𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 - Charles Leclerc (CL16) [Book 1]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚠𝚘

"Hi, I'm Charles." said the stranger - well, said Charles, no longer a stranger. He held his eyes on mine the whole time, please don't ask me why, but I also couldn't take my eyes off him, his face, or his perfectly toned body, that you could see under his workout top... LIANA STOP, I am happy on my own, I am happy on my own.

"Well, Charles, you heard Lando - the best cannoli you'll ever eat, want some?" I replied, still with my gaze locked on his.

"What makes them the best..." he paused and his look turned to confusion, I guess he wanted my name.

"Liana," I said, and his face returned to the expressionless intense stare he held a few moments ago.

"Well, Liana. What makes your cannoli better than the ones that I can get in Italy?" okay, number one, rude? He obviously hasn't picked up on the Italian twang to my accent, or maybe my parents were right when they said I have lived in Nice for too long.

"I'm Italian, it's an Italian-perfected recipe," I responded smugly, feeling a little bit like I'd given a verbal face slap to Charles.

He opens his mouth to respond, with his gaze STILL on me - as we hear a yelp from the kitchen.

"LANDO WHAT THE FUCK" .. it's Raegan, shortly followed by Lando's signature snigger.

"Don't leave your flour sitting on the side, I'm sorry it was too tempting," he responded. OH GREAT, another flour fight! I hear more screaming, and fast footsteps all around the kitchen floor. All whilst my gaze has not left Charles, and his mine - I hadn't even noticed that Raegan and Lando had left the room.

"If your cannolis are so great, Liana, how come I've never had them before?" Charles accentuated every syllable in my name as he spoke. There was no denying his attractiveness, and this conversation was so intense I found myself getting a bit hot. But two can play this game.

"How come, Charles, if you are such a cannoli snob, have you never eaten mine?"

"Do you want me to, Liana?" Okay, now I am really hot. No one has ever said my name the way he has, most people call me Li. Okay, I need to chill, I'm back in the room.

Charles takes a step towards the counter, as do I, and immediately the scent of his citrusy cologne hits me. God, he smells good.

"I think you should, Charles. It'll be the best thing you've ever tasted." I drag out the syllables in my words, I know his game, I've met (and dated) plenty of men just like him and I will not let him win.

"Are you still talking about cannoli, Liana" He drags out the last letter of my name, and his expressionless face falters, he raises an eyebrow at me, a questionable flirt. I am at this point, almost a melted puddle on the floor. Who made this man, who coded this man. I feel like all the air has been pushed out of my lungs, I try to think of a comeback to his comment but I can't. I can't pull the words from my mouth. Come on Liana, say something!

He stares at me for a little longer, I stare back, whilst having this internal panic. My breath is slow, and the room feels still, as if it is just us there in the bakery, in this street, and almost in the whole principality of Monaco.

The moment is saved, or rather interrupted by Lando poking his head out of the kitchen, looking somewhat like a ghostly version of himself having had half a bag of flour at his head by Raegan - my head whips round as he says my name, "Li, I'm so sorry, we've quickly tidied the kitchen. Rae shouldn't have left the flour in such an accessible place for me!"

Raegan snapped back from inside the kitchen, "Don't blame me you child, round two later!"

"Lando, you both owe the bakery a bag of flour, but really, don't worry - as long as the kitchen is not left messy for Flora in the morning. She'll be mad if we leave her YOUR flour mess to clean up." Flora was the young Monagueque who runs the cafe for us on Sundays, she is a student in Monaco, and she is amazing at what she does - but she is a stickler for cleaning, and often has a little mutter and moans if Raegan and I leave the kitchen in a ghastly state.