Fall in love with an assassin

Chapter 9

Belle went into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe. All her clothes were there. She thanked God she hadn't moved in too many things from her home, otherwise the only thing that left on that damned floor would have been ashes. She slipped on her favorite jeans short and headed to the kitchen where the man was cutting some meat. As she walked into the room she noticed how skillfully Nikolaj was slicing the meat. Belle imagined that he probably had a predisposition for knife too.

He was wearing a grey t-shirt with a V neckline; perfect on him. It was tight in the right spots, showing his figure with nonchalance.

Noticing a jar of pickled mushrooms, Belle proposed: "Can I give you a hand? I know how to cook pretty well."

"Oh, I know," he replied.

Belle just stood there imagining him behind some window observing her with binoculars or some other damned device, while she was cooking. Damn him! Belle thought.

Nikolaj realized she was pissed off from the expression on her face and added: "I want to try something different." He moved away from the counter, making room for her. Belle reluctantly went to the desk, but soon after she relaxed and started holding the cooking utensils.

The man, watching her closely, gave her half smile.

When Belle had finished preparing her mushroom sauce, she started cooking the meat and then poured the sauce over it in order to blend in all the flavors.

They sat down at the table and when Nikolaj tasted the meat, he couldn't help himself but to nod his head in a sign of approval and give her a reassuring smile.

"Excellent," he said.

"Thank you," she responded lowering her glimpse. "I like experimenting and creating new dishes. That's why I can cook quite well."

"Another thing I know, Belle" he said staring at her in between bites.

Of course, she thought, the only thing you have been doing is spying on me. How could you not know? How stupid am I! Shut up Belle, shut up!

"But there's one thing I don't understand," Nikolaj said. Belle put down her fork and gave him her fullest attention. He also stopped eating.

He talked to her while looking directly into her eyes. "How can you be so calm? I mean, I kidnapped you and keeping you captive in my house. And you seem as if it hasn't faced you. Do you realize what's happening? I want to make things clear: you are not a prisoner, I've already told you and I will not treat you like one if you do as I say. But I think you are handling this situation too lightly."

Belle didn't know what to say. She knew he was right, but didn't know why. Indeed, it was; up till that moment, she was acting as if she were staying at a hotel or living with a flatmate.

"I don't know," she answered sincerely. She looked deep into his eyes and Nikolaj knew the answer; they said more than a million words. He could see in her eyes, chocolate and milk colored, a red line of suffering. If Destiny had chosen her among the myriad of millions, then there was a reason.

Nikolaj certainly didn't believe in God; or at least not in God prophesized by the Church and institutions. He only believed in Destiny. That was his God. The God of Destiny; and at that moment he thanked God to have had her cross his path.

"Eat," he said noticing a note of nostalgia in Belle's eyes. "I have a surprise for you."

Belle lifted her face and looked at him straight in the eyes; he was smiling.

"A surprise? For me?" She asked lighting up.

Nikolaj pointed to her plate, which still wasn't empty, and she hurriedly finished eating while he stared at her amused. He didn't even know how long it had been since he smiled. Perhaps never. Perhaps the only time he smiled was circumstantial. That smile was real. Smiling for him was so strange that his face almost hurt. And to a woman... But he couldn't say no to that gorgeous face.