The car sped northwards and Alyssa struggled to get off his lap. By now she realized Nicholas meant what he said. He wouldn’t listen to any of her protests.
“Nicholas, let me go,” she hissed but his arm clamped around her waist like a steel band, and escape was almost impossible.
“Where the hell are we going? Couldn’t we have gone after Eva’s party? She would be so upset,” grumbled Alyssa, struggling more.
“You can only feel for Eva. What about me, Alyssa? Did you think of me even once when you promised to bring lunch and left me waiting the entire day?” He released her abruptly, and she got down from his lap, feeling guilty.
“You’re fine without me in your life,” she whispered.
“No, I want you in my life.” It was a desperate plea and Alyssa had no answer to that. She just sighed and rested her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. What was the use of protesting? The car sped all the way to Norwalk but this time Alyssa didn’t ask him anything. She knew he was taking her somewhere to spend time with her.
“We need to get down here,” said Nicholas, and Alyssa opened her eyes and looked around her, realizing that she might have dozed off after an exhausting day. The bright lights all around indicated that they were in the Norwalk Seaport Dock.
“What are we doing here, Nicholas? I thought we were going out to dinner,” exclaimed Alyssa, her eyes widening as he led her towards a motorboat waiting for them.
“We will have dinner once we reach.” Alyssa waited for him to say more, but he didn’t, guiding her towards the boat instead.
“Reach where? Are you abducting me, Nicholas?” she scoffed at his smirking face.
“Took you long enough to guess, Alyssa.”
“I always knew you were creepy.” She rolled her eyes at him while his smirk broadened. She was shocked at her own excited state. How could she be excited about being abducted by the creepy guy? However, soon her long flowing, blush pink gown, and heels made her excitement ebb away as she struggled to climb aboard. Taking off her heels, she climbed into the boat while Nicholas kept his arm around her permanently, guiding her forward. As if she would escape him and dive into the water instead!
The boat started out of the dock and the frosty night air blowing into her made her shiver. If only she knew, she would have been appropriately dressed! “Cold?” he asked with concern.
“Obviously! Couldn’t you have told me about your plans before?” she hissed, clenching her teeth to prevent them from clattering. Nicholas laughed as he eased the jacket out of his arms. “What’s so funny?”
“If I told you of my plans, would you have worn appropriate clothes and waited to get abducted?” he asked, his eyes dancing with amusement. Alyssa gaped at him, dumbfounded by his conclusion while he draped the jacket around her shoulders. Her cheeks colored, and she looked away, unable to think of a retort. This time, her traitorous heart had given her away.
“I didn’t mean that at all. I would have called the cops on you if I had known,” she muttered while Nicholas chuckled. The boat sped away past the Norwalk Islands towards a private island further away. Alyssa gazed at the island, which was illuminated by bright lights near the small pier.
“Oyster Island, our destination,” said Nicholas, and Alyssa gaped at him. Why did he bring her here? It was totally secluded and the only way to commute to the mainland was by boat. However, before she could ask Nicholas anything, the boatman stopped at the pier and waited for them to alight. The moment he left, Nicholas caught her hand and pulled her with him down the lighted pier towards a villa a little farther away.
“Why are we here, Nicholas?” she asked him curiously.
“To spend time with each other till you agree to be mine.”
“You can’t force me this way,” she protested while her heart skipped a beat. She had never seen a guy this persistent in all her life. Did he not care about his life? Why was he so adamant? Was it just for lust? It couldn’t be! So did Nicholas love her?
She glanced at the smug expression on his face as he led her toward the villa where they would stay the night. “How long are you planning to imprison me here?”
“As long as it takes, Alyssa.” Alyssa gasped and looked at the deserted island helplessly. It looked totally uninhabited and eerily dark except for the lights reflected from inside the villa. Under the pale moonlight, Alyssa could see the boulders and rocky beach stretching for miles on either side of the pier, which seemed the only place for a boat to access the island.
“This place looks deserted. How will I survive here without a spare set of clothes? This is a crazy idea, Nicholas. I need to go home tomorrow,” she said, extracting her hand from his hold.
“I have arranged for everything.”
“Still, I’ll go home tomorrow morning,” she said, storming down the path that led to the villa approximately eighty feet from the water’s edge.
“Not possible, as this is off the route. The boat cruises only cover the Norwalk Islands and do not venture out this far.”
“I’ll look up some boat rental agency and call them to rescue me from your clutches,” she said, but Nicholas shook his head.
“Not possible. There’s no internet connectivity here.”
He followed her to the two-storied, white-washed villa set amidst expansive lawns that stretched far into the water’s edge. Sitting high and dry on the island’s highest point, Alyssa was sure that in the broad daylight, the villa would give her a panoramic view of the sea beyond.
“Whose island is this? How did you find such a remote place?” she asked, as she waited for him to open the door.
“Maxwell’s dad knows the owner.”
“I’m sure the owner will need it soon. How long are we staying here?” she asked curiously.
“He has rented it out to me for an indefinite period.” Alyssa’s jaws dropped. Why was he wasting so much money on such a deserted place?
“Don’t you have any work to do, Nicholas? Why are you wasting your money on this place?” she asked, quite baffled by his behavior.
“It’s worth it. Don’t you think?” he asked, staring at her upturned face glowing under the pale moonlight.
Alyssa’s breath hitched, knowing what he was hinting at. She tore her gaze away from his and looked around the place. It was true. The sights and smells of the sea made the place look like it was millions of miles away from the hustle and bustle of New York.
Nicholas unlocked the main door and opened it wide for her. Alyssa gasped, not having expected a spotlessly clean and sparkling villa to welcome them. However, more than anything else, the two suitcases lying near the sofa in the reception room surprised her. So, he really had planned to abduct her. It didn’t look like he had any plans to let her go soon.
“How did these come here?” she asked, going inside to inspect the suitcases. Whose were they since neither of them belonged to her?
“I had them brought here.”
“Neither of them is mine. How will I survive without clothes? I have to go home tomorrow,” she continued, glaring at him. However, he looked unperturbed by her decision and smiled instead.
“These are brand new, bought only for you. So you don’t need to go home till you agree to be mine.” Alyssa’s eyes widened with shock, and she gaped at him.
“Don’t you tire of repeating that cliche dialog?”
“No, just like you don’t tire of playing hard to get.” Alyssa rolled her eyes at his comeback.
“This wasn’t a sudden move. Had you planned this all along?” she asked, unable to control herself any longer. Nicholas rolled his eyes at her as if she was responsible for his behavior.
“Did you leave me with any choice? It wasn’t a planned move at all. I went to Bellevue, but they informed me you had taken leave. Next, I went to your brother’s house, but you had left. I was impatient to see you, so I called Sienna and she told me you were enjoying the Parkview Hotel. I lost my mind and called Maxwell and he arranged everything for me,” said Nicholas, locking the main door shut and turning around to face her. Alyssa’s jaws dropped at his admission. She hadn’t expected him to be looking for her today. After having waited for him for a week, she had given up hope, but she was wrong. He hadn’t stopped pursuing her!
“Why were you so impatient to see me today?” she asked, searching his ocean-hued eyes for her answer. Could she hope?