“You asked me yesterday why I’ve changed between that first introduction and now,” Indi cut in. “Before this holiday, I held people at arm’s length. I wanted to uproot from London to another country, just so there would be no chance of ever running into him once he was released, but my counsellor helped me realise that I can’t let him win, and that I need to learn to face my fears and let myself trust people again.” Her voice wobbled as the stark reality of how close she had come to something more serious took its toll on her senses.
Seeing the tears well up in Indi’s eyes as she spoke, Xander pulled her into his chest tightly. “Don’t cry, honey, you never have to be scared of him ever again.”
“How can you say that when we won’t even be in each other lives once we leave here?” Her sobbing becoming persistent as the realisation of not having Xander to protect her long-term truly hit her.
“I might not be in your day-to-day life, but I’ll still make sure you’re safe. You just need to make contact with the name I gave you last night as soon as you’re home. He’ll take care of everything.” He tried to soothe her by running his hand repeatedly over her hair.
“But won’t it be costly to have someone protecting me?”
“Don’t you worry about that,” he replied. “The bills will come to me personally, rather than the band or family. No one needs to know.”
The idea made Indi feel that she would always be an undisclosed facet to Xander’s life. Not just a holiday fling that turned into more, but his kept woman. A sense of sordidness washed over her as her already heightened emotions moved from distress to wrath. She pushed herself away from his embrace and walked to the other end of the cabin, out of his reach. “You make it sound as if I’ll be your dirty little secret.”
“No, that isn’t what you are at all.” He made a move to grab her as she moved away, but she was too quick.
“Don’t touch me,” Indi said firmly, her eyes full of hurt. “I-I thought with all the gifts and these surprise trips, y-you had actually started to care about having me in your life.”
“I do, but it is complicated,” Xander replied as Indi noted the signs of an inward struggle in his countenance.
Indi glanced away and rolled her eyes. “Which means what? You care enough to pay for some security but not for…” In the end, she could not bring herself to finish the sentence, because she was making a fool of herself. They had entered into this as a no-strings fling, and he was not doing anything different to what they had agreed upon.
Xander stood up and started to walk closer, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender as he pleaded, “Okay, I won’t touch you, but please hear me out.”
Indi remained quiet and just waited.
He stood in front of her, ever so close that she could feel his breath against her hair as he was the taller. “You aren’t just a secret fling to me, Indi. I’ve grown to care about you more than I thought possible in such a short space in time, but there are things, family things, I need to sort out before I can bring you into my life properly and show you off to the world in a way you deserve.” His voice was heavy with emotion as she watched his eyes brimming with sincerity.
“But I would have to be hidden away until then?” Indi whispered, reaching out to palm her hands against his hard chest, signalling her willingness to consider his plan.
“You could still meet the other members of my family that I trust, if that will make you feel more at ease?” He leaned in and began to kiss away her half-dried tears.
“I would like that,” she said before closing her eyes as Xander began to devour her mouth with his.
***
Later on, after freshening up and changing into different outfits, Indi went with Xander to dine with Adam and Hayden in the restaurant car. The meal went pleasantly; she soon gathered that despite the two men actually being in Xander’s employ, they were actually remarkably close friends with him as well. Indi also discovered for the first time that Adam and Hayden were members of the same corps section as a cousin of Xander’s who headed up the band’s security. They laughed and joked at his expense, bringing up stories of their nights out with him, his cousin, David, and his friend, Charlie.
“I don’t think I’ve seen him this happy in a long time,” Hayden observed when Xander left them alone for a few minutes. “You’re clearly a positive influence for him.”
“I think he’s equally good for me too,” Indi replied wistfully as she sipped her wine, unaware that Xander had heard what she said. “I’ve never talked so much to one person about my inner thoughts before, saving me lots of time in therapy,” she joked.
“Just let me know where to send the bill,” Xander said drolly as he retook his seat and kissed her cheek.
Later, Indi and Xander managed to snuggle into the cramped single bed, rather than sleeping separately for some of the night. They struggled to get any proper rest as they knew they would have to get off the train at 6.00am the following morning in Rome, and change on to another train for the final leg into Florence, arriving at 8.20am.
***
In Florence, the group took a taxi to the hotel that he had booked for them – or at least what his assistant, Sam, back in England, had booked on his instruction. Checking into a nice suite of rooms, they spent the morning unpacking, before catching up on a brief slumber in a massive, king-size sleigh bed.
With the hot afternoon sun blazing through the half-drawn curtains of their bedroom, they were woken from the haze of sleep by the sound of a mobile ringing. Grumbling, Xander rolled over on his back and released Indi from his grasp slightly. “I don’t recognise that ringtone. It must be yours.” His fingers strayed from her stomach to arouse her exposed nipples to a more hardened state as the sheets had worked their way down their bodies during their sleep.
“Mmm, I can’t imagine who would be calling me; they know I’m out of the country for another week.” Sighing, Indi pushed herself off the bed and pulled the offending phone from her handbag. Looking at the screen, she frowned slightly and accepted the call. “Hey, is something wrong?” Indi asked the person on the other end of the line as she moved into the adjoining sitting room.
“I was just checking up on my little sis,” Angel said casually.
“You had me worried, calling like that on an international rate. I thought it was serious. However, it’s lovely to hear your voice. You would love it here – so relaxing and weather to die for. My tan will put your porcelain complexion to shame!” Indi teased her good-naturedly.
“So, have you seen any hot men?”
“Actually, I’m in Florence with one now. It has been a whirlwind. I have so much to tell you when I return,” Indi replied, bursting with excitement to share some of her news with her closest sister.
“Oh my God, Florence! I hope you’re being safe,” Angel cautioned.
“Don’t concern yourself; this is nothing like that. Anyway, I must go. I’ll see you when I get back.”
Smiling, Indi closed the handset and re-entered the bedroom, catching a quizzical expression on Xander’s face. “My sister,” she explained.
“Was anything wrong?”
“Oh, no, she was just checking up on me. We’re pretty close, and after all that I went through with the court case, she’s been keeping a close eye on me and wasn’t too keen on me staying here alone.”
“Ah, did you tell her about me?” He asked, looking hopeful.
Indi smirked, moving back to join him in bed. “Actually, I did mention you in passing when she asked if I had met any hot men.”
“Oh, I see, so I’m a hot man, in your opinion,” he teased, pushing her on her back as he slid his hands over her hips and waist lightly.
“Extremely,” she answered, giggling as Xander began to tickle her rib cage while trailing the tip of his tongue from her collarbone all the way up her neck to just behind her ear. He pressed his upper torso against her breasts as his mouth trailed across her face to her lips.
One of his hands reached between her
legs, flicking across her clit; stroking the wet skin surrounding her entrance with increasing frequency that it made her hips move of their own volition. Indi gasped loudly against his mouth as he continued to devour it while her body shuddered with the rapturous pleasure from his handy fingerwork.
“Mmm, a perfect fit,” he murmured as he slid his rock-hard length into her with an eager thrust. Xander continued to describe all the dirty things he enjoyed doing to her as he punctuated every slow, but powerful thrust with a groan of pleasure.
Afterwards, they were enticed from the bed with some room service, followed by a tour of Uffizi gallery with their own tour guide as Indi had expressed an interest in visiting some art museums. They spent the next couple of hours viewing one of the largest collections of Italian Renaissance paintings in the world, including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Leonardo’s Annunciation, Michelangelo’s Holy Family and Titian’s Venus of Urbino.
Indi wore a big wide smile as they walked back to the hotel. “Thank you for arranging to go there, Xander. It was a fantastic buzz to be surrounded by all that history.”
“I’ve more planned tomorrow – that is why I suggested the more suitable shoes.” He pointed to her spiked heels and shook his head in mock horror.
“I thought you liked my unsuitable shoes; at least that is what you said last night when you wanted me to wear them and nothing else!”
“Mmm, they were more than suitable for that kind of activity. I just thought you might be more comfortable in flats, but, hey, you’ll get no complaints from me whatever you decide to wear,” he joked, attempting to pull her in for a kiss as she playfully swiped at his arms.
“Okay, I’ll wear more sensible shoes tomorrow, just to please you,” she relented.
***
Over the next three days they visited the Accademia Gallery, Bargello Museum and the Palazzo Vecchio, one on each afternoon, after lazing around in bed all morning and talking.
Each evening they travelled with Adam and Hayden in tow to see various musical events being held in Scandicci, located just ten kilometres outside Florence.
They enjoyed anonymity for the first two evenings, but news of Xander’s presence was announced via social media by one eagle-eyed fan on their final day. This caused widespread chaos outside their hotel where a large crowd of fans had been gathering ever since, waiting for a glimpse of him.
“I think it might be best if you forget about your plans for tonight and we just head to the train station in the morning. The crowd out there has swelled dramatically,” Adam cautioned as he glanced out of the window overlooking the place where the crowd was congregating.
Xander shook his head. “No, I’m determined not to have our plans ruined.”
They had planned to explore the centre of Florence, from Repubblica Square to Strozzi Palace, on a specially organised night tour. Indi did not say anything as she was still unused to all the attention that Xander’s presence drew.
“Well, the local police don’t want us to do anything that encourages the crowd to get any bigger or start up in another area. They have already started sectioning them off, so the traffic can start flowing properly again,” Hayden commented as he entered the suite. He had just been down in the foyer of the hotel, talking with one of the senior police officers in charge of keeping things in order there.
“Is there a back entrance that Adam and Indi can use?” asked Xander. “Then I could go and sign some autographs for fifteen minutes to placate them, with you nearby if it gets out of hand. Then we can head back into the hotel through the front and exit out the back as well.”
“Maybe that could work,” Adam said as he and Hayden nodded their approval at one another.
And it did. The more diligent fans gained their photos and autographs, and Indi got her tour of the city.
***
The group travelled back on the early morning train, but did not arrive home until later that evening. As their car pulled off the main road into a smaller lane, which led to their villas, they passed a taxi coming in the opposite direction. At first they thought they were the occupants of another villa nearby.
“Fuck!” uttered Adam, who was driving, as he pulled the car to an unexpected stop shortly after the other car had passed them by. “I could have sworn Caitlin was in the back of that cab.” He caught Xander’s eye in the rear-view mirror.
Xander swore under his breath. “Okay, well, let’s get back to the villa before she gets a chance to get the taxi driver to turn around and come back. I don’t want her associating Indi with me unless we’ve no other choice.”
“Caitlin?” asked Indi. Taking in the alarmed expressions on the men’s faces, she drew the conclusion that this woman was one of the issues that Xander had needed to sort. She wanted answers and fast.
“Indi, please trust me on this. I don’t have time to explain now, but I will as soon I can get away.”
She glared at him stiffly. “Fine, just drop me here, and let me walk the last bit myself.” While they had shared a marvellous time in Florence, she was determined not to have it tainted by a confrontation at the end.
“Are you sure?” Xander furrowed his brow. “It might be the easiest way, in case she does come back, because if Adam saw her, it’s likely she recognised him too.”
“Yes, but I do expect a full explanation about who exactly she is,” Indi responded coolly.
Hayden took the initiative and got out of the vehicle to remove her suitcase from the boot.
“I will,” Xander assured Indi. He leaned in to kiss her, but she shrugged him off quickly before exiting the car.
With her suitcase in hand, she carried herself off down the lane towards the villas while Xander’s car drove off into the distance, leaving dust clouds wafting in their wake. Indi had just passed through the gate and into her garden, out of sight of any passing traffic, when she heard a car pull up. Seconds later, she heard the door of it slam. A woman with an awful, shrill voice demanded that the driver help with her luggage before disputing the charge for the journey. Indi closed her eyes and sighed as an uneasy feeling swept over her. Had he been playing her along?
***
It had been three long hours since Indi arrived home alone. During that time she had tried to keep herself busy; first by removing her washing from her luggage, and then listening to some music and answering emails on her laptop, but nothing could focus her mind away from what might be happening next door.
She could not help thinking the worst about who this woman was. Indi replayed the moments over and over in her mind from when Adam had sworn some expletive as the taxi passed by them to when she had walked down the lane to her villa. She tried to focus on Xander’s body language at the time. He had not seemed happy to see this woman at all, but that didn’t mean he was not in some kind of relationship with her. Maybe he just isn’t happy at being caught out?
Indi tried to stop thinking that Xander might disappear without any explanation. Several times she stepped out on to the terrace to reassure herself there was still someone next door. Each time a sense of relief washed over her when she heard the murmur of faraway voices. Finally, at a little after 11.00pm, Indi’s body gave into the fatigue she had been fighting and she fell asleep, curled up on the sofa.
Chapter Eight: Bombshell
Xander
It was not until the sun was rising that an extremely tired Xander let himself into the villa using the spare key Indi had given him. He shook Indi’s arm gently to wake her from her slumber. She opened her eyes slowly; her body moving stiff and disoriented at first as he sat down on the edge of the sofa, looming over her curled-up body.
“Haven’t you been to bed at all?” Indi asked. She reached up from her reclined position to run a hand over the day’s worth of stubble coming through on his cheek.
Xander shook his head silently. Taking her hand from his face, he planted a tender kiss on the inside of her palm. “I’m sorry it took this long to get away. I had to wait until she went to
bed after our screaming match.” His voice was low and hoarse.
“So who is she?” Indi made a move to stand up, her nerves coming through in her voice.
Xander had gone over a prepared speech several times, so that he would sound convincing while concealing part of the truth. Lying was something he had never been good at, but he was prepared to say almost anything to keep Indi from discovering the full facts before he had a chance to deal with his father and free himself from Caitlin permanently.
“There isn’t much to tell,” he said. “She’s the daughter of one of my father’s business associates. I’ve chaperoned her to a few business events as she also works for my father.”
He watched Indi walk away from the sofa and start to clear up the plate and glass remaining from her evening meal the previous night.
“Has she come here for herself or your father?” she asked.
“She came to give me some papers that my father needed signed, but it was a ruse to spend time with me as well. She’s always been hopeful that we would get together, especially with both of our fathers encouraging the idea. ”
Not quite the whole truth, but a little white lie here and there, so it did not sound quite as awful as him being engaged to the woman. Xander was so close to putting his plan into action that he did not want to ruin it now by spooking Indi with the full truth when he would soon be free to pursue her properly, without the weight of his father’s deception hanging around his neck. Just a few more hours and the proof that Xander knew about his father’s affair with Caitlin would be hand-delivered to him in stage one of his ousting.
“But you don’t share their viewpoint?” Indi asked.
“God, no, she’s my worst nightmare. She follows me everywhere and just won’t take no for an answer.”
Indi furrowed her brow. “If there is nothing going on between you, why did you hide me away when we saw her? Wouldn’t seeing you with me put an end to her aspirations?”
Xander felt a sense of dread rise up his throat from the pit of his stomach. Whole lie or half-truth – which one should I utter? He hated lying to the woman standing in front of him; a woman he was falling in love with. “I did it to protect your existence from my father until I can disentangle a few issues he’s caused.”
Starstruck (Fusion #1) Page 8
