Limits of Destiny (Volume 1) (7 page)

“Poor boy. He was definitely secretly in love with you,” slipped in Alexander and looked at me, eyes sparkling.

“I have no idea.” I pulled up the strap of my bikini. “What about you? Who did you kiss for the first time and when?” I was also interested in finding out more about him.

“At the age of thirteen. The girl was in one of the older classes. I don’t recall her name. It was very exciting, though I’m not sure whether I did it properly.”

Oh, I have no doubt you did very well…

Alexander leaned toward me. “Tell me whether I do it well.” He merged his lips with mine and slid his tongue into my mouth.

I moaned.

“Does this mean
well
?” he asked and continued kissing me—slowly and gently but deeply.

“Mmm…” I grabbed his hair and pressed myself against him.

He smiled, his lips stuck to mine, and continued. “God, you’re so hot. I’m hard again. I feel like a teenager—with a constant erection—in your presence.” He pushed himself up from me and lay on his back.

“Are you complaining,” I ribbed him.

“Not at all, baby. It feels amazing.” He rubbed his face. “Let’s have lunch together tomorrow.”

Oh my God… Alexander Kraftberg is inviting me to lunch…

My heart started thumping, but my voice was calm when I asked him, “Is twelve good for you?”

“Even if it’s not, I’ll clear my schedule,” he said and turned to me. He propped his head on his elbow and ran his hand across my belly. His touch made my entire body tingle. I also couldn’t help but respond when he touched me. It was impossible. I was just too attracted to him.

“Look, I don’t want to get in the way of your business. We can reschedule for another day.”

“Henry will pick you up in the car at quarter to twelve, but I’ll call you beforehand so you don’t have to wait in the street if he’s late.”

My glance slid from his eyes to his lips, and I could barely keep myself from biting them. Those soft lips that had kissed me all over.

Oh, heavens… Right now, this incredibly sexy man is making a date with me for tomorrow…

“Fine.” I somehow managed to escape my thoughts and reply.

“Do you have any preferences for the meal? Is there something you don’t like?” He slid his index finger under my bikini strap, and I held my breath.

“If you’re ordering meat, I prefer chicken,” I said, panting. How could we talk about meat when a volcano was about to erupt inside me?

“Okay, I’ll keep it in mind. Now kiss me,” he tenderly ordered me.

Our lips merged, both of us trembling with desire. I embraced him and forcefully pulled him to me. If someone could see us, they would say we were behaving like insatiable teenagers. And they would have been completely right. It was just difficult as hell to keep our hands off each other.

This man simply drove me wild. This wasn’t normal. Nobody else could have such an effect on me.

“You’re an exceptional woman, Alexia… I think you’ve put a spell on me,” he whispered between kisses.

On the contrary, I’m the one who’s head over heels, not you…

I decided to crack a joke. “I think it’s more likely you’re having a sunstroke.”

“Having a sunstroke, huh?” He was unable to hide his smile. “And you’re not to blame for this at all?”

“No, I’m not.” I grinned and shook my head.

“Well, I believe you’re some kind of enchantress with stunning emerald eyes, who skillfully entraps every lost traveler.” His thumb gently stroked my face, which made the blood in my loins run more quickly.

“I don’t have any magic powers.” I cackled and splashed him with water. Both of us needed to cool our passions a little.

“Quite the opposite, you don’t even suspect how strong they are.” His eyes became dark blue and gleamed dangerously. He put his lips on mine in a deep and passionate kiss, and I gave myself to it entirely.

*     *     *

Time slipped by
imperceptibly, as if by the wave of a magic wand. We ordered in sushi and sat down for dinner on one of the terraces on the first floor. The view of the lake, suffused with the pinks and oranges of the sunset, was a true delight for the eyes and the soul.

After dinner, we lay down on the garden sofa. Snuggled together under a blanket, we watched the stars, talked, and made love. Alexander was incredibly gentle the entire time.

I felt lost. This exceptional man had managed to intoxicate me. There was no way to avoid falling for him. He was divinely handsome and, to top it all off, great in bed. What was not to love about him?

Alexander was twisting a lock of my hair around his finger when he said, “In two weeks, I have to fly out to Dubai, and I want you to come with me. Can you take a week off?”

“I don’t know… Isn’t everything moving too quickly?”

“I’m begging you, Alexia. I want to spend more time with you. Whether we’re here in Zurich or in Dubai, what difference does that make? The important part is for us to be together. I’ll show you the hotel I’m having built at the moment. I’ve decided to book a suite in Burj Al Arab.”

“Burj Al Arab? The seven-star hotel?” I asked, excited.

“Yeah, you’ll like it very much.”

I’d assumed when he went to Dubai, Alexander most likely stayed in one of the villas or apartments owned by his company. But the fact that he wanted to book a suite in the most exquisite and expensive hotel in Dubai because of me meant a lot to me.

Should I accept?

I stared into his deep eyes, which were staring back at me pleadingly, and couldn’t say no.

“Can I trust you? After all, the United Arab Emirates are thousands of miles away from Switzerland, and I hardly know you.”

He sensed a teasing tone in my voice and laughed. “Don’t you think it’s too late to consider that? You’ve already given yourself to me.”

“How do I know you haven’t decided to tie me up and lock me somewhere so you could have me just for yourself?” I was pulling his leg.

“Hmm… That sounds wonderful and so tempting.” He rubbed his chin, pretending to give serious thought to some devilish plan.

I giggled and nudged his shoulder. He also laughed. “What?” he asked in mock surprise.

“Don’t pretend you’re really thinking about it.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay then, I got a bit carried away,” he said, continuing to laugh. “It does sound tempting… but I won’t. I wouldn’t. Don’t worry.”

“Well then, I’ll see if I can arrange it. I think I stand a pretty good chance since I’ve done a lot of overtime.”

“Great.” He leaned over me and placed his soft lips on my shoulder.

It felt amazing to know the multimillionaire Alexander Kraftberg wanted us to spend more time together. He wanted me… not someone else, but me… My soul was radiant with joy.

*     *     *

At half ten
at night, I decided it was time to go home. We both had to get up early for work tomorrow, which was why I couldn’t delay my departure any longer, as much as I didn’t want to leave.

Alexander took me home in the car, driven by his chauffeur. He saved my cell phone number in his iPhone and told me he’d call to arrange lunch. I thanked him for the wonderful day, we kissed, and then I went into my apartment.

What a day…

I had a schoolgirl crush on Alexander Kraftberg and was in seventh heaven.

When I went to bed, I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. I twisted and turned in the bed, thinking back on everything that had happened since I met Alexander. Even though he wasn’t with me, I clearly saw his beautiful blue eyes, his stunning smile. I felt his soft lips on mine, his warm hands on my body. I heard his voice and inhaled his sweet scent.

I was curious if he was thinking about me as I did about him, if he was also having trouble falling asleep.

Imagining I was lying in his powerful embrace, I finally fell asleep, losing myself in sweet dreams.

*     *     *

Next morning, I
left for work at half past eight. My face was fixed in a permanent smile. I was excited about seeing the man—Alexander Kraftberg—who had unlocked and captured my heart, waking up the feeling I’d thought I would never experience—to fall in love.

I allowed myself the indulgence of wearing a satin dress in pastel green, which was a little shorter than the outfits I normally wore at work, but I knew it was sexy and brought out the green in my eyes.

My coworker Roberto Bottoni whistled appreciatively when he saw me. “Wow, Alexia! You look incredible today. Who’s the lucky guy?” He winked at me. His dark-brown eyes gleamed and his cheeky grin revealed his not-quite-straight teeth.

Roberto was of an average height, a little over 5’10”, and had curly black hair. He placed a lot of importance on his personal appearance, which was why he regularly went to the gym and always wore designer suits. To me, he was a typical Italian, despite hailing from the Italian part of Switzerland—Ticino.

“Roberto…”

“Okay, okay, I get it—you don’t want to kiss and tell. Fuck… I’m so jealous of him,” he said, scratching his perfectly manicured beard.

“Yes, I know you have a weakness for women,” I teased.

“Not for women in general—for beautiful women,” he specified.

I didn’t want him to ask me about Alexander, so I decided to steer the conversation toward yesterday’s party. “Speaking of women… Did you have a good time at the party yesterday?”

“I let off some steam,” he said frankly and looked at me with a satisfied smile.

His words left me dumbfounded.

“This kind of talk isn’t appropriate at the workplace,” I said, feigning shock. “You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Roberto and I knew each other very well, and he felt very comfortable talking to me about his love life. We trusted each other and had an implicit understanding that whatever we shared with each other wouldn’t be spread as gossip to anyone else.

“And when are you going to see each other again?” I asked, curious.

“We won’t. I don’t want to.”

“So you used her for one… you know, and you’re no longer interested.” I shook my head in disapproval.

“It’s your fault,” he blamed me, but I detected a playful tone in his voice.

“Me? What do I have to do with this?”

“What should I do if you don’t want me? And all other women pale in significance compared with you. It’s not my fault I can’t find anyone else like you.” He glanced at me facetiously.

“But you don’t even know whether you’d really be into me. It might turn out I’m not your type in bed at all,” I said, trying to get a rise out of him.

Roberto looked me up and down from head to toe, briefly pausing at my breasts. “I don’t believe that would be the case.”

“Roberto!” I scolded him.

He laughed heartily and lifted his hands in a not-guilty gesture. “At least give me the satisfaction of looking.”

“I’m not for sale,” I cut him off.

“Let’s go for a coffee,” he proposed.

“I’d love to.”

I left my bag in my locker and we went into the kitchen, which wasn’t too far from our workstations.

“Alexia, with these legs and this body, you could kill a man.”

I punched him lightly in the shoulder to signal my disapproval. “You know I’m not into older men, so there’s no danger of that.”

He laughed loudly. “So I’m too old for you, at my ancient thirty-three years.”

“I don’t think you’re dead just yet.” I also laughed and then continued. “Do you think my dress is too short for work? I want a truthful answer.” I looked at him quizzically.

“No, don’t worry. It’s quite sexy but stylish and elegant at the same time.” He winked at me. “Everything looks sexy on you. There’s simply no way for you to avoid attention.”

*     *     *

The morning passed
like a blur. We had a department meeting, at which I had to present the financial analysis I’d prepared. I was quite anxious about talking in front of all my colleagues, but the presentation went well on the whole. My boss, Tobias Brauner, was very satisfied, which was the most important part for me.

He and I were walking along the corridor toward the elevator, talking about the topics that had to be discussed at the next meeting. He was forty-two years of age, with brown eyes, brown hair, and slight stubble. It was always a pleasure talking to him because I always learned a lot during our conversations. The depth of his knowledge showed he’d gained a lot of experience and worked many years in the bank.

My phone rang, startling me. I thought it would be Alexander, but it was Lily. Disappointed, I pressed the red
decline
button.

I went back to my desk and immediately sent her a message. We arranged to meet at my place after work.

The nearer it got to noon, the tenser I became in my wait for Alexander to call me, to hear his voice. The growing excitement was making me feel hot even though I was wearing a thin silk dress and the air-conditioner was on.

It was almost two o’clock, but Alexander still hadn’t called. I felt an emptiness engulfing my heart. I felt used.

What an idiot I am! How did I fool myself into thinking this multimillionaire could want more than one pleasant day and crazy sex with me? I was an open book to him, and he probably no longer has any interest in me.

The sex we had, to put it mildly, was incredible, and I didn’t regret the opportunity to have such an enjoyable experience, to feel what it was like to make love to the person with whom you are in love. At the same time, I felt an agonizing pain, which was ripping my soul to shreds and left me gasping for air.

“Alexia, have you been to lunch yet?” Roberto snapped me out of my thoughts with his question.

“No,” I replied and turned to him. Our desks were joined together, which gave us a chance to talk frequently.

“Let’s have lunch together, then. I’m swamped with work, but my stomach is rumbling.”

“Okay, let’s do it. I’m starving too.” I logged out of the computer and stood.

We went to my favorite Italian restaurant, Toscana, and ordered the vegetarian lasagna.

I
couldn’t hold
back my tears any longer by the time I drove home. Adele’s song “Someone Like You,” which was playing on the stereo, was only exacerbating the agony I felt. My heart had been smashed into tiny little pieces. And I knew it would be a long time before I could gather these pieces, put them back together, and go on with my life.