Again, with thanks to both my editor misternik and to vmc312 for being a critical friend, this story has been much improved by their work.
*
She was nervous as she stood outside Stephano's room the following morning. Andrea had left it till last, hoping that the later she was the more likely he was to be out.
She listened intently through the door; there was no sound coming from within. She hovered there for a moment until she was sure he was out. He was probably here on business, so he must be out doing that. She crept in, setting the towels on the desk and looking around; apart from the bed the room looked as though it was uninhabited. She could be in and out in a few minutes if she was quick.
She was pulling the bed into shape when she heard the bathroom door open.
"Andrea."
She spun around. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were here."
He'd clearly been in the shower, his hair was wet and dishevelled, and she could just make out the familiar musky exotic aroma of his shower gel from across the room. He was wearing trousers and a white shirt but he hadn't buttoned it up yet. Her mouth went dry, she was rooted to the spot. Her eyes were already roaming down his front, taking in his impressively toned torso before she even realised what she was doing.
It was clear from his expression that he realised what she was doing. She blushed furiously.
"I... I can come back later" she stuttered nervously, taking a step back.
"No, don't go!" he said urgently.
Crossing the room he closed the space between them. Her heart was in her mouth and she could feel heat pooling in her loins already. She took a steadying breath and it took all of her will power not to turn and run out the door.
He stopped in front of her, close but not touching.
"I can see you later? There will be time after you've finished? We could have coffee?"
Andrea was trying to consider his proposal, but he was standing so close to her that she was finding it hard to think. She couldn't breath without inhaling his scent. She knew that would be the end of her self-control, so she was trying not to. She was beginning to feel lightheaded.
"You're trembling." He took her hand, holding it between both of his.
Nervously she swallowed. At the contact, a ripple of attraction seemed to pass between them like a lightning bolt. She felt like the proverbial rabbit trapped in front of the headlights. She desperately needed to get away from him.
"I would like very much to see you."
"Okay." she replied. It seemed like the easiest thing to say and she had to get out of there.
He rested his hand on her jaw, brushing his thumb along her lower lip. Her stomach clenched and she almost groaned in frustration. She couldn't recall ever having such a physical reaction to a man before.
She was nervous of being seen with a guest too near the hotel so they agreed to meet outside the tube station; she thought she could be there in twenty minutes.
She spent the next twenty minutes wondering why on earth she'd agreed to go to coffee with him and trying to decide whether to bail on their arrangement.
In the end she decided to go. Just this once, she thought, just to tell him no more. She didn't want to think too hard about the reasons why.
Half an hour later she slipped her coat on and walked up the side street and round the corner to main road and the front of the hotel. Straight ahead was the tube station, or she could go around the corner and just catch her bus home. She stopped and considered, struggling to decide and then she saw him. He was waiting for her outside the station, he was wearing that suit again; the dark grey one he had on when she'd first seen him. He looked very handsome. He spotted her and started walking towards her purposefully, taking big strides. She felt her stomach lurch with attraction and terrified that someone from the hotel was going to see them together she started towards him.
They stopped in front of each other and he spoke. "How long have we got?"
"About two hours, my daughter does football on Thursdays after school."
He smiled at that. She realised she'd never seen him smile. It was disarming.
"I would like to take you somewhere."
Frowning, she bit her lip, this wasn't going as she'd planned.
"It's not very far away."
"Umm, okay."
"Come, we will take my car."
She hadn't banked on a car journey. She paused, she wasn't sure. His arm slid round her waist and he rested his hand on the small of her back. At the contact she felt butterflies in her stomach. He was leading her towards a large sleek black car when suddenly someone called out to her.
"Andi!"
She spun round and found herself facing Connie and Maria. Oh of all the times to bump into them.
"Hi..." she even sounded guilty.
"Hello..." Connie replied slowly. Slowly she looked from Andrea to Stephano. Andrea could see the cogs in her brain working. Marias eyes were sparkling.
"This is Stephano, we... we're just off to have a coffee."
"Are you?" Connie narrowed her eyes at Stephano and nodded at him briefly and then she turned her gaze back to Andrea. "I'll see you tomorrow then." She added the statement was heavy with all the unasked questions. She turned and left, Maria followed.
They climbed into the back of the car, she sat as far from him as she could, it was big, but still an enclosed space. He spoke briefly to the driver but in a foreign language so she didn't understand him. As the car pulled away she looked out of the window. The silence was heavy, finally Stephano spoke.
"She called you Andi?"
"Yes."
"It suits you."
"Thank you."
They hadn't gone very far before they arrived. They were in Knightsbridge, she realised as she climbed out of the car and looked around. Although it was quite close to the hotel, she didn't come to this part of town very often. It was very grand.
He took her hand and began leading her into a nearby shop that seemed to sell only lingerie.
"Oh no." she said, backing away. What was he thinking? she started to pull her hand out of his grasp "No. You are not taking me underwear shopping!"
He looked genuinely baffled at her reaction, so she elaborated. "What parallel universe are you living in that you think taking a girl you hardly know underwear shopping is an acceptable thing to do!"
She was aware that her voice had risen and that she was almost shouting. She needed to get away from him.
She spun around and started to walk purposefully away. She wasn't entirely clear about which direction she was heading in but she was sure she would come across a tube station eventually, there were plenty around. She released an exasperated breath. Why had she even thought this was a good idea? He was nuts, indescribably sexy perhaps, but nuts all the same.
Suddenly he'd grabbed her wrist and was spinning her around, pulling her towards him, her chest slammed into his, almost knocking the wind out of her as he wrapped an arm possessively around her waist, trapping her against him. The violence of the move came as a shock but immediately she was overcome with the involuntary arousal that being in such close proximity to him seemed to cause. She was staring at his chest, she met his eyes and saw similar emotions to the ones she was experiencing reflected in them. For a fleeting moment she was aware of how this must look to passers by and then emotion overtook her, she lost awareness of anything else but him.
Several long moments passed as they stared at each other in a silent battle of wills. When he spoke his voice sounded quiet but controlled, like he was struggling to get the words out.
"The one in which I owe you two pairs of knickers."
She was finding it hard to think coherently. The one what? It took her a while to process his words and link them to her earlier question. Yes, well he did kind of have a point, she supposed.
She closed her eyes. "Okay." she whispered.
The shop assistants were surprisingly friendly. Andrea felt out of place in the boutique, although they didn't seem to notice. One of them took her into the back of the shop where the changing rooms were. As she left she cast a nervous glance at Stephano. He was involved in conversation with the women behind the counter.
She knew she was there to buy pants but they had so many different types. The shop assistant suggested that she'd bring a selection for Andrea to try and after disappearing for a few moments she reappeared with an armful of lingerie.
"You have an hourglass figure," the woman said admiringly.
"I just wanted some knickers." Andrea mumbled, embarrassed, looking at her feet. She'd taken off her coat and hung on the hook in the cubical. She'd left her apron in her locker, but she was still wearing the rest of her uniform, a black skirt and a white blouse. She was hoping she didn't look too much like a maid.
The shop assistant looked uncomfortable. "Signore Giorgi has said you are to have two full sets of underwear."
Andrea frowned as she wondered who on earth Signore Giorgi was. When she realised, she folded her arms and marched back out to the front of the shop, past the horrified looking shop assistant. Determined to set him straight. He'd said he owed her two pairs of knickers, not the whole ensemble, that's why she'd agreed to this. What was he playing at? Stephano was standing with his back to her, arms folded, legs apart, facing the window talking in rapid Italian on his mobile phone. He didn't seem to notice her presence. She stopped, the wind knocked out of her sails. She didn't know what to do.
She turned again to find the assistant standing nervously behind her still holding an armful of lingerie. She sighed and rolled her eyes, torn between wanted to leave and wanting to avoid the scene the woman was so clearly dreading.
"Okay," she huffed in an exasperated voice. "Let's do this."
As she led Andrea back into the fitting rooms, the shop assistants relief was palpable. "I think these would suit you."
She handed one set of underwear to Andrea, and hung the other hangers on a hook in fitting room. She was just about to leave the fitting room when Andrea asked.
"Does he do this often?"
"Pardon?"
"Does he do this often? Bring women here to buy them underwear."
"Whatever gives you that impression?"
