KATELYNN
"Yes," I found myself whispering the word with ease. I had barely known this guy and I had already agreed to his demand, again?
His smile widened at my response, and he stood up, brought out a few bills, and dropped them on the counter for the bartender. "After you, Princess," he gestured.
I tried to stand up but my legs were giving in as they wobbled directionless. "Here, let me help you," he offered, his right hand wrapped around my waist slightly and he used his left hand to hold my right hand as he guided my steps out of the bar.
The cool night air hit my face as we stepped out of the bar, which made me a bit sober and my vision a little clearer. I wasn't quite cold because I was still wearing the two-piece suit from the business meeting earlier. I staggered in his arms as he led me to a gondola port.
The moonlight cast a bright glow over the canals, as its water reflected the beautiful white light. With each step he took, I contemplated the plan, but I was too curious to turn back.
He led me to an awaiting gondola, his hand steady, guiding me as he helped me in. He exchanged words with the gondolier but I was barely sober and lost in the daze of drunkenness to understand them. After a couple of minutes, the gondola began to move slowly on the water beneath us, as the gondolier paddled away into the night.
As we glided through the water, the evening cool breeze brushed past my face, its strong waves sent my hair strands in different directions, messing up my straightened hair.
I felt a sense of freedom I hadn't known in years, a temporary release from the troubles that stirred within me. A thick blanket of silence hung above us, comfortably filled with unspoken words. It was as though we both understood each other and that the moment was significant as the fresh breeze of the night seeped in.
"You are not from around here, are you?" he asked, his voice piercing through the silence.
"No," I replied calmly. My eyes were fixated on the sky as I searched for stars in the night sky.
"Thought as much," he murmured.
"Was it that obvious?" I asked, surprised at his response and he nodded his head.
"When will you return to your state?"
"Tomorrow," I replied, my attention moved from the starless sky to the beautiful man in front of me. "Why?"
"I would love to do this another time with you when you are sober."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, but you will be leaving tomorrow, guess I have to make tonight count." he sighed deeply.
I smiled, as I stared at him. He seemed different from the man who had insisted on buying me a drink. His aura had shifted from a dominant one to a protective one and now to an obsessed one. How intriguing. "Tell me about yourself," I requested.
"Ladies first," he reversed my question back to me in a tricky and tempting way.
"You know my name already," He nodded, "I am the eldest daughter of my parents and the heir to his company. I have only one sibling, a girl. Her name is Luisa."
"How has life been as the heir apparent?" he asked.
"Would I sound ungrateful, if I say it has been horrible?" I inquired of him and he shook his head in disagreement. His response gave me a sense of belonging, a warm feeling that I loved and embraced. "The pressure, expectations, I have to be perfect in the eyes of people because any little mistake can lead to a scandalous end and it will be bad for the image of the company. I am tired of being who I am not. I want my childhood back, maybe a few friends to chat and play with, female friends because I have a male friend already but it doesn't feel the same. I love my little sister with all my heart but I don't think she has come to the age where she can understand what I am going through. The friends I made called me several names and I couldn't even pour out my heart to them, because they will call me ungrateful and a spoiled child that doesn't deserve the life I am living. It is exhausting and suffocating," I felt my throat constrict under the weight of my words, and my eyes bested up as tears threatened to slip away from them. "I am sorry for boring you with my complaints," I murmured, as I removed the strands of hair bothering my eyes.
He brushed his fingertip against the skin under my eyes to wipe the tears that escaped from my left eye. "I am not complaining," he assured me.
I sniffled gently, pushing all the tears back, "What about you? Who are you, Mystery man?" I asked.
He hesitated for a few seconds, which created a certain tension, "Well, Miss Lynna, Mind if I call you that?" He asked and I nodded gently, giving my approval. "I am nobody, just a vessel created by God to fulfill a purpose,"
I broke into loud laughter that made him flinch, "That doesn't make any sense," I spoke, still laughing.
"Yeah?" he asked and I nodded again, still laughing, "I know," he said and joined in my laughter.
Time slipped away, unnoticed as the gondola glided slowly on the water around us. I became aware of his every movement, the way his eyes lingered on mine, the slight brush of his hand against mine. The silence between us was comfortable, filled with an unspoken understanding that this moment was meaningful.
"You're beautiful, Lynna." He spoke, his voice a low one filled with a rich accent breaking through the silence. I found myself blushing at his confession. It wasn't a discovery that I was beautiful but hearing him say it felt different.
We stopped beneath an empty bridge, the shadows wrapping around us like a protective blanket. The stranger turned to me, his hand gently brushing my cheek as he leaned in, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was soft and searching. I responded instinctively, my fingers curling into his jet-black hair as I moved closer, losing myself in the feeling.
The kiss deepened, a slow, sensual dance of our tongues that left me breathless and wanting more. It was as though the world had fallen away, leaving only the two of us suspended in time. I lost myself in his embrace as his hands held me like I was the most precious piece in the world.
In my intoxicated state, I didn't question who he was or where the night would lead. He was a beautiful stranger in a beautiful city and that was enough for me at that moment. I was caught in the spell of Venice, the romantic city of Italy, and of the man who seemed to have stepped out of my dreams.
As the gondola rocked beneath us, I surrendered myself to the moment and of the man whom I believed to be a gigolo. Pulling away from our kiss, he stares at me lustfully. "I feel like I have known you my whole life," he murmured, planting kisses on my palm.
"And yet it has only been a few hours," I replied, my voice a soft breathless whisper and my brows furrowed as I returned his gaze.
His lips found mine again, and the world around us seemed to fade away. The kiss sent shivers down my spine, like an electric spark that set my heart ablaze.
I felt myself responding with a hunger that surprised me, my body pressing against his as if drawn by some invisible force. His hands were everywhere, tracing along my skin, and I was lost, completely and totally consumed by the feeling. I found myself speaking words I hadn't planned to say. "Take me to a hotel," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper but carrying the weight of a decision that felt both reckless and exciting.
His eyes met mine, holding unspoken questions in them, but he simply nodded his agreement silent and instant. The gondolier glides through the trenches bringing us to a small dock near a beautiful boutique hotel that stood along the edges of the water.
The hotel was pleasantly old-fashioned, decorated with ivy and flowers that seemed to bloom even in the moonlight. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and inviting creating a perfect mood for the night we were about to share. My head was spinning slightly, my senses heightened from the wine and the excitement of the unexpected.
He led me to a room on the upper floor, the stairs creaking under our feet. The room was unexpectedly big with a king-size bed. I barely had time to take in my surroundings when he appeared. His lips found mine and his hands traced their way through every inch of my body.
He removed my jacket and began unbuttoning my shirt. I did the same for him. The world outside ceased to exist as we tumbled onto the bed, the soft sheets cool against our skin. Every touch, every kiss, was a discovery of something I hadn't realized I was missing until now.
We moved together on the bed, following the same rhythm as our tongues danced in each other's mouths. His tongue left my mouth and slowly traced its way to my breast while planting kisses on my bare body, I shuddered as the pleasure overwhelmed me, and moans escaped my lips.
Time stretched, the night an endless moment of whispered names and shared breaths. I surrendered completely, allowing myself to enjoy the immense pleasure and a sense of belonging in his arms.
As dawn's first light penetrated through the curtains, painting the room in soft shades of pink and gold, I felt the weight of reality begin to hit me in my sober state. My head was clearer, the daze of wine lifting to reveal the gravity of what I had done.
His face was submerged in the pillow as he slept peacefully. I watched him for a moment, a strange mix of emotions swelling within me. This was a man I will never see again. Quietly, I slipped from the bed, gathered my clothes, and dressed in the dull light. My movements were silent, careful not to disturb the serenity of the moment and wake him up.
Before I left, I reached into my purse and pulled out a small amount of cash, placing it gently on the bedside table, a gesture that felt both necessary and stupid, given the connection we had shared. It was a reminder to myself that this was nothing more than an encounter, a moment suspended in time that will never repeat itself.
With one last look at the sleeping stranger who remained a mystery, I slipped out of the hotel into the awakening city.