Tom had met her on holiday the previous year. She was beautiful with a slim willowy figure and as a result had received plenty of male attention. However, she hadn't reacted kindly to this attention. If ignoring them didn't work, she went further. Within seconds of one guy approaching her at the bar, she had poured her glass of wine into his lap. With that as the reward for just for saying 'hi', guys soon kept their distance. One guy who hadn't got the message had been tipped backwards off his bar stool in a way that neither he, nor those around him thought possible.
Tom had been there with friends and had watched the various encounters with interest. He was intrigued by the woman, but reluctant to approach her himself. He wasn't sure whether his travel insurance would cover him for an encounter with Nadine.
This had been the position until halfway through the holiday. Tom had been playing football on the beach when he'd twisted awkwardly. As he tried to stand, he realised he couldn't put weight on his right knee. In true male fashion, the other players showed little concern and he limped off alone towards the hotel.
He wasn't too concerned, he'd done this to his knee before. It was would recover in a week or so, but it did stop him from doing much right now. Halfway back to the hotel he stopped and sat down in the sand to rest.
When he looked up he saw Nadine standing above him, as always wearing denim shorts and tight t-shirt. Despite this being a beach holiday, he'd never once seen her slip out of those shorts. He'd even seen her swim in them.
"Lie down," her French accent was beautiful, "I will help."
"Thanks," he winced.
Nadine had knelt beside him and had massaged his knee, loosening and stretching the muscles. At one point Tom had tried to sit up, but Nadine had forced him back down with a knee to the chest. She'd kept her knee there, the force of her knee at odds with the soft, seductive smiles she'd given him as she'd worked.
They had started to talk and to his surprise Nadine had been almost friendly. Up close she was even more beautiful. She had a classically attractive face with a small mole just to the left of her mouth and always wore a very composed expression that gave her an air of confidence and control. Her brown hair was held in a bun above her head, perfectly brushed unlike the casual sandy look of most other people there.
It was the first time he'd seen her eyes up close. They were big, brown and attractive as he knew they would be, but they also showed a slight unease that was contrary to her outward confidence.
On the final night they had both been drinking when Tom had suggested they take a walk together along the beach. She'd been reluctant, but after a few more drinks had finally agreed. Once they were alone, he had tried to kiss her, but she had tripped him and he'd found himself lying in the sand. With unnerving ease, she'd rolled Tom on to his front and sat down straddling his back.
She'd pulled his arms back behind him and positioned them between her thighs. With his arms helplessly behind him he couldn't move and every time he tried, she simply squeezed her legs together, which sent pain through his shoulders.
"See if you can escape," she'd said knowing full well that that was impossible.
Her left foot was now right next to where his face lay in the sand and Tom instinctively kissed it. Maybe he'd just wanted to kiss her and if she wouldn't let him kiss her feet, then maybe he would settle for her foot. Or maybe he thought she might see it as a sign of submission and release him. If it was the later then it didn't work.
"Mmm, kiss again."
This wasn't how he'd imagined the first kiss would be, but then he didn't have any choice. When held helplessly in pain, it was advisable to follow orders.
Nadine had held him there for a several minutes before jumping up and running back up the beach to where others were milling around outside the bar. Now with both a sore knee and sore shoulders, Tom had limped after her.
"Held prisoner by a girl on a deserted beach," she'd teased him.
Tom felt like telling her where to go, but she was so damn attractive, plus he could see most of the other guys in the bar looking on jealously.
He'd stayed and she'd bought him a beer and tried to make light of the situation, but Tom guessed that there was something more at play. Maybe she didn't like being intimate, or maybe she was just a sadist. He wasn't sure, but something was off inside this cute girl's head.
After the holiday Nadine had made sure they stayed in touch with regular emails and FaceTime. She had now invited him to stay with her at her chalet in the French Alps. He had no idea what she did or how she owned a chalet at her age. Maybe she had rich parents, although she'd been very reluctant to talk about them or indeed much about herself or her childhood.
Although Tom fancied her like crazy, he knew she was a complicated woman and if he was honest, was apprehensive of how this might go. Nadine had already proved herself to be unpredictable, violent and sadistic. But as Tom flicked through photos from the holiday and refreshed his memory on her face, her body, those shorts, he knew he had to accept her invitation.
When Tom arrived at the airport Nadine was sitting with her legs crossed on top of a stack of airport trolleys. She was wearing khakis green jeans, a black leather jacket and black leather boots. Her long hair was hanging down, framing her doll like, high cheekbone face.
It wasn't until he had walked right up to him that she finally acknowledged him and stood up and gave him the briefest hug. She barely touched him, but the same scent and perfume immediately took him back to the holiday.
"You look great" she smiled as she effortless slipped Tom's passport from his hand.
"It's great to see you too."
Nadine had already opened the passport and was smiling at the photo.
"Oh it's cute" she said as she closed his passport and slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans.
Tom was about to ask for it back when Nadine walked off through the arrivals hall and out to her car. Tom admired her body which looked every bit as good as he'd remembered. The jeans may have been new, but their shape told him that the body inside was just as good.
Squeezed inside her back pocket, his passport had already shaped to the curve of her butt. He smiled as he wondered whether that might be a metaphor for him on this holiday. As they climbed into her Peugeot and she sat down in the shaped seat, his passport became further crushed beneath her.
Nadine didn't talk much as they drove, she kept her eyes on the road with only a very occasional glance at her passenger. An hour had passed before they reached a small town in the foothills of the Alps. It was now after midnight and the town was deserted as Nadine continued to drive for a few more minutes up a small road leading further up the mountain.
Her chalet was isolated with no neighbours in sight. It was small with only one bedroom and old, although had been well renovated. They entered through the heavy wooden door that Nadine closed with a thud behind them. She placed her fingertip on a sensor by the side of the door which beeped and lights flashed. Probably some sort of security system, although Tom couldn't tell whether it was designed to keep people out, or keep people in, or both.
Inside the lights were already on and the living room was warm with an open fire that had burned down to the embers. Nadine put another log on as Tom looked around for a place to put his suitcase.
They had kissed, albeit briefly, but hadn't gone any further and Tom had wondered what sleeping arrangements Nadine might propose. He wasn't even sure what he would choose. Even though he found her stunningly attractive, there was something about her that made her appear 'off limits'. That something was nothing to do with her being the opposite sex, he was more at ease and more successful with woman that most guys. But Nadine had proved herself to be unpredictable, defensive and at times unkind.
Tom still knew very little about her, she seemed to have money, yet he had no idea what she did for a living. She had several houses and travelled a lot, yet had few friends and seemingly no family.
Nadine led Tom into the bedroom which was filled with a beautiful iron framed double bed with new white sheets. She stood by the bed, seemingly unsure of what to do next. Tom put down his case and walked up to her.
"It's fantastic to see you again," he said as he slowly and cautiously kissed her on the lips.
Nadine tentatively kissed him back and so he eased the black leather jacket off her shoulders and on to the floor. Her breathing increased as she started to undo his belt and fumbled with the button fly on his jeans. Encouraged by her reaction, he slipped his hand under the back of her fitted white t-shirt and started to lift. Within seconds her t-shirt also fell to the floor. Underneath her body was warm, even hot, and her tight white bra barely contained her aroused nipples.
Tom reached down and felt her bare stomach. She moaned, but it was a combination of fear and concern. Oblivious to this, Tom started to unbutton her jeans.
"Tom..."
He continued to unbutton the green denim and started to ease her jeans down over her hips. He was about to pull her against him when without warning she grabbed him around the neck. He couldn't breathe and within seconds he was on his knees, looking directly at the cutest, most innocent pair of white panties.
But Nadine wasn't finished. As he tried to gasp some air, she stepped over him so that his head was between her legs. His head was now close to her crotch, with plenty of leverage for her long legs to squeezed. It wasn't playful, it was more like a wrestling hold. Tom was becoming disorientated as the pressure built. Her legs that had looked so cute in those tight shorts were now preventing him from breathing. If he couldn't get out of them they would kill him.
It seems like ages, but it was only a few seconds later when Nadine released her grip and let him fall to the floor, he fell panting to his hands and knees.
"Nadine?"
Tom didn't know what to think, how could things have changed so quickly? She was standing in front of him, stripped to her underwear in almost a fighting stance. She looked upset, even frightened. She was shivering and there were tears starting to form in her eyes.
"Nadine, what's wrong... I'm sorry... I thought you wanted ..."
Nadine was now standing against the bedroom wall with her arms wrapped defensively around her. "I'm sorry," she kept repeating.
"Look maybe I should leave."
Tom looked out through the undrawn bedroom window to see the snow now falling heavily in the darkness outside. Shit, he knew something like this would happen with this crazy French girl.
Nadine had now retreated to the ensuite bathroom and was trying to turn the lock to secure herself inside. Judging by her language, mostly in French, the lock was failing to engage. She opened the ensuite and Tom saw again how frightened she was. There were tears in her eyes and she now clutched a pillow against her.
She obviously felt threatened with him in the house, but what could he do? As far as he know, the road up to the chalet was probably now blocked with snow and he didn't much like the idea of standing in the cold outside or spending the night in her car. But more importantly, he didn't want to leave her like this. He had to make sure she was OK.
He looked around and saw a large wooden trunk standing in the corner of her bedroom, it must have been five foot long, two foot wide and almost three foot high. The old oak had split slightly at the joints, although age hadn't weakened it at all, the wood was probably now harder than its old iron supports. There was a key sticking out of the heavy iron lock.
"It's OK Nadine, I'll wait here."
Tom lifted the lid to find the box empty, kicked off his shoes and stepped inside. Without taking his eyes off his hostess, he lay down inside and lowered the lid down on top of him. He watched through the cracks as Nadine stood indecisively trying to decide what to do.
"Just turn the key," he called from inside the trunk.
"I can't."
"Please do it!"
"It not your fault, it's..." she stopped herself from going on.
