by KD Jones
“Shit. I am so sorry. I had no idea he was going to do something like that.” She felt guilty.
“It’s not your fault. He put you on the spot. He made sure you couldn’t say no to him. I have to give him credit for originality. He wins that round.”
“You’re not mad?” Isis wasn’t sure she liked the way Nigel said he wins that round.
“I am furious with Torch. But not with you, never. His theatrics were over the top and some of it was acting. But the kiss…that wasn’t fake.”
She felt the heat rising to her face again. She needed a glass of water badly. “I…have no excuse.”
There was a pause. “You’re attracted to him.”
“I find you attractive as well." She tried to divert answering that loaded question.
“My dear sweet Isis, I have kissed you twice. Neither of them were like that. That kiss spoke of something more, something explosive.”
“Are you giving up on me?” Isis wasn’t sure she could take something explosive. Nigel was much more her speed.
“Oh no. Torch threw down a challenge and I never back down from a challenge,” Nigel told her.
“Wait a second, I’m not some kind of prize for you two to compete for." She was getting fed up with both of them.
“I know that and so does Torch. But when males, especially halfsies who’ve been denied things most of their lives, wants something someone else wants, they tend to make it a bit of a competition. It will be interesting to see what he tries to come up with next. I will need to counteract that in some way,” he said it like he was thinking strategy while talking to her.
“You know what, Nigel, I have to go." She didn’t wait for him to say goodbye. She slammed the phone down. Men! She might have to go back to being dateless. This was just too much.
Her phone started ringing again but she refused to answer it. Then her doorbell rang. She stomped over and opened it up angrily. “What?”
Zara stood on the other side and raised her eyebrow. “I am to make sure you attend the after party this evening.”
“I’m not going!" Isis folded her arms across her chest stubbornly.
“You signed a GCFA contract to make appearances at the after party when it is a fight you have participated in. Unless you have a pressing medical or family need to excuse you from your contractual agreement, you have to go for at least a few minutes for pictures.”
Damn that contract! She sighed. “Fine, I will go. Next time I am paying closer attention to the damn obligation section!" She started to come out into the hallway but Zara stopped her.
“You need to shower and change. You have Slurchan goo all over you.” Zara sniffed her and made a face.
“Fine, I’ll be down in about twenty minutes." Isis shut the door on Zara. She was probably going to pay during practice for her rude behavior toward the Amazon. But she was pissed off. Torch better not be there. She might kick the shit out of him. That thought put a smile on her face. That’s exactly what she should do.
In the cold shower she couldn’t stop replaying the whole Torch act in the cage. If she was an outsider looking in, they might consider it romantic. She found it a little flattering that he would do all that for her. But only just a little. She was still livid he would put her in a position like that, leaving her with so few choices. She swore never to let anyone else control her when she left Isia. She was determined to keep that promise to herself.
*****
Torch was frowning. He was standing near the buffet table watching the door to the banquet room. But Isis hadn’t showed up yet. She was supposed to make an appearance. He was worried he had taken it too far, pushed her too far.
“Dance with us, Torch." Two human females on either side of him were trying to drag him onto the dance floor. He didn’t want to dance with them. They were both gorgeous, and well built, but they didn’t interest him. He tried to pull free but they had a tight grip on him. He couldn’t pull harder for fear he might hurt one of them. So he ended up on the dance floor with two females gyrating their bodies around him. He looked up just was Isis walked in. His breath caught.
Isis was wearing red leather pants and a matching red leather halter-top. Her outfit was complete with three-inch heel boots. She was hot. He saw her catch sight of him with the two females running their hands over him and her expression changed from shock, to hurt, to pissed off. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped by about ten degrees. Oh hell.
“Excuse me, ladies, my date is here." Torch was finally able to break free. He headed straight for Isis who looked like she was about to leave. He grabbed her arm and led her to the dance floor. He almost had to drag her there because she wasn’t picking up her feet.
“You look beautiful,” Torch told her, looking her up and down with appreciation.
“You look like a cheating bastard.” She glared at him. He couldn’t wait twenty minutes for her before he was already hitting on other females.
“How can I be cheating when we haven’t even gone on our first date together yet?” he asked.
Damn, he had her there. “Go on back to your fan club, Torch, and leave me alone.”
“I’m not with them. I was waiting for you." Torch pulled her into his arms and began dancing with her.
She snorted. “You didn’t look like you were waiting.”
“Baby, I only have eyes for you,” he said softly near her ear.
Part of her leapt for joy to have someone say something like that. He sounded practiced at saying it. “Do these lines work on other females?”
“They’re good lines." He winked, making her growl at him. He just chuckled.
Zen danced by them with his mate, Shawna, in his arms. He leaned over and tried to offer help. “He does need new material. Try this one…No one holds a candle to your beauty.”
Hammer danced by on the other side of them with his mate. “If that doesn’t work, you can try my favorite; Did it hurt…when you fell from the stars?" His mate giggled as they danced off.
Torch growled as he glared at his friends. “I don’t need any help from you guys!”
Isis couldn’t help herself. She giggled which turned into a full laugh. Torch looked down at her and joined in the laughing. He pulled her even closer. “I had no idea my asking you out would entitle all of the GCFA to participate in our courtship.”
She smiled up at him. “That will teach you to do something so publicly. It’s your punishment." She was still frustrated, but now her anger had ebbed some. He did seem to genuinely want to go out with her. It was flattering.
He looked directly in her eyes. “I really wasn’t with those other females. The truth is, I haven’t been able to think of anyone but you for a while now. It just took seeing another male make a move on you that finally made me act on my feelings.”
She looked away. She believed him. It was kind of hot how he seemed to want her. By the feel of what was pressing behind his pants against her stomach, he wanted her a hell of a lot. She liked that.
“I don’t have a problem with you…when you are not being an ass. I wouldn’t mind getting to know you better. But there is Nigel. I am supposed to be dating him. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”
“Are you in love with Nigel?” Torch looked at her worriedly.
“No.” Isis shook her head. “I was just getting to know him.”
“Has he told you that he is in love with you?” Torch held his breath.
“No. But we have only went out on one date so far.” Where was he going with this?
“Then your feelings aren’t involved yet, and therefore, his feeling won’t be hurt.”
She was having a hard time arguing with his logic. She was about to say something else when the music stopped and a female GCFA representative used a microphone to make an announcement.
*****
“Hello, everyone, on behalf of the GCFA we want to welcome you. Tonight marks a special moment that will not soon be forgotten. Two of our own have made their in
tentions for one another open and clear." The female looked their way. Oh great, more publicity.
“Have you made your first date plans? The GCFA would like to pay to take you guys anywhere you would like.”
Isis cleared her throat. “We haven’t planned…”
Torch interrupted her. “We will have our first date tomorrow evening. Unfortunately, we won’t be announcing where we are going because we want our privacy." Isis looked up at him in shock.
There was flashes as reporters were taking their picture. Isis had to quickly school her expression and smile up at him.
The female rep lifted her glass. “Torch and Isis, we raise our glasses to your new relationship, may it blossom and grow, and may there be a mating sometime in your futures.” Isis was floored. A mating?
Everyone raised their glasses at the toast. Once the toast was over people went back to enjoying the party, but Isis could still feel eyes glancing her way and heard whispers throughout the room. She was the focus of this attention and she didn’t like it. Isis felt a little dizzy.
“I need to leave," she whispered to Torch.
Torch guided her across the room and out of the banquet doors. “Let me walk you back to your suite." She just nodded and followed him to the elevators. He kept her close to him until the elevator doors closed. “Are you okay?”
“I just…don’t like to be the focus of so much attention,” she admitted.
“Then you picked the wrong job, honey." He pulled her tight against him and rubbed circles on her back.
She relaxed at his touch. They got out on Isis’s floor and walked to her suite. She opened the door and paused looking up at him. She expected him to swoop down and kiss her, forcing his tongue into her mouth, maybe try to get to second base. But he didn’t. All he did was stare into her eyes, lean forward so their breaths mingled. They barely touched but she felt like it went straight to her soul.
“Torch," she whispered his name.
“Tomorrow night, I will pick you up. Wear something comfortable." He touched his lips to hers briefly then left her standing there looking after him.
She touched her lips with her fingertips and sighed. No wonder females fell at his feet. He was sexy and dangerous. “What am I going to do?”
Chapter Nine
Isis decided to have breakfast in her suite. She didn’t want to run into any reporters and she didn’t want to have to answer anyone’s questions. Shit, she was so confused herself, she wouldn’t know any answers to give. She would have happily remained in her suite the whole day, but she had morning practice. She turned on the TV on the wall to watch the news.
She froze in place. Isis could hear her heart pounding and heat rising throughout her body from shock and fear. There stood Ishop, he was posing at a dignitary party. He looked the same as before, tall and blonde, physically beautiful. But he was the cruelest male Isis had ever met. He was standing next to a tall blonde female, one of his hands was resting on her hip. Isis knew immediately who the female was. Clovis, a female that was not royal but hoped by sleeping with the royals would elevate her status. She was one of the royal courtesans. She smiled up at Ishop with adoration. Evidently she had her sights set on Ishop. They deserved each other. Her greed and his cruelty made them a perfect match.
Isis turned up the volume. The reporter said the name of the hotel the event was being held but she missed it. She thought it had sounded familiar. But she had seen a lot of places in the nearly eight months she had been gone from her home world. Truth was she didn’t really miss it. The GCFA had become more of a family to her than the Isle of Isia ever was.
The news turned to some other event. She turned the TV off. It was the first time she had seen anyone else from her home world. What misery would she have suffered had she stayed? She was grateful that she would never know. She left that part of her life behind. She wouldn’t look back now. Her future was here with the GCFA.
*****
Later that morning Isis was being put through the ringer with Zara’s training. She was going one on one with the tall brunette. “Come on, Icycle, you can do better than that!” she taunted Isis.
“You know what?" Isis asked.
“What?" Zara took the bait.
Isis did a reverse kick back so quick it caught Zara in the mid-section unexpectedly and she went down to the mat. Isis wasn’t done. “I have had it with the name calling." She walked over and kicked Zara in the face with her foot. “My name is Isis, use it!”
Zara shook off the kick with a smile. She spit blood out of her mouth but kept smiling. “Not bad. Not bad at all, Isis."
“Uh oh!" Alana came over and stood next to Isis.
“What?" Isis asked, turning to look at what Alana was pointing at. Nigel walked into the training facility. He didn’t look in Isis's direction, he was headed straight for where the men were training and he looked pissed. Oh shit!
*****
“You have a visitor," Zen told Torch who had his back turned away from the entrance.
Torch turned around slowly and saw Nigel in his fancy suit storming his way. He gave the other male a smirk. “What brings you…”
Nigel slammed his fist into Torch’s face hard, knocking him backwards onto the floor.
“Man, you should be a fighter,” Zen commented as Nigel stepped over Torch’s stunned body and headed toward where the females were training. All the females stood in front of Isis to protect her.
“Move out of the way!" Isis yelled, shoving her friends aside so she could face Nigel. He deserved to confront her. Zara refused to move. She was ready to take Nigel down if he tried to hurt Isis. She appreciated that her friends, even Zara, cared about her. She focused on the angry male before her.
He took a deep breath and let it out. “Isis, may I have a word with you privately?”
“No." Zara told him at the same time that Isis said, “Yes."
Isis glared at Zara. “I’ll be fine." She followed Nigel’s long strides out of the training facility. She glanced back once to check on Torch. He was still down on the ground. She hoped he was okay. She had no idea Nigel had that in him. Impressive.
“Nigel I…" She was cut off when Nigel grabbed her arms and pushed her up against the wall. His lips crashed down on hers and he put his tongue in her mouth. She was too shocked to stop him. He gentled his hold on her and she relaxed into the kiss.
It was a really good kiss. Nigel knew just the right amount of pressure to use with his tongue and mouth. As good as he was, her responses were forced. She didn’t respond to him naturally. She couldn’t understand why. This male was perfect for her. But something inside of her told her to stop. That as nice as the kiss was, it wasn’t what she really wanted. He wasn’t what she really wanted.
Nigel released her lips and pulled back to stare into her face. He was aroused and breathing hard, but he hadn't seen what he was hoping for in her eyes. His arousal dimmed, replaced with disappointment. He released her arms and stepped back.
“Did I hurt you?” He looked at her with concern.
She shook her head. “No. I was just surprised.”
“I had to find out if I stood a chance. After the photos of you and Torch going into your suite, I knew there would be a slim chance of me winning you from him if he had already slept with you.” Nigel ran a hand through his hair making his perfectly groomed locks a little messy. Isis couldn’t help but think the messy look really looked good on him. Then it hit her what he had just said.
“What photos? I didn’t sleep with Torch.”
Nigel pulled out his phone, showed her the early morning exclusive of her and Torch close together at her suite. The article said they had slept together. “He never came into my suite. He didn’t even kiss me.”
Nigel nodded as he put his phone away. “But I still do not stand a chance do I?”
She didn’t deny it. Nigel was a good male and deserved the truth. “I am so sorry, Nigel. You are perfect in every way. I just feel…I don’t feel that way
for you. I don’t want to lose our friendship. I don’t have a lot of friends.”
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I will always be your friend, Isis. I wish you and Torch all the best. But if he ever hurts you, I will come back and kick his ass.”
Nigel let her hand go and grunted at Torch who came bursting through the door searching for them. “Treat her right, flame boy." Then he stalked off.
Torch rushed to Isis’s side with concern. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine but are you okay?" She touched the bruise on his chin.
He took her in his arms. “Nothing that won’t heal." He had been stunned to be decked like that by a suit. By the time he came to his senses, he was told that Isis went outside to talk to Nigel. He was so worried that Nigel would take out his anger on his female. He sniffed Isis and caught Nigel’s arousal on her.
“He touched you?” Torch growled.
“He kissed me but then realized that it was pointless and stopped,” Isis told him, still gently caressing his cheek. She knew it shouldn’t matter but the fact his first concern had been for her safety, made the ice around her heart melt a little toward him.
“Why was it pointless?" Torch pulled back to stare into her beautiful blue eyes.
“Because I don’t want Nigel in that way. Only as a friend. He knows that now too. That he is not the male I want.”
He caressed her cheek. His voice was husky, “Who do you want, Isis?”
“You," she whispered as she leaned up on her toes to kiss him.
“Mmm…ouch, ouch!" Torch pulled back with frustration. “I think the bastard hit my lip too. Hurts like a son of a bitch!”
“Sorry." She looked at him with concern.
“Don’t ever be sorry for kissing me. Just be gentle for now. Then tonight, you can kiss me like you mean it.” He winked at her.
She giggled as she leaned up and gave him a very soft kiss. “Until tonight.”
Chapter Ten
“So where are you taking her?" Zen asked as he jogged on the treadmill next to Torch. He could go much faster but he set a steady pace to keep up with Torch.