His hand on the small of my back, Nico guides me through the gym. I’m not sure if women just don’t come in the place often, or if seeing me with Nico has thrown people, but I notice everyone stop what they’re doing as we make our way to an office in the back of the gym.

A man is sitting behind the desk typing on a keyboard with one finger. Pecking would be a more appropriate description. He looks up and sits back in the chair, a knowing smile on his face.

“Preach, this is Elle.”

“Hiya Elle. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The man stands and extends his hand to me, a warm smile on his face. I like him instantly, but I’m not sure why, I just do.

I look from Preach to Nico, raising an eyebrow in question to Nico, silently asking him what the man may have heard about me.

“I guess I should be thanking you.” Preach says with my hand still wrapped in his as he continues to shake my hand for longer than a normal handshake.

“You can let go of her hand now, Preach.” Nico tries to sound threatening, but it’s obvious that the two men respect each other and the banter is something that they’re both used to.

Nico tells Preach that I was able to get him out of the contract and Preach looks impressed. On his way out the door, Preach smacks Nico on the back. “Smart and beautiful. So what the hell is she doing with a schlep like you?”

Nico laughs off the comment and shuts the door behind him. I watch as he locks the door before turning to me with a devilish grin on his face.

Without speaking, he places his hands on my waist and easily lifts me, positioning me on top of his desk. The look in his eyes makes my body tingle all over. He takes one large hand and wraps it around the back of my head, holding it in place where he wants it. I wait while he leans down and covers my mouth with his. It’s not a hello kiss. It’s a kiss that makes me feel like he wants to mark me. Like he needs to show me that no one else will come after him.

Uncaring that I’m wearing a skirt, I wrap my legs around his waist as he leans into me further. The sheer fabric on my lace panties does little to dull the sensation of his hardness pushing into my most sensitive area. His other arm reaches around to my ass and pulls me into him. Hard. Already pressed up against him, the additional pressure acts as a trigger and sends a bolt of electricity between my legs where I’m already swollen. The smallest amount of friction might help me find my release that I’ve so desperately needed since I met this man.

I nip at his lower lip when he attempts to take his mouth away from me. Nico groans and responds by squeezing a huge chunk of flesh on my ass that he is already holding snugly. It’s just shy of painful, but falls on the other side. The side where the groping and grabbing is erotic and it ratchets up my need to new levels.

A knock at the door brings me crashing down to reality. On my way down I see myself propped on the edge of a desk in my suit with my legs parted panting like a wild animal. Throwing a bucket of cold water over my head would only have had a lesser effect on my libido. Whoever is on the other side of the door, doesn’t take the hint when no one responds, which only fuels their curiosity and the knock becomes painstakingly louder.

“I’m going to kill whoever is on the other side of that door.” Nico leans his forehead against mine, and it helps my initial embarrassment to know he’s as affected as I am.

He kisses me once more on the lips. “Don’t move an inch.” Something about the tone of his voice sounds more like a command and for once I want to listen instead of challenge the authority that speaks.

Nico walks to the door and cracks it open. I’m still sitting on the edge of the desk. Surprising even myself that I haven’t jumped up to regain my composure.

“Preach told me not to knock, but I have to pick up my little sister in an hour and I didn’t want to run out of time.” A young boy’s voice unnerves me as I sit completely disheveled with my skirt up around my ass just a few feet away from the door. I jump up and frantically begin to fix myself. Nico catches me out of the corner of his eye and I see his jaw clench.

“You’re gonna run an extra mile for not listening to Preach. Go give me six on the treadmill and if I’m done in here we’ll see how much time is left.”

I hear the boy whine, but seconds later his footsteps tell me he listened.

Nico shuts the door and turns his attention back to me. I’ve already righted my clothing and I’m no longer sitting on the desk. “You weren’t supposed to move.”

“There was a little boy five feet away and my underwear was showing.” I cross my arms, letting him know he can expect that this isn’t a one-time occurrence. Listening isn’t always my strong suit.

He shakes his head from side to side but his head is down and I can’t see his face to read what he’s feeling. Standing my ground, I don’t move from my spot as he walks back to me, completely invading my personal space. He looks down at me, his eyes are still half-mast from our encounter and I gulp finding my mouth suddenly dry from the way he’s looking at me. “Saturday night. I’ll make you dinner.” He looks up at me to gauge my reaction. “Bring a bag because I’m not letting you go next time.”

The swell between my legs that was ebbing, flows back at a rapid pace. “Okay.” My voice cracks as I respond with a whisper.

Nico lifts my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Okay?” Even though he told me what I was doing this weekend, he still wants confirmation.

My eyes don’t waiver as I respond. I force my voice louder. “Okay.”

Nico smiles like I’ve just given him a prize he really wanted, and it’s contagious. Mirroring his enthusiasm, I can’t help but smile back. He takes my hand and grabs my bag and another bag that I’m all too familiar with. Take out.

His hand reaches for the door and he pauses. “We can’t eat in here or I can’t promise I will control myself. You look so damn sexy in that suit and the way you smell makes me lose control.”

***

We eat our lunch in a small lunchroom that’s open to the gym and I walk Nico through the main points of the contract termination I’ve brought him. He’s forgoing a multi-million dollar endorsement payout and has to give back a substantial amount of money he’s already been advanced. If it bothers him at all, he does a good job not letting it show.

Chapter 18

Elle

Saturday morning I call my mom to check in. I feel guilty I don’t call often enough, but sometimes I just need to try to block out that part of my life. It’s not my mom’s fault that I can’t separate her from the past that haunts me. I don’t mean to, but so much is deeply interwoven that it’s hard to take the good out from a web of bad memories.