Chapter 31
Nora
When I returned to the Crystal Room, I saw that all the dishes had been cleared and now nothing remained on the table, except a new bottle of wine and a flickering candle in the center. Felix stood up again when I walked in and held a chair out for me.
“Cici was too excited to fall asleep quickly, it took me some time. Sorry,” I said, sitting down. Now, with Cici gone, I was excited to see what the rest of the night had in store for me. Felix had been the perfect gentleman, attentive and caring with no bursts of temper. He seemed much more relaxed than usual, and I wasn’t sure what had brought about this change in him. Had my words meant this much to him?
“You shouldn’t have to apologize for my daughter,” Felix said with a smile, as he poured some more wine into both our glasses. I knew I’d already had more than I usually drank, but it was freeing me up…making me less anxious, so I kept drinking.
We sat in silence, looking at each other for a few moments. I could feel Felix’s eyes washing over me, admiringly. I liked being watched by him. I was glad I had put in an effort into dressing up tonight. I wanted him to look at me the way I looked at him.
“I’m having a lovely time, Felix, thank you for inviting me,” I said. He was leaning in, closer to me now, and his eyes were fixed on my face. It was like he wanted to see every little movement I made. I flushed deeply under his strong gaze.
“I wanted to make it up to you, for all the horrid things I’ve done to you in the past few days,” he said. He took a sip from his glass, but his green eyes remained focused on me. I felt naked under his stare.
“You weren’t horrid to me…sorry, I might have overreacted this morning. I was just surprised to see you and Cici here,” I said in a low, quiet voice.
Felix nodded his head.
“It’s okay; I needed a reality check. I’ve been relying on you a lot these past couple of days, and uprooting you to Hawaii was a bad move. I should have at least asked you first,” Felix continued, and I could feel a warmth spreading in my belly. This was a new, more thoughtful side to him that I had never seen before. It was the side of him I had seen behind his eyes, but that he fought so hard to keep hidden from the rest of the world.
“I’m glad I’m here now. Hawaii is beautiful. I wouldn’t have thought of visiting this place if it wasn’t for you,” I said.
Felix’s eyes scanned over me; he was studying every strand of hair on my head, every eyelash and crease. I stared back at him, amazed that a man like him had organized a private romantic dinner for me.
“Will it be terrible of me to say that I’m glad I lost Cici that day at the hotel?” he asked, and I smiled, blushing deeply.
“No, I’m glad of it too,” I said and he reached for my hand over the table.
“Nora, you are a beautiful woman, and I don’t just mean tonight, in that dress. Tonight, you are the sexiest woman I have ever seen…but you are beautiful and you have a good heart,” he continued. His voice was deep, and he was staring at me. I was too stumped to say anything. Those were not the words I would have expected Felix Stone to use. They seemed too personal for him; I just kept looking at him, at a loss for words.
“And I am…empty inside,” he finished saying, and I gulped.
“That is not true,” I said, and I felt his warm, large hand cover mine. It sent shocks of electricity down my spine. I felt breathless as he touched me. I could barely keep looking at him.
“You are too hard on yourself, on Cici and everyone else around you; you are struggling with this life. I can see that. But you’re not empty, Felix.” I was speaking in a low whisper, barely able to get the words out.
“You don’t know me, Nora,” he said. His face had gone dark, rigid, and I shook my head.
“Maybe I don’t, but I see you,” I declared, and he drew his hand away from me slowly.
“I’ve arranged for a room for us,” he said and slipped a key out of his pocket and placed it on the table between us.
“I’ll be there, and you can join me there if you want to. I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do. This isn’t an order; it’s not a part of your duties. I want you to remember that,” Felix said and stood up. I watched him, still breathless, while he buttoned up his jacket.
“If you decide not to come, that’s okay. I’ll still be glad that you decided to have dinner with us tonight,” he said, and he walked up to me and gently grazed a finger against my cheek.
I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t get a single word out.
Felix was walking away, out of the room…leaving me alone at the table. I stared at the room key, feeling dizzy. What did he think I was going to do? He had to know that I couldn’t resist him. He must have seen the desire in my eyes. He knew exactly how much I wanted him.
I waited a few minutes, giving him time to go up to the room before I got up from the chair and followed him.