Captive of Love

Foolish

There was amusement in his voice, but not at all in a friendly sense. No, it was sadistic and disturbing, almost as if the chase was exhilarating. The kind of fun a predator has when hunting prey. The thought of being his prey reminded me of him regarding me as being weak. I began to wrestle against his hold. His smirk widened even more as I attempted to free myself.

Then, the elevator doors opened, and he dragged me inside. Once trapped in the cart with him, he released me. Wild-eyed and half-crazed, I shoved him with all the might my 130-pound, 5'5 frame could muster. Needless to say, his 6-foot, muscular frame barely moved; but damn it if I didn't make my point.

He leaned against the elevator's wall and rolled his eyes as if I were an unruly child having a temper tantrum.

"We should go our separate ways. After this disaster of a date,” I said

I inched to the far corner of the lift, and cleared my throat before adding, “ I doubt we can salvage any resemblance civilness or retain a friendship."

He chuckled. Then mocked, "You consider this a date?"

I scoffed and gave him my best death stare, as I contemplated how fast I could run away from him in my stilettoes heels.

In preparation, I palmed my keycard. The elevator bell dinged, indicating we’d arrived at my floor. I feigned to be unbothered, but the second the doors opened wide enough for me to squeeze through, I executed my plan. As I raced down the hall, all the while mentally cheering, because I had ditched him I felt as though I had regained an ounce of control.

However, my joy was short-lived as I made it to my room and slid my keycard into the lock mechanism. Opening the door, and about to step inside, I turned around for one last glimpse. My intention to slam the door in his face was spoiled, because, to my surprise, he was nowhere in sight.

Scanning down the corridor there was Karlus. Looking like the definition of cool, with his stance relaxed and hands in the pockets of his pants, he regarded me with that same eerie grin. Our eyes met and despite all my haughty thoughts. I still yearned for him. He lifted a foot. My heart skipped a beat, but he bit his lower lip as he eased it back in place. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach.

Instead of him chasing after me he was retreating, but why? Was I not worthy to be pursued? Did I not feel the heat of his desire? Yet, this was what I wanted, right? To have him leave me, so I would never have to see his smug face ever again.

Then why did every fiber of my being want to stop him? I had to grip to door until my fingers ached to keep from running after him. I couldn't risk making an even bigger fool of myself, no matter my affection towards him. Nevertheless, the opportunity passed me by, maybe it was divine intervention, but at the time it felt like a jinx, as the elevator doors closed So did my chance.

Throughout the night I tossed and turned for hours. As thoughts of how the evening’s events went from good to bad. I couldn't stop picturing the curious expression he had. Nor could I explain my recklessness.

Despite the thoughts haunting me, sometime during the night, I had slipped into an unrestful slumber. I awoke to the sunlight beaming through the gap in the curtain shining upon my face. I rolled away from it, choosing the tranquility of the dark. Then realization struck me, reminding me of my nightmarish reality.

.

But did any of it matter anyway? In a day, I'll be gone. yet, the thought did calm my troubled soul.

The rejection of Jaxon denying me his hand in marriage still hurt, no matter how far I traveled. That same pain crippled me, and yes, it made me weak,

With a sober mind, I took into consideration how I had behaved. Karlus hadn't earned my wrath. He did the gentlemanly thing and escorted me to my dwelling.

My misgivings began after he had stated his stance on the clear observation, of the very secret I had tried to keep. How could I get angry with him because he established boundaries, despite how absurd I thought them to be? It was his right to say no we weren't dating, but still…

Last night, I had taken offense to his reluctance. The manner he stated his stance suggested his position was his standard approach with all his lovers. The thought he had taken me to a fancy gala and treated me like a princess might not have been anything out of the ordinary for him. I wasn't anyone special to him rang loudly within my mind.

"You think this is a date?" I recalled his painful clarification. My eyes clasped shut.

I grabbed my phone. Desperation gripped me. I needed to see if during the night he had called, but he hadn't. I frowned, fearing I had screwed things up royally.

His number was the last one that dialed me. I hadn't bothered to save it, knowing our time together would be limited. When I return to the States, we would most likely never see each other again.

It was that very thought that propelled me to press his number. As the phone rang, I steeled myself. What did I have to lose? If he refused me, then I would leave knowing I tried.

I fully expected my call to go unanswered or to be flat-out rejected. But when Karlus’s rich, deep voice picked up on the third ring, blood rushed to my head and my heart began to pound.

"Amara," he greeted.

I paused. It was as if there was an expectation for me to call, but how? I didn't even expect to call until I did, on nothing more than a whim.

I cleared my throat before I spoke.

"Um, good morning," I greeted him.

"It is more like midday. Are you just now waking?"

I glanced at the clock on my phone. Karlus was right; I had nearly slept half the day. I felt awkward as I laughed away his question, the nervousness in my voice apparent, but I managed to get out what I needed to say.

"I apologize for my behavior last night. I am usually not such a hothead. I didn't want to leave town without letting you know that.”

Silence greeted me, and just when I was about to ask if he was still there, he spoke.

"Can you meet with me today?"

My brows shot up, "You want to see me again?"

He chuckled, "I wouldn't have asked you to meet with me if I hadn't."

"I thought after last night and your comment about me being weak that you wouldn't even answer my call."

"Well, I did answer. I would like to apologize to you formally. I was a bit out of sorts myself. It was never my intention to hurt your feelings.”

“Looks like we’re both asking for forgiveness, huh?”

“Yes, but I request to meet with you in person, to extend the olive branch, so to speak. A phone call isn't appropriate for such a conversation. Say you will come to me.”

Though his words were sweeter than honey, I had to tell him how his words hurt me. After all, I had been through with Jaxson, I refused to go along to get along. Ruffled feathers and all, I had to tell him how I felt.

“I am still mad at you.”

“I have that effect on people, but I want to make amends. This makes you special, most people do not evoke such a response from me.”

“So I should be honored?” I scoffed.

“Make up your mind about how you should feel, but know I’m truly sorry for everything,“

Tapping my finger on my chin, pondering my options. I could continue to roam Venice alone, do some more sightseeing, or take another chance with this enigmatic man on another non-date.

Yet wasn’t that the reason for my little escapade, to live, and experience things I had never done before? I inhaled, before speaking the actions that would forever seal me to my fate.

With a nod, then a vocalization of my sober compliance I agreed to meet him and that was the start of our journey.