Fall in love with an assassin

Chapter 7

When opened her eyes, Belle realized that she has emerged in the dark. She moved involuntary and felt that her arms were blocked by something soft and heard a creaking as if she were tied to an object made of metal. Perhaps a grille... She only realized afterward that she was lying on her back, arms and legs tied to the railing of the bed. She tried to free her arms but they were spread too far apart from each other and she couldn't untie the knots. Her legs, instead, were still sedated by that damned substance.

Belle froze suddenly, as she heard footsteps walking towards her. Someone was coming from another room. He was moving confidently and with ease in the dark. She wondered if she was in a blind room. She opened her eyes, but the only thing she could see were scattered spots.

The footsteps moved in closer; they were much louder and she tried to free herself. Her kidnapper had a noisy and powerful stride. Maybe he was wearing dress shoes. Loafers or something of that sort. When the footsteps ceased, Belle felt the man's presence. He was standing next to her.

She knew for sure that he could see her and she couldn't.

She felt him sit down next to her and grab her face. He grasped her chin turning it to his direction. He was surely staring at her face, but Belle could only see a grey shape and so she squinted her eyes.

"Open your eyes" he ordered coldly.

She felt her heart beat faster and obeyed reluctantly. He stared at her as if he wanted to be sure that the drug was wearing off. Her pupils were dilated but even if she was staring at him, she couldn't see him. Soon she would get her sight and strength back, but Nikolaj had tied her to the bed so that she couldn't escape. It was down and the sun peeped through the small glass window above the iron side of the bed.

"Untie me, please" Belle said almost begging. She tried to use whatever strength she had at that moment so that she wouldn't let on that she was scared.

Nikolaj just stood there watching her for a moment, pondering on her words. He could have untied her for the time being; she wasn't going anywhere anyway. Besides his 'apartment' was soundproof, with double glass, barred windows, a flawless alarm system and it was located in the middle of nowhere. Or at least that's what he wanted to believe. No one could find him without the right coordinates. He bent over towards Belle and untied her arms while tasting her sweet and citrusy perfume. Then he untied her ankles and when turned back to look at her, he realized how beautiful she was. He had placed his jacket on her chest and the only garment he had left on was his shirt.

Belle's long legs stuck out under the jacket, naked, as if she were wearing nothing underneath. Her arms just laid there all curled up on the pillow and her head bent over to the side with her hair blending the pearl white pillowcase.

Nikolaj sat on the bed and bent over slowly onto his prisoner. Belle could feel his every move; she knew he was close to her face; she could feel his breath on her neck.

The man was smelling her. She had a perfume that he had never smelt before. That essence was like a concentrate of hormones. Perhaps if he had kept her tied up on that bed when he was able to complete a mission, she might not have infiltrated in his thoughts. From the first time he had seen her, she had only caused him troubles. Yet, there she was; more defenseless than ever. In his hands. He felt like a puppeteer at the thought of how easy it had been for him to kidnap her.

He stroked her face with his palms, studying it very carefully as if he were in the dark and could not see her. Her cheeks and lips were red. She looked as if she were one fairy tale's characters. Her hair stilled smelt of shampoo even if hours ago she was immersed in a cloud of smoke.

Belle wasn't motionless to his delicate but at the same terrifying touch. God knows how many people those hands had killed. And those eyes, she couldn't see but knew they were staring at her, who knows how many lives they had seen fade away. This thought made chills go up to her spine. The thought of not being able to move, powerless, on the killer's bed, made her heart beat faster.