Chapter 9 Provocations.
Chapter 9.
Provocations.
Just as she plans, Lucas follows his nightly routine. The creak of the old wood announces his arrival at Alicia's bedroom door. Upon opening it stealthily, his breath catches. She is not asleep. She is in a calculated pose: face down, barely covered by mini shorts and a thin nightgown, a visual invitation that strikes Lucas with the force of a forbidden revelation.
His heart lurches violently, and control slips through his fingers. His gaze is trapped, tracing the arch of her exposed legs to the edge of the fabric that barely contains the curve of her backside, drawing him toward her slender hips.
At that precise moment, Alicia slowly turns toward him, resting her arms over her head. The movement is deliberate, causing the mini nightgown to ride up just enough, revealing the lace edge of her breasts and, momentarily, the dark, seductive promise of her hidden femininity.
Lucas, fighting a primitive urge to advance, remains petrified. He can only react with the inertia of habit. He takes one step forward, not toward her, but toward the foot of the bed. He grabs the blanket, places it over her with forced delicacy, covering her as if the mere act of looking were a mortal sin. He leaves a formal kiss on her forehead, a gesture that now feels like torture, and retreats, closing the door with a dry snap that echoes like thunder in the silence of the house.
Alicia opens her eyes as soon as the sound of his footsteps fades. A slow, triumphant smile spreads across her lips. It is her first mischievous move, and the satisfaction she feels from unsettling him is intoxicating.
The Morning.
Upon waking, the tension from the previous night has left a palpable electricity in the air. Lucas is already in the dining room, immersed in documents, using work as a shield against his own thoughts. His distraction is evident.
Then, Alicia appears.
“Good morning, Uncle,” she announces with unruffled calm, leaving her bag next to his chair and sitting down with studied slowness, giving him time to absorb her appearance.
Her perfume, perhaps a bit stronger or simply more intimate, envelops him immediately. Lucas looks up and his breath gets caught. She is not the demure girl she usually is. The teenager has vanished; the woman in front of him steals his breath and his words.
Today she is wearing knee-high black boots, dark stockings, and a white leather mini shorts/skirt with dark brown and black plaid details. The long-sleeved black shirt accentuates her breasts thanks to a V-neck with four strategically unbuttoned, loose buttons. Completing the look, deep makeup highlights the green of her eyes under a crimson lip gloss, and her curly hair falls like a cascade down to her hips. Lucas has to force a swallow, letting his documents drop onto the table as his focus locks solely on her.
“And this change of look, what is it due to?” he asks, his voice hoarse from surprise and the effort to restrain himself.
She stares at him fixedly, enjoying the suspense for a few seconds, an exchange of glances so charged that it sends a shiver through them both.
“Don't you like it, Uncle?”
Lucas clenches his jaw, forcing himself to swallow. “You look beautiful, yes.”
“Thank you very much for your sincere words, Uncle.”
The Nanny enters at that moment, breaking the electricity with her cheerful voice. “Oh! My girl, just look at you, how beautiful you are!”
“Thank you very much, Nana, can you put something light on for me? I'm in a hurry.”
“Oh, you can’t wait to go see that handsome boy from the party, huh?” The Nanny has no idea about the game, but her comment lands like a bomb.
Alicia smiles timidly, a perfect act, while Lucas tenses completely.
“What are you saying? Bring breakfast, Nana, hurry up,” Lucas orders, with contained anger.
“I’m coming, my boy, I’m coming.”
Alicia smiles at her uncle, eating a piece of melon with a sensuality that seems studied.
“Eat. Today I’ll drive you to the university; it’s on my way to the meeting I have.”
“No, thank you, today in fact, I’d like to use that beautiful Ferrari you gave me, Uncle.”
“Now you want to drive?”
“In fact, I will do it daily; I don’t need a chauffeur anymore, I hope you don’t mind.”
“What is this change due to?”
“I think it’s time I did it on my own. If you gave me a Ferrari, it was to use it, right?”
Lucas doesn't know what to say; she has him in a sudden attack of astonishment.
“I’m leaving, Uncle, I’m going to be late.” She gets up, walks to him, and gives him a fleeting kiss on the cheek, barely grazing his lips, and moves away. “Have an excellent day, Uncle.”
Alicia walks toward the exit, savoring the control she exerts. Lucas cannot help but set his food aside, immediately getting up to watch her start the engine of the sports car without looking back.
“Follow her! What are you waiting for? Don’t lose sight of her!” Lucas roars at his security men, the order born from a sudden, sharp jealousy.
The guards rush to follow her, leaving Lucas in intense agony.
The Crossfire of Jealousy.
After a long and tense day, both are in the living room as usual, she doing her activities and he focused on work, when suddenly, the edge of Alicia’s nightgown moves slightly with a head movement she makes, revealing a small red mark on her neck. Lucas, seeing it, frowns, approaches, moving his neck closer, which surprises Alicia and she pulls the neck of her nightgown down, fully revealing the red mark.
“Who the hell dared to touch you?” Alicia, not understanding what is happening, only looks at him in shock, noticing his anger and the barely visible vein on his forehead. “Speak, Alicia, who gave you that hickey on your neck?”
Alicia understands what is happening; she has noticed the red ant bite on her neck. She notices his impatience, his restlessness, and takes the opportunity to execute her plan.
“I don’t understand what bothers you, Uncle, if it was you who asked me to erase thoughts of you from my mind.”
“But not like this, this… How dare you let anyone touch you? No one can touch you, do you hear me? If I see a mark like this again, if I see you with someone else in an indecent situation, I…” she stands up, cutting all distance between the two of them.
“You what, Uncle? Are you going to punish me? Are you jealous that someone else touches me?”
Lucas takes her by the shoulders, slowly pushing her away. Alicia, seeing him pull away, closes her eyes, ready for his hurtful words.
“You are clearly doing this to provoke me, I know what you’re trying, Alicia, but that won’t work on you, so stop it. Behave like Miss Jank, don't dishonor your parents' memory, command respect. What you are doing is disrespectful.”