by Karen Deen
“Alesha, what’s wrong? You’ve been crying.” There’s aggression in the question, and it is pointed straight at me.
“Grant. Stop it. I’m fine. Just something silly. Don’t worry about it.”
“Was it him?” he asks, pointing at me.
“God, no. Stop it. I’m fine. Just take your lunch and eat before your meeting.”
He reluctantly takes his food out of the bag, his coffee, and turns and walks to his office. This won’t be the last Ally hears of this, I bet. He bit his tongue for the time being, so not to cause a scene for her.
“Wow, he is intense. Now I know what Zara means. Can imagine that in the bedroom? Man, he’d be hot.”
“Nat!” Ally and I cry at the same time.
“What?” She giggles.
“Ewww. Too much information on my brother, thanks.” Finally, I see that sparkle back in her eyes. I want to stay here with her but unfortunately, she needs to work and so do we.
“Where do you want these coffees put so we can leave you to get back to work? We need to get some lunch and head back the gym, too.”
“Just on the counter here is fine. Thanks.” She takes them from my hands and carefully places them down next to the bag Nat sat there as well.
Pulling her back to me for a hug, she squeals a little. “Xavier.” Playfully slapping me on the chest. “I’m at work.”
“And?”
“You’re incorrigible.” She giggles as I lean down and kiss her. Just a small one. I don’t want to embarrass her but I’m not leaving here without one.
“Not denying that, gorgeous. Now stop distracting me, I have a job to go to. I’ll meet you at your place tonight when I finish, okay?” She nods and pulls a little tighter in the hug just to get that last bit of closeness.
“I’ll deal with her. Don’t worry. By next week she will be a thing of the past for us both. I promise you. Have a good afternoon and go and give your brother heaps of shit, don’t let him upset you.” I pull back and head towards the elevator where Nat is pushing the button.
“Oh no, that’s Lilly’s job,” she says, lifting her hand to wave goodbye. I can tell she is back in control.
As the door of the elevator starts to slide shut, I raise my hand to wave and blow her a kiss. That small blush creeps onto her cheeks.
As the doors close, I let out the breath I’ve been holding since she answered her phone a little earlier.
“Fuck, Nat. We need to get rid of that crazy bitch, Dana. There are just some bizarre things happening, and they all seem to be revolving around her.
“No arguments here. I’ve never liked the way she carries on with you. The fact that she demands you to train her and has nothing to do with me just screams obsessive. Then that Facebook page is just plain creepy. Let’s send her a message this afternoon and cancel her session tomorrow morning so there is no need for her to see Alesha again. Do we recommend anyone else or would that be just cruel to them?”
“I like your thinking,” I tell her as we walk out of the elevator and across the foyer, giving a chin lift to the security guy. It makes me feel good knowing there is security in the building.
“Initially, I thought we should shift her to another trainer but now I don’t want anyone else to end up with the same problem. Plus, I’d be happier if she found a new gym completely. Man, what a peculiar lady she has turned out to be.”
“No shit.” Nat laughs as we both sink into our seats in the car. “Quick lunch now, we have a client due in an hour.”
The afternoon goes quickly, thank goodness.
I can’t stop thinking about Ally and if she is okay. I’m sure Grant would be making sure she is. Besides, she shares an office with Lilly. It’s not like she will let her get away without getting all the gossip of the tear-stained eyes.
Since we left her, I’ve been thinking of the email we’ll send to Dana. I want to keep it professional, so she has nothing to try to attack us with. Putting it in writing is certainly the way to do this, so we have a record of exactly what is said.
Sitting with my laptop in the office at the back of the gym, with Nat over my shoulder, we compose what hopefully will be the last contact I need to have with Dana. I feel a little sick in the stomach about her reaction to this, but it needs to be done.
“What do you think?” I look up to Nat to see if she thinks it’s ready to send. To be honest, I’m overthinking it. I just want to get rid of her. I mean, we have every right to block a client from working with us. We run this business, not the clients. Yes, she can make trouble for us, but we surely have enough happy clients who will discredit anything she tries to say and spread through the gym. We just need to believe, good will prevail. Maybe I’ve read her wrong and she will just walk away quietly. I doubt it but worth a try.
“I think it’s as good as it’ll get. Press send and then shut it down. Do not answer any emails, text messages or phone calls from her. I’ll deal with her from here. She’ll get the message eventually.”
I do as she says and click on the send button. Putting my imaginary helmet on, preparing for the bombing raid that will come later today.
“Right. I’m out of here. Home to change and then over to Ally’s place. Keep in touch if you hear anything from her. Love you and thanks for your help and support with Alesha. You were spot on. She is very important to me. There is this undeniable connection. She’s the one who I’m meant to be with, I’m certain of that.”
“Where did this soppy part of my brother come from? You’ve been hiding it well over the years, big brother.” I just laugh and we head out to the parking lot. Time to get out of here.
Dana
My phone pings a notification of an email. I don’t get many to that email address. Mainly because I don’t give it out in normal circumstances. Swiping to open the screen, my heartbeat speeds up when I see it is from Xavier. Finally, he must be going to make his move with me. I have worked on him as my project for a while now and I need to take it to the next level.
Dear Dana,
We are sorry to have to send this email. We currently are very heavily booked with training clients. We are unable to keep up with all the appointments we have so we unfortunately need to cut back on some clients.
So effective immediately, we will no longer be able to train you. We are sure you will be able to find another personal trainer at another gym who will be able to fit you into their schedule. Thank you so much for your business to date and we wish you every success in your future training. Keep working hard and you will achieve your results.
Again, our apologies and thank you for your understanding.
Xavier and Natalie Lane
“No! No! No!” I scream, tossing my phone across the room.
You do not get to dismiss me that easily so you can fit your little slut into your schedule. That’s not how this works. I had you first and I’m not finished with you.
I make the rules in this game, not you.
You’ll regret chasing that little piece of ass.
We are still going to be together, whether you like it or not.
Picking up my phone, I press his number to tell him how this is going to work and it’s time to move things forward.
Chapter Twenty-One
Alesha
Thank God work is over for the day.
I don’t feel like I’ve had a normal day since the night I met Xavier. It’s been crazy. I’m struggling to catch my breath. Xavier has me swirling in so many directions. I feel like I am on cloud nine most of the time until Dana keeps wreaking havoc on us. I try to look at it objectively and think she hasn’t really done anything to hurt anyone. But in saying that, everything she is doing just seems creepy. The feeling I get whenever I’m near her is just not right. Xavier has promised me he will deal with her today, so I try to wipe her out of my thoughts.
I’m really looking forward to tonight. Heading to his house for him to cook us dinner sounds divine. I’m picturing us sitting at his table. Me with a nic
e glass of wine and him with a beer. Chatting about just random things like we do and generally just relaxing after another stressful day. I can’t wait to see what his apartment looks like. Will it be a man cave or with having a twin sister will there be a little feminine touch to it? Either way, I will just be glad to be spending the night in with him, no distractions.
I don’t want anything to get in the way of tonight. I’m packing a bag for the sleepover that he suggested. Throwing things on the bed to pack, I pick out the new gym outfit I’m going to try out in the morning. Not sure how he will like it, but Lilly assures me it will be a winner. The last thing I look at is the package that arrived today. Full of my online shopping, all that beautiful satin and lace. I feel nervous just looking at them. Am I game enough to take a set with me? Will we get to the point that he’ll see them? Standing there contemplating what to do, the banging on the front door jolts me from my daydream. That’ll be him, so decision made, bag zipped and I’m heading to let him in.
Peeking through the peep hole, I see this sexy guy, broad shoulders, arms with bulging muscles. The thing that gets me the most, though, is his eyes and his smile. Every single time they pull me in and mesmerize me. I wonder if other people see him the way I do. Or do they just see all the muscles and sexiness. Don’t worry, I see that too, oh boy do I see it every damn night in my dreams. But there is so much more to see past that. He has a very gentle soul that is caring and loving. His sense of humor is hilarious, and he is quite the intelligent man that he hides behind that humor. Has any woman ever bothered to find out this other side of him?
Opening the door, the vision I see is so much better than through the peep hole. A fine specimen leaning against the doorjamb smiling at me like he’s getting ready to devour me.
“Can I help you, sir?” I cheekily ask.
“Oh, madam, you certainly can.” Grabbing me around the waist and lifting me up and backwards, he kicks the door closed with his foot. He swings me around and pushes my back against the door. Before I have time to say a word his lips are on mine and he is kissing me like he has been starved for days. My temperature is rising fast and I am all in with the kissing. Once he touches my mouth, I want more. We are both fighting for air but neither of us wants to break the kiss. My lungs are screaming for oxygen, so I give in and reluctantly pull away.
“Holy shit,” comes out of my mouth.
“Told you every time I see you that’s what’s going to happen. Just to clarify, that’s definitely not the version for your dad. That one is all for you, baby.” Giggling, I kiss his cheek and wriggle out of his grasp to grab my bag from the bedroom. The smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes tells me he is excited to see me with an overnight bag.
Holding it up, I nervously ask, “Is this okay? You mentioned you wanted me to stay.”
“Ally, you never have to ask to stay with me. I want you with me all the time, so you stay as much as you like and as long as you like. Just in case you can’t tell, I’m glad you have that bag packed and ready to go. I meant it when I said it. Now let’s get this show on the road. Let me take that for you.” His hand slips next to mine on the bag and takes the weight of it.
I suddenly feel nervous. This is far outside the comfort zone of normal for me. I’ve never had a planned sleepover at a man’s place before. I’m not sure what Xavier is expecting, or even what I’m expecting. All I do know for sure is, for the first time I want to explore this. I want to know what it feels like to have more. Like what I see my brothers experience.
“Just breathe, beautiful. You’re overthinking again. Tonight, doesn’t have to be any different than last night. Let’s just eat dinner and relax. Remember, you’re in control. Nothing happens until you are ready. If that is six months from now, I’ll still be here holding your hand, hugging the air out of you and kissing you until you can’t breathe. Got it?”
Oh, I got it alright. Right to my core and all the way to my heart. No man would be this patient with me unless he was feeling the same as what I’m feeling. I realize now it is not only nervousness that steals my words sometimes, it is the pure emotions that Xavier brings out in me.
“Thank you,” are the only two words I can say, which is enough for him. He knows never to push me. People would think I’m weird being this age and being so shy at times. Instead, he just accepts it and knows what I’m saying even though there are no words coming out.
He takes the bag from my hand and opens the door for me to leave. Grabbing my handbag and keys, we are on our way to the elevator. He takes my hand and gives it a little squeeze for reassurance. It’s amazing how one simple gesture can calm you all over.
The trip to his house is one that passes quickly and uneventfully. There is plenty of conversation about our day and what he has planned for the rest of the week. He also tells me he has sent an email to Dana ceasing her training with them and suggesting she find a new gym. That’s a relief and now I can relax and enjoy looking forward to the rest of the night. I’m looking forward to tasting his cooking. He is talking himself up like a world-class chef; I’ll be happy to be the judge of that. I can cook but I’m not spectacular at it. I get by. I’ve never had anyone to really cook for, so I keep my meals simple when cooking for one.
We head into the underground carpark and pull up next to a black SUV that looks like the one Kane drove the other morning. Parked in front of it in the same spot is a red-and-black motorbike. It looks pretty shiny, like someone loves it. Although it looks really cool, there is no way you would be getting me on the back of one of those. There are just some things that are an accident waiting to happen and that is one of them. I don’t even like being on the four-wheel bike at Zach’s farm. I think it would be safe to say Samuel is a better driver of it than me. While I am busy checking out the motorbike, Xavier has already gotten out and is now opening my door for me, his hand extended for me to take as I wriggle out of the Jeep.
“You like the look of Kane’s beast?” he says to me while grabbing my bag from the back seat.
“It looks like it would go really fast. Not my cup of tea. I bet he loves it, though. I’m just too scared to get on anything like that. I’m not good with riding things.” I hear a deep groan from behind me.
“Bet I can change that,” I hear him mumble and then he takes my hand, pulling me towards the elevators that are to the right of the cars.
The trip up to his apartment is a silent one. I’m not sure what it is about elevators, but we always seem to have something happen before we enter them that makes the air so sexually charged inside, neither of us are game to move or speak for fear of what might happen. Xavier, because he wouldn’t want to push me somewhere I’m not ready for, and me, because I’m not sure I would know when to stop. Being out of control is definitely a problem for me. I don’t know how to cope with that one yet. I’m mastering the power of speech but the nervousness of being out of the comfort zone is still an issue. Like now, when we are about to reach Xavier’s floor and enter his apartment. I just need to keep breathing and remember what he told me.
No pressure.
All at my pace.
But what if I want the pace to change? I just don’t know how to do that.
Standing outside the door, I can hear loud music pumping from the apartment.
“Shit, I forgot to tell Kane. Sorry, Ally.”
“Tell him what?” I’m totally confused.
“He has a key so he can use my gym. The music tells me that he is training in there.”
“That’s okay. Let him finish. We can wait to do dinner.” I walk through the door he’s holding open for me with the noise of the music thumping. I’m sure the neighbors must love these guys. It’s not music I would play, but I can understand why they train to it. The heavy bass and beat keep you working hard. A big contrast to the music I choose to listen to while I’m reading, which is my go-to for relaxation. A bit of a contrast to the boys’ form of relaxation. Although at times I can still get hot and sweaty reading.
“What the fuck, dickwad? Get changed and get your ass in here. Now put the music back on.” Kane yells at him at a volume that would have been loud enough to get over the music except it’s already off.
“Hello to you too, grumble ass. Not training today. Ally is here and I’m cooking dinner.” I figure now is the appropriate time to enter the room.
“Hi, Kane.” I look at him sitting on a weight bench all sweaty in running shorts and no shirt. Immediately I look down. He is one fine-looking specimen. Not as hot as Xavier but still, he makes me blush being half-undressed.
“Shit, sorry.” He jumps up and grabs his towel and thumps Xavier in the arm. “You could’ve given me the heads up. How are you, Alesha?” I need to look up to his face and by-pass his chest. Thankfully as I raise my head, he is holding his towel up over his chest as he wipes the sweat off his face.
“I’m good, thanks. How about you? Did you have a good day at work?” The look on his face changes to one of turmoil.
“Some days are better than others in my job. Today was hard but not as bad as it could have been. So, this is a bit cute. Dinner with the big boy here, you must be important.” I can tell he’s changing the subject. I need to ask Xavier later a bit more about what sort of cases he deals with. One thing I just learned was not to ask about work.
