Chapter 2 Fauna Written by Luna, Posted by Fauna
She couldn't believe she was actually in Florence! And in a night
club no less! Fauna and a few friends had snuck away from the hotel
where the chaperones, for her school trip, thought they were sound
asleep in their rooms. Engineering the whole feat had been up to her,
and sneaking out six giggling girls was no easy task. However, she
had managed with her usual efficiency . she didn't obsess about one
of the world's greatest fugitives for nothing!
They'd gone down the stairs by their door and then out through the
hotel's kitchen so they wouldn't be seen at the front desk. After
hailing a cab, they'd all squashed in and managed to communicate with
the driver that they wanted to go dancing. He had taken them to one
of Florence's smaller, but more prestigious nightclubs. Normally they
never would have gotten in, but their driver seemed to be a friend of
the bouncer, so they were let in right away. Now here they were, all
seated around a little round table, but none of them had the courage
to get up on the dance floor. At home, they would have had no
problem, but here they were worried that they would look foolish. The
music was being dj'd by a local man, who had real talent. Fauna was
rather disappointed with them. She'd gone to quite a bit of trouble
to get them out of the hotel and now none of them were going to
dance. Sometimes she wondered why she bothered. Just then, a young
Italian guy came up to their table.
"Ciao!" he said looking around at their faces. His glance stopped on
Fauna.
"Ciao!" her friends chorused together, amid a few giggles . he was
fairly cute. Fauna didn't say anything; he was too young for her
taste and smelled rather strongly of cheap cologne. He babbled
something in Italian, which she couldn't understand, so she just
shrugged her shoulders and turned away. The guy grabbed her hand and
pulled her to her feet.
"Hey! Let go!" she said irritably, trying to remove her hand from the
guy's grasp.
"Go on Fauna, he wants to dance with you," on of her friends coaxed.
"Yah, Fauna, go dance!" the others chimed in. Oh great, she thought,
as she was practically dragged across room to the dance floor. This
was not how she had imagined her evening. When she thought of what
she had been imagining earlier, a slight blush came to her cheeks.
She really shouldn't think such things, but it wasn't like she was
ever going to run into the man, the stuff of her daydreams.
Her thoughts were promptly returned to the present when she felt a
hand on her lower back. Her annoying dance partner was trying to feel
her up, but she was having none of it! She tried to move back until
she was out of his immediate reach, but every step that she moved
back he took a step forward. He smiled at her with crooked teeth,
thinking the pretty girl was playing hard to get. She called to her
friends,
"Hey ya'll! Come join us!" thinking that with a larger group dancing
together, the guy would be forced to behave himself. Her friends
didn't take the hint though; they just giggled some more and gave her
the thumbs up sign. She continued to move backwards away from the
moron, and he continued to advance on her. She had crossed almost the
entire dance floor. She was about to turn and leave the ass standing
there by himself, when she bumped into something very solid and warm.
She tried to turn and apologize to whoever she had bumped into, but a
strong arm, in a black silk shirt, slipped around her waist and held
her firmly in place against a very broad and solid chest.
" `Ya'll' is such terrible slang, my dear," a voice, rich and smooth
like chocolate, whispered in her ear. Fauna couldn't stop the shiver
that raced down her back, even as she wondered who on earth was
standing behind her. Her thoughts were sidetracked as the guy she had
been dancing with made some rude comment in Italian. She didn't
understand but from the tone, she decided that he was probably
protesting the position the man behind her had taken up. She, on the
other hand, wasn't minding at all. She put her hand on the man's
forearm and could feel hard muscle beneath smooth silk. She wished
she could turn around to see the rest of him, but he wasn't letting
her move. He replied to the boy she had been dancing with in Italian,
and again she didn't understand the words, but the man's tone made
his meaning clear, and his breath on her neck invoked more shivers.
From the look on the young guy's face, the man behind her had made
himself understood. His eyes bulged slightly in shock, before he
turned and fled back across the room.
Once the young man, and his stench, was out of the immediate
vicinity, the arm around her waist loosened slightly allowing her to
turn around and thank her rescuer. She lifted her head to gaze into
flashing blue eyes, and the words of appreciation stuck in her
throat, as recognition hit. A slight frown creased his brows as he
sighed and shook his head.
"Let me guess, a fan, right?" he asked although he already knew the
answer. Fauna could only nod weakly. He picked up her right hand in
his left and moved her backwards a few steps, until they were back on
the dance floor. They were soon moving sensuously to the music, his
right arm still firmly around her waist. "At least I don't have to
worry about you alerting anyone to my identity, right?" Fauna caught
the flash of menace and warning in his eyes and vigorously shook her
head. All she could really think about was how her stomach was
snuggled against his hip, his leg between hers as he expertly turned
her to move away form the table where her friends sat.
"Are you normally this quiet or are you still in shock?" he asked
with a quirk of an eyebrow. This prompted her to smile a little and
answer,
"No I'm not usually this quiet, I just don't know what to say," she
replied truthfully.
"You should do that more often," he commented cryptically, and then
lowered his head to her ear when she frowned in puzzlement.
"Smile, you have the cutest dimples," he whispered to her. She
blushed furiously which made him chuckle. She felt the vibrations
from his chest all the way down to her toes.
"What did you say to him?" she questioned hoping to change the
subject. He quirked an eyebrow but answered her,
"I told him that you were my fiancée and that if he knew what was
good for him, he'd make himself scarce. I think I also mentioned
something about him being outclassed, and that for an intelligent
young woman experience was often more attractive than youth."
"Your fiancée?!?" Fauna gasped, shocked once again.
"Hmmhmm," he purred in her ear. "You are young enough to be my
daughter but that would hardly explain our presence in a nightclub.
Do you object to my little story?" he asked.
"Umm, no, not at all, ahhh..." Fauna stammered, a fresh blush
staining her cheeks.
"A most becoming shade of red," he commented slyly. "Why are you
embarrassed? Or is something else causing your increased colouring?"
he suggested. She felt his chest expand as he inhaled deeply. His
sense of smell wasn't actually that good was it? She closed her eyes
praying it wasn't. "Just as I thought," she heard him say above her
head. Oh, NO!! I hope he's not offended she prayed.
"It seems your suitor has found some friends to back him up," was the
next comment uttered in the voice that made her knees go weak. Fauna
sighed in relief and opened her eyes to see the young man from
earlier at the bar, gesturing at them, surrounded by a group of other
guys.
"I think we should leave before he stirs up trouble," he suggested
and turned her towards the door his hand resting on the small of her
back.
"Together?" she squeaked. He glanced down at her with a grin of
amusement.
"Yes, unless you want to be bothered by him for the rest of your
school trip?" He asked, still guiding her through the crowd.
Unfortunately, the young guy and a couple of his friends followed.
Once they were out on the sidewalk, they turned right. "Just keep
walking," he told he in a low voice as she noticed that they were
being followed. They had almost reached a black Mercedes Benz when a
voice called out behind them in Italian. She was swiftly turned to
face the three boys, as the man beside her answered. The growl of
menace in his voice was plain, and although the boys shifted their
weight backwards, they didn't leave. They seemed to think there was
safety in numbers; stupid boys, Fauna thought.
The middle of the three said something rapidly including a few
obscene gestures. Fauna's cheeks began to glow again as she tried to
decipher what was being said. The man's arm tightened around her
waist as he gave her a short translation,
"They don't believe my story, and want proof that you're mine," he
said. Fauna stopped breathing as he said that . how many times had
she imagined those words. They were just acting she had to remind
herself. "I think I'll have to teach them a lesson," he murmured, and
Fauna started in panic. She knew what that meant, and her head
whipped around to catch his gaze.
"Kiss me, please," she whispered, pleading with her eyes. She could
see him consider and then he said something in Italian to the young
men before she was enveloped in his arms. One hand came up to cradle
the nape of her neck and then all thought stopped. The feel of his
smooth lips on hers, his tongue tracing the seam of her mouth, until
she sighed and admitted him entrance. It was a completely thorough,
bone melting, earth-shattering kiss. When he finally lifted his head
to gaze down at her, her eyes were closed and his arms were the only
things keeping her upright. She leaned against him as he straitened
up. He sent a look of pure male domination at the boys over her
strawberry blond curls; the alpha male marking his territory.
Something in his gaze finally penetrated the dense skulls of the boys
and they turned and fled after making a few rude comments about
grandfathers. He shook his head at the lack of breeding in today's
youth, before returning his attention to the young woman in his
arms. He'd seen her come in with her friends, and knew right away
that she was American. That could prove useful to him. He usually
went to the nightclub to watch people, and enjoy a glass of wine.
The wine was often more interesting than the people, and yet every
once in a while there was an exception. He patted her cheek and her
eyes fluttered open.
"Come on, honey, let's get you home," he murmured. He opened the
passenger side door of the Benz, and helped her in before moving over
to his side of the car. The engine started with a loud purr, as he
pulled away from the curb. Fauna thought he was going to take her
back to the hotel, and it took her a minute to realize they were on a
road headed out of town.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked, in a panicky voice.
"Come now, my dear, surely you aren't afraid of me now?" his stress
of the last word, brought all the sensations of his kiss rushing back
to her.
"No, not exactly," she replied breathlessly.
"Good," he purred. "Quid pro quo, little Fauna," he said to her. "I
got rid of the little boy who wanted to play with you, and now you
owe me." Owe him! Owe him what? Fauna thought, as her cheeks once
again became warm. He laughed as they drove on through the night,
but refused to elaborate on exactly what it was he wanted from her.
___________
The next morning Fauna had her story perfectly rehearsed when she got
back to the hotel. In her hand was a letter from her uncle, who
lived outside the city, to her chaperones explaining her absence the
night before . it was written in a fine copperplate script. She
didn't think it was going to work, but who was she to question the
master. Once inside the lobby, she was accosted by girls and adults
alike. After handing over the letter and reciting her tale, she
waited for judgment. For some strange reason, the chaperones
believed her, but she was told that she should have let someone know
where she was going. She smiled and apologized for worrying anyone,
before she was dragged off to do some more shopping. The other girls
were anxious to see all they could in their last few hours. Their
plane back to the States left that afternoon.
After reaching the airport, and getting checked in, they managed to
find their gate and board their plane. Once on board, however, the
stewardess informed them that there had been a mix up with the
seating and that three of them would have to come with her up to
first class. The girls all clamored to be chosen, but the stewardess
took the three closest to her, one of which happened to be Fauna.
Once they reached the front of the plane, the stewardess directed the
other two girls to a pair of seats, and then motioned Fauna to a seat
six rows up. She smiled and apologized for separating her from her
friends, but Fauna just smiled and said that was quite all right.
She slid into her seat, and sighed with content. She was so busy
looking around that she didn't notice the man next to her lower his
newspaper. She almost jumped out of her seat, when a warm hand
rested on her thigh and a voice greeted,
"Well, hello my dear."
She couldn't believe she was actually in Florence! And in a night
club no less! Fauna and a few friends had snuck away from the hotel
where the chaperones, for her school trip, thought they were sound
asleep in their rooms. Engineering the whole feat had been up to her,
and sneaking out six giggling girls was no easy task. However, she
had managed with her usual efficiency . she didn't obsess about one
of the world's greatest fugitives for nothing!
They'd gone down the stairs by their door and then out through the
hotel's kitchen so they wouldn't be seen at the front desk. After
hailing a cab, they'd all squashed in and managed to communicate with
the driver that they wanted to go dancing. He had taken them to one
of Florence's smaller, but more prestigious nightclubs. Normally they
never would have gotten in, but their driver seemed to be a friend of
the bouncer, so they were let in right away. Now here they were, all
seated around a little round table, but none of them had the courage
to get up on the dance floor. At home, they would have had no
problem, but here they were worried that they would look foolish. The
music was being dj'd by a local man, who had real talent. Fauna was
rather disappointed with them. She'd gone to quite a bit of trouble
to get them out of the hotel and now none of them were going to
dance. Sometimes she wondered why she bothered. Just then, a young
Italian guy came up to their table.
"Ciao!" he said looking around at their faces. His glance stopped on
Fauna.
"Ciao!" her friends chorused together, amid a few giggles . he was
fairly cute. Fauna didn't say anything; he was too young for her
taste and smelled rather strongly of cheap cologne. He babbled
something in Italian, which she couldn't understand, so she just
shrugged her shoulders and turned away. The guy grabbed her hand and
pulled her to her feet.
"Hey! Let go!" she said irritably, trying to remove her hand from the
guy's grasp.
"Go on Fauna, he wants to dance with you," on of her friends coaxed.
"Yah, Fauna, go dance!" the others chimed in. Oh great, she thought,
as she was practically dragged across room to the dance floor. This
was not how she had imagined her evening. When she thought of what
she had been imagining earlier, a slight blush came to her cheeks.
She really shouldn't think such things, but it wasn't like she was
ever going to run into the man, the stuff of her daydreams.
Her thoughts were promptly returned to the present when she felt a
hand on her lower back. Her annoying dance partner was trying to feel
her up, but she was having none of it! She tried to move back until
she was out of his immediate reach, but every step that she moved
back he took a step forward. He smiled at her with crooked teeth,
thinking the pretty girl was playing hard to get. She called to her
friends,
"Hey ya'll! Come join us!" thinking that with a larger group dancing
together, the guy would be forced to behave himself. Her friends
didn't take the hint though; they just giggled some more and gave her
the thumbs up sign. She continued to move backwards away from the
moron, and he continued to advance on her. She had crossed almost the
entire dance floor. She was about to turn and leave the ass standing
there by himself, when she bumped into something very solid and warm.
She tried to turn and apologize to whoever she had bumped into, but a
strong arm, in a black silk shirt, slipped around her waist and held
her firmly in place against a very broad and solid chest.
" `Ya'll' is such terrible slang, my dear," a voice, rich and smooth
like chocolate, whispered in her ear. Fauna couldn't stop the shiver
that raced down her back, even as she wondered who on earth was
standing behind her. Her thoughts were sidetracked as the guy she had
been dancing with made some rude comment in Italian. She didn't
understand but from the tone, she decided that he was probably
protesting the position the man behind her had taken up. She, on the
other hand, wasn't minding at all. She put her hand on the man's
forearm and could feel hard muscle beneath smooth silk. She wished
she could turn around to see the rest of him, but he wasn't letting
her move. He replied to the boy she had been dancing with in Italian,
and again she didn't understand the words, but the man's tone made
his meaning clear, and his breath on her neck invoked more shivers.
From the look on the young guy's face, the man behind her had made
himself understood. His eyes bulged slightly in shock, before he
turned and fled back across the room.
Once the young man, and his stench, was out of the immediate
vicinity, the arm around her waist loosened slightly allowing her to
turn around and thank her rescuer. She lifted her head to gaze into
flashing blue eyes, and the words of appreciation stuck in her
throat, as recognition hit. A slight frown creased his brows as he
sighed and shook his head.
"Let me guess, a fan, right?" he asked although he already knew the
answer. Fauna could only nod weakly. He picked up her right hand in
his left and moved her backwards a few steps, until they were back on
the dance floor. They were soon moving sensuously to the music, his
right arm still firmly around her waist. "At least I don't have to
worry about you alerting anyone to my identity, right?" Fauna caught
the flash of menace and warning in his eyes and vigorously shook her
head. All she could really think about was how her stomach was
snuggled against his hip, his leg between hers as he expertly turned
her to move away form the table where her friends sat.
"Are you normally this quiet or are you still in shock?" he asked
with a quirk of an eyebrow. This prompted her to smile a little and
answer,
"No I'm not usually this quiet, I just don't know what to say," she
replied truthfully.
"You should do that more often," he commented cryptically, and then
lowered his head to her ear when she frowned in puzzlement.
"Smile, you have the cutest dimples," he whispered to her. She
blushed furiously which made him chuckle. She felt the vibrations
from his chest all the way down to her toes.
"What did you say to him?" she questioned hoping to change the
subject. He quirked an eyebrow but answered her,
"I told him that you were my fiancée and that if he knew what was
good for him, he'd make himself scarce. I think I also mentioned
something about him being outclassed, and that for an intelligent
young woman experience was often more attractive than youth."
"Your fiancée?!?" Fauna gasped, shocked once again.
"Hmmhmm," he purred in her ear. "You are young enough to be my
daughter but that would hardly explain our presence in a nightclub.
Do you object to my little story?" he asked.
"Umm, no, not at all, ahhh..." Fauna stammered, a fresh blush
staining her cheeks.
"A most becoming shade of red," he commented slyly. "Why are you
embarrassed? Or is something else causing your increased colouring?"
he suggested. She felt his chest expand as he inhaled deeply. His
sense of smell wasn't actually that good was it? She closed her eyes
praying it wasn't. "Just as I thought," she heard him say above her
head. Oh, NO!! I hope he's not offended she prayed.
"It seems your suitor has found some friends to back him up," was the
next comment uttered in the voice that made her knees go weak. Fauna
sighed in relief and opened her eyes to see the young man from
earlier at the bar, gesturing at them, surrounded by a group of other
guys.
"I think we should leave before he stirs up trouble," he suggested
and turned her towards the door his hand resting on the small of her
back.
"Together?" she squeaked. He glanced down at her with a grin of
amusement.
"Yes, unless you want to be bothered by him for the rest of your
school trip?" He asked, still guiding her through the crowd.
Unfortunately, the young guy and a couple of his friends followed.
Once they were out on the sidewalk, they turned right. "Just keep
walking," he told he in a low voice as she noticed that they were
being followed. They had almost reached a black Mercedes Benz when a
voice called out behind them in Italian. She was swiftly turned to
face the three boys, as the man beside her answered. The growl of
menace in his voice was plain, and although the boys shifted their
weight backwards, they didn't leave. They seemed to think there was
safety in numbers; stupid boys, Fauna thought.
The middle of the three said something rapidly including a few
obscene gestures. Fauna's cheeks began to glow again as she tried to
decipher what was being said. The man's arm tightened around her
waist as he gave her a short translation,
"They don't believe my story, and want proof that you're mine," he
said. Fauna stopped breathing as he said that . how many times had
she imagined those words. They were just acting she had to remind
herself. "I think I'll have to teach them a lesson," he murmured, and
Fauna started in panic. She knew what that meant, and her head
whipped around to catch his gaze.
"Kiss me, please," she whispered, pleading with her eyes. She could
see him consider and then he said something in Italian to the young
men before she was enveloped in his arms. One hand came up to cradle
the nape of her neck and then all thought stopped. The feel of his
smooth lips on hers, his tongue tracing the seam of her mouth, until
she sighed and admitted him entrance. It was a completely thorough,
bone melting, earth-shattering kiss. When he finally lifted his head
to gaze down at her, her eyes were closed and his arms were the only
things keeping her upright. She leaned against him as he straitened
up. He sent a look of pure male domination at the boys over her
strawberry blond curls; the alpha male marking his territory.
Something in his gaze finally penetrated the dense skulls of the boys
and they turned and fled after making a few rude comments about
grandfathers. He shook his head at the lack of breeding in today's
youth, before returning his attention to the young woman in his
arms. He'd seen her come in with her friends, and knew right away
that she was American. That could prove useful to him. He usually
went to the nightclub to watch people, and enjoy a glass of wine.
The wine was often more interesting than the people, and yet every
once in a while there was an exception. He patted her cheek and her
eyes fluttered open.
"Come on, honey, let's get you home," he murmured. He opened the
passenger side door of the Benz, and helped her in before moving over
to his side of the car. The engine started with a loud purr, as he
pulled away from the curb. Fauna thought he was going to take her
back to the hotel, and it took her a minute to realize they were on a
road headed out of town.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked, in a panicky voice.
"Come now, my dear, surely you aren't afraid of me now?" his stress
of the last word, brought all the sensations of his kiss rushing back
to her.
"No, not exactly," she replied breathlessly.
"Good," he purred. "Quid pro quo, little Fauna," he said to her. "I
got rid of the little boy who wanted to play with you, and now you
owe me." Owe him! Owe him what? Fauna thought, as her cheeks once
again became warm. He laughed as they drove on through the night,
but refused to elaborate on exactly what it was he wanted from her.
___________
The next morning Fauna had her story perfectly rehearsed when she got
back to the hotel. In her hand was a letter from her uncle, who
lived outside the city, to her chaperones explaining her absence the
night before . it was written in a fine copperplate script. She
didn't think it was going to work, but who was she to question the
master. Once inside the lobby, she was accosted by girls and adults
alike. After handing over the letter and reciting her tale, she
waited for judgment. For some strange reason, the chaperones
believed her, but she was told that she should have let someone know
where she was going. She smiled and apologized for worrying anyone,
before she was dragged off to do some more shopping. The other girls
were anxious to see all they could in their last few hours. Their
plane back to the States left that afternoon.
After reaching the airport, and getting checked in, they managed to
find their gate and board their plane. Once on board, however, the
stewardess informed them that there had been a mix up with the
seating and that three of them would have to come with her up to
first class. The girls all clamored to be chosen, but the stewardess
took the three closest to her, one of which happened to be Fauna.
Once they reached the front of the plane, the stewardess directed the
other two girls to a pair of seats, and then motioned Fauna to a seat
six rows up. She smiled and apologized for separating her from her
friends, but Fauna just smiled and said that was quite all right.
She slid into her seat, and sighed with content. She was so busy
looking around that she didn't notice the man next to her lower his
newspaper. She almost jumped out of her seat, when a warm hand
rested on her thigh and a voice greeted,
"Well, hello my dear."