A Woman's Empire

XVIII

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Their time in Italy was slowly coming to an end and Audrielle was slightly upset about having to leave the magical house that overlooked the vineyard. But what really made her not want to leave was the fact that as soon as they land in America, reality would hit and Leo would become the cold hearted, sexy, tuxedo wearing monster he was born to be. Plus it didn't help calm Audrielle's nerves that she has to get used to living under the same roof as Christian.

Leo and Audrielle had spent the morning lying in bed snuggled in each others warm embrace as the sun rose and casted sun rays of pink and blue through the open French doors.

They seemed to be a happy couple again and if a stranger saw them, they would not even suspect that they had recently had a falling out. Leo ran his fingers gently through Audrielle's long brunette hair as she lied on his chest, her little warm breaths of air tickling the very few chest hairs he had.

"We better get dressed, my mother will be expecting us very soon and we don't want to be late." Audrielle looked puzzled as Leo started to pry her manicured hands from his body.

Leo bent down, smiled and kissed Audrielle's forehead as she pulled the blankets away from her body. "Stella's excited to meet you." Leo mentioned, thinking about his little sister. Audrielle smiled, rolling out of the bed and wrapping her favourite silk robe around her petite waist.

Breakfast was prepared for them and instead of hitting the gym like what Leo had been doing everyday, he decided to have a swim with Audrielle instead. When 11am struck, Audrielle hopped out of the pool and headed for a quick shower to rinse off the smell of chlorine before getting ready for the lunch. When Leo finished doing lengths of the pool, he thought of joining Audrielle in the shower, but hesitated. It had only been a week and Leo promised to take their relationship slow and steady so they could truly make it work.

Leo ran the towel against his back and then dried his face and hair before lazily wrapping the towel around his swimming shorts before walking back into the house. When he walked into the bedroom, Audrielle had just gotten out of the shower and was drying her hair.

By the time Leo had finished showering and they were both dressed, it was already eleven thirty and Camilla was expecting them before twelve.

"Are you ready?" Leo asked Audrielle who sat at the vanity mirror applying red lipstick. Leo leaned against the door frame and watched Audrielle spray her wrist and neck with perfume. He couldn't believe that Audrielle was his wife. She was an angel who had fallen from heaven and just so happened to land in his arms. He knew that deep down he didn't deserve her because she was too kind for the world that him and his family were going to drag her into but he was too selfish to let her go. He shuddered and clenched his fists when he thought of Audrielle being with someone else, someone a lot more relaxed, kind and gentle.

"You look beautiful." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a delicate kiss. Audrielle gasped, startled by the sudden touch of intimacy that he was showing.

"T-Thank you." She blushed, pulling away from his grasp so she could drag her purse. The couple walked out of the house and into the courtyard where the car had been parked for them, ready and waiting. The baby blue Rolls Royce glistened in the intense sun and Audrielle had to squint her eyes, to see where she was going. Her heels clacked against the pavement and Leo opened the door, holding it so Audrielle could get in. She thanked him as he walked to the other side of the car, opening up his door before bending down and hopping in. One thing that Audrielle had picked up on while they were driving here, was that Leo seemed to 'forget' about wearing his seatbelt. She was going to politely ask if he could put his seatbelt on, just in case something was to happen, like a car crash, but decided not to, as it was his choice to be safe or not and she didn't want to start an argument.

The car roared to life and Leo slammed on the accelerator, causing Audrielle to jolt back in her seat from the sudden movement. As they drove to Camilla's house, Leo places one hand on the steering wheel and the other on Audrielle's bare thigh, rubbing small circles with his thumb. He seemed relaxed and not worried about anything but Audrielle was the complete opposite. She was overthinking everything. Was Leo trying to send her signals, like maybe he is ready to take the relationship to the next level?

Before Audrielle could even blink, they pulled into a long driveway and drove up it until they reached a house. It wasn't as big as Leo's and it didn't look modern. It definitely screamed Italian and Audrielle admired how cute it looked. As Audrielle stepped out of the car, Camilla squealed and ran up to Audrielle, pulling her in for a tight hug before kissing her cheeks.

"Mamma..." Leo warned and Camilla stood back, giving Audrielle some space but Audrielle couldn't help but notice a little girl, around the age of five run out of the house.

"Leone!" The little girl screamed, running up to Leo and jumping on him as he lifted her up in the air. Leo chuckled as Audrielle watched the girl squeal when he threw her up in the air and caught her.

(Translation: Lion)

"Careful!" Camilla growled and the toddler pouted, looking at her mother. But the young girl's eyes glowed when she saw Audrielle.

"Leo! It's your girlfriend! Put me down!" She yelled and Leo put her onto her feet before she ran into Audrielle's legs. Audrielle was not ready and stumbled back before giggling.

"You smell really good." Stella sighed as her bright blue orbs looked up at Audrielle's face. Audrielle smiled warmly just when she felt Leo wrap an arm around her waist.

"What's for lunch?" Leo asked as he ushered Audrielle into the house. When they walked in, they were greeted with a delicious aroma that made her stomach growl. Camilla followed closely behind the couple, leading them to the dining table that sat in the center of the room. The bi-fold doors were wide open, letting fresh air flow through and Audrielle could tell that Leo's mother's home was a lot more kid friendly than his. There weren't any fancy vases on display or expensive paintings that hung on the crisp white walls.

"Leo, what's your girlfriend's name?" Stella suddenly whispered. Leo grinned, bending down and whispering in the adorable little girls ear.

"Her names Audrielle, and she's my beautiful wife." He smiled and Audrielle's heart fluttered.