Date: May 1995
Location: Venice, Italy – Cipriani Hotel, after-hours garden bar
Actress: Nicole Kidman
Actress's Status: Fresh off _Batman Forever_ press tour. Feels underestimated. Wants more than the studio blonde roles. Restless, ambitious, but trapped.
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The Cipriani was a glittering refuge, but even Venice's golden hour couldn't brighten the shadows Nicole Kidman carried that spring.
Her marriage to Tom had begun to feel less like a fortress and more like a storm at sea—electric tension in every glance, distance in every conversation. The press smelled the trouble, whispers of cracks widening beneath the glossy surface. Tonight, after the _Batman Forever_ press junket, Nicole needed space. Fresh air. Anonymity.
She spotted the garden bar from the hotel's terrace, a dimly lit sanctuary cloaked in wisteria and dark green leaves. Most guests had long since turned in, but a figure sat alone at a wrought-iron table under fairy lights.
White hair slicked back like moonlight on a blade, a midnight-blue suit tailored to razor sharpness. The kind of presence that made the air thicken—not from arrogance, but absolute command.
Alexander Kaine.
She'd seen his name everywhere—the mogul who moved behind the scenes, who had quietly shaped the new Hollywood. _Pulp Fiction_ and _Se7en_ had his fingerprints. Rumors of Marvel, DC, even _The Matrix_ were tied to him. And his reputation wasn't just about deals—there was something magnetic, almost predatory in how everyone seemed to orbit him.
Her curiosity overcame her hesitation. She needed something beyond tabloid gossip tonight. So, heels clicking softly on the stone path, she approached.
"Alexander Kaine," she said, voice steady despite the flutter in her chest. "I didn't expect to find you haunting a garden bar in Venice."
He looked up, green eyes cutting through the smoke curling from his cigarette. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face.
"Miss Kidman. To what do I owe the pleasure? Surely not curiosity about the rumors?"
She smiled, sliding into the seat opposite him. "Rumors are all I seem to have these days. And I'm looking for something real."
He leaned forward, calm but intense.
"You're far from Hollywood's glare. And far from the spotlight you never asked for."
Nicole nodded. "Tom and I… it's complicated."
He didn't pry. Instead, he offered a slow, assured confidence.
"you'll be fine."
"you don't know me." she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"I know _what_ you are. An actress with an immaculate face, a voice too smart for the scripts they hand you, and eyes that haven't once believed the men you've had to pretend to love."
That got her. She leaned back in the wrought-iron chair, appraising him now.
"And what do _you_ do? Besides haunt women at hotel bars."
He sipped the limoncello the waiter brought—unasked.
"I'm in stories," he said. "Sometimes I write the checks. Sometimes I write the endings."
She laughed. "That sounds like a producer."
"That sounds like a god," he replied.
The pause lingered.
"I'm Nicole," she said finally, extending her hand. Delicate fingers, still cold from the wine glass.
He didn't shake it. He kissed her knuckles.
"Alexander Kaine."
Nicole blinked. The name sparked something—an article, a rumor. Tarantino mentioned him. Someone had said he bought _The Matrix_ script before anyone else. Another said he had a deal with Marvel. Another said he was dating Winona Ryder, but then again, maybe _she_ was dating _him_.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're real?"
"Only after midnight," he said, stealing her cigarette and taking a drag.
The conversation flowed like something inevitable. They talked about gothic novels. She mentioned _Rebecca_. He quoted _The Turn of the Screw_. She mocked _Batman Forever_; he called her "the only part that wasn't a cartoon." She said she wanted to do something haunting. He said he was producing something haunted.
Her voice lowered.
"Tell me."
So he did. The Witch's Veil.
A 19th-century widow. A crumbling Romanian estate. A veiled woman only she could see—until she looked in the mirror.
"You want _me_ to play that?" she asked, lips parted slightly.
"I want you to terrify men," he said. "Not seduce them. Not please them. Just exist in a room so fully that they wonder what they're for anymore."
She swallowed. Her pulse moved just under her skin, at the hollow of her neck.
"And what do I get in return?" she asked.
"Legacy," he said. "And whatever you want, after that."
She smiled for the first time. Really smiled.
"You're dangerous."
"I'm inevitable."
It was nearly 2AM now. The air smelled like salt and wine, a heady mixture that hung heavy in the velvet dark of the night. The city of Venice was quiet, but there was an undercurrent of something old and mysterious stirring, as if the city itself was awake and watching.
Nicole Kidman stood barefoot, her toes curling slightly against the cool stone path. She gestured to the garden path behind them, her voice a soft, inviting murmur. "There's a piano in the ballroom," she said. "I like to play after midnight. Helps me think."
Alexander Kane stood beside her, tall and imposing, his silhouette cutting a sharp line against the dimly lit backdrop. He adjusted his cufflinks, a habit born of nervous energy, and replied, "I don't play."
Nicole turned to him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, a mischievous glint in them. "You don't need to. Just listen."
They walked together into the velvet dark, the garden path guiding them towards a room open to the garden but private, a secluded sanctuary. The air was thick with anticipation, and Nicole could feel her heart pounding in her chest. As they entered the room, she turned to face Alexander, her breath catching in her throat as she looked up at him.
Alexander looked down at her, his eyes dark with desire. He leaned in, his lips capturing hers in a deep, passionate kiss. Nicole melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she finally didn't have to look down while kissing her man. She moaned softly, her body pressing against his as she felt his hands roam her back, pulling her closer. Alexander laughed softly against her lips, a low, throaty sound that sent shivers down her spine.
Nicole's desperation grew, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as she pulled at his clothes, eager to feel his skin against hers. Alexander obliged, his hands moving to her dress, slowly unzipping it, letting it fall to the floor in a pool of fabric. He stepped back, taking in the sight of her, his eyes dark with lust. "You're beautiful," he murmured, his voice hoarse with desire.
Nicole blushed, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she reached for his belt, her hands trembling with anticipation. She knelt before him, looking up at him through her lashes as she took him in her mouth, her lips wrapping around him tightly. Alexander groaned, his head falling back as he gave himself over to the sensation. He could feel her moans vibrate against him, sending waves of pleasure coursing through his body.
He pulled her up, his hands gripping her hips as he spun her around, bending her over the nearest surface. He entered her from behind, his movements slow and deliberate, drawing out her moans as he filled her completely. Nicole's hands gripped the edge of the surface, her knuckles white as she pushed back against him, meeting his thrusts with equal fervor.
Alexander pulled out, turning her around to face him. He lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around his waist as he entered her again, this time face to face. Nicole's arms snaked around his neck, her body arching against his as she rode him, her moans filling the room, a symphony of pleasure.
He lowered her to the ground, his body covering hers as he kissed her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth. Nicole could feel his heart pounding against her chest, matching the rhythm of her own. He flipped her over, positioning himself between her legs, his cock teasing her entrance. "I want to taste you," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Nicole moaned, her body arching off the ground as he entered her, his movements slow and deliberate, drawing out her pleasure. She could feel his cock pulsing inside her, his body tense with effort as he held back his own release, wanting to draw out her pleasure.
He pulled out, his body moving up hers, his cock teasing her lips. Nicole opened her mouth, taking him in, her tongue swirling around him as she sucked him deeply. Alexander groaned, his body shaking with effort as he held back his release. He could feel her moans vibrate against him, sending waves of pleasure coursing through his body.
He flipped her over, his body covering hers as he entered her from behind, his movements fast and furious, drawing out her moans as he pounded into her. Nicole's body arched against his, her hands gripping the sheets as she met his thrusts, her moans filling the room, a symphony of pleasure.
Alexander pulled out, his body moving up hers, his cock teasing her lips. Nicole opened her mouth, taking him in, her tongue swirling around him as she sucked him deeply. Alexander groaned, his body shaking with effort as he held back his release. He could feel her moans vibrate against him, sending waves of pleasure coursing through his body.
He flipped her over, his body covering hers as he entered her from behind, his movements fast and furious, drawing out her moans as he pounded into her. Nicole's body arched against his, her hands gripping the sheets as she met his thrusts, her moans filling the room, a symphony of pleasure.
"I'm close," Alexander growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I want to feel you come around me."
Nicole moaned, her body tensing as she felt her orgasm building, her body shaking with the force of it. "I'm close too," she gasped, her voice hoarse with desire. "Don't stop."
Alexander pounded into her, his body slapping against hers, his cock pulsing inside her as he chased his own release. Nicole could feel her orgasm building, her body tensing as she felt the wave crash over her. "I'm coming," she screamed, her body convulsing as she came undone around him.
Alexander groaned, his body tensing as he felt her come undone around him, her body milking him for all he was worth. He pounded into her a few more times before he too found his release, his cock pulsing as he filled her with his seed.
He collapsed on top of her, his body slick with sweat, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Nicole wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as they both came down from their high, their bodies entwined.