The Tycoons Unexpected Virgin

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After Atty dragged her down to the gathering she left Gracie on her own on the balcony to go and find her husband telling Gracie that she would be right back. Gracie was left looking out over the busy and joyful group of people gathered on the edge of the small orange grove at the back of the house. The sweet citrus smell washing over her senses adding to the dreamy quality of the afternoon. The laughter of children playing hide and seek drifted over the talk of the adults sitting in groups dotted around in the shade. Gracie overlooked the entire gathering from her vantage point, as she focused on the groups of adults and children in turn she saw the family resemblance carried through. The shape of an eye, the tilt of a nose, even the same gesture of running their hand through their hair Gracie saw everything duplicated. Gracie wanted to turn around and run back home to London. She was no actress. She had never dreamt of a life on stage. Be here she was about to put on a the performance of her life. A lightning flash of anger shot through her as she thought About Alexi. Why would he ever want to deceive his family, and to make her do it on her own. She wanted to walk up to him and scream in his face that he was a jerk and a coward.

Gracie smoothed down her dress. There was no helping it she knew she would have to move forward. Hiding up here in the balcony would be useless. She felt awkward and beautiful at the same time. Atty chosen her dress and done her hair, she felt better than she had after the people in London salon finished with her. When she left the London salon she had felt pampered and luxurious but some how fake, like she was pretending to be in her own skin. Somehow the things that Atty had done had left her felling nice, like a flower wild flower left to bloom out in the feilds surrounded by nature rather than a tropical flour forced to bloom out of season in a stifling green house. She looked naturally after Atty had finished with her, she felt like a prettier better version of herself. Her hair was in a fishtail braid running loosely down her back and she had decided to wear one of the necklaces that Atty had lent her, a beautiful set of silver bells. Every time she moved she heard a beautiful sweet jingling sound that brought a smile to her face. She took a couple of steps off of the balcony and down towards the rest of the people.

One child came running towards her laugh sweetly and looking behind him, quickly followed by three equally boisterous little boys.

"Catch Me, Catch Me!!" the fist one chanted laughing as he ducked behind Gracie. Their joyful screams of excitement brought a smile to her face. Their happiness was infectious. Bringing a huge smile and sense of excitement to her.

"Woah, Woah, Woah!! Slow down guys or you'll hurt yourselves," Gracie said with a laugh spinning around with the children and circling around with them. The boys slow down and look up at her.

"Will you come and play," one of the little boys said on lilting english with the most adorable lisp.

"We want to play Stop Light!!" another boy said looking up at her pleadingly.

"Please, Please, Please!!" another boy pleaded pulling her hand trying to tug her down the stairs towards the orchard. Nodding her head while laughing she allowed the children to tug at her hands and her dress and drag her down towards the open ground in front of the orchard. More children came to join them and Gracie ended up orchestrating a big game involving almost all of the little ones for well over an hour. The simple joy and laughter provided in the care free fun made all of Gracies previous worries float away.

Alexi stood watching her for a distance under the shade citrus trees. The same trees he had climbed as a boy while playing with his cousins and running about like little savages, just like his little cousins where now. Looking at them he know they probably would never want to let this new fun distraction go. He could not help but think how beautiful she looked. So natural and free. She was twirling about and laughing with the children like an old toy everyone knew a loved. A solid fixture in the senery. Usually all the kids stayed away from strangers but they immediately took to her like ducks to water despite the language barrier.

Watching Gracie with the sun glinting off of her hair and just brought up more thoughts he knew should never be crossing his mind. He flicked those thought away with a little grimace. Alexi knew he could never be that person. He tainted all that he touched, but he could make up for the way she had been insulted earlier.

"If you star any harder cousin, you'll burn a hole through her dress." Atty whispered in his ear as she leaned in to his shoulder.

Alexi just flicked his gaze over to his cousin and then back to Gracie not wanting to miss a second of the joy shining through on her face.

"She is a truly wonderful girl you know."

A small hum in agreement was all the answer Alexi was willing to give in return.

"She is sweet and beautiful on both the inside and the outside and so very innocent..." Atty let that tapper off pausing for a moment to let the words sink in, " so innocent that i have trouble believing this are really serious between you two."

Alexi's silence spoke volumes, he knew that any answer he gave would add fuel to the fire. When being interrogated by a woman looking for answers silence was the only safe pathway to freedom.

"I think that Gracie is such a lovely person that she deserves the world form a relationship and someone that will fight to make sure that every day she keeps the beautiful innocent glow that shines through with her." Catching sight of her husband Atty lifts her hand to wave at him holding their little girl. Her heart just overflowed with love watching her two favourite people in the world enjoying the sunshine together. He was such a proud papa and barley let anyone go of his little cherub. Leaving the shade of the tree and moving towards her family atty looks back at her cousin.

"She deserves to be happy, if your not willing to do that step back and let someone else take your place."

Alexi felt a growl build up in his chest. The thought of someone else taking charge of Gracies life was very unpleasant. It triggered something primal in him. The urge to control and posses was overwhelming. Attys words made him want to go farther with Gracie not pull back. Seeing her playing with the children and thinking about what a good mother she would make coupled with the memories of her in only a towel pressed against his maleness with so little separating the two of them left him in a distinctly uncomfortable position. He had not been able to full cool down all afternoon, all of his thoughts kept drifting back to the moment he wanted to repeat. And seeing her glowing and playing with the children should have dampened his Adour. It would have for any other woman but with Gracie it was different. She was different.

Off in the distance the lunch gong started to bomb summoning the family to eat. The children took Gracie's hand and moved towards the tables fighting to see who got to sit next to their new favourite person. Alexi straightened up moving to intercept them.

"Go along now, I will take care of her from here."

The children moaned in unison knowing that they would be losing Gracie to Alexi for the rest for the rest of the evening, letting go of her hands and her skirts and any other part of her they were holding on to the children started to move away finding their parents to go and eat. Alexi felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down at one of his very young cousins, "Will you let the lady come and play with us later."

"Maybe latter, after we have all eaten, you know what will happen if we don't sit down for dinner Nona will get angry."

The little boy quickly nodded. "No one wants to see Nona mad."

"Now go find your mima, she will get you a plate for lunch." The children took off laughing, their simple sounds of joy bouncing around enough to bring a grin to the most stern of faces. Alexi and Gracie watch as the children run off in to the distance leaving the two of them standing in awkward strained silence. The tension stretching out between them as taunt as a piano wire, taking her hand Alexi starts to lead her towards the long benches sheltered underneath the fragrant citrus trees. Grace caught snippets of conversation as they passed his family member going towards a destined point he did not seem inclined to share with her.