I sucked in a deep breath and looked over to Adam who was sitting quietly at the end of the table. He gave me a full smile and nodded his encouragement. I could hear his voice in my head saying I could do this, even though he didn’t utter a word.
“Send them in, Trish. We’re good to go.” It was show time.
A minute later, the two gentlemen from GO that I’d met on previous visits walked in. We shook hands and passed pleasantries, talking about irrelevant crap that just amped up my edginess. I was about to gesture for them to take a seat when the door opened. Twisting around, I came face to face with an impeccable charcoal grey suit, crisp white shirt, silk silver tie and a set of penetrating, deep grey eyes.
What is he doing here?
“Hello again, Ms Buchanan.”
Nathan’s deep gravelly voice rumbled through me, causing every nerve ending to become highly attuned to every movement he made. Even the swing of his arm as he raised it to shake my hand caused me to shiver. When we touched, my hand pulsed, not from his firm grip but from the spark of sensation I’d been zapped with. It wasn’t like the bolt of electricity that knocks you on your arse and leaves your hair frizzy that you read about in romance novels, it was more a thud of awareness—a taser shock that belts you once, leaves you paralysed with the after effects rippling through you and leaving the hairs on your arms standing on end.
“Beautiful,” I mumbled, looking down at his perfect, beautiful, large hand resting in mine. It was just as I’d imagined his feet would be; large, with long, lean fingers, a hint of a tan and dark hairs peeking out from under his cuff. I was pleased—although I tried to ignore the fact—that there was no ring or tan line on his left hand. In my haze at the gym I hadn’t taken in any specifics about him, other than he was deliciously good looking and had a body that made me squirm with desire, and a voice that left me panting.
“Excuse me?”
I suddenly remembered where I was and what I was about to deliver. I needed answers as to why he was there, and I needed them now. Regaining my composure, I cleared my throat and lifted my eyes to his, determined to act the consummate professional. “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met officially.”
He grinned down on me as he withdrew his hand. He’d heard me. He’d heard me loud and clear telling him I thought he was beautiful. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. “Do forgive me. I’m Nathan…” yeah, I already know that, “Oakes. I’m the owner of GO Sport and Leisure. I apologise I’ve been unavailable to meet with you until today.”
Oh. My. God!
For the second time in less than twenty four hours I’d been left speechless and knocked on my arse, only this time it was metaphorically. Nathan, the beautiful personal trainer dude, the one who had witnessed my total mortification just the night before, was my client?
“It’s nice to meet you again, Mr. Oakes. I hope you don’t mind but I’ll be in here today supporting Olivia. Please take a seat.” I watched on in stunned silence as Adam shook Nathan’s hand then showed him to a seat. Adam knew who Nathan was? Why didn’t I know who Nathan was? I’d done my research when I first took on the GO account. Or at least I thought I had.
I stood motionless. Nathan was here. He was the N. Oakes, owner of GO Sports and Leisure, the person I was about to deliver my presentation to.
Oh. My. Fucking. God!
I felt my eyes getting wider as I realised the ramifications of his presence before me. I’d been a quivering wreck before imagining him naked, squirming at the sound of his voice, dreaming about him supporting himself above me with his thick, strong arms as he thrust inside me…
“Are you all right, Liv? Do you want me to take over or something?” Adam whispered against my ear, startling me.
I looked up at him and blinked several times, trying to regain my composure. I felt hot and needy. My pulse was racing, and my heart thudded a tribal beat in my chest. This couldn’t be happening. Not today.
Adam’s eyes continued searching mine, looking for answers or maybe just some sort of response, when the sound of a throat being cleared drew my attention back to our clients. I looked at Nathan as Adam steered me towards the corner of the room with his hand resting on my lower back. Nathan’s eyes narrowed as they centred on the point of contact between Adam and me.
“What has gotten into you?” Adam said in a harsh whisper looking over at our clients and offering them an encouraging smile. “Are you not well? Do you want me to do this for you?”
With a shake of my head, I closed my eyes for a moment and sucked in a deep breath. I was a professional. I had a job to do, and Nathan Oakes was just another client… a beautifully sexy client. I gave myself a discreet pinch to encourage me to pull myself together and opened my eyes. I had to do this. This was my moment, my time to prove my worth. I had to forget him and concentrate on the presentation. With a deep inhalation I nodded at Adam and slowly turned to face the three gentlemen watching me expectantly.
“I’m fine. Let’s do this.”
***
Forty-five minutes later, I’d delivered my speech, showed off the plans and answered questions. So many questions. The presentation had gone well and Nathan seemed impressed. I felt like I was floating as I gathered in the drawings and began to roll them up.
“Well, Olivia. Is it okay to call you Olivia?” My gaze rose to connect with Nathan’s and I nodded. “I’m impressed. You’ve come up with exactly what I visualised. In fact, you’ve exceeded my expectations.” I ducked my head and grinned behind the cascade of my brown hair that was actually behaving for once. He liked the plans, he was impressed. I closed my eyes briefly and basked in the joy of praise. I doubted I would get any from Mr. Ashworth.
“Unless there is anything else you need to go through, are we done here?” Nathan continued.
I took a quick mental inventory, checking off everything that had to be finalised and settled. “That’s everything, Mr. Oakes. If you—”
“Please, call me Nathan,” he interrupted.
Adam made his way to my side, resting a polite hand on my lower back once again. The proud smile he was trying to contain was clearly evident as he looked between Nathan and his colleagues.
“Okay, Nathan. I think we have everything finalised. If you need anything more, please don’t hesitate…” I trailed off when he suddenly pushed his chair back and stood abruptly, his two companions following suit.
“I won’t,” he said brusquely looking between Adam and me and then down to where Adam’s hand touched me. “So are we done here?” I nodded, stunned into silence. What was with the sudden arrogance?
“I, um, we, um…” Sensing my sudden unease, Adam whispered in my ear that he would see them out and stepped towards the three gentlemen. Feeling bad for not concluding our meeting appropriately, but grateful to Adam for taking away the added pressure of Nathan’s sudden mood swing, I turned my back and allowed him to show them out. Their polite small talk faded away as they left the room with the unmistakable sound of the door clicking closed behind them. I let out a deep breath, exhaling all my tension and worries in one big whoosh.
“You did it, Liv,” I muttered, busying myself with gathering everything. “Despite Mr. Hot-as-sin’s rather rude farewell, you did well. You should be proud.” I smiled, balancing the rolled up plans across my arms.
“I agree. You should.”
Startled by the deep, husky voice, I stumbled and pivoted around. The items in my arms fell, scattering across the floor in a mess of disorderly white papers. My eyes widened as my hand flew to my racing heart. “Mr. Oakes… Nathan, what are you still doing here?”
~CHAPTER FOUR~
As an act of protest against the suddenly warm air in the room, my lungs decided to cease operation for a brief moment. A strange gasping sound escaped my throat as my breath caught. Despite the air conditioning system blasting out arctic like air, my flesh heated as I stood gazing at the man standing across the room. My nipples pebbled in the tight confines of my bra, c
reating proud little turrets pushing against the lace. Aware that Nathan’s gaze was sweeping my body, I pulled my jacket tight across my chest, in the vain hope he wouldn’t see the little peaks pointing their way up through my blouse. Why was he still here? And why was he looking at me with such dark, scrutinising eyes? Had he heard what I’d called him? Pulling his eyes up to meet mine, he moved across the room, making his way towards me with strong and commanding strides.
“I wanted to talk to you,” he said, his deep voice melting into me in a way no double shot caramel latte could. Leaning against the table, he curled his fingers around the edge of the polished mahogany surface, stopping their restless dance. His elbows angled out in a way that emphasised his large, firm biceps under the sleeves of his jacket.
Without realising what I was doing, I licked my lips and dropped my gaze to his mouth. His lips were a deep pink and plump. So plump. Kissably plump.
“About what?” I asked, finding my voice breathy and betraying my desire to stay professional. My gaze wandered to his thick neck where the knot of his tie rested just underneath the slight bulge of his Adam’s apple. It rose and fell as he swallowed, causing a rippling effect around the collar of his shirt. “I thought we’d concluded the meeting,” I added, finally dragging my eyes away from the small appendage I suddenly wanted to run my tongue over. I continued my inspection of every inch of Nathan’s upper body. Every slight crinkle or ripple in the fabric of his jacket helped to define the hard muscles hidden beneath. Whether in an expensive, tailored suit or casual track pants and t-shirt, I couldn’t deny he was a fine specimen of a man. So masculine and powerful.
“We did.”
“So what did you want to discuss with me then?” My brow furrowed in confusion as my gaze finally made it back to his handsome face. His chiselled, square jaw line was dusted with a light growth of hair that had me wanting to run my fingers along it to see if it was soft or rough. He had a slightly crooked nose that had obviously been broken at some point, maybe more than once. Finally, I made it up to his large, almond shaped eyes that were studying me with a knowing glint. Today they seemed more charcoal in colour, a deeper tone that expressed his power.
“Here. Take a seat.” He kicked the rolling desk chair near him and sent it gliding across the short pile carpet until it stopped just in front of me. I looked down at the chair and then back to Nathan, impressed he’d managed to kick with just enough force. Surprised that I so easily relented to his command and hadn’t argued, I lowered myself into the seat.
“Let me ask you a question, Olivia. Are you happy?” Nathan finally asked, removing his hands from the table and resting them, clasped together, against his thick thighs.
“What kind of question is that? And what business is it of yours anyway?” I asked, frowning. He knew nothing about me, didn’t need to know anything about me. My happiness was of no concern to him. We’d met only once. And while I was grateful for the massage, we were total strangers. I had every intention of keeping it that way.
“Do you always answer a question with a question?”
Finally pulling myself out of the fog and rediscovering my sass, I raised a questioning brow, to which he shot me a stony glare then sighed. “Just answer the question, Olivia. Are you happy?”
“I’m sat here talking to you, so of course I am. I’m ecstatic,” I replied sarcastically and sank back into the seat, twisting it from side to side. “What’s this all about, Mr. Oakes? What do you want from me?”
Nathan disentangled his hands then once again gripped the edge of the table. “I want to know if you, as a person, are happy… I’m not just talking about merely existing. I’m talking about being comfortable and content. Are you happy with who you are? What you are?” His gaze bore deep into mine, seeking answers I wasn’t sure I knew.
His tone and probing expression let me know he was deadly serious. He was genuinely interested. I thought about it for a moment. It was a bit of a deep question for a Thursday afternoon, especially coming straight after my brain cells had been fried trying so hard to impress both him and his companions during the presentation.
“Put it this way,” he continued when I’d made no attempt to speak, “if something happened to you tomorrow, could you look down from up high and be content that you’d lived a happy and fulfilled life?”
“Absolutely! I’m living the dream,” I fired back immediately.
Of course I could. Couldn’t I?
“Yes. Sort of…” My shoulders slumped when it dawned on me that yes, I had a fantastic job, great friendships and wonderful but eccentric parents, but I had to admit my life was missing something. It was lacking a real purpose, something that could be added to my eulogy that would forever carve out my place on this earth, letting the world know that Olivia Buchanan had very much been somebody. And as confident and carefree as I came across to others, I had my insecurities. Who didn’t? It couldn’t be denied that I wanted more. An adventure. Something to take me away from the lonely hum drum, nine-to-five existence I’d found myself in since graduating.
For a while, I’d been having a few niggling worries about being alone. Whilst I wasn’t looking for love and for someone to immediately settle down with and start a family, I couldn’t deny I craved those special intimate moments that only happened with someone you cared for. But I let my career come first. It had to. I’d worked too hard to not become the best I could be. The only way I would be able to accomplish that was to forgo relationships. It didn’t stop me dreaming though.
“Um no, not really, something’s missing.” I admitted with a sigh.
Nathan nodded as though my answer hadn’t come as a surprise to him. “Why were you at the gym yesterday? What made you decide to walk through those doors?”
Heat extended across my chest, slowly creeping along my neck and into my cheeks. My reaction to Barbie-bitch hadn’t been a typical one for me. Usually, I brushed off idiotic and ignorant comments. The way I saw it, people who made fun of others or felt the need to comment on how somebody else looked or acted usually did so to cover up their own feelings of inadequacy. So why had I taken her comments to heart and not just brushed them off? Maybe she’d hit a nerve I hadn’t even realised was exposed.
Nathan was watching intently, waiting patiently for something I wasn’t comfortable admitting to him. I didn’t want to come across as a pathetic shrinking violet. I was far from it, usually.
“I’m waiting, Olivia. I need to know why you came to Golden Oakes yesterday. What were you hoping to get out of your visit?”
“A sore backside and bruised ego,” I fired back, crossing my arms over my chest and staring straight at him.
Narrowing his eyes, Nathan pushed away from the table and moved in front of me. Leaning forward, he gripped both arms of the chair, abruptly halting my swinging motion. “Sarcasm doesn’t look good on you, Olivia. Perhaps you want to try that again,” he said, his already deep voice dropping an octave as he kept his deep, brooding gaze locked on mine.
I flicked my eyes to the window, needing a distraction from his close proximity and the intense way he looked at me. Why was he so concerned about my motives? I was pretty sure he didn’t stalk every person who walked into his gym, asking them their innermost secrets.
“If you must know, Mr. Oakes,” I eventually conceded, turning my face to his once again, “much to my mortification, I was offended by a remark made by somebody who really had no business poisoning the air with her breath.”
“What was said?”
I sighed and rubbed at the back of my neck, feeling the onset of a tension headache. “It doesn’t matter. I let it get to me when it shouldn’t have. It also made me think a few things… about myself.”
There was a brief moment of silence where Nathan seemed thoughtful and I just felt uncomfortable. Looking him in the eye, I said, “Excuse me,” and began to push myself from the chair. I needed a drink, something, anything to distract me from his close scrutiny. Thankfully, Nathan stepped back giv
ing me space to walk to the table.
“What things?” he asked settling himself against the table again as I poured a glass of water. “What were you thinking?”
“Why are you so interested, Nathan? Surely my boring little life is of no interest to you.”
“Firstly, I get the impression you are anything but boring. Secondly, as a gym owner I make it my business to be interested in what motivates people to sign up. I watched you yesterday, Olivia. You didn’t seem much like you wanted to be there.”
I grinned as I turned and rested back against the edge of the table, mirroring his pose. The bottles of beer in my fridge and endless supply of chocolate and sweets in my cupboards were evidence enough that I definitely had not wanted to be there.
My smile diminished as I recalled the insulting words that spewed from Barbie-bitch’s toxic mouth. “Let’s just say that those words, as hurtful as they were, got me thinking about my health and fitness. I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something before my future looked bleak. Adam—Mr. Ashworth—suggested I join him at the gym, your gym. With nothing left to lose, I decided to tag along. I mean, what’s the worst that would happen? It wasn’t like I’d end up on my arse, embarrassed by a less than graceful treadmill exit.” I snorted a mirthless laugh and tipped the glass to my lips, needing the chilled liquid to cool my shamed, heated flesh and parched throat.
“Is he your boyfriend?” he asked, moving to stand directly in front of me.
Shocked, I choked on the water and spluttered a mouthful all over his crisp Armani – or whatever it was – suit.
“Oh my God, Nathan, I’m so sorry.” Frantically, I dropped the glass on to the table, the remaining contents spilling across the wooden surface, and reached out to touch the wet spot on Nathan’s shirt, rubbing it as though that would remove the dampness. His hand came up to rest over mine, holding me still.
“Answer me, Olivia. Is Adam your boyfriend?” he repeated in a firm, yet deep and husky, voice.
Prepared to Fight Page 5