelt heavenly, he thought as he inhaled the fabric. Through the blurry walls, he could make out her body shape from the én suite bathroom. Naturally, his heart adopted a gentle bit, then a faster one as blood rushed down to his south, how he wished to take her instantly.
Grey, and more grey and black fell into an expensive heap on the floor as he stripped, willing and dying to join Alicia. She stood there, under the steaming water, lather flowing down her body. Lucian took in a sharp breathe, devouring her sight, yes, he hated her so much that it was stretching to love, and now, he wanted to fuck the day lights out of her, for worrying him off.
  "Foxy" his voice was deep and husky. She turned and her huge innocent blue eyes met his. Had she been crying? He could see their change in colour. Some tiny part of him was happy, yes, she was in pain, and he loved this.
   "You made me look everywhere for you" she could barely breathe as he held her so tight, squeezing her. "Do you know that's not my role" he said, squeezing her even tighter. She sniffed a cry, she could not give him the satisfaction of being in pain, no, she'd to be strong. It was all water splattering around them.
   "Thought I'd surprise you" she mumbled. Honestly, she just thought she would disappear from him as soon as she could and that's why she'd disappeared the moment the meeting had been dismissed. Her words however had an effect on him.
   "Not a nice surprise Foxy" he whispered, loosening his grip over her and moving his hands over to her breasts. She could feel his hardness over her thighs. "And now, you might have to get punished for that" he said it even more huskily, bit her neck and pushed her to the wall. Their eyes met for a micro second before his lips crushed on hers, his hands pinning hers above her head, God, he loved to do this, and she wanted so much of him, moaning as he pressed his hardness over her, no, she was losing to him, she was a lake for him, and he would drain her, only more beautiful disasters were up ahead.

Alicia sat on her bed, looking at the crumpled sheets and remembering the past few minutes, Mr. Love maker. She hated her body for being so weak towards his touch. Her body responded so perfectly to his touch, she moaned when he touched her yet her heart and conscience warned her not to. Some day she knew she would be out of all this charade, she just had to be patient, wait for her mum to heal, for her sister to graduate, then maybe. It was all silence, no footsteps, no music, nothing. Alicia gathered a sheet around herself and found her way to his room. It was empty, he had only dropped his previous clothes and taken others. He must be out with Camilla, her inner self told her. She winced, despite hating him so much, she couldn't afford the thought of him hanging out with another woman, making love to her the way he did to her. She deserved this alone, she thought. The only thing she did not hate Lucian about was how he fucked her, because it was not love making, it was just sex, simply sex, amazing good sex. Yes, that was it. Catching her reflection in the mirror that stood a few steps away, she stared back at herself, looking at the red marks over her neck and breasts that were part covered by her almond locks. Goosebumps formed on her skin looking at the hickeys, thinking of him. Her eyes rose to her face and her eyes stared back at her, sad empty eyes, sad because of him. She hated herself for what she did to him, she truly did.

Lucian stared blankly at the wine glass that delicately sat on the table. He toyed around with the sapphire that wound its way around his finger, his mind whirling in thoughts, stuck in the in between of lust and hate. It was coming close to midnight but he had no plans of going back home, not back to Camilla, although his mind dragged him back to Alicia.
  "Fought with Camilla again?" Howard asked as he returned back to the table. Lucian took a swig of his scotch and winced as he let it burn its way down his gut, burning continuously to his stomach. He looked up at his best friend and nodded, just to avoid further questions though he hated to lie to him. "How's it going with Alicia?, have you told her?"
   "I can't, just not yet"
Howard looked at him intently, and shook his head, this was not the Lucian he knew.
   "Why?"
   "She..." He stopped, running short of the right words to use. "I don't know, there is just this part of me that..."
   "Wont let go?" Howard cut him. "You are in love bro"
   "No, you know that is not possible."
    "You've hurt her enough, let her go"
    "You forget what she did to me" Lucian replied sharply. Howard shook his head and took a gulp.
   "You are in love with her"
Lucian looked up at his best friend and said firmly
    "Can never be me, not in a million years". He meant it but the reality portrayed something different. Of course, he couldn't, no, shouldn't love Alicia, not after the mess she had put him through, not with her social status and yet some how, Camilla seemed to push him to her, or was he using Camilla as an excuse? Camilla got on his nerves all the time, and he was finding it harder to keep his cool around her. Her business ideas were insane and yet his parents seemed so pleased to have her around although he knew she would make a terrible wife, and now, he was engaged to her. He knew he was being unfair to Alicia, his hatred and anger blinded him. Pride came in his way of forgiveness, and she had melted all those barriers, made him realise what he was doing was wrong, but that meant letting her go. Freedom, yes, that's what she needed, she deserved to be loved, to love someone and live normally and yet he could not grant her that chance. She was his personal assistant, that was his easiest way yo keep a close watch on her and treat her in which ever way he wished. It was reparation for her mistakes, an offer at the same time, after all, what was redemption and retribution?
  "Stop fighting it" Howard replied, looking absently.
  "I love Camilla"
   "Did we come here for you to lie straight to my face?" A dry laughter left Howard's lungs. "Cm on, you and I know better than that. Don't let old Charlie drive you nuts, here, drink up, you should be in a better mood before I send you back to your women"
Lucian smiled lightly over the statement, then a warm feeling filled him up upon remembering the evening, and then frowned again. He was losing his guard, the night was going to be a long one.
  "Do you think Cam is a good idea?" He asked, suddenly thinking of an idea.
   "For old Charlie and for the the company, she is a gold mine, for you..." He shook his head and laughed.
   "What?"
   " you definitely don't want to hear my opinion " Howard laughed rather too loudly. Lucian could read his answer through, but on the other hand, he couldn't let Kaylan Wittle win over this, and for the hundredth time, he wished for his own father's death.

Alicia let the cold wind sting her skin as she stepped out into the darkness, looking for a taxi. She'd thought of driving herself but she didn't want to give the landlord the impression that she was living in sophistication, least he might raise the rent. In an hour, they had rolled into Byron's. Lights were still on and she knew everyone was awake.
She rang the door bell once and no one answered. Taking a few seconds off, she rang again and waited as footsteps began to near. Instead of Clarissa or her mum answering the door, it was a new woman. Probably the new nurse, she thought.
   "How may I help you?" The blonde asked.
   "Came to see mum, you must be the new nurse, I suppose"
The woman frowned and shook her head. "Wrong address girl" she said turning.
  "No, my family lives here" Alicia said, pushing the door. The woman stood and blocked the way.
   "They lived here"
  "What do you mean?" She was shaking. They couldn't have been thrown out, she had cleared the bills.
    "They moved, three days ago" she replied impatiently and slammed the door shut. Alicia banged at it again. The woman opened, she looked agitated. "What" she half yelled, half snapped.
     "Sorry, but did they leave any address?"
    "No" she snapped and shut the door to her face. Great she thought as she stood exonerated. She tried dialing her mum's number, nothing, same to Clarissa and Xander.
Lucian! She thought, having a hunch he might have something to do with it, much as she had never told him of her parents new address, but he had the means to find out, if he wanted to, and that is exactly what she thought he might have done. She needed go get back, she only wondered why her sister or brother hadn't called to let her know they were moving, but where to!