| Subject: Chapter 18 |
Author:
Juli
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Date Posted: Thursday, June 30, 02:11:01pm
In reply to:
Juli
's message, "Angelita - new chapters (finally)" on Friday, February 18, 01:02:53pm
Chapter 18
It was very early when Nikita’s eyes blinked open. She could see the murky light of false dawn through the window. She stretched lazily and pressed closer to Michael’s body.
“Michael?” she whispered, wondering if he was awake.
His arm tightened around her back, pulling her closer. “Hmmm?” he murmured back.
Nikita leaned up on an elbow so she could look at his face. “I want to know about Elena,” she told him, one finger tracing idle circles on his chest.
Michael’s eyes opened. “It’s a long story, Nikita,” he told her, avoiding the question.
“I don’t care. Do you love her?” she asked, hating how pitiful she sounded.
She felt Michael’s chuckle and wasn’t sure what it meant.
“I am fond of Elena, but I don’t love her the way I love you,” he told her.
Nikita’s spirits lifted. “When were you engaged?” she asked.
Michael sighed. He supposed that Nikita deserved to know about his past – especially if he wanted her to be a part of his future.
“A long time ago.. in France,” he said. “My father owns a huge shipping company in France. I grew up in the privileged elite in Marseille. Parties, racing cars, women, drugs – my friends and I had everything.”
Nikita shifted her chin so she could look at him as he talked.
Michael continued, “I attended Universite in Paris for a short while, until my father decided that I should go to Oxford to expand my education and learn more international studies. I met Elena at Oxford, and we began dating.”
Michael felt Nikita stiffen slightly at the mention of Elena, but he continued with his story. “London was full of much excitement, and Elena and I enjoyed all of it. We both enjoyed a great deal of my father’s money, living in much the same fashion as I had in Marseille. Elena loved to attend the society parties and events. After a year, we decided to get married and she began to plan the society wedding of the year,” Michael explained, glossing over much of his misspent youth.
“Around that same time, I met Rene. He was an activist whose political groups were going around gaining support at the colleges and universities in Europe. He despised the elite and wealthy and made good case against the excesses of society. I’m not sure why, but some of the things he said struck a chord inside me. He talked of the poverty in the third world countries while the developed countries like the United States and European Union sat back and did nothing.
“About three months before our wedding, after much deliberation, I went with Rene to South America to deliver food, clothing, school and medical supplies. I was shocked to see the conditions of some of the countries and people there. It was much worse in Africa and India, he had told me. We spent two weeks there. I did not want to, but I returned to England to tell Elena that I wanted to change everything. She was at first shocked, then hurt, and then outraged. Obviously, the engagement was called off. I traveled to France to try to ‘convert’ my father. He laughed in my face. I told him that I wanted to go back to South America to help people, and he told me he would disown me.
Michael sighed. “So I stayed in France for three more years, half-heartedly participating in the social events that people expected of me.”
“Why three years?” Nikita asked, entranced by the story.
“My grandfather died and left me an inheritance,” Michael told her. “After that, I had freedom and the money to fund what I wanted. One of my friends was a successful and trustworthy investor, and I gave him some of the money to put to work for me. Then I took what I needed, packed some bags and left. My father didn’t even say goodbye. I have spent the last four, no five years in South America. I spent time with international aid groups, helped with building roads and villages. After a time, I just realized that I liked it there, away from the pretentiousness of Paris and London… New York,” Michael said, trailing off.
“However did my father find you?” Nikita asked, awestruck.
Michael smiled ruefully. “Apparently, I’ve become something of a ‘legend’ down there. The last year or so, I’ve been working with scientific and aid groups as a guide. Your father saw a news story that told of my rescue of an American scientific team from your village,” he told her.
“Dr. Johannsen,” Nikita whispered.
Michael nodded. “He had that computer whiz of his, Birkoff, track me down. It must have been something of a feat. I hadn’t been in contact with any of the embassies down there for some time.”
Nikita leaned her head on Michael’s chest and listened the beating of his heart.
Michael waited for her to speak. His story was finished, even if it was a greatly abbreviated version, and now he waited for her to ask the question he was expecting. He didn’t have to wait long.
“So what happens now?” Nikita asked.
Michael was silent for a few moments, then asked, “What do you want to happen, ‘Kita?”
He dreaded the answer, afraid she had come to enjoy the spotlight.
Nikita was lost in thought and her own worries. “Well…I want to be with you,” she whispered, suddenly worried.
Michael gripped her tighter and leaned his chin down to kiss the top of her head. “I want to be with you too. We’ll figure out what to do -- together, ok?”
Nikita nodded against his chest.
“Go back to sleep, love,” he whispered, stroking a hand over her hair and back.
***
Cold, winter sunlight was streaming into the windows when Nikita woke again and stretched. Michael was not beside her anymore, and it took her a moment to realize it. She yawned and then realized with a start that her robe was lying at the foot of the bed. Michael must have gone to her room and gotten it for her.
She got out of bed and threw on the robe, acutely aware of the soreness between her legs. She flushed with excitement, remembering the night before. Opening the door a crack and peeking out, Nikita glanced up and down the quiet hallway. Seeing no one about, she quietly shut the door to Michael’s room and headed for the end of the hall towards the blue bedroom.
She was correct in her guess as to Michael’s whereabouts. She found him in his homemade exercise studio, going through one of his routines. She slipped into the room and locked the door, leaning against it.
She saw Michael’s eyes flick to hers in the mirror, and she smiled.
“Good morning,” he whispered, continuing his slow methodical movements.
“Am I disturbing you?” she asked quietly.
Michael’s eyes traveled up and down the length of her and he let out a short laugh. “Yes, but not it a bad way.”
Nikita giggled, catching his sensual meaning.
Cutting his routine short, Michael hurriedly finished and strode over to her. He pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Nikita gasped at the intensity of it, but she gave back with equal fervor.
When the fiery kiss finally ended, Michael pulled back slightly. “We have to talk to your father today,” he told her.
She nodded absently, her hands stroking along his bare upper torso. Michael’s eyes slipped closed. He needed to gain control of his traitorous body. He was already hard and ready for her. He had nearly gotten his mind in command again, when she licked his collarbone, placing a small bite at the end. He groaned in the back of his throat and gave in, pulling the sash the tied her robe together. The robe slipped open, and Michael let his hands play over her enchanting nude form.
Nearly an hour later, they opened the door to the hall and headed back to their respective rooms. Unfortunately, the ran right into Walter coming the other way.
He took in their flushed faces, Nikita’s robe, and Michael’s still glistening skin and raised his eyebrows.
“You two look like you’ve had quite the workout,” he said with a completely straight face.
Nikita’s mouth dropped open in surprise, but then Walter winked.
“Good morning for it,” he commented dryly and then went past them to the dining room.
It took a moment for it all to sink in, but then Michael laughed.
“Close your mouth, ‘kita,” he told her.
Nikita then began to laugh as well, and they returned to their rooms without meeting anyone else.
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