Lost in Love

The First Step

CHAPTER FIVE

The week that followed went by very slowly. Work was packed, she had three major trials to attend. All she could think about was Tony. It is like she was losing her mind, he would pop into her mind just like that and she had no control. Sometimes she would be sitting in her office and all of a sudden find herself laughing at something he had said. They had not talked since that phone call at the courthouse but she really was looking forward to their date. Today was Friday and she had just about had it. She needed to get him out of her mind. 

She shuffled through the file she had been preparing for court. This was a big one. The accused was a nineteen year old boy, Taylor Bishop. He was being accused of murdering his father. She had to win this one, the boy did not deserve to go to jail. Alex looked at her watch, the trial was starting in a couple of hours. She had nothing to do, so she decided to go to the courthouse early and meet with her client to prepare him. 

She took her keys and drove to court. She called the prison to confirm that her client was already at court.  Taylor was nervous but she managed to calm him down. She had ensured that he wore a suit and tie, perception was everything when dealing with a jury. He needed to look none threatening so that they would not give him the death penalty that the prosecution was demanding.

This was the last day of trial. Alex , as the defense lawyer was going to present the defense case. The prosecution had pointed out that Taylor had killed his father. They had produced the knife he had used and everything. Alex was not denying that Taylor had killed his father but she was trying to prove self defense. Taylor was abused by his father since he was ten his father had r***d and beaten him and his mother almost everyday. By the time Taylor was nineteen, he had been damaged physically and psychologically. On the fateful day, his father had beaten his mother so hard her ribs had broken and her face was bashed in. After Taylor had taken his mother to the hospital, he had come back home and stabbed his father twenty five times in the chest.  Alex was trying to prove that Taylor had been defending himself against his father and the impending abuse he was going to inflict on him and his mother.

 Court went on for hours. She brought in witnesses who testified that Taylor and his mother had been abused by the father. She had brought in an expert witness who had shown that the stabbing was clearly a way to vent, that Taylor had lost control because of the damage he had suffered due to his father’s conduct. At this point Alex felt the jury saw this case from her point of view, not as a crime of anger but pain. 

Now she just had to bring it home with her closing argument. She stood up slowly and walked over to the jury box. She took a moment to look at each one of them in the eye to make sure she had their attention before she spoke the words that would determine whether or not this boy would go to prison to await his death by lethal injection.

“The prosecution has brought its case, telling you that Taylor, a nineteen year old child who has been a model citizen all his life is a cold hearted killer. But is that what this is? Tayor is a child that got abused by the man who was supposed to protect him. Can any of you imagine the pain that he must have gone through? Every night being beaten and r***d, and when his mother tried to protect him, she too had suffered the same fate? You might be asking yourselves why they did not report it or leave this man, but how many times have we suffered at the hands of those we trust an love and walked away? The truth of the matter is that Taylor does not need prison or death, he is not a criminal, he is someone who had enough and tried to protect himself and his mother. So will you send him to jail for surviving all this time and ending the pain that no one ever offered to end, or will you finally allow Taylor to enjoy the life that we here have taken for granted?” with that she went and sat down. The room was silent. She felt hopeful for Taylor. It was cases like this, the David vs. Goliath kind of cases that had made her want to defend the accused. 

The jury left the courtroom to deliberate. Thirty minutes later they were back in court. This was either really good for her client or really bad. Whenever the jury returned so quickly it meant the decision did not take long to make, which could go either way.

The judge looked over at the jury,” what are your finding?’

Alex could feel her heart pound. This was it, the deciding moment. She reached and held Taylor's hand, he too looked scared and Alex's heart just broke. 

“We the jury,” the spokesperson of the jury said in a loud clear voice,” we find the defendant, not guilty.”

Alex felt such relief that rushed through her so fast her head began to spin. She got up and hugged Taylor. He did not believe he was free. The whole courtroom seemed to erupt into chaos. The judge did not appreciate this at all.

“Order , order in court,” he said, hitting his gavel so hard on the table. Finally there was an order in court. 

“Mr Bishop you are free to go, however you will go to court ordered therapy thrice a week for the next year,” the judge was through. The court rose as he left the room. Alex hugged Taylor again. She had helped someone today and it had felt good.

“Thank you Miss Alex,” he said in a low  voice, the kid even had manners.

“Don't get into trouble again,” Alex said. He just smiled and walked to his mother who was fresh out of the hospital.  She too was just crying and hugging her son. She looked at alex and mouthed a thank you. Alex just nodded and watched them leave. 

“That was moving,” Alex would recognise that voice anywhere. She turned to look at Tony. What was he doing here?

“What are you doing here?” 

“I came to see you in action. I get why you do this. You really helped that kid.” he said, sounding impressed.

“Thank you,” she said blushing. He was dressed a bit casually today, in charcoal slacks and a button down white shirt. They started walking out of the courthouse and she could feel his eyes on her. She started blushing again, it's like she was always out of control around him. She took in calming breaths, she couldn't do this right now. He already had too much power over her. 

“I came to take you on our date,” he said, stopping right outside the courthouse. She stopped and turned to look at him.

“Is that not tomorrow night?”

“That was the plan, but plans change,” he said it like it was nothing. 

“But i have plans already,” she said, knowing very well that she just wanted to curl up on her couch with ice cream and feel sorry for herself for a while before she started working again.

“Cannot push them around?” he said with a hint of pleading in his voice.

“Fine, I will go, but I have to take a shower, change out of my work clothes and…”

“Don't worry about that, just come with me,” he said with that smile that made her tummy flip a little. Why was she always a nervous wreck around him?

“Fine, where are we going?” she finally gave up. She was going to go on that date anyway, why not now?

“It's a surprise,” he said, taking her by the hand and walking briskly towards a town car that had just pulled up. She basically jogged behind him. He was so tall and had long strides. She got into the car excited with anticipation.

“Wine?” he asked, already pouring her a glass, she just nodded. The car, just like the man, smelled like money. Everything about this man was just extraordinary. She smiled as she took the glass he offered and took a sip, even the wine was smooth. They drove for about twenty minutes and she still had no idea where they were going. Finally they arrived and the car pulled up in front of  some building.

“Come with me,” he said, opening the car door and stepping out. They were in front of one of the tallest buildings in the city, The Skylight Tower. She had never been inside even though she had passed by here multiple times.

“What are we doing here?” she asked, already following him to the elevators.

“I live here,” he said like it meant nothing. She had known he was a billionaire but this still came as a surprise.

“What are we doing here?” 

“We are here to change clothes and take that shower,” he smiled again and heat rose to her cheeks. He was enjoying taunting her. 

The ride to the penthouse was short and quiet. She did not know what to expect when those doors opened. When they finally did she stepped into his house and it was elegant. It was mostly white and gold. There was a fully furnished kitchen to the left, which made her wonder if he could cook. Straight ahead was a dining room and to the right a living room with ground level couches and low lighting. Beyond it was a grand staircase with golden rails and white carpeted steps. She knew at this point her jaw could have touched the ground. His house was beautiful, the walls were adorned with what she guessed was very expensive art, it all came together. The man had taste.

“Let me show  you the suite you will use,” he said, taking her hand again and they headed for the stairs. She just followed, still stunned from all she had just seen. They got upstairs and walked down a wide passage, also decorated with art, no personal pictures. He opened a door to a room that made her gasp out loud and he just smiled. The room was white and gray, but somehow it was bright and sunny. It was beautiful, with a large poster bed in the middle of the room and a large comfortable looking couch in the corner. There were decorative plants around the room and large painting on the wall over the bed. It was a painting of space and stars, the man really liked stars.

“That door leads to the bathroom, take your shower,” he said and leaned in. He kissed her on the lips. The kiss was soft but firm. She closed her eyes and drank him in. She wanted this to last forever, but he pulled away and brushed her lips over with his thumb. He smiled again and walked out. 

She kept standing there for a second then blinked a couple hundred times. What had just happened. She snapped out of it and went in to take that shower. The water was warm and she closed her eyes and enjoyed it. After what seemed like forever she finally dried off and put on one of the gray fluffy robes hanging in the small closet in the bathroom, even the bathroom had a closet, rich people. She walked back into her room and they were people there. She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Miss Sanchez, i am Mike and this is my team. Mr Mallon wanted us to fit you into some clothes,” he said and the people with him were already laying clothes on the bed. For the next hour she was fitted into so many clothes she lost track. There were all types of clothes and even the simple ones seemed too expensive. This guy really went all out. After picking a few outfits, she had hair and make up done. Finally it was over. She was wearing a knee length, floral summer dress, her long black hair was shiny and silky from all the brushing and expensive moisturizer. She felt so pampered and spoiled. Usually she would not allow anyone to spend this much money on her but this once she would let it go.

“You are all set,'' Mike said admiring his handy work. She looked at herself in the mirror and she almost did not recognise herself. She slid into the gold sandals one of Mike’s people handed to her. The outfit was complete, she looked really nice. 

“Thank you Mike, thank you everyone,” the crew just smiled. She then left the room and went downstairs to find Tony. 

He was standing near the fireplace in the living room. He was on the phone so he did not see her walk in. He then ended the call and looked over at her at the bottom of the stairs. She could see his eyes running her over and suddenly she felt shy. She was always self conscious about her body. She felt the heat rise into her cheeks again. 

“You look...beautiful,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you,” that's all she could manage. 

“Ready to go?” he said, extending his hand. She just nodded and took his hand. Soon they were in the elevator again. They got into the car and they were on the move. This time the drive was longer. Finally they stopped. He opened the door and when she stepped out. She could not believe where she was. They were at the airport and they had just pulled up in front of a private jet.

“Where are we going Tony?” she asked, surprised. This day had been full of those. 

“We are going to Tanzania, the Serengeti,” he said like he had just said they were going to the mall. The Serengeti is one of the most exotic safaris in the world and he just said it like it meant nothing to him.

“What? Africa?” She was shocked and could not be cool anymore. He just laughed and guided her up the stairs into the plane.

***

Tony looked at her sleeping face and remembered the events of yesterday. He had planned this trip to Africa to surprise her. There was something about this girl that made him want to do stuff for her. When he had seen her in that courtroom he had had this weird, unexpected feeling of pride. When they had got to his home he had used everything in his power not to rip that suit off her body, he wanted her badly. That kiss had not helped, it was impulsive and he had reluctantly pulled away from her against everything his body wanted. Seeing her in his house all dressed up had made his heart stop in his chest for a second. He knew she was beautiful but she looked amazing. He felt his body respond but he stopped it, again against the voice screaming in his head for her. 

When they had gotten on his jet she had been uneasy. She told him she was a nervous flyer and so he had given a sleeping pill and she was soon out like a light. He buried himself into work the rest of the flight because he could just not stop thinking about her. He really wanted her, more than he had ever wanted any other woman in his life. When they landed in Tanzania she was still asleep, he had lifted her up and carried her to the car. When they arrived at their hotel he gently woke her up.

“Alex , we are here,” he had watched her open her eyes slowly. Those eyes just melted his cold heart. She blinked a couple times trying to remember where she was. Her eyes rested on his face and she smiled, he couldn't help but smile back at her. They got out of the car and he had to hold her steady as they walked to the reception. They got their room keys and the short ride in the elevator took them to their rooms.

“The rooms are adjoined, i hope you don't mind,” he said smiling at her.

“It is fine,” she said, wide awake now but still a bit light headed.

“Dinner at eight?” he asked while opening his door.

“Sure, it will give me time to freshen up,” she said looking at her watch, it was seven. She walked into her room, and it was beautiful. It was decorated with a lot of African symbols and colors. It just screamed safari. 

Her bags were already in the center of the room. She unpacked the clothes Mike had obviously packed for her. She put out a nice simple white dress on the bed. She would wear this tonight. It was short and flared with embroidered pearls and crochet short sleeves. After laying her clothes on the bed, she undressed and went to take a bath. She opened the hot and cold water and tied her hair up while the water was filling in the oval tub and then put in the salts and luxurious smelling bubble bath. She stepped into the water and it felt so good. She sat down and decided to close her eyes for a little bit, to relax.

“Alex? Alex!” Tony almost screamed. Alex opened her eyes with a start. She looked confused and why was the water cold?

“Did you just fall asleep in the tub?” Tony was basically shouting.

“What time is it?” she asked, confused still.

“It's almost eight thirty, I waited for you and you didn't show up for dinner. I came up here to check on you and you were sleeping in the tub,” Tony was sounding a little angry but he had worry written all over his face. He must have panicked when he found her sleeping.

“Sorry i am late,” she said in a small voice.

“Late? You could have drowned, you know that?” he said his voice sounding softer. He then picked her up like she weighed nothing and walked into the bedroom. He gently put her down on the bed. She tried to cover herself up with the bed cover  and she felt herself blush mostly from embarrassment. She did not want Tony to see her naked body. 

She looked up at him and she could see the fire in his eyes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. She kept on staring at him and the tension grew thicker, you could slice through it. He slowly moved towards her, still maintaining eye contact. When he reached her, his lips came down on hers with such urgency and demand that their first kiss lacked. He drew her face to him with both hands and she could just held on to his shirt, afraid that if she let go she would melt into the bed. They kissed with such passion that she could feel heat sinking into her pelvis. 

She kissed him back with almost as much urgency as he showed her. He traced his lips from her mouth to her ears and sucked on them until she moaned loudly. He then traced them to her neck and licked and sucked a very sensitive sport there that she did not even know existed until this point. He went down to her breasts and sucked on them one after the other and then bit a little which sent shivers down her whole body to her toes. 

He left a trail of kisses down her stomach and then her thighs. He then came back and slammed into her lips again. She was ready for him and it's like she was about to lose her mind. Her head was spinning from all the desire for him that had been building up since the night they met. She reached out and took off his shirt and then his pants and briefs. He Positioned himself on top of her and slammed into her. Something was not right. He felt some resistance but did not know why, and as realisation dawned on him, he pulled away from kissing her and looked into her eyes. Her eyes were glistening with tears she would not let fall and he could see she was embarrassed and shy.

“You are a virgin?” he asked, not even trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

“Not anymore l guess,” she said trying to smile.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Does it change anything?”she asked, her heart sinking. She realised she should have told him, but all this had happened too fast. She wanted him. She had been a virgin, but that was because she had not met a man she had wanted to lose it to, but now she had. This man made her feel things she had never thought possible. She felt desire, she felt wanted and sexy. All the insecurities she had had about a body seemed to be a distant memory now. She just wanted her first time with this man. For some unknown reason, she felt he would make it perfect for her.

“It changes everything,” he said, still not moving. She could feel him inside her and she wanted more.

“What does it change Tony?”

“Making love is not my strong suit Alex. i have s*x, i am not gentle,” he said with a hard serious look on his face.

“Who said anything about making love?” her boldness shocked her, but now was not the time. She wanted him and she wanted him now.

That was all the assurance he needed. He slammed into her again and she let the scream she was holding out. He kissed her lips, silencing the screams that still wanted to be heard. He started moving in her again and her back arched to meet him. She still felt some pressure and a little pain but she was ignoring all that, nothing would ruin this moment for her. Soon the pain was gone and all she felt was pleasure. When she finally reached her c****x it was like nothing she had ever felt before it was like something had been trying to get out and Tony had set it free. Tony just looked deep into her eyes, and she burst with a loud scream. All the shame and doubt was suddenly gone. She loved this man, she had known him for a short time but she knew right there that she loved him. While she was trying to recover, Tony increased his pace and soon also reached his c****x inside her. He collapsed on top of her and she held him there for a while until both their breathing came under control. He then rolled over pulling her with him so that she lay her head on his chest. He held her tight as she fell into a blissful sleep.

 Now Tony looked at her peaceful face and remembered how great last night had been. They had had s*x three more times and eact time had been better than the last. She had been a willing student, adapting and learning the different moves he had introduced to her. There was something about knowing that he was her first that had driven him. He smiled to himself before he got out of bed and took a shower, he ordered breakfast and started reading the financial section of the news.. This was going to be a hell of a weekend.