Sudden Legacy (2 page)

I spoke very little French, and was distracted by his thumb slowly rubbing against my earlobe. “I have no idea what you just said.” My voice was so soft I was surprised he had heard me, but clearly he had, because he chuckled and answered, “Which is why I said it in English.”

My breath caught in my throat as his tongue flicked against my other earlobe. My drink was starting to catch up with me and I leaned my head back the slightest bit. He took this as an invitation to continue. I shivered as I felt his tongue on the column of my neck. He pulled away far enough to read my eyes, then his lips were on mine and my world was spinning.

He kissed as well as he danced. I did my best to return the kiss with a modicum of finesse. I could feel his tongue gliding gently along my lower lip, requesting entrance. I parted my lips and thrilled at the feel of his tongue against mine. He tasted minty like the drink, but twice as intoxicating.

Suddenly he broke the kiss and stood. We were both panting and glassy eyed. “Why don’t we get some air?” he said while cocking his head toward a back exit. I stood too quickly, knocking my purse from the counter, its contents spilling half out when it hit the floor. He stooped smoothly to the rescue and I about died of embarrassment as his long, graceful fingers wrapped around my oval compact of birth control pills. He paid it no more attention than the tube of lipstick or the hair comb that had also escaped the interior of my clutch. He gave me my purse and I gave him my hand. The heat flashed between us again, my momentary embarrassment forgotten, and I followed him outside like a puppy.

The exit led to the service alley between the club and the next bank of buildings. There was a mild breeze and we were close enough to the beach that I could hear the waves hitting the shore in the distance. The night air felt good against my flushed face and in my hair. He was about to say something when our eyes locked and electricity sang between us once more. I don’t know which one of us made the first move, but there we were, wrapped around each other like a second skin, my purse dropped carelessly at our feet. His hands were everywhere at once - tangled in my hair, caressing my thigh, fondling my breast. All the while he was murmuring unintelligible pieces of French between kisses. It was deliciously overwhelming.

My borrowed dress was little more than a sequined sack, much like the shapeless dresses the flappers wore in the twenties, only shorter. One of my straps slipped off my shoulder and he hooked a finger into the compromised neckline and freed my breast to the night air. I was shocked at the action, and then more shocked at my reaction, which was to silently beg him not to stop. The feel of his expert mouth on my nipple sent fire shooting from my breast to my very core. I pressed my body against him; my hands grabbed tight fists of his hair for both physical support and encouragement.

His mouth returned to my lips, and his hand skimmed up my thigh, pushing the scratchy material of my dress out of the way as it went. In one motion he had slipped past my panties, and was cupping my femininity.
“Mon Dieu, tu es excitée!
You are so wet.” I just moaned in response, and pushed against his palm. He slipped a finger inside of me and I convulsed, my legs beginning to quake. “You are so ready,
Chérie
. You are driving me mad.” His finger seemed to magnify my feelings of hollowness down there. I was becoming agitated and confused.

I pulled his lips back to mine, and delved my tongue into his mouth. He broke the kiss once again. “You’re sure?” he asked with frenzied hope. I gripped his shoulders, not trusting my weakening knees. “Don’t stop!” I was panting. “My God, don’t stop.”

I didn’t even register his ripping through my panties. I gave considerably more notice to his ripping through my virginity, but rather than the dramatic pain I had read about feeling when one loses one’s virginity, I felt only a moment of discomfort before I sagged in relief against his fullness. This is what I had been waiting for, wanting, without even knowing it. My contentedness was short lived, however. As he began to move against me I started to feel another building need. It was as if a small storm was manifesting itself in my core, growing from a cloudy day, to a thunderstorm, to a tornado.

He was holding one of my legs over his hip, and I was depending on him and the wall behind me to support most of my weight, because I was long past having the sense or ability to keep myself upright. His pace was quickening, as was my pulse. Suddenly it was all too much to bear, and I shattered from the inside out. My entire body turned to liquid, and just as I was about to evaporate into mist, he gave an ecstatic moan and muttered into my ear what I assumed to be soft endearments, and just like that he melted too.

We both slowly returned to earth. He released my leg as he pulled out from inside of me. I gasped at the unwelcome feel of his absence. He held me steady until he was sure I could handle standing without assistance, and then he adjusted himself and buttoned his pants. Cupping my cheek, he ran his thumb over my bottom lip, and then gently pulled my dress strap back up onto my shoulder, more or less returning me to the condition in which he found me, assuming one could overlook the whole virginity thing. He bent and retrieved the tattered remnants of my panties. He smiled apologetically, “I’m afraid these aren’t salvageable...
un victim de la passion.
”

I smiled back suddenly shy.
What did I just do?
My God, I just lost my virginity to a complete stranger in some dark alley - without using protection. I was fairly confident that my mother was spinning in her grave. I blushed crimson and blurted out, “I don’t even know your name!”

He smiled warmly in understanding as if he found himself in this situation all the time. For all I knew, he
did
. “Forgive me,
ma chérie.
I am Julien Alexandre Diotallevi of the Terni Diotallevis. At your service.” He made a very believable courtly bow, and raised my fingers to his lips.

“Diotallevi. You’re Italian?”

“
Sí
. On my father’s side. French on my mother’s.”

“I thought some of your French sounded rather Italian...” was all I could come up with to say.

“Good ear,
Che bella, Americana
. Italian is my first language, and I tend to slip into it when I am caught off guard, so to speak.”

Drunken revelers passed by the far end of the ally, bringing me back to the mortifying reality of my current situation. He still held my fingers in his warm hand. He gave them a gentle squeeze to get my attention. “And your name,
mademoiselle
?”

“Lara. Lara Divoll of the Sonora Divolls.” I smiled half-heartedly at my attempt at a joke.

“Lara. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

I snorted with mirth over his cliché response. I could feel dampness on my thigh and thought it prudent to excuse myself to the ladies room and clean myself up. “Um, my friend is probably looking for me...” I said while carefully bending to pick up my clutch.

My attempt at leaving seemed to startle him. “You wish to go?” he asked in confusion.

I was quick to assuage his worry. “No, it’s not that. I mean, she probably is wondering where I am, but I also need to use the ladies room...”

Understanding dawned bright and clear across his handsome face. “Ah, but of course. Excuse my density. It’s back inside just the other side of the back hall.” He offered me his elbow, and I took it, grateful for the support as my joints still felt as if they were made of rubber.

As we reentered the club a woman in an evening dress caught my eye. She saw me too. She noted my hold on Julien’s arm and commented apathetically to her tablemate. I made it to the ladies room, but it was occupied. Julien didn’t miss a beat. He took my elbow and steered me toward a door that said
réservé aux employés.
Employees only. “This way,
Chérie.
” I hesitated briefly at the door, but he pushed it open and shepherded me through. “Don’t worry, I know the owner. She won’t mind.” We went up a narrow staircase and found ourselves in a dimly lit office lounge area. Julien indicated a door. “Right through there.”

“Thank you.” I took a step toward the door, and turned back. Suddenly it was important he know I didn’t make a habit out of hooking up with strange men in back alleyways. “Julien, I’ve never done that before-” He held up his hand, palm out.

“Shhh. Do not speak,
bella
. You must think me a first rate cad, taking advantage of you like that in an alley like a
prostituée
. We were overcome with passion - how lucky we are to find such chemistry, no? Please, allow me to make it up to you. Where are you staying?”

“I’m at the youth hostel by the market.”

“Hostel? No no. You will stay with me! Please. It is the least I can do. Let me show you I can play the part of the gentleman.” He spoke with such vehemence I doubted it was an empty offer being made out of some misguided sense of duty or obligation. He genuinely seemed to want me to say yes. Hmm, why not? His place couldn’t be any worse than the youth hostel, and it’s not like I was worried about being raped or anything.

“You’re sure? I wouldn’t be putting you out?”

“You will break my heart if you say no. Now go, attend to your needs. Take all the time you need, I’ll be downstairs when you are finished.”

I was pleasantly surprised by the plush accommodations in the toilet. I was also pleasantly surprised at how little a mess I had actually made of myself. I had been worried the dampness on my thigh was virginal blood, but the majority of it turned out to be
him
. I made quick work of cleaning myself up. As I washed my hands I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a hopeless riot of renegade brown curls having mutinied from my head during my dancing and subsequent other recreational activities. My eyes were still bright and wild, a little touch of hysteria swimming in their depths. My cheeks were flushed against my pale skin, my full lips slightly swollen from his expert kisses. The shiny sequin from my borrowed dress cast watery reflections on my neck and jaw from the muted light of the wall sconce. This was so very out of character for me. I couldn’t believe the girl staring at me from the other side of the looking glass was the same girl that had stepped off the plane three days ago. A slightly unhinged giggle escaped my throat. She wasn’t.

Julien sat down hard. Several emotions seemed to be warring for control over his face. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. When he spoke his voice was soft and rough with emotion. “I never knew. I had no idea.” He looked up at me beseeching. “You must believe me, Lara. I would never abandon you like that.”

I sighed heavily and joined him on the steps. I couldn’t keep the tears out of my eyes, but I didn’t care. “I have hated you for over three years.” My tears spilled over and my nose began to run. I took my paint rag from my pocket and wiped roughly across my face.

“With good reason,
Chérie
.”

I shook my head in confusion. “None of this makes any sense.”

The door opened behind me and Nan stepped meekly onto the porch. “Sorry to interrupt. It’s Jodi from the daycare center for you, Lara. She says it’s important.” I took the phone from her, and she had the grace to go back inside quickly, without attempting small talk with Julien. Julien just sat beside me, almost catatonic. I put the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Lara, hi. It’s Jodi. Sorry to bother you, but something weird just happened and I thought it worth telling you about.”

“Oh? But Alex wasn’t even in today...”

“I know, but two men just came in asking about him. They claimed to be relatives of yours, and said they needed to pick up Alex.”

Alarms bells sounded in my head. “What?!”

“I didn’t let on that Alex wasn’t here. I just told them that I couldn’t release him to them because they weren’t on the list.”

“What did they do?”

“They were very polite about everything. They said ‘thank you’ and that they understood. They said they would have you call me to give your permission, and they left. They’re out in the parking lot right now, waiting in their car.”

“Oh, God! That’s really creepy, Jodi. What should we do?”

Julien started paying attention to my side of the conversation, alarmed by my tone. “Two strange men just came to the day care center looking for Alex,” I explained. He paled and grabbed the phone. “Hello? Jodi? Can you tell me, are the men still there?” He glanced around in a panic as he spoke. “Good, good. What time does the center close? Are there still many children in attendance?” He seemed to relax a little at her answer. “No, that wont be necessary, thank you. If they come in again, just allude to the fact that Alex is still there.” He ended the call and grabbed my shoulder. “Lara, listen to me. I think those men have to do with me, and I think you and Alex may be in some danger.”