The Awakening of Alexandria Read online

  Eventually Alexandria did collapse. He found her slumped over her computer, sleeping and let her rest.

  On the eleventh day, it was nearly five in the afternoon when she finally stopped typing. She saved her file and stretched. Alexandria got up went into the bathroom, showered, toweled off, looked around, and seemed confused that she couldn’t find something to put on, then dropped the towel and climbed into bed naked. Nicholas, nearly as exhausted as she, kicked off his shoes, crawled in bed beside her, and - fully dressed - went to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Allie woke up and realized for the first time in her life she wasn’t sleeping alone. Nicholas was curled around her, one arm thrown over her waist, his knees tucked behind her. They were only separated by the thinness of sheet. She smiled, and remembered the night before when she’d been so tired, and so relieved that it was over, that she’d gotten into bed naked. So like him to stay close to her and yet respect her privacy. He’d seen her through the worst, and made the process easier. She wasn’t nearly as tired as she usually was, nor as hungry or weak. That was because of his efforts. He’d made her stop to eat and sleep. He’d only gotten angry once and he hadn’t hurt her, only held her, and forced her to remain still until she fell asleep.

  She slipped out of his grasp and looked down on his face. Nicholas was the one who was exhausted. In his efforts to help her - to protect her from herself - he had taken the blunt of the tidal wave of creative forces that usually swamped her.

  Allie looked around the room. Meal trays and carts were parked here and there. The table where her computer was set up was a mess - that was normal. The floor was littered with hundreds of Post-it notes and wadded up sheets of paper. That too was normal. She slid off the bed and picked up the towel she’d dropped the night before, wrapped it around her loosely, and wandered out the open bedroom door. In the weeks she’d been kept here, she’d only been in the hallways, stairs, and entryway, always accompanied by Nicholas as he was taking her out of the house, to the beach or for a stroll. She knew his bedroom was nearby. He always seemed to be within calling distance, even through a locked door.

  The first door she opened appeared to be an office, the second was a large masculine bedroom. She could sense this was Nicholas’s room. She could tell by the faint fragrance of his shower soap, his aftershave. Her senses were always heightened after they came, like coming out of tunnel of darkness and tiptoeing back into the light of life. His room reflected the man - simple, powerful, strong, and decorated in masculine simplicity with dark blues and tans. The furniture was solid, dark and sleek. A wall of bookcases were filled with books, CD’s, DVD’s, electronics - a large screen TV, a complicated looking stereo system. Two reading chairs flanked a huge fireplace.

  There was abstract art on the walls, art she would never understand because she thought in linear patterns or images, but beautiful nonetheless. Over by a tall chest of drawers were a dozen or more shopping bags. She went over and smiled as she peeked inside to find the stockpile of lingerie and clothing he’d gotten for her. One of the bags contained a long gauzy cornflower blue skirt with large gold poppies in the print, a solid blue blouse of the same material, and a pair of gold flip-flops. She put them on, snitched a pair of blue underwear from one of the other bags, and left the room.

  In Alexandria’s bedroom, Nicholas woke with a start, felt instantly bereft from the lack of physical contact and jumped out of bed. Alexandria was gone, and the door left unlocked. Had she run? Had she tried to escape? He looked past the balcony, saw a flash of blue, and stepped out to see her stretched out on a patch of grass, lying in the sun. She had something across her eyes. Nicholas padded quickly down to the first floor in his bare feet, and sat down by her head on the grass.

  “Are you all right?” He lifted her head to rest on his thigh.

  Allie took the wet washcloth off her eyes. “I’m better than all right. I was just enjoying.”

  “Enjoying what?”

  “Everything. The warmth of the sun, the quiet. I have come to love how peaceful it is here. The only sound we hear is wind rustling through the grapevines, and the soft background sound of the ocean. I think I’m imagining the sweet, musty smell of wine fermentation.”

  “That’s not your imagination, I smell it sometimes too. It’s as if these hills of fertile soil and lava rock have absorbed the very essence from the grapes through the annals of time.”

  Allie looked up at him. “You said you didn’t have an imagination. You’re wrong. You have soul of a poet.”

  Nicholas looked around. “No, I’m not a poet, but I love the land. I love the island. Why have you covered your eyes? Do you have a headache?”

  “Only a minor one, and the cool wet cloth makes my eyes feel better. They’re always so fatigued, dry, and scratchy after I finish the initial stage of writing a book.”

  Nicholas stood up, pulled her to her feet. “Come my bobus, today is going to be a day of rest, for you and for me. I will tolerate no arguments and no complaints. I will get you some aspirin for your headache, some eye drops for your eyes, and back to bed you go.”

  “Nicholas,” Allie said turning to him.

  He glanced down at her with a look of expectation, as he prepared for objections.

  “Thank you,” Allie said simply.

  He smiled. “You are welcome, Alexandria.” He swept her up into his arms. “After we have rested and are properly recovered from the stress of this process of yours, we need to have discussion on moderation.”

  They rested. They slept and lounged and they slept some more. It was a long slow day of nothing but food, drink and of being lazy. As the day came to an end, they were cocooned on a chaise watching the sunset.

  Nicholas turned to her and searched her eyes and face for peace and acceptance.

  “If I leave the doors unlocked will you attempt to leave?”

  Allie shook her head. “No,”

  “Do you accept that I only have your best interests in my heart?”

  “Yes,”

  Nicholas kissed her on the lips. “May I share your bed tonight?”

  Another shift, Allie thought. “You’ve shared my bed for many nights now.”

  “Yes, I have, as your warden, as your protector. Tonight I’d like to share your bed as a man who cares deeply for you and needs to know you are beside me. A man that needs to know you welcome me.”

  “To make love to me?” Allie asked.

  “Not yet, bobus, but that will come when, and if, you are ready. Tonight is simply a new beginning.”

  Definitely a shift, Allie thought, but it didn’t frighten her. Nicholas saw something in her that she didn’t see in herself. He was accepting of her as no one ever had been before. She’d never had a romantic relationship. She’d never trusted anyone enough to try.

  “Yes,” she said finally. “I trust you.”

  Nicholas felt a surge of relief flow through him, a certainty that in spite of his arrogance, his pride, and his abduction of her, that he might not lose her. This was the most important undertaking of his life. He could not fail. “Thank you.”

  Allie stepped out of the shower, looking for the shopping bag that always seemed to appear when she needed something to put on. Nicholas had left her bedroom, so she was pretty sure he would come back. She wasn’t surprised when he walked into the bathroom carrying it. He was wearing black silk pajama bottoms, nothing else.

  “Come here Alexandria,” Nicholas said. She went to him and with his eyes never leaving hers; he pulled the towel away and turned her toward a full-length mirror. “Look, he said softly in her ear, standing behind her. “You are gaining weight, and this is good, ten pounds now. See, no sharp bones sticking out.” He brought his hand slightly under her breasts but he didn’t touch them. Smiling at her in the mirror, he whispered into her ear as if it were a secret. “They are growing.”

  He ran his hand gently over her shoulders, over her ribs and laid his hand flat on her still concave stomach between her h
ipbones. “You still have a way to go to be completely healthy, but this is such an improvement. I am so proud of you and you are so beautiful.”

  Nicholas turned and pulled simple black chemise out of the bag.

  “Arms up.”

  Allie lifted her arms and he dropped it over her head and down over her body and she began to shake.

  Nicholas felt it immediately. “What is it Alexandria? If I frighten you….”

  “No,” Allie whispered tears beginning to fall and she couldn’t seem to stop them.”

  “What is it? If this distressed you….”

  “No,” Allie choked out her throat closing up. She leaned her forehead against his chest.

  His arms came around her, stroking her back. “What is it?”

  She couldn’t stop the tears. She, who never cried… and, she couldn’t stop them. He lifted her chin, made her look at him. “No one ever cared before,” she whispered.

  Nicholas pulled her to him and dropped his cheek down on top of her head. “That is your past agape- past love - we are now, and I care. I care so much that soon your past won’t hurt any longer as you learn of love.”

  * * * * *

  Allie woke up spooned into Nicholas’ arms. He’d carried her to bed last night and just cradled her in his arms and let her cry. Then, he’d taken a washcloth and washed her face and eyes of the tears, kissed her on lips, and lain down beside her to sleep. There was no barrier of a sheet between them as there had been the previous night and she hadn’t gotten around to putting on her panties before she had her crying breakdown. She rolled and turned to face him, to see his face. Nicholas was wearing pajama bottoms, but she could feel his erection pressing up against her.

  Nicholas gave a murmur in his sleep and pulled her closer his hand stroking down her hip, seeking… his eyes flew open and he lifted his hand from her and shifted back a bit. “Sorry, did I frighten you?”

  Allie shook her head and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I’m aware of how the male body functions.”

  “Are you?”

  Allie nodded. “Scientifically, speaking of course, I’ve had to do a lot of research.”

  Nicholas smiled. “Do you think you understand men from research? No personal research, at all?”

  “Boys aren’t interested in ugly, flat-chested girls with braces. They generally go after the cheerleaders,” Allie said.

  Nicholas shifted toward her. “Stupid, stupid, boys. You are not ugly. That girl was a long time ago, probably a caterpillar awaiting its time. You are the butterfly. I will eventually break down all these silly ideas you have about being unattractive. I see no braces, you have a kissable mouth.” He kissed her. “See, very kissable. So kissable that I intend to kiss it a lot until you believe it.” He gave her a laudable example of his kissing skills. “Are you agreeable to these terms?”

  He’d taken her breath away, so Allie just nodded.

  “Now, the next idea I will purge from your mind is this idea that you are flat-chested.” Nicholas unhooked the little straps of her chemise and tugged it down exposing her breasts. “Your breasts are small but quite perfect. They are firm and surprisingly full for someone so very thin, the areola is quite becoming and the nipple, awe, the nipple is delectable.” He lowered his head and began to kiss and flick his tongue around her nipples, nip with his teeth and suckle.

  Allie was lost in sensation. She’d never felt this before. Nicholas returned to her lips, as his hands took over possession of her breasts. Allie was breathless and her entire body was throbbing. When Nicholas returned his lips to her breast and suckled her nipples something exploded inside her and she cried out with the release as her entire body gave way to an orgasm. He plundered her mouth with his tongue, as she gave a final shudder.

  She buried her head in his shoulder embarrassed, but he pushed her back and looked down into her eyes.

  “What did I tell you, Alexandria? Your breasts are quite amazing.”

  * * * * *

  Allie walked ahead on the path in front of Nicholas. Their morning had started so well until he’d gone all macho and stubborn.

  “Alexandria, pouting does not suit you,” Nicholas said following her with a smile.

  “I’m not pouting. I’m pissed!” Allie shouted.

  “Language,” Nicholas said mildly.

  “Does sign language count?” Allie snapped raising her hand.

  “If you put that finger up, I’ll bring my entire hand down on your bottom, and give you the spanking you are earning.” Nicholas warned very serious.

  “Nicholas, you’re being unfair!”

  “You had eleven days of madness and you’ve only had one day of rest. No. You are allowed two hours of computer time, no more.”

  “I have to get serious, here, Nicholas,” Allie exclaimed.

  Nicholas coughed and turned his head to hide a grin. It was hard to take her seriously when she stomped her foot and little pink twinkle lights lit up on her shoes. “I am perfectly serious.”

  Allie plopped down on the stone wall. “I have to contact my publishers. I have contracts that need to be fulfilled. I have manuscripts that need to be edited and delivered!”

  “The manuscript that nearly got you killed?” Nicholas asked his voice turning to steel.

  Allie recognized the simmering anger that memory evoked and shook her head. “No, I’m usually ahead of my deadlines by two or three books. I have a Jake Shane due. It was written before I went to Kapaluo.”

  Nicholas sat down beside her. “What does this entail?”

  “For the one I have due now, simply e-mailing it to them. I need to get into my e mails to see if there are any revisions needed on the last two I submitted. I need to answer my e-mail! It’s been weeks and my editors probably think I died. You wouldn’t leave your business unattended that long.”

  “I have,” Nicholas declared. “Taking care of you was more important.”

  “I do thank you for that,” Allie said. “Be honest. I don’t know what you do, but there’s no way you can own an island, and not have business interests that have to be attended to daily. I know this place is connected, probably by the latest satellite technology available. How close am I?”

  Nicholas gave a sigh. “A direct hit. I will admit that I am very well connected to the outside world.”

  “You don’t want me to reconnect with it, is that it?” Allie asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I won’t report you for kidnapping me. I may not like what you did, and I will not concede that you had the right to do it. But, I’m not stupid. I do realize that I was dangerously ill.”

  “That is not my worry, Alexandria. You are only now beginning to regain your health. This morning I called you a butterfly, but in many ways you are still a caterpillar and you need to be wrapped in a cocoon for your safety. I have witnessed this thing you call your process that takes over as you to write. I admire your genius, but I won’t allow that genius to destroy you. If you put yourself back under the pressure from your publishers and editors, I’m afraid you will slip back into the workaholic patterns that almost killed you. I would lock you up in that gilded cage forever to prevent that. You need time to learn how to control what you call your process.”

  “It’s how I work,” Allie exclaimed.

  “You need to try to modify it. You are a woman of great strength. Your genius is coming from your brain. You are in control, or rather, you should be in control. They, as you call them, should not be controlling you. Let the voices come, but make them stop to allow you rest, and then start again the next day.”

  Allie jumped up and walked around agitated. “I don’t know if I can do that! This is what works for me. I’ll bet if you’re working around the clock to complete some wheeling-dealing whatever, no one ever tells you to work differently.”

  Nicholas laughed and got up to put his arms around her. “You would be surprised at how many people try to tell me how to do my job every day. Alexandria, I’m not asking you chang
e everything, or give up anything. I only want you to try to modify it a bit. Normal human beings need to eat, need to sleep, and need love. They need to have a life outside of what they do to earn a living, whether it is a job or a creative outlet. Can you at least try?”

  She was silent for so long that Nicholas thought he’d lost her. Finally, she nodded her head. “Okay, I will try. I’m not promising anything. But if I’m going give you what you want, you’re going to have to give something too.”

  “What do I have give?” Nicholas asked suspiciously.

  “If I’m going to trust you to have my best interests at heart, you have give up some of this rigid control over me. If you want me to live a normal life, I have to have some sense of normalcy. You can’t dress me up like a human doll every day and you have to allow me the free rein to run my own affairs. I’ve been making my business decisions for a long time.”

  Nicholas gave a sigh and kissed her on the top of the head. “I have a hard time giving up control, bobus.”

  Allie laughed genuinely amused. “Why does that not surprise me?”

  Nicholas smiled. “All right. I will have the Internet connection in your room reconnected. For now, because your health is still precarious, you may work four hours a day. If you increase your weight by three pounds, you get another hour, to the maximum of six hours a day. Six hours. That is not negotiable until your weight returns to a normal level. If you lose weight, you lose time. Your health, safety, and well-being still come under my control.

  “Seven hours maximum,” Allie said firmly.

  “Six, and only if you continue to gain weight,” Nicholas challenged.

  “Seven hours, and you have to bring in some food that I like instead of the awful stuff that I get now, and I get desserts with two meals. They can be Greek desserts, I like those.”

  “You do not like the food?’ Nicholas questioned.

  “I’m not Greek,” Allie said in exasperation. “Everything comes loaded down with olives and spinach. I don’t like it, and I don’t like fish. It’s always fish!”