***
Two days later, I was sitting in a sweaty gym watching grown men beat the shit out of each other. I could have been wandering the streets of Monaco again, taking in the sights and culture and maybe doing a drawing or two. Even relaxing on a sun lounger by the pool would have been preferable to the gut wrenching stench of sweat and… what is that God awful smell? My nose crinkled at the thought.
But Nate had been around that morning demanding that I go along to his training sessions. He said he wanted me to get an idea of what his training was like. “You need to see what goes on so you can visualise it for your plans,” he’d said. I got the impression there was more to it than that. The gym was a short drive away from the main streets of Monaco and was about as far removed from the comforts of Golden Oakes as you could possibly get. It was clear as soon as I’d walked in that it wasn’t an everyday, run of the mill gym. Instead of rows upon rows of cardio equipment and weight machines, the place was full of hanging punch bags, free weights, racks of gloves and pads, and matted areas. What dominated the space was the huge mesh-covered cage in the centre of the room. The octagon as Nate had called it. It was the place where he currently rolled around with some poor innocent Monegasque man who’d been stupid enough to volunteer to be his sparring partner.
Watching on in horror and, alarmingly, more than a little bit of awe, I winced as Nate landed a sharp hook to his opponent’s chin. An older guy with short, grey hair stood off to the side of the cage yelling instructions and expletives at Nate, who had followed the hook immediately with a knee to the chest. The other guy, having lost his balance, dropped to the canvas with a thud. Nate was on him in a second, throwing punches then rocking and twisting and wrapping solid arms around him, locking him to the floor in a choke hold. I gulped and reached for my own throat as the poor guy slapped the canvas over and over, gasping for breath.
I was supposed to be making notes and getting a feel for the place, all in the name of research, but I had abandoned my note book to the side. The scene playing out in front of me was far more interesting than jotting down words and doodling a few images.
Nate lithely jumped to his feet and took the water bottle handed to him. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. It was the first time I’d seen him bare-chested and he looked amazing. I squinted, trying to focus on the tattoo that formed a ring around his right bicep and another that started on his shoulder and snaked around to his back. On his right pec was another image and on the left there appeared to be some sort of text, but from my position seated in a dark corner, it was difficult to distinguish what they were. I made a mental note to google him because I was sure there must have been hundreds of images of him in all his semi-naked, tatted up glory. Keeping my eyes on him, I stared down at the sexy V I wanted to run my fingertips along and wondered exactly what it led to. What was he like below the waistband of his black shorts?
“Enjoying the show?” Wesley appeared in my peripheral vision, pulling up a chair and straddling it with his front to the chair’s back. He crossed his arms along the top edge of the seat and grinned. It was a look of pure mischief, and it was aimed at me.
“It’s okay,” I replied casually. I knew he’d caught me ogling Nate but I wasn’t going to admit to it. “I really don’t understand this need to beat each other up. It’s barbaric.”
He laughed. “Most people don’t. Until you’ve tried it and felt it, it’s difficult to appreciate the power of any martial art.” I glanced over for the first time since Wesley had taken a seat. He was also dressed like Nate in red and black shorts with a bare torso. His hands, like Nate’s, were wrapped in blue bandages.
“Do you fight too?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice.
“Why does that surprise you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess you don’t come across as a dedicated-to-the-cause type of guy. But then, I don’t know you. Maybe you are.”
“That’s right, JB, you don’t know me,” he replied seductively and shifted his chair closer. “But I’m sure we could do something about that. I can be dedicated to the cause.”
“Back off, Wesley.” Nate’s expression was hard as he strode over, ripping the blue bandages from his hands along the way.
Wesley smirked as he stood. “Seems big bro doesn’t think that’s such a good idea,” he whispered into my ear before backing away. A look passed between the brothers as Wesley walked by Nate.
“What did he say to you?” Nate lowered himself onto the chair, sitting in the same back-to-front position Wesley had.
“Nothing, I was just surprised he fights, that’s all.” He looked a little suspicious of my reply but didn’t say anything.
He nodded. “Listen, I have to attend a function tonight, and I’d like for you to come with me.”
“What kind of function?” I asked nervously. Any kind of gathering Nathan Oakes attended here would be full of glitz and glamour. I knew it would be way out of my league.
“It’s a party at a nightclub. I have to go. It’s for Mal’s daughter’s birthday. I can’t get out of it.” He seemed regretful.
There were two problems with that, the first was that he had barely said more than a few words to me since our aborted dinner and now he wanted me to attend a social function with him? There was also the issue of clothing. When I’d packed for the trip, I hadn’t been expecting to go clubbing with Nate. I didn’t have anything suitable to wear.
He appraised me for a moment. “What are you thinking, Liv? What’s going through that head of yours?”
Tapping nervously on the back of the seat Nate was straddling, my gaze darted everywhere but at him. “I, um…” I cleared my throat. “I don’t have anything to wear for something like that.”
He chuckled. “It’s just a club, Liv, we’re not eating with royalty.” When I glared at him, he reached over and stroked a tender finger down my cheek. My breath caught. “You could wear anything, Olivia Buchanan, and you’d look beautiful. Have a little faith in yourself.”
Before I could process his touch and his words, he’d pulled me to my feet. With a wicked smirk, he pushed me forward, nudging me further into the gym. “It’s time for me to put you through your paces,” he whispered in my ear.
~CHAPTER TWELVE~
My body ached all over. I felt like I could barely move a muscle. Having had two weeks away from Nate, he’d said I must have been slacking with my work-outs. What the hell did he know? To make up for lost time, he decided to up the ante. Every lunge, punch, lift of a weight or sit up was done with a dragon master breathing fire over me, pushing me on. Even my time on the treadmill was lengthened by two miles and an additional incline. When I’d glared at him, breathless and fearing I would pass out, he simply shrugged and increased the speed. It was as though he were forcing his own strict pre-fight workout disciplines on to me. Either that, or he was using his tough trainer mask to block out what had been happening between us. By the time we were finished, I felt exhausted. I stumbled out of the gym with one thought in mind… I needed a long, hot soak in the bath.
Back in the comfort of our suite, I left Nate in the living area talking quietly on his phone and headed into my room. I’d been thinking about the only semi-suitable dress I’d brought with me, a very simple, lilac maxi dress. I wasn’t sure it was truly appropriate for clubbing in Monaco, but it would have to do.
Having laid the dress out on the bed, I rifled through the dresser for underwear. I settled on a set of white lace and placed the bra and knickers with the dress. There were a few hours until a car would pick us up and drop us off at the club, so I had plenty of time to soak my weary muscles and get ready.
The bathroom in the suite was huge and had a stunning, cast iron roll top tub that was large enough for me to be able to stretch out and relax in. Pouring some of the complimentary bath product under the hot water, I left the tub to slowly fill. The air around me filled with the scent of sandalwood and jasmine and my tension immediately began to ease away. I kicked
off my clothes into a pile in the corner and stepped into the water. Easing in gently, I soon became engulfed in a blanket of calming bubbles, delighting in the peace and serenity of the room. With my eyes closed, I sighed in bliss. A girl could get used to this.
Suddenly, my little slice of heaven was ripped from me. The bathroom door swung open, spilling bright light into the dimly lit bathroom and momentarily blinding me. Nate appeared in the doorway looking delicious in his sweatpants and tight fitting t-shirt, but no matter how hot he looked, and how much I wanted to scan and lick every inch of his firm body, he shouldn’t be in my bathroom, especially when I was naked. With a shriek, I screamed at him to get out and desperately fumbled to cover whatever flesh of my ample boobage was on display above the bubbles. His eyes widened and remained on me, or rather my boobs, for much longer than was appropriate.
“Don’t you knock?” I huffed, wrapping my arms tighter over my breasts and sinking further into the water. I hoped the bubbles wouldn’t sell me out and disperse too soon.
“Sorry. I didn’t realise you were in the bath yet.” He had the good grace to at least look a little embarrassed and finally lifted his gaze to my eyes.
“What do you want, Nathan?”
“I was thinking about what you said, you know, about clothes.” He leaned back against the countertop of the vanity and crossed his arms over his chest. There was me all naked and shivering—not sure if that was because of the rapidly cooling water temperature or something else—and there was Nate settling in for a conversation. Perfect!
“And?” I snapped, shifting in the water. The bubbles were disappearing and it wouldn’t be long before he’d end up getting more than an eyeful. He’d end up with the full 3D, IMAX experience.
“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or out of place.”
I snorted a bitter laugh and quickly flicked my eyes in the general direction of my nakedness. “It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?”
His silver-grey eyes darkened as his gaze wandered to my boobs again. “I don’t want to step over any boundaries…” Unbelievable! “But I asked someone to bring a few dresses over from a local boutique for you to choose from. Take your pick, it’s on me.” He strode out of the room and closed the door as if he hadn’t just been standing inches from my naked body.
“Nathan, what the fuck?” I yelled after him, thumping the water. Bubbles blew into the air, floating around and taunting me. Some landed on the floor while others glided and came to rest on the marble countertop… and my nose.
I was blowing short puffs of air, trying to shift stubborn bubbles from my nose and fringe when he poked his head around the door again. With the bubbles in the bath now all but dispersed I barely had anything covering my modesty
“By the way,” he said to my now mostly bare breasts. “There’s a change of plan. I’ve made dinner reservations before the party. The car will pick us up at seven.”
“What time is it now?”
“Six,” he replied simply.
“Shit! Nate! Why didn’t you say? That only gives me an hour.” Shooing him out of the room, I quickly climbed out of the bath and grabbed hold of a fluffy white towel from the warmer. Wrapping it around myself, I made my way into the bedroom.
I stopped abruptly just outside the bathroom doorway where Nate still stood. My űber sexy and glam dress—not—had been discarded, and laid out on the bed were four dresses, two black, one cherry red and one ivory. Next to them was an array of various undergarments and accessories.
“Nathan, I can’t take any of those,” I said sadly. They were all stunning but were so obviously out of my non-existent clothing budget. I continued to stare in awe at the decadent fabrics in front of me.
“You can and you will. I want to treat you, Liv. Please accept this stuff as my gift to you,” he murmured softly. Urging me toward the bed, he moved up behind me and placed his hands on my hips, giving them a gentle squeeze. His chin rested on my shoulder as he joined me in looking at the stunning dresses.
All of my insecurities, no matter how deep I’d tried to bury them, suddenly resurfaced. I was standing in a room with a very wealthy, very sexy, very famous MMA superstar. No doubt he was used to the glitz and glamour of society events. He often must have any number of slender, stunning women on his arm. They would have fit in without the need for Nate to rush out and buy them last-minute dresses. They would have had closets full of glamorous dresses they could choose from and a team of beauticians to help pretty them up.
Without one of those dresses, I would stand out as the poor girl Nate brought along. I would attract attention to me, and to Nate, but for the wrong reasons. It occurred to me that the dresses weren’t just about making me feel comfortable. I was attending with Nathan Oakes, public figure. He didn’t want me embarrassing him by looking dowdy in my plain, cheap clothing. As sensible as it was, the thought still stung.
I stepped over to the bed and gently stroked the silk of the red dress. “How do you know any of these will fit me? I’m sure the shops around these parts only cater for super skinny ladies.”
He shrugged, watching me closely. “I don’t know. We had to guess.”
“We?”
“Cassandra helped. Seven, Liv. Don’t be long.” He gave me a hint of his beautiful smile, the one that tugged at something in my chest and then left, closing the door behind him.
I continued running my fingers along the fabric of the dresses wondering who Cassandra was. The irrational side of me thought she must be an old flame. Maybe she was his go-to girl when he was in the area. I battled back the bile that rose in my throat at the thought, trying to convince myself that it didn’t matter who had selected the dresses. Each one was stunning and, apparently, now all mine.
A few minutes later, realising I was running out of time, I dropped my towel and went about seeing if any of the dresses would fit. If they didn’t, I would just have to stay in the suite and see what English subtitled films were on TV. I couldn’t be around Nate at a public event if there was any chance he might be ashamed of me.
***
“Liv, we’ve got to go,” Nate said, knocking gently on the bedroom door.
I’d been standing in front of the mirror for several minutes, staring. The woman looking back at me was hot. I mean, really hot. She looked sexy in an ivory satin dress that clung to her perfectly. The dress skimmed her curves and accentuated her assets as though it had been made for her. The neckline sloped just along the upper swell of her breasts and scooped lower in the centre showing cleavage without being trampy. Two thin straps over the shoulders held the dress in place. The bodice was fitted until eventually it flared out into a billowing skirt that rested just above the knee. The vixen, looking a little shocked and bewildered, leaned further towards the mirror, blinking her eyes in rapid succession. Her hair had been blow-dried straight and, thanks to the luxurious hotel’s complimentary products, for once it shimmered with a brilliant shine. Her eyes looked bright and alluring thanks to smokey eye make-up and two coats of mascara. Her lips looked plump, covered with a dusky pink lip gloss.
“Damn, Liv!” I whispered to myself as I added the finishing touch, a pair of simple, diamond stud earrings my parents had given me for my twenty-first birthday.
“Liv, come on. We’re going to be late.” Nate knocked again, a little more forcefully.
With a final look in the mirror to double check it wasn’t really a potato sack I had covered my body with, I grabbed my small, silver clutch bag and made my way through to the living room.
Nate stood on the balcony with his back to me. He was once again talking to someone on his phone so hadn’t heard me approach. “I said we’ll be there,” he snapped, emphasising ‘we’ll’ and abruptly ending the call. He turned with closed eyes, his breathing deep and erratic. His jaw was set and his face pinched, as though he were trying to contain his anger or frustration.
I took a cautious step closer. In the relatively short amount of time I’d know him, I�
�d learned that when Nate was angry you were best leaving him alone to calm down. I’d seen him unleash the power of his fury on more than one occasion when he’d taken it out on a punch bag at the gym. Better the bag than someone’s face, I’d mused at the time. Out there on the balcony it was just him and me.
The sound of my heels scraping on the decorative concrete floor alerted him to my presence. His eyes sprung open and drank me in. Slowly, he dragged his gaze from my silver sandals, over my body until his eyes met mine.
“Wow, Liv,” he said breathlessly. “You look amazing.”
My lips pulled up into a shy smile as heat crept onto my cheeks. I wasn’t used to such compliments, especially not ones I thought could actually be true. “Thanks, I guess.”
We remained in a weird sort of silence for a moment as he continued gazing at me. It was hard to decipher what he was thinking or what he was feeling. His face was impassive, masked by his usual set features. Occasionally his jaw would clench or his hand would twitch by his side. But he remained still, watching, assessing, contemplating. Eventually, he turned and walked towards the door, holding out his elbow for me to take. “We need to go, the car’s waiting.”
***
With my hands clasped in my lap, I stared out the window as we made our way through the streets of Monaco. Beyond the blacked out windows of the sleek Mercedes, the sun was disappearing along the horizon, leaving a sky full of pinks, lilacs and fiery golds that were disturbed only by the occasional opal-coloured cloud. It had been a beautiful day: warm and sunny with a gentle breeze. It was a stark contrast to the icy chill of the atmosphere inside the car.
Nate had been quiet since we’d left the hotel, speaking only to Marc, our driver, when he’d greeted us at the entrance. An occasional glimpse out of the corner of my eye showed me he was still lost in his own thoughts, brooding over his telephone conversation I supposed. I might as well have not been there.
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