BETWEEN CLOUDS AND STARS: A Sexy Standalone Romance (17 page)

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” he asked Mr. Romer, looking toward me with a smile.

We shook hands, with him obviously undressing me with his eyes the entire time. I felt somewhat uncomfortable. As far as I was aware, he was married with kids, but this didn’t stop him from flirting with me.

Bill Malcolm was a very attractive man—tall, with an athletic body, messy, light-chestnut hair, and grey eyes. He’d managed to build a great career in Hollywood, but his infamy as a bad boy preceded him. Now he was definitely enjoying being away from his family, searching for yet another blonde to seduce.

I hated such men. Why had he married in the first place?

It turned out he was shooting a movie in Zurich, and for some reason, he was very surprised when he realized I was American. After all, people from all over the world worked in Zurich. Clearly, he wasn’t aware of that. He gave me many compliments, lines he no doubt trotted out to every girl. However, I couldn’t care less. Fortunately, some beautiful, long-legged blonde beckoned him, and he went over to her, politely excusing himself.

I took my glass of champagne and moved away from the crowd to enjoy the wonderful view of Lake Zurich.

“Great view, right?” said a deep, raspy male voice behind me.

I turned around and saw a tall, trim, wide-shouldered man standing there. I was struck dumb by his incredibly beautiful blue eyes, which shone like sapphires in the soft light of the torches. One look was all he needed to win over any woman. Everything about him oozed confidence, greatness, power, and sex appeal. His high cheekbones and strong jaw reinforced his pronounced manliness even more. He was dressed in an expensive black tuxedo, which highlighted his sexy physique. In his hand rested a glass of champagne, while the other he kept nonchalantly in his pants pocket.

“I’m sorry, I’ve not introduced myself—Alexander Kraftberg,” he said and held out his hand, openly curious.

“Alexia Welson,” I managed to blurt out after a short pause. His magnetism was making me feel quite nervous.

I held out my hand for a handshake, but instead, he lifted it to his perfectly formed lips and gently kissed it. Upon his touch, I felt a hot flush overtake my entire body.

“Alexia Welson,” he repeated in a way nobody had pronounced it before, with such passion it made the blood in my veins boil. “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

“Thanks,” I replied shyly and tried to look away from him, but it was in vain. It felt as if I were under a spell.

My God, he was so handsome. My heart started beating wildly, my pulse accelerating quickly. I felt shivers down my spine and butterflies in my stomach—the feeling I’d been yearning after for ages. I stared at him as if hypnotized and could not look away.

“I’ve not seen you before at any of Mr. Romer’s gatherings,” he continued.

“This time, they managed to convince me to come,” I mumbled in response.

“Why? What’s wrong with these parties?” he asked, interested, and took a sip of his champagne.

“I don’t think I fit in here.” I pointed toward the party’s attendees. “But this time, Mr. Romer’s niece, Lily, who I’ve known for years, wouldn’t take
no
for an answer. I simply couldn’t refuse.” I shrugged apologetically.

At that point, I saw Lily approaching us.

“Alexander,” she greeted. “It’s nice to see you. I suppose you’ve already met my friend Alexia?”

“Yes, Lily, I’ve had the pleasure,” he replied without looking away from me. His eyes were drinking me in and making me hold my breath… in excitement.

We got to talking about my mixed German-American origin, which led to a discussion of the differences between the German language, as spoken in Germany, and the Swiss-German dialect, spoken by a large part of Switzerland’s population.

When the song “How Could an Angel Break My Heart” by Toni Braxton came on, Alexander briefly glanced toward Lily.

“And now, would Miss Ferrai excuse us? I’d really like to dance with Miss Welson.” And without waiting for my reply, he took my glass of champagne, left it next to his on the nearest cocktail table, grabbed my hand, and whispered in my ear, “May I have the honor?”

I only managed to nod before he led me toward the dance floor at a confident gait.

At first, his self-confidence annoyed me, but everything changed when I felt his hand on my waist and the touch of our bodies. It was as if a surge of electricity coursed through me. I felt a strong desire to stay in his embrace. His body was so warm and his scent was divine. One thing was certain—I was starting to fall in love, and much too quickly at that.

“I hope you aren’t going to decide to go back to the States anytime soon,” he murmured. “May I call you by your first name?”

“Yes, of course,” I replied.

“Which city in the States are you from, Alexia?” he continued, his voice caressing my ears—its timbre was so pleasant.

“From Boston. My father lives there with his second wife… My brother too.”

“And your mother?” he asked, interested.

“Unfortunately, she passed away.”

My mother died when I was only ten years old, during my brother’s birth. Fate left my father a young widower. It was very hard on our family for a number of years. I couldn’t complain about my father’s selfless support, but I missed my mother’s love.

The only thing that held me together was, unlike my brother, I’d known her and kept the memories. Countless times, I told my brother about her, how good she was and how joyous she felt she was going to have another child. Sharing her happiness, we held together plans for the future.

I became sad—I missed her infectious laughter, her soothing voice, and her huge capacity for love. I wished so much she could be beside me all these years, to support me and give me strength.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said as if he’d read my mind. He looked at me deeply and warmly and pulled me in even closer.

“One cannot escape one’s fate—whether good or bad; she leaves memories in us.”

“I agree completely.” His voice was very gentle. Then, probably to change the topic, he slipped in, “See how many men are staring at you?”

“And how many women at you,” I replied, which was true.

I smiled, glanced at him, and caught his stunning smile, revealing pearly white teeth that contrasted his suntanned face.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked, and I thought he might be holding his breath.

“No, I don’t. And you? A girlfriend?” I couldn’t believe I’d been brave enough to say these words out loud. It would definitely be putting it mildly to say I was enthralled by his charm. My heart was about to burst from my chest and my stomach was twisted into a ball.

It is impossible he doesn’t have a girlfriend.

Alexander looked me straight in the eyes and replied confidently, “No, but I intend to have one in the very near future”.

Is he implying something or am I just imagining things?

I decided to tease him a little. “Are you always so sure of yourself?”

“Always.”

This self-confidence of his was making me wild. And how was it possible for someone to smell so good? It wasn’t fair he exuded such sex appeal, which attracted me so strongly and made me think of sex—wild, all-consuming sex. I was dizzy with all the female hormones swimming around my body, making me feel so confused.

“I wish I were so confident,” I added.

“So are you not?” I felt his hot breath on my hair.

“No, not always,” I admitted.

“Believe me, Alexia, a beautiful and intelligent woman such as yourself can achieve a lot. I believe every door upon which you knock will open, as long as you can muster up the courage to do it.”

I blushed, which almost never happened to me. How was it possible in such a short time, this man had managed to attract me so strongly? I wanted him. I wanted to taste his lips and feel the touch of his hands on my body. I realized, after twenty-four years, I’d fallen in love. The feeling made me happy and scared at the same time. And he was clearly attracted to me too.

Daniel, Christoph, and Ralph were the boyfriends I’d had so far. All three of them had loved me, but I couldn’t love them back. And now… I felt I couldn’t get enough air. I was in so deep.

“You probably shower every woman with such compliments,” I mentioned teasingly.

“I generally don’t have to pursue them, if that’s what you’re implying.”

And from his eyes, I realized he was being honest. Obviously, women just threw themselves at him and he didn’t have to woo them.

“You’re different,” he said quietly.

“What do you mean? As far as I’m aware, I don’t have wings on my back.” I giggled at my silly utterance.

“I’ll refrain from comments so you don’t say I’m using old clichés.” And to change the topic, he asked, “How do you know Lily?”

“From college—we studied and graduated together.”

“Do you also work at Credit Suisse?” he asked.

“No, I’m with the competition—UBS.” I smiled.

When the song ended, I saw Sebastian, Frank Romer’s son, approaching us.

“Hey, Barbie, I’ve not seen you in ages. How about a dance?” He grabbed me and leaned over to kiss me, at which point he almost spilled his drink on my dress. He was either drunk or stoned. I knew about his vices from Lily.

Sebastian was a handsome man but of a very weak character. His brown eyes were glazed and slit, and his hair was messier than usual. Part of his shirt hem had come out of his pants.

I sharply turned my head to the side to avoid his kiss. I felt a strong arm pull me back and found myself in Alexander’s arm, who hissed through his teeth, “Romer, pull yourself together,” pushing him away with his free hand.

Sebastian lurched, almost falling, but managed to steady himself and, swaying, retreated into the crowd.

Seeing the stares of the people dancing around us, I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole. I felt so embarrassed, even though what had happened wasn’t my fault. I didn’t understand why Sebastian—the cousin of my best friend Lily—was behaving in this manner. We’d known each other for years, but he’d never intimated he had any special feelings for me. So what was this theatre about just now? And why did he address me as Barbie? He’d clearly had too much to drink and couldn’t control himself.

I instinctively snuggled up to Alexander and hid my face in his chest. I heard the strong beat of his heart and felt safe in his warm embrace.

“Are you okay?” I barely heard him whisper in my ear.

I managed to just nod.

We left the dance floor and went back to Lily, who looked at me quizzically, as if to say,
What the hell was that?

I shrugged and, instead of replying, asked her where the toilet was.

She pulled me by the elbow and, when we’d moved away, said warningly, “Don’t get involved with Alexander. I know he’s gorgeous and irresistible, but that’s precisely the problem. Which is why I hadn’t introduced him to you. He’s not for you. Once you’ve slept with him, that’s it—he loses interest. He’ll throw you away like a piece of trash and look for his next victim. That’s his reputation. He can’t satisfy his sexual appetite with just one woman. Come on. Forget about him. Let’s go get something to eat from the buffet.”

I felt nauseous and my heart sank.

Goddammit. How was it possible I was attracted to someone with such a force for the first time and it turned out he was a womanizer?

“Gosh, Alexia, you’ve turned as white as a sheet.” She observed me, concerned. “This womanizer managed to get under your skin, did he?”

I frowned. “Yeah, and how deep… It might be a good idea if I eat and leave. Otherwise, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my distance from him.”

“You’re smitten.” She looked at me sympathetically. And she certainly wasn’t the only person who had noticed.

“Yes, but as you said, he’s not for me. Which is why I’d better not get involved with him.” I sighed despairingly. “Oh, Lily, why’s life so unfair? I really liked him. He’s so…”

“I know, dear.” She held my shoulders and hugged me. “I’m sorry, but it really is better to keep your distance from him. He’ll hurt you—he’s broken the hearts of so many women. I don’t want you to be the next.”

“Dammit…” I cursed, frowning.

She looked at me supportively. “Let’s get something to eat.”

We took canapés of red and black caviar and went back to the table. I saw Alexander talking to another man—of average height, with black hair and stubble. Kraftberg was speaking with great confidence and self-assurance, making his audience listen intently.

Our eyes met, and I felt goose bumps. My throat had gone dry, so I took a sip of water. I decided I should leave immediately. There was nothing else for me to do at this party.

I said my good-byes to Lily and went out on the street to call a taxi. Lily’s words were still echoing in my ears.
Don’t get involved… Forget about him.

“Hmm… Forget about him. I wish it were that easy,” I said out loud.

“A
lexia,” I heard
someone call me. Turning around, I saw Alexander approaching me. “I suppose you’ve decided to go home.”

“Yes, I don’t feel comfortable after the incident with Sebastian. By the way, I didn’t thank you. If it weren’t for you—the situation would’ve been even more embarrassing for me.”

The truth was it wasn’t Sebastian who made me feel bad, but Lily’s words, even if they were completely right. There was no point in getting involved with a man who would break my heart.

“It was the least I could do,” he replied and took me by the elbow. “I’d like us to spend more time together. Please stay.” His eyes gleamed their majestic blue.

I watched him and couldn’t believe how God could gift any one man with such beauty and grandeur. His gaze was piercing and attracted me with such power, overcoming my weakness. Even so, I found the strength to decline.

“No.” I smiled apologetically. “I think it’d be best if I left.”

“Well, at least let me drive you home,” he insisted and took his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed a number and told the person on the other end he was leaving and was at the house’s main entrance.