Beautiful Prey 2: The Storm Series (BWWM Romance) (15 page)

           
Since none of her friends had come out for breakfast, Natasha decided to take
the walk that she planned to do over an hour ago. She walked along the
boardwalk that paralleled the lake, admiring the view of the sky as it
connected to the water. She imaged herself taking that walk with Gianni. Wiping
the image from her mind, Natasha stepped off of the wooded path and rounded a
bend of trees.

           
Before she could enter the wooded area, the sight of Jack and Victoria caused
her to come to a complete halt.

           
Victoria was bent over, hugging a tree with the skirt of her dress draped over
her back and her panties looped around one ankle. The top of her dress was
pulled down, and her breasts were bouncing freely as Jack pounded into her from
behind. With Jack’s pants down to his ankles, Natasha could see the firm
muscles in his ass tighten as he stroked. As impressive of an ass as it was,
Natasha couldn’t think of anything more than getting the hell away from them;
unnoticed. She carefully crept backward, attempting a silent exit. And when she
was a far enough distance, she turned, ready to make a run for it. Only Natasha
didn’t get very far because she ran into a wall of muscle. She didn’t need to
look up because her nose alerted her to Gianni presence. Nevertheless, she
looked up anyway.

           
“I was taking a walk,” she quickly tried to lie.

           
Gianni looked past her, into the trees. Judging by his smirk, he could see the
scene that Natasha was fleeing. He grabbed her hand and led her back to the
boardwalk. Once they reached the boardwalk, Gianni looked down at Natasha’s
“deer in the headlights” expression and erupted into laughter, causing an
involuntary burst of giggles from Natasha.

           
After the laughter subsided, Gianni pulled Natasha to a bench and gestured for
her to sit. She sat, and he sat next to her. Gianni took a deep breath and
leaned against the bench. He seemed to be staring into the lake, contemplating
what he wanted to say. Natasha sat back and prepared herself for whatever
Gianni needed to express. She stared into the lake, finding comfort in its
stillness.

           
“Natasha, I know now that you are a wealthy woman. And... I want you to know
that I didn’t send gifts to buy your affection. I sent them, sadly, to buy your
forgiveness. I know now that that was wrong, and I am sorry.”

           
“What do you think you know about my finances?” She asked, not attempting to
hide the fact that she was offended.

           
“I know that you and Jack practically bankrolled this entire camp with your own
money. I know that your mother was a jazz singer, and your father was a
successful record producer. After a bit of research, I learned that due to the
unfortunate death of your parents, your aunt squandered your entire
inheritance, but she couldn’t touch the hefty payoff that was put into a trust
for you by the billionaire drunk driver that killed your parents. I also know
that Malik has steered you toward some very lucrative investments and you own
stock in at least three fortune five hundred companies.”

           
Natasha was completely stunned; she never expected the conversation to go in
that direction. There was only one person that knew such intimate details of
her life, and Malik would never tell Gianni her very personal details. How
could Gianni be privy to her financial background? More importantly, did he
know the hellish things that Natasha endured while she was in the custody of
her aunt?

           
Suddenly, it came to her.

           
“John?” She whispered the question, even though she already knew the answer.

           
“John,” he confirmed.

           
Natasha figured that Gianni had commissioned John to run a background check on her,
and once it was confirmed, she was extremely irritated. Was there anything that
John couldn’t find out?

           
“But, Natasha, there are so many things that I don’t know. Why do you have such
a dangerous job, when you don’t need to work at all?”

           
“What? Really? There are things that you don’t know? Well, guess what, Gianni?

Some things are just none of your fucking business!”

           
She shot off of the bench and ran down the boardwalk with tears in her eyes.

Natasha could hear Gianni’s heavy steps behind her before his
arm snaked around her waist, halting her movement. She turned and grabbed his
wrist, and attempted an arm bar that didn’t work on the bigger man. Careful not
to hurt her, Gianni skillfully twisted her arm behind her and pulled her into
his body.

           
Natasha wanted to fight back, but she was tired.  Tired of running,
fighting, and hiding, She allowed her head to fall against his chest. He
released her arm, but she didn’t run. She let her tears fall freely as Gianni
held her tightly. He gently rubbed her back as she sobbed into his chest.

           
“It’s okay. I’m sorry. It’s okay,” Gianni whispered softly as he held her,
protected, in his arms.

           
Admittedly, as Gianni comforted her, Natasha had never felt safer. But, she was
completely embarrassed by her meltdown. She pulled away and quickly wiped her
face.

           
“I’m sorry. I kinda lost it.” She smiled, hoping that Gianni would just pretend
that he didn’t notice that she’d just had a breakdown.

           
“Please, Natasha... Please don’t be sorry. Come. Sit. Let’s talk.” Gianni’s
voice and expression were filled with sympathy, which only served to upset
Natasha even more. She didn’t need anyone feeling sorry for her.

           
“No. I’m fine. I’m gonna go and take a nap.”

           
Natasha turned on her heels and walked away, grateful that Gianni hadn’t
followed her. Her face warmed, and she feared the onset of more tears, she
needed to get back to her cottage without running into anyone. She started a
light jog, grateful that she was in a top cottage that was close to the main
building. And when her cottage came into view, Natasha began a full out run.

           
She ran up the walkway, toward the front porch. Taking the steps two at a time,
Natasha couldn’t get inside fast enough. She burst through the doors with every
intention of locking herself in her room. But before Natasha reached the
staircase, she heard Malik calling her name. She stopped in her tracks and
looked into living area, where Malik and Parker were sitting on a rug in front
of the fireplace. Recognizing that she was in distress, Malik and Parker hopped
from the floor and ran toward Natasha.

           
Clearly concerned, Malik grabbed Natasha’s shoulders. “What is it, Tash? What
happened, baby?”

           
His voice was filled with panic, causing Natasha to feel guilty for scaring
him.

However, her guilt didn’t stop the flow of tears that escaped
her eyes as she sobbed.

           
“He... he had me investigated... Did a... a background check on me,” she
stammered.

           
Parker asked, “Who? Jack?”

           
Natasha wasn’t surprised that he assumed that it was Jack since he had a
penchant for investigating people. But apparently it was a family trait.

           
“No. Gianni.”

           
“Oh,” Parker whispered nonchalantly, before walking back toward the fireplace.

           
Natasha and Malik stared at Parker’s back until Malik broke the silence.

           
“Oh? What the fuck you mean... Oh? He ain’t got no business investigating her,”

Malik fired at Parker.

           
“He didn’t break in her house and go through her underwear drawer. Obviously
the information was out there to be discovered.” Parker shrugged.

           
“Are you fucking serious?”

           
“As a heart attack.”

           
Malik huffed. “What the hell is wrong with you? Fuck that! I’m gonna have words
with him!”    

           
“The hell you are! You’re gonna stay your ass in this cottage and mind your
fucking business!”

           
Malik’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe the way that Parker was speaking
to him. “Excuse me?”

           
“
You
heard what I said.” Parker’s bold retort seemed to taunt Malik into
stalking in his direction.

           
Natasha quickly grabbed his arm and whispered, “Please don’t.”

           
Watching the exchange between the lovers, Natasha was sorry that she’d allowed
her drama to cause a rift in their relationship. But she honestly wondered why
Parker was seemingly so unsympathetic toward her; especially when he poured
wine into his glass and returned to his seat in front of the fireplace. But he
looked up at Natasha, and she saw concern in his expression.

           
“Come over here, Tash. Sit with me for a sec,” he said calmly.

           
Natasha walked over to the rug, where Parker sat. He reached up and grabbed her
hand, pulling her to sit with him. Natasha sat and crossed her legs. Parker
filled another glass and handed it to her. She looked over at her friend, who
was leaning against the wall with a dangerously angry expression on his face.
Natasha couldn’t help but to think that if they were in a cartoon, smoke would
be coming out of Malik’s ears.

           
“Tash, you know that we love you, but don’t you think it’s time for you to talk
about your family issues with someone other than Malik?”

           
Natasha was immediately disturbed because she respected the fact that Parker
and Malik were in a relationship. She fully supported their commitment to each
other, and Parker had just basically told her that she was in the way.

           
“I see. Okay, Parker. From now on, I’ll keep my personal bullshit to myself,”
she replied, obviously offended.

           
“No, love, that’s not what I meant. Let me ask you a question... Why do you
think Gianni had you investigated? If you were nothing more than a one night
stand to him, why do you think he would even bother?”

           
Natasha simply shrugged, because she honestly didn’t know why Gianni would have
her investigated.

           
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but that man can’t keep his eyes off of
you.”

           
“Yeah. The same man that couldn’t be bothered to stay the night with me,” she
rebutted.

           
“Yes. And he’s been trying to make up for it ever since,” chimed Malik.

           
Natasha looked over at Malik, and he no longer looked angry. On the contrary,
he seemed to be in total agreement with Parker.

           
“Un...be...lievable.” She hissed, not hiding her annoyance. “I can’t believe
that the two of you think that it’s okay that Gianni, blatantly, violated my
privacy.”

           
“Honey, I’m not saying that it was ok. I’m just asking if you can figure out
why a man, who isn’t interested in a woman, would give a damn about the details
of her life?” Parker didn’t wait for Natasha to answer before he went on. “You
don’t give men a chance to get to know you. And, if you feel like they’re
getting too close for your comfort, you immediately find a reason, any reason,
to push them away. Tash, Malik and I want you to be happy, and we’ll always be
here for you. You clearly have the hots for this guy... Shit, I would. Why
don’t you give him a chance to prove that he’s someone that you can open up
to?”

           
Natasha didn’t respond. She, instead, gulped a large amount of wine and
contemplated everything that Parker said to her. Not so deep down inside, she
knew that he was right about her. She did have a tendency to push men away
before they got too close. The thought of sharing her nightmarish childhood,
and eventually confessing that she was unable to have children, terrified
Natasha.

           
She had kept secrets her entire life, and old habits were hard to break.

           
“I’m scared,” Natasha whispered, admitting what Malik and Parker were already
aware of.

           
Malik rushed over to Natasha and wrapped his arms around her. “I know, baby. I
know. But, no risk–no reward. Promise you’ll stop running.”

           
Natasha nodded. “Okay, but only on one condition... Ya’ll need to kiss and make
up.”

           
“Girl, please.” Malik chuckled. “This ain’t shit but foreplay to us.”

Gianni, along with the rest of his staff, worked diligently
in the kitchen, trying to get dinner prepared and ready to be served by the
wait staff. He was determined to keep busy so that he wouldn’t have to think of
his disastrous attempt to get Natasha to open up to him. Gianni wished that he
could turn back the clock, not knowing what possessed him to admit that he’d
had John investigate her. He’d clearly put his foot in his mouth. Instead of
getting closer to Natasha, he’d pushed her even further away. Still, he had no
intention of giving up.

           
There was something endearing about Natasha. She was a woman that Gianni could
see himself committed to. She was shy but passionate. She was also very loving
and generous, judging by the amount of capital that she sunk into Victoria’s
dream. She was obviously fearless, since she had slaughtered a dangerous serial
killer, saving the lives of maybe dozens of women, including her friend. Not to
mention the fact that she was absolutely volcanic in bed. Gianni had never been
the type to run from love and marriage. He always pictured himself with a
family of his own. He’d just never found the right woman, a woman that he could
trust. But, Natasha was definitely a woman that Gianni would cherish if given
the opportunity. But first, he would have to convince Natasha to give him
another chance. And, another chance he would get. That is if Amy successfully
played her role. Everyone was leaving tomorrow, so Gianni had to make his move
tonight. Not giving a damn what anyone else wanted, Gianni prepared, what
Natasha said were her favorite dishes with his own hands. He imagined cooking
for Natasha in the future fantasizing about feeding her in bed.

           
Once dinner was prepared, Gianni fixed his tie and replaced his dirty apron
with a tailored black suit jacket. He intended to personally serve Natasha her
favorite dishes. He watched as his servers presented the first course; apple
crusted chicken over fresh spinach leaves topped with lime infused balsamic
Vinaigrette dressing, to everyone except Natasha. For a minute, she seemed
baffled, until Gianni strolled over to her table.

           
He lifted the napkin from the table and gently placed it in her lap. He smiled
and served her the first course. “Natasha, I will be personally serving you
tonight.”

           
And to his surprise, Natasha smiled graciously and thanked him. But what
surprised Gianni the most, was how her smile made him feel. A rush of hope
flowed through him as he made his way back to the kitchen.

           
After dinner, Gianni stood close to the bar, sipping scotch from a rock–glass,
trying not to watch Natasha’s every move when Jack approached him, with baby
Jasmine draped over his shoulder. Gianni rubbed her tiny finger and admired the
diversity in her features. She was a beautiful baby.

           
Gianni asked, scanning the room, “Where’s Victoria? She disappeared right after
dinner?”

           
“She went to bed early. So me and my other lady are hanging out tonight,” Jack
said, while softly rubbing Jasmine’s curly hair.

           
“So... Victoria mentioned that she filled you in on Natasha’s financial status.
And I know for a fact that you reached out to John Friday night. Tell me... How
does it feel to want a woman that can buy and sell your ass?” Jack chuckled and
turned to the bartender to order a drink. In Gianni’s mind, Jack was having
entirely too much fun at his expense. It was evident when Jack turned back to
him, sporting a goofy smile. It was time for Gianni to turn the tables.

           
Gianni shrugged. “I love an independent woman. Oh, by the way... I took a walk
through the trees earlier today.”

           
Jack narrowed his eyes, and his smile instantly disappeared. “Is that so?”

           
“Oui... Ass like a ripe plum. Ready for someone to take a bite from it.” It was
Gianni’s turn to chuckle. Instead, he kept a straight face.

           
“Donc, difficile de resister,” Gianni teased.

           
“Well, it’s a good thing that you did resist. I’d hate to have to kick your
ass. The fact that you’ve lived in France for ten years doesn’t make you
stupid. When it comes to my wife, I will take you out. Don’t comment on her ass
again.”

           
Gianni laughed at Jack’s jealousy. “Cugino... I was talking about your ass...
Mmm...Bello,” Gianni jested.

           
“Stick to one language, asshole,” Jack quipped, before walking away.

           
Before Gianni could lap in the pleasure of pissing Jack off, his mother’s
frowning face confronted him.

           
“I really hope you get this woman... You know that I hate scallops... Hmph.”

           
Gianni laughed out loud and finished off his scotch.

           
“I’m working on it, Mama.”

           
He searched the room and found Natasha sitting at her table, smiling and
nodding at Amy. His plan was in motion, and he needed to prepare, so he placed
his glass on the bar, kissed Catarina’s forehead, and headed to the kitchen.