Alluring Stranger-Part 6

Gia paced back and forth in her room. She took several steps back from the mirror, than towards the mirror, than she spun around and looked at her reflection.

"I like it." she approved. "Very nice."

She pulled her braids on top of her head in a messy bun. Then she pulled on the light silky fabric of her purple tank-top, smoothing out the wrinkles which threatened to ruin the straight flowing pattern of her shirt.

"Why am I even worried about what I look like?" she interrogated herself. "Geesh, this man kidnapped me, and I'm taking time to look pretty. This is Nikolas. He doesn't care what I look like, and neither do I. It's not like what I look like will change anything. He hates me and I hate him. He's obnoxious, and rude and selfish, and as soon as Sonny gets me off this damn island, I will never see Nikolas Cassadine again."

She looked down at her bed. "That's if Sonny ever does get me off this island." she shook her head after she made the comment. "No, don't worry Gia. Sonny loves you, he'll get you off here. No matter what, he'll get you back."

She looked down at her soft mattress she saw the little black dress she had been wearing the night Nik kidnapped her. That was a very special dress. That dress could not be worn just any old time. That was her commitment dress. She had only worn it once, that one night with Sonny. She had bought it at a cute little boutique in Brooklyn. The day she bought it was the day a man named Sean broke her heart. He had been cheating on her, and broke up with her. He told her she couldn't give him what he wanted. Just because she wasn't ready to make love with him, he had dismissed her, not even giving there so-called love a chance. That night Gia vowed that she wouldn't let herself be open to heartbreak again. Right after Sean had broken up with her, she went to this boutique and bought that little black dress. She had made a promise that she would only wear that dress when she felt that she was with the man she would forever be with. The man that wouldn't betray her. And so she had worn it with Sonny. Nikolas had put it out for her to wear to dinner. "Hmm, I guess he packed up all my stuff before he kidnapped me." she observed, when she walked in the room earlier and saw it lying there. She ran her fingers over the sheer material of the dress, tracing the low-swooping neckline. There was no way she was going to wear that dress. No way.

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~*1/2 Hour Later*~

Nikolas sat at the furnished oak table, awaiting Gia's arrival. He had put out a dress for her, feeling it only appropriate that she knew to dress casual but elegant for their dinner. She tugged on the edge on the linen napkin that sat before him, as he gently rubbed his finger over the shining silver fork. He was still angry at himself for just barely kissing her earlier today.

"God, she was hurting and I took advantage of her." he scolded himself. "I don't even know why I did it. I don't like her. She rude and snippy and cocky. And it was just in the heat of the moment."

"Do you always talk to yourself?" came a female voice that he recognized as Gia's.

"Whoa," Nik yelled jumping from his seat. "You--you surprised me."

"I'm sorry." she apologized. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"What question?" Nik asked, obviously confused.

Gia laughed at his confused face and said, "Do you always talk to yourself?"

"Oh..." Nik said, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment. "No, I don't. How much did you hear?"

"Well," Gia said, sitting down as Nik politely slid her chair in for her. "I didn't really hear anything. I mean, I heard you talking, but I couldn't make out what you were saying." she looked at him with a grin. "What were you saying?"

"Oh, I was just reminding myself of something I forgot to do." Nik covered up. Then he noticed that she wasn't wearing what he had set out for her. "Why aren't you wearing that black dress?" he asked her as one of his servants came out and placed a plate in front of each of them.

"Oh..." Gia began sheepishly, suddenly embarrassed for her reasoning. "That dress holds a special importance to me. I don't wear it unless I feel I can."

"Oh." Nik said, forcing himself to smile as if he understood. But he didn't understand, not a bit. It was just a piece of fabric. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'She still looks great.'  He looked over her, is eyes admiring every inch. She was wearing a short black skirt which showed off her perfectly toned, caramel colored legs well. Her shirt was a nice purple shade that complimented her lips which were covered in the same color. 'Hold up Cassadine,' he told himself, 'You just finished saying how you *didn't* like her, what are you doing now?'

"Nikolas?" Gia's voice interrupted his lecture to himself. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Nik asked, still marveling over her beauty. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Lets eat."

They sat in silence as they consumed their meal, and when all was done Nikolas escorted her back to her room.

"Well, good night." Gia said, stepping into her room and feeling the lush carpet squish beneath the weight of her heels.

Instinctively Nik leaned in to her face, his lips parted, but pulled back after remembering what had happened that morning. "Yes, I'll see you in the morning." Nik nodded as Gia closed the door.

Once inside Gia leaned her head back against the hard wooden door and let out a deep sigh. When he leaned into her, she felt her heart skip a beat, and her emotions went crazy at the thought of his lips on hers. 'Geez,' she said to herself, 'This man is definitely taking a toll on my emotions.' First she hated him, then she instantly felt an attraction and wanted nothing more than to kiss him. 'When did this all start?' she asked herself. 'I've only been on this island for 2 days, and things are getting out of control.' She felt the urge to turn around open the door and kiss Nikolas, but then she thought of Sonny. 'I love Sonny' she thought. 'Wait a minute. He wouldn't give up a piece of land for my life. Maybe...maybe he isn;t what I thought he was. And maybe Nikolas is more than I thought.' She was about to turn and open the door and go after Nikolas when she heard a click from behind her. Nikolas had locked her bedroom door. She looked down at the handle and her breath caught in her throat. 'What was I thinking?' she asked herself. 'Nikolas and I could never....no....I belong with Sonny. I'm nothing but a prisoner here.'

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Alluring Stranger-Part 7

Gia picked up the small phone that had been placed on her side table. It wasn't really a phone, there were no buttons or numbers to push for her to call someone. It was more like a pager. Nikolas had put it her room for her so that when she picked it up, he would come and let her out of her room. She couldn't leave without him, and he didn't know when she wanted out, so this was their way of working it out. Within minutes Gia heard the sound of the door unlocking and Nik's head popped in from the doorway.

"You rang?" he asked, with sarcasm in his voice. "I was beginning to worry. I thought you might've died."

Gia giggled. "Yes I rang, and no I'm not dead. Can we go outside?" she pleaded. "It's gorgeous out and I want to sit on the beach and watch the sunset."

"Well," Nik said, "I suppose we could. You need some fresh air...and some food." Nik said, looking down at the small table on the far side of the room. There were several plates still overflowing with food. Gia hadn't really felt like eating, so she had stayed in her room for the past two days. Nik had insisted that his servants bring her meals, but from the looks of things, she wasn't eating them. "You look pale." he said stepping towards her and placing a hand on her cheek. "It's not healthy for you not to be eating."

"I'm just not hungry that's all." she said stepping back and pulling his hand away from her face. She hadn't been able to eat for the past two days. The last time she had eaten was when she had dinner with Nik. That day had been very emotional. The morning of that dinner, Sonny refused to give up a piece of land for her life. Gia was actually considering kissing Nik and seeing if what she was feeling was anything that could bloom, but had dismissed the thought when she thought of Sonny, all that he's done for her and the fact that Nik had kidnapped her, he couldn't possibly be a lover. Sonny would find some way to get her off the island. She knew he would. "Can we just, go?" Gia asked.

"Yes, of course." Nik said, nodding as he led her out the door.

About 10 minutes later they were settled on the beach, Nik sitting up and Gia lying on her stomach, watching the sunset. "It's much nicer watching it here, rather than through bars in a isolated room."

Nik sighed and rubbed his face. The last thing he wanted was to keep Gia feeling like a prisoner. But he needed her to get what he wanted from Sonny. And even if Sonny wouldn't give him what he wanted, Nik wasn't quite ready to let Gia go. He wasn't sure why, it's just something inside of him that told him he couldn't let her go...not yet.

"Gia, I'm sorry that you have to stay in there, but I can't risk you running away, I just can't--" Nik tried to explain.

"No...don't." Gia stopped him mid sentence, "You've already explained this to me. I understand. I was just saying how it's nice to see the sunset fully, not in little squares."

"If you'd like, we can come out here every few nights, for you to watch the sunset clearly." Nik offered.

Gia turned to face him, the orange and red glow from the sun was bouncing off his skin. She looked into his eyes and for a moment she saw warmth, kindness, something good that was telling her that he was more than she had initially thought. "I'd like that, thank you." Gia nodded, then turning her attention back to the glowing sun.

"You're welcome." Nik replied, also turning back to the ocean and the sun. He had been looking at it for several minutes when his eyes jumped back to Gia. Her long braids were sprawled across her back, a few strays were sitting atop the sand. He looked at her face, her caramel coloured skin, her deep brown eyes, and her lips, which were now curved into a small smile. His eyes wandered aimlessly over her body, when she turned over and looked at him again.

"Nikolas, can I ask you something?" she asked, her eyes dancing.

Nik suddenly began to feel uneasy. He had a feeling that she would ask something about him or his family, and he always had a hard time talking about those things. He shifted nervously then said, "Uh, well yeah, I guess."

"Will you tell me about your mother?" she asked, her eyes warm and openhearted.

Nik usually had a hard time speaking about his mother, but something about Gia made him open up and tell his story with ease. "I usually don't talk about her..." Nik began, but when he looked at Gia, something about her, something in her eyes, told him that she would somehow understand, so he told her. "My mother....she was a wonderful woman, beautiful, talented, kind. She always took care of me. She protected me from the rest of my family, even though she had her own to worry about. Do you know Lucky Spencer?"

"Yes, he's a good friend of mine." Gia replied, nodding.

"He's my half-brother." Nik said.

"Oh, I had no idea." Gia replied, he saw shock in her hazel brown eyes.

"Yeah, well, after our mother died, I left Port Charles. Lucky and I didn't and still don't get along, and the rest of my family is dead. My uncle Stefan, and my grandmother, Helena, so I had no reason to stay." Nik said sadly, as a lone tear rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand before Gia could see. He didn't want her to know his weaknesses. If she did she might be able to use them against him, and he couldn't take any chances of her escaping.  "But I'm happy now, I live on this island, no one bothers me. I have a successful business with my land, and I can do whatever I want to."

"But you have no friends." Gia said, looking into his eyes. "Don't you get lonely?"

"No." Nik replied, shaking his head. "I talk to the servants, they listen. I don't need friends. Trust is a fickle thing. Friends do nothing but cause pain. You think you can trust them, but then they stab you in the back. They take the things that are most dear to you. You can't trust anyone Gia. That's why I don't need friends, I don't have to take the risk of being hurt by supposed trust."

"Nikolas, it sounds like something happened to you with a friend. What was it?" Gia prodded him.

"Gia, I don't really want to talk about it." Nik protested.

"Alright." Gia said. "I understand. I have trust issues too."

"Does this have to do with that dress?" Nik asked.

"Yes." Gia replied.

"Will you tell me?" he asked.

Gia thought about it for a moment, but decided against it. She knew it took courage for Nik to tell her about his mother, but she just wasn't ready to talk about the dress, not yet. But she enjoyed hearing about Nik's life, so she wanted to know more. "I'm really not ready to talk about that Nik. If you don't mind me asking, how did your mother die?"

Nik thought it was odd and slightly unfair that he was dishing out his heart to her, saying things that he hasn't said for years, and she wouldn't tell him anything. But he knew that she would open up eventually. For now he would just tell her about himself. Maybe if she knew more about him, she would be more comfortable telling him about her. He knew that what he was about to tell her wouldn't make her happy, but he felt she had to know the truth. "Gia, this isn't going to be easy for you to hear. But you asked, so I'll tell you. Sonny and I used to be best friends. We spent everyday together, until one day, we were 23, everything changed. Sonny made a pass at my mother, but she told him that he was too young for her, and that he was my friend, so she wouldn't become involved with him. Sonny had an awful temper. He got really angry, and I came home from work one night, and found my mom dead on the kitchen floor."

Gia gasped as her eyes widened with horror. Was Sonny really capable of committing murder? No, she thought, NO, it's not possible. "Do you think it was Sonny?" she asked.

"I know it was Sonny" he replied, his eyes red with anger. "The police found no evidence, but I got a phone call from Sonny. He called me and told me that he couldn't handle the rejection, and he killed her. He wanted me to know what he did. I wanted him to pay, but I had no proof, so he got away."

Gia was in shock. She never thought she would ever be associated with a murderer. Let alone be in love with one. Gia felt sudden betrayal. She couldn't stand the thought of sleeping with a man , being in his bed, waking up to him, and knowing that he had taken a woman's life. She suddenly felt sick. She put a hand to her forehead, a took a deep breath. Nikolas was in so much pain, and her boyfriend has caused it. She looked at Nik. His eyes were brimmed with tears and his face was drained of color. Nik was a kind, loving, compassionate man, who didn't deserve to have his mother taken from him. And Sonny...well Sonny was a cold-blooded murderer, who in Gia's mind, had been pretending to be this kind, innocent man. Gia suddenly saw something in Nik that she had missed before, and her views had changed. She now could see Nik as the man she thought Sonny was, and Sonny as the cruel man she first thought Nik to be.

"I'm so, so sorry Nikolas." Gia apologized for Sonny, tears streaming down her face.

"You...." Nik said, brushing a braid from her face behind her ear. "You didn't do anything Gia. It was Sonny. You shouldn't even be here. You don't deserve to be punished for Sonny's mistakes." he knew he should let her go, and after him just saying that she shouldn't be here, he was fully expecting to have her ask him why she was here, if he felt she shouldn't be. But Gia never asked anything, she simply looked at him. Their eyes locked and an electric spark flew between them. Nik slowly brought his head down to hers, praying that this wouldn't be another mistake. But he just couldn't pass up the chance. Her lips were right in front of his, so tempting, and inviting, and it felt as if there was a magnetic force pulling him to her. Gia brain was spinning with questions as Nik's lips neared hers. Should I kiss him? I love Sonny. Or do I really love Sonny? He's a murderer. Am I falling in love with Nik? No. His lips are so close... Oh god! Did my heart just stop? Oh okay, I feel it. It's pounding so hard. Can he feel it? Maybe I am falling in love with Nik. No. Maybe...

But all of her thoughts came to a halt when his lips touched hers. Despite the breeze coming from the ocean, Gia's entire body was filled with a warmth that melted her heart. There lips latched onto each others and this time Gia didn't pull away....

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Alluring Stranger-Part 8

Gia woke up the next morning, and felt something was different. She felt unusually warm. She turned on her side and was greeted by a body. Nik's body. He had his arm around her waist his other hand entwined with hers. She froze in her bed, then she remembered the previous night. Nik told her that Sonny murdered his mother. Nik and Gia had slept together but Gia wasn't sure whether they were just longing for companionship right now, or whether it was really something. Gia was beginning to wonder if Nik had told the truth about his mother, but then she remembered the look on his face when he told her about it. It was genuine pain and she believed him. But Gia was beginning to believe that Sonny must've had a good reason, a better reason than Nik had provided her with. Sonny couldn't murder for a reason like that, he just couldn't. Gia unraveled herself from Nik's grasp as she got out of bed and paced the room. I still love Sonny, she told herself, I don't love Nik. I have to get him out of here. What do I tell him? Suddenly she heard a noise come from her bed as she glanced over and saw Nik stirring. He reached his arm out and moved it around, obviously searching for Gia. When he found she was not there, his eyes shot open and darted around wildly.

"Gia?" Nik called out to her, as he sat up and ripped off the covers. Then he spotted her pacing the far end of the room and breathed a sigh of relief. "Gia, what's wrong. What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nikolas..."Gia began, "Last night, it was a mistake. Us making love, I--I love Sonny. I still love Sonny. I can't help it, and until I speak to him about your mother, I can't let that affect my feelings."

She saw his eyes darken and a small pout appeared on his face. He couldn't let this be dismissed so easily. Something happened between them last night. Even if she wouldn't admit it, something happened, more than she thought, and he couldn't just let it go. He took several steps towards her and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "Was this a mistake?" he asked, bringing his lips down to enfold hers in a warm kiss. He knew that she didn't want anything serious. What had happened last night was simply a case of unfolding all the bent up sexual tension that had been between them.

Gia felt her knees go weak and she felt as if she was going to collapse. Oh, how she wanted him, and maybe she could have him. At least until Sonny came to get her. Nik had agreed the night before that this was nothing serious. It was just one night. I'm not going to fall in love with Nik, and he's not in love with me, she told herself, so I'll have nothing to worry about. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her in his arms and dropped her down on the bed. He wedged himself behind her and folded his arms around her in a tight embrace. He felt Gia relax in his arms, until suddenly she bolted straight up, a look of terror on her face.

"Gia, what it is?" he asked, looking around the room to see if something had happened.

"Nikolas," Gia said, backing away from him, her eyes wide and her face turning pale, "You told me that your mother died when you were 23. Sonny's mother also died when you guys were 23. Did you kill her?"

Nik gasped. He wasn't capable of murder. Kidnapping-yes. Blackmail-yes. Murder-no. "No Gia!! I didn't kill her. I loved her like my own mother. She died of cancer. I didn't murder her. Why would I?"

"Revenge." Gia stated as if it were a fact. "You said he killed your mother. Could've done it to get back at him."

"No Gia, no. I didn't kill her." Nik said. She looked up at him, and saw that his eyes were kind and pleading her to believe him. So she did.

Gia seemed to calm down a bit as she sank back onto her bed, but he still felt her body tense when he put his arms back around her shoulders. She still needed some convincing. "Gia, listen to me. You heard me last night. I loved my mother, more than anything. And I loved Sonny's mother too, I loved her like my own. It killed me....killed me to lose my mother. Gia I couldn't lose 2 mothers in one year, I just couldn't. And I couldn't possibly kill one myself."

Gia believed him. She didn't really want to. She wanted to believe that Sonny was the hero and that Nik was the bad guy, but she just couldn't. She wasn't in love with Nik, but she saw him now for who he really was. She couldn't love Nik, she wouldn't let herself. She loved Sonny. Her and Nik were just lonely right now, that's all. They were just enjoying each others company, nothing serious. Gia told herself all of this as if she were trying to convince herself, but in the deepest corner of her heart, she knew it wasn't working. She just prayed that when Sonny came to get her, she would be able to leave this all behind. Nikolas...the island..everything. She would make herself leave it. She had to.

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