Chapter 11

I hope you like! This is a slightly longer chapter. Enjoy! Mwuah! XX :)

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CHAPTER 11: The next few days passed surprisingly fast for Natalie. Giovanni was Giovanni and she found herself liking him more and more no matter how hard he tried to put up a mean and cold front. She could see it was a front and that underneath he was a lot more then he led on and she was determined to crack the hard exterior. He had been working pretty hard, trying to find the people who want her dead. Just the thought made the finger or dread tickle up her spine. She shoved it away as she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in." she called and a moment later Nicholas stuck his head in.

"Giovanni wishes to see you." He said and Natalie sighed, swinging her legs over the edge of the massive bed and put on some slippers to follow Nicholas down the hallway.

"His wish is my command." She mumbled and saw what appeared to be a smile on Nicholas's mouth.

"You know," he looked at her sideways as they made their way through the massive hallways.

"You are going to have to tell me about yourself sometime." She said and she could see the surprise that quickly flashed in his eyes before he hid it.

He didn't answer, but she would get him to talk sooner or later. They finally arrived at the large doors of Giovanni's office and Nicholas let her slip in. Natalie found Giovanni standing, staring out the large window his face lit with a golden glow from the afternoon sun streaming in through the window. Her breath caught. He really was beautiful.

He turned to her once hearing her enter and she suddenly felt under-dressed and inadequate in her blush pink V-neck sweater and jeans, but the worries she felt were quickly banished with the lust she saw shining brightly in his eyes. She didn't understand how she, of all people, could have an effect on him.

Though, no doubt, he had a huge effect on her.

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You rang?" Laughter twinkled in his blue eyes, otherwise his face was stony.

"I wanted to invite you to dinner." He said and she could only stare at him for a moment, her mind fumbling.

A date?

A date... A DATE?

Giovanni was actually asking her on a date. He must have known that she wouldn't just fall into bed with someone without getting to know them a little bit better first, she thought, upset. Because, that was his goal. He wanted her to have his children and be his wife and he knew this was the only way for her to start their way onto the path of that. But, this was her life now and if he wanted he could just force her, but he wasn't.

At least he was trying.

She squared her shoulders.

"Fine." She said curtly.

"When do we leave?"

"Go get dressed and we can leave as soon as you would like." He said and she nodded and left the room.

A date? He wanted to go on a date? Her mind was spinning in never-ending circles. She was going to do this, though.

She walked into her room and pulled out a lavender lace silk blouse with pearl buttons and a navy blue pencil skirt that clung to her legs perfectly before pulling her hair into a chignon at the nape of her neck, letting a few strands frame her face, then lastly she threw on some nude ballet flats, not wanting to put herself through having to wear heels-or as she called them-torture devices. She was going to be careful and she didn't give a damn if Giovanni was upset.

She opened her door and found a small note that read:

"Be down in the foyer. I will be there soon, mi amour. -Giovanni"

She sighed and set the note on the dresser in her room before stepping out and making her way down the stairs and as requested-to the foyer. She found Nicholas sitting in one of the chairs, his legs crossed and his suit impeccable. He was reading a magazine, but she didn't know what type since it was Italian. She crossed the room and sat in a seat in front of Nicholas. He glanced up, his eyes stony, before he let his gaze drift back down to what he was reading.

"Okay, Nicholas. You are going to tell me about yourself now." She said, shoulders straight, chin out. He glanced up again, amusement deepening the lines at his eyes. He slowly set down the magazine so it was just sitting on his suit-clad thighs.

"What would you like to know?" he asked and she tried not to smile in victory.

"How old are you? How long have you been working for Giovanni? What do you do for Giovanni? Do you have a wife? Or kids? I-"she was cut off when Nicholas chuckled deeply.

She blushed.

"One question at a time, little one." He said, laughter in his voice.

"I am 33 years old. I've worked for Giovanni for 12 years. I do many things for Giovanni, but if you want specifics you will have to go to him," He started.

"Figures." She mumbled.

He ignored her and continued.

"Yes, I have a wife. And yes, I have children. 2 to be exact." He said and she smiled at the love that lit his eyes and replaced the cold business exterior he wore, but a moment later it was gone.

"I am sure that my wife and children would love you." He said and she grinned.

"Well, I would love to meet them." She said and a smile curled at his lips just as Giovanni entered. Giovanni took in the two of them smiling at each other and was surprised by the jealousy he felt.

She was his.

Natalie looked over at him.

Was he jealous?

The thought made her heart squeeze delightfully, which she reprimanded internally moments later. "Ready?" Giovanni asked, his voice cold. Curt. Natalie nodded, stood and followed Nicholas and Giovanni out to get in the car. This was her first time being out since she was kidnapped. She was excited. She had felt like she was starting to get cabin fever, if that was possible with such a monstrous mansion.

They drove in silence and Giovanni was tense, jealousy and possessiveness still a light in his eyes as they arrived at the small restaurant. It was tiny, but it had a certain elegance and romance to it that Natalie instantly adored. Nicholas was on alert the entire time until they were once seated at their table. Giovanni waved him off and Nicholas hesitated, no doubt remembering that someone was out to kill Natalie, but with one more glower from Giovanni he left to sit a few tables down.

A waitress came up. She had dark ebony hair that was cut short into a pixie-cut, her nose was a little bit too small for her face and she had a very substantial bosom that drew each gaze to her.

But...not for Giovanni, Natalie noticed with appreciation.

He wasn't staring at the waitress, he was staring at her. She tried to tamp down the wave of delight that rushed through her with the realization even as the waitress pouted when he didn't give her a second glance. She began to speak in Italian, but Giovanni cut her off with a brisk motion of her hand. For the first time, Natalie saw fear in the people's faces around the restaurant. Did they know who he was?

"My date is American. You will speak in English." He said in a tight tone as he scowled.

The waitress visibly swallowed before pasting on a bright energetic-but incredibly fake-smile. "What can I get you?" she asked, her words thick with an accent.

"Get us both a steak with the special sauce, roasted potatoes, and a bottle of your finest white wine." He said and turned to Natalie, dismissing the waitress without a second glance. The waitress quickly scurried away and she met his blue gaze.

"Do all people react that way with you?" She asked in a quiet voice over the soft music that floated through the restaurant.

His brows furrowed in confusion.

"In what way?" he asked, seeming truly confused.

She shifted in her seat.

"You know... Scared? Intimidated." She said and realization dawned on his face, a hint of sadness coming with it.

"They are, as they should be. As...you should be." He whispered, his gaze intense on her own.

Acting on a rush of bravery, she leaned forward.

"But I'm not." She said, equally quiet.

His eyes widened with surprise before he controlled himself.

"Then you are foolish." He said icily and she bit her lip, nodded.

"Maybe. But, you don't scare me." she said and it was only part lie.

She was scared because of what he did to her.

What he made her feel.

With one look she could see everything in the hot gaze.

Anxiety, lust, anger, confusion, awe...and the list went on and each glance made her feel warmth that she had never felt with any previous boyfriends, made her want something that was beyond foreign to her. She wanted him, all of him. In her bed, on the floor, on the table....Woah, woah, woah! What was she thinking? They were in a public place. She looked up, found Giovanni watching her with a heated gaze as if he knew what she was thinking. She swallowed hard and felt a throb in her stomach begin. She pushed it down, breaking the gaze as the waitress arrived with the wine.

She poured a small amount and watched anxiously as Giovanni took a sip, nodded with approval. The waitress practically wilted with relief before she practically ran away.

Natalie held back a snort. She took a sip of her own and couldn't believe how good the wine tasted. She looked up, found Giovanni watching her once again.

"You like, mi amour?" he asked and she nodded slightly caressing the smooth surface of the wine glass. "Do you like?" she asked and his gaze didn't waver from her, hot, wanting, intense. "I more than like." He growled as he eyed her.

She held back a shiver of lust as their food arrived.

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So something weird happened with this chapter, so I'm gonna try again and post it separately. XX