Desired

In Which The Devil Shows His Face

Renee

I'm on my stomach in the bedroom crossing and uncrossing my feet in the air as I try to clear my thoughts.

Elijah left a while ago and my mother is sleeping off the hangover she came home with last night.

If I were you I'd stay the hell away from me.

Those eleven words keep playing on repeat in my head like a broken track record.

His words scare me like they would any sane person but is it weird that they also, maybe, a tiny little bit, excite me.

Of course it's weird! what the hell is wrong with you Renée.

I sigh as I turn over to my back and stare at the ceiling. Someone knocks on my door and I look at it sceptically, wondering if its mister 'stay the hell away'

I bite on the side of my thumb in consideration before getting up to go open it. If it was Elijah he wouldn't have knocked.

The boy who brought my bags in yesterday is standing outside running his hands through his hair nervously.

"Hi, William right?" I ask. Wondering why he's at my door or in the penthouse for that matter.

"Yeah and you're Renée," he states and i nod my head agreeing with him.

I am in fact Renée.

For some reason we start laughing until it awkwardly comes to an end. William runs his hands through his hair before speaking again.

"I'm just wondering if maybe. I mean only if you want to. I'm sorry but you're just really pretty and I'm wondering if you'd like to go have lunch with me or something?"

I smile at his obvious nervousness to cover my own, guys don't always ask me out so I never know what to say when they do. "You're asking me to have lunch with you?"

"Or something."

He says making me laugh. I seriously consider his invitation before giving him an answer.

"Yeah. Why not?"

"Wait seriously?" He asks seemingly surprised by my answer. I allow my eyes to take in his figure for the first time.

He has blonde shaggy hair and wide blue eyes and the imprint of his muscles peeking out from his shirt hints that he works out. "Yeah seriously," I say repeating myself. It's not like I have anyone else to show me around and I could really really use the distraction.

                                    ****

"So Mr. Alejandro is your stepfather?"

William asks and I scowl down at my coffee cup. He had taken me to a small coffee shop not too far from the hotel.

"I wouldn't call him my stepfather exactly. I like to think of him as the arrogant pig-head that's married to my mother," I say and he smiles.

I scrunch my nose when he takes a sip of his coffee and grimace at my own cup. I didn't want him to feel bad when he ordered the disgusting drink, so I put a smile on my face and accepted the abomination unto earth.

"What's it like?"

"Which part? living with a notorious criminal? Or living with a notorious criminal that's married to my mother?" I ask sarcastically.

"Touchy subject huh?"

"You wouldn't believe," I say as Elijah's words play over in my brain.

If I were you I'd stay the hell away from me.

A shiver runs down my spine when I recall our shouting session. "Noted," he says nodding his head gravely.

"In that case, want to hear about the time I may or may not have eaten a tampon?" He ask making me laugh loudly, causing people in the café to stare at us. If I had any coffee in my mouth I would have done a spit take. I love doing spit takes.

                       ***

"I had fun today William. Thank you," I say when we're back at the penthouse.

He runs his hands through his hair with a boyish smile on his face.

"I had fun today too and you can call me Will if you want," he answers and a genuine smile makes its way across my face. "Well then I guess you can call me Ren if you want," I say grinning at him.

"I'll see you around Ren,"

"Yeah you too, Will," I say and he walks away with a smile on his face.

  I sigh dreamily as I watch him walk away, its not everyday that you come across a guy with a sense of humor. I grin when I think about what Mia will say, before opening the door and walking inside.

I let out a startled scream as I'm violently thrown against a wall by an angry Elijah.

"Where the hell have you been!?" he screams in my face.

"let me go are you crazy!" I shout.

Shocked and a little scared by his actions.

Did I say a little sacred. I meant terrified.

"You're scaring me Elijah!"

I shout again when his grip on my shoulders tighten. He loosens his grip but doesn't let me go.

"Where the f**k were you Renee? Answer me," He says in a low voice and I answer only because I'm scared shitless.

"With a friend"

"You just got here you have no friends"

"Yeah well I made one!" I yell, feeling angry tears spring to my eyes.

"Do you know how many people make attempts on my life everyday Renée?" He asks and I look him in the eyes, refusing to answer his question.

"Answer me!" He shouts, slamming his hand on the wall next to my head. I jump and my heart skips a beat......or ten.

"I d-don't know,"

"Hundreds maybe more! And you go and do s**t like leaving the house and not telling me where you're going.

I'm married to your mother Renée which means that there will be attempts on your life"

"Cazzo!" he shouts and a traitorous tear breaks free and runs down my cheeks. I watch in amazement as his face immediately changes from angry to concerned, he takes a deep breath and composes himself before looking at me again.

(Translation: cazzo is basically 'f**k' but in Italian)

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, I'm not accustomed to protecting people other than myself, Renée," he explains in a gentle voice, wiping the tear away from my cheek.

I nod my head as slight tremors rack my body, his eyes go to my lips and for a sweaty second I think he's going to kiss me, but he returns his eyes to my face. "Who were you with?"

"A friend," I answer in a shaky voice, still denying him the answer he's looking for.

"I'm going to need a name Renée," he quietly demands and I swallow my saliva, contemplating whether or not I should tell him.

My eyes travel to his strong and heavily muscled arms still griping onto my shoulder and my mind is made up.

"William," I say effectively throwing my friend under the bus that is Elijah, he clenches his jaw and is silent for a while.

"William?" He asks giving me a dirty look.

"William as in the skinny turd who works in this building?" He asks and I purse my lips and nod my head, training my eyes to the floor.

"Do you like him?" He asks through his teeth and I open my mouth to tell him off but nothing comes out.

"I asked you a question!" he yells, anger returning to his face.

"Yes. Yes I like him"

"Cazzo," He curses again, slamming his hand on the wall  near my head.

"No you don't, you don't like him Renée. He's skinny and, and....... he's skinny," he says and if I wasn't so scared I would laugh.

"I don't care I like him. He's nice,"  I say folding my arms and defending my friend.

He's a lot nicer than you that's for sure and he doesn't look like he can murder me with his eyes.

I think and a giggle very nearly escapes my mouth.

This always happens, when I'm scared I feel the need to make jokes and laugh at things that are in no way funny. Elijah moves his hands away from my head and begins to pace the floor.

"Why do I even care who the hell you like? I'm married to your mother and you're f*****g seventeen years old,"

"Exactly!" I shout agreeing with him completely. He sends me annoyed glance and continues his pacing.

Suddenly he stops and walks up to me, touching my face with the back of his hands. "Why can't I stay away from you?" He questions and this time its my eyes that flicker to his lips.

"You're not mine tesoro,"

He says almost as if he's trying to convince himself. I swallow the knot in my throat as a weird feeling erupts in my stomach.

(Translation: darling)

He looks at my lips again and frowns as he clenches his jaw hard, restraining himself.

"Go to your room and lock the door," he orders gently and when I don't move he raises his voice.

"Now Renée!"

I jump and run to my room locking the door behind me. "Oh crap. Oh hell. Oh s**t. Oh f**k," I mutter as I slide down the door and bring my knees to my chest, wondering what in the Billy Ocean just happened.

I close my eyes as the realisation dawns on me.

I like Elijah Alterio.

I freaking like the guy Married to my mother.

Shit, s**t, did I say s**t; because s**t.