The Ambassador and Me: an unlikely love story (The Ambassador Trilogy Book 1) (20 page)

Fabrice and I stood alone together in the darkness, sipping wine by the railing and he held on to me. He was becoming frisky and in a playful mood. He looked alive and relaxed to be at home. He stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist nuzzling his face in my hair. What a wonderful feeling, watching the Eiffel Tower in the distance and being in Fabrice's arms without worrying who would see us. I had this fantasy when I first met him, not believing it would happen.

It was dark where we stood with just the lights reflecting off the river. Fabrice's warm hand crept up my skirt. My body, and what I liked, was familiar to him now. He said nothing, but the way he began to breathe told me so much. He found what he was looking for and pressed his fingers inside me. His scent, the view, and the breeze off the Seine River sent me into an erotic state as Fabrice rubbed my clit gently with his fingers. My ass instinctively pressed against his hard cock pushed up against me. He was in control again. In control of my pleasure, I was allowing it and loving it. French music was playing in the background and Fabrice began singing it as his fingers were going in and out of me. He sang with his lips pressed against my ear.

“What are you singing?” I whispered to him as I neared an orgasm. His thumb massaged my clit and I grabbed on to the railing as Fabrice continued to sing.

“Non, je ne regretted rien.”

“What does it mean?”

“I regret nothing. I love this song. My father used to sing this to my mother. I think he still does. I want you to meet them.” His fingers magically found the right spot for me. I was aware of his skill in knowing what I liked and just the right place to touch.

“Do you?” I asked.

“Do I what?”

“Regret nothing?”

“I regret nothing we are doing.”

“That’s easy to say with you fingering me alone in the dark in Paris on a romantic cruise.” I looked back at him and he kissed me.

“Oh, sweet Isabella. We have a lot of talking to do tonight.” He began to sing again in my ear. His lips barely touching me as he continued to finger me.

He brought me to an orgasm as we passed the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I wanted to cry out, but I bit my lip and closed my eyes as the roaring wave went through my body. He pushed me tighter to him as I thrashed against his body and gripped the railing. I remember at that moment feeling happier than I had in a long time.

“You came?” he whispered in my ear.

“Yes.” My legs went weak and my body kept shaking inside.

“Do you want more of me? Are you ready for more of me?”

I turned to face him and ran my hand against his hard cock and kissed him. That was my answer and the only one he needed.

“I need all of you, Fabrice. Your mind and your body. Your past and hopefully your future. I’m sorry for storming out. I had no right to act like a spoiled teenager.”

“I will tell you.” The tension I saw in his face when he found me at the café was easing. He buried his face in my hair, inhaling.

“Let’s go to my room and talk. You should know,” he said.

After our sexy boat ride through the Seine, I was exhausted. We climbed back in the SUV that waited for us by the curb. I snuggled into his warm body and laid my head on his chest as we rode back to the hotel.

“You go in first and I will be right behind you. I have my room key.” He kissed me on the forehead as I stepped out. Thankfully, no one from the meeting was around when I walked into the lobby. Just the two employees at the desk and a couple of bell boys. My phone rang and it was Fabrice.

“I hate to tell you this but I have to go into an emergency meeting.”

“Okay. That’s why we’re here. We can talk later. Just come and get in bed with me when you get done.”

One downfall, among many, of dating an Ambassador was you could not make plans. I laid down and fell into a deep sleep as I waited for him to come to my room. When my alarm on my phone went off the following morning, I was disappointed he wasn’t there. I noticed he had texted me in the middle of the night.

Emergency meeting with the president. I won’t make it back tonight.

The text came in around two in the morning and it was now seven. I ordered coffee and jumped into the shower. We had a meeting before we were to leave and head back home. I packed my things so I was ready to head to the airport once the meeting wrapped up. I planned on doing shopping before I headed to the last meeting in Paris. At around nine I received a text from the Attaché saying our meeting was cancelled; Elizabeth and the rest of the staff were going to the airport and we were to fly back home. He was staying behind with Fabrice. I texted him so that he knew I was fine and would see him once we were back to D.C, but I didn’t hear back from him as I boarded the plane.

Chapter 13

I
was so grateful to be home once the plane landed and I grabbed a cab, not waiting for anyone. I nearly ran in the front door once I paid the cab fare. Avery was studying and had something cooking in the oven. I hope that it tasted as good as it smelled, but, knowing from the past, the chances were slim that it tasted good. I was surprised to see her there with everything that went on with Anthony.

“Hey, glad to see you here.”

“Glad to be back. Too much togetherness with Cherise. Remind me not to stay with anyone again. How was Paris?”

“Wonderful.”

She hugged me. I loved being home with the familiar scents and my things. I was gone for three whole days, yet it seemed like a month. I was tired, in need of a shower and starved. French food was good, but I wanted some of my own and even Avery’s.

“Give me the details. I love Paris. My parents have an apartment somewhere. I will have to check so maybe next time you can stay there.”

“Mind if I get a cup of coffee before I go into the details of my new sex life?”

“Go put your stuff up, I will make it for you. I want every detail.” Avery rushed around the kitchen to make me a cup of coffee. I adored her for doing that.

“What’s in the oven?” It smelled wonderful.

“Chipotle tofu casserole. I found the recipe online.”

I sighed. If she followed that, it might be edible. I went to my room and put my bags down, stripped off my clothes, and threw on yoga pants and a sweatshirt. They aren’t kidding when they say home is where the heart is. It truly was.

I grabbed my coffee and then my cell phone started ringing. I didn’t let my family know when I was getting back and once they knew I would be at their beckoned call. I had to answer it. It was Marco and very unusual that he called me.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I hope you don’t care I’m calling this late. I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t something big.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I wanted to tell you, the police have been at the restaurant. They found Anthony with the shit beat out of him.”

I closed my eyes to take in what he said to me.

“How do you know this?”

“The police are questioning people. They found his car and cell phone a block from your condo and he was laying in the ditch. The police will probably question you as well, I’m sure.”

“Where’s Danny?” Why didn’t he call me? I felt the fear of what he could have done creep up me.

“I don’t know where Danny is. We are trying to get in touch with him. He won't answer his phone.”

That’s fucking great.

“Anthony was hated by a lot of people. I’m sure it was a bookie or some girl's boyfriend.” Honestly, he was usually gambling, owing bookies money, fighting, and being an all-around ass.

“They are questioning anyone that knew him. He had your address in his phone, pictures of you going to work, the French Ambassador’s house, and pictures of you and this Ambassador. Why does he care about the Ambassador’s house?” I had not told Marco about my relationship with Fabrice.

I closed my eyes and tried to force the image of him stalking me the night I went over to Fabrice's house. He had to have followed us. They would be questioning Fabrice soon and then we would be exposed to the public. This was a nightmare.

“It’s a long story. Listen, I’m exhausted beyond belief. I’m going to try to get some rest. I will come by in the morning. Please keep calling Danny, and tell him to call me if you get in touch with him.”

“Okay, Izzy.”

“Call me if anything else goes on tonight or if anything changes with Anthony.” I hung up and finished my coffee. I told Avery about Anthony.

“Too bad they didn’t kill him.” She was getting ready for a date and preoccupied. She hated Anthony from the beginning and him living or dying wasn’t a concern to her.

“Ave, I don’t want him dead. He’s an asshole, but come on! Marco said he had pictures of the Ambassador’s house in his car and pictures of Fabrice and I together. Holy fuck! This will be all everyone will talk about now. I’m going to lose my job. Fabrice is going to lose his.”

“Izz. Settle down. You work with Fabrice, of course the two of you would be together at times. You can come up with something. They don’t care about that. Where’s Fabrice?”

“He’s still in Paris, Avery. What am I going to do?” I paced the condo with my head in my hands, crying.

I remembered my talk I'd had with Danny before I went to Paris. I had to talk to him now. He promised he wouldn’t kill him or do something stupid. Could he have beat him up?

“Well, it serves him right. He’ll pull through, Izz. This happened to him once before, remember?”

I remember when two bookies beat him up for owing money for bets he made and then couldn’t pay. They kept warning him, and he didn’t take them seriously until they met him one night and beat the shit out of him. His dad paid off the bookies or he would have ended up in worse shape or dead.

I stepped outside and called Danny and he answered right away. Why didn’t he answer Marco?

“Danny, what did you do?” I asked as soon as he answered.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I mean! Marco just called me and he’s frantic trying to get in touch with you. Will you please call him?”

“Listen, I’m coming over. Are you home?”

“Yes, I just got here.”

“Give me twenty minutes. I’ll call Marco.”

I hung up with Danny and paced the condo like a wild animal. My worst nightmare was coming true and there was no way to stop it or make it go away. I trusted Danny with this secret knowing this could happen. Maybe this is what I wanted to happen. Maybe deep down I knew he would do this.

I turned off my phone and threw it on the couch. I didn’t care to talk to anyone, including Fabrice. I needed something to drink. The house didn’t have alcohol in it and when it did it didn’t last long with Avery. I went to the kitchen in search of something and found a bottle of half-full white wine in the back of the refrigerator. I popped the cork and, without getting a glass, started swigging from the bottle.

Avery came out of the bedroom, wide-eyed watching me guzzle wine.

“What the fuck, Izzy?”

I finished the bottle and threw the empty bottle into the trash with a loud thud.

“Don’t judge.” I walked back into the living room and tried to sit until Danny’s car rumbled up the driveway.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Danny and whatever he may have done to Anthony. I didn’t want to be one of those family members that visit their relatives in jail.

“Why don’t you get some rest, Izzy.” Avery was putting on her earrings and searching the condo looking for her purse.

“I will once I talk to Danny. I can’t believe Anthony is in such bad shape.”

Avery smiled at me. “At least he won’t be lurking around the condo for a while. I’m going to a movie with Cherise. I will be back later. I’m not spending the night and neither is she. I need some space.”

I gave her a look and started to open my mouth when the doorbell rang. I jumped up hoping it was Danny but, to my dismay, it was her date.

Avery kissed me goodbye; a few more minutes later, Danny was there.

I ran to him before he reached the door. He looked frazzled and confused. His hair was a mess, his clothes looked slept-in, and to me he looked guilty.

“What did you do to him?”

He pushed me inside and locked the door behind him.

“I didn’t do anything to that fuck, Izzy! That’s the problem.”

“What do you mean that’s the problem?” I stood with him in the kitchen.

“Today, I went to see him at his house. When I got there, the police were already there. I didn’t go in. I left. It was later this afternoon that they came to the restaurant questioning anyone that may know what happened. They were looking for you too. I told Mom and Dad what he did. I had to, Izzy. I’m sorry.”

I shot him a look of shock. Why did he have to tell them? Now it was going to be brought up and I would have to explain myself again.

“You did this, Danny. This sounds like something you would do.” I wasn’t convinced he didn’t beat up Anthony. He looked too guilty standing in my kitchen.

“If I would have done this, Izzy, I would have taken anything concerning you out of his car. I would have thought to look for things like that. I don’t do something half-assed. This was a half-assed job.”