Page 20 of Fighting Fate

There’s no pushback or resistance; if anything, I swear she melts into me, her body pressing to mine.

“Trust me, I’m really trying to stay on my best behaviour here.”

“What? You’re going to feed me before you fuck me?” The flutter of her long lashes and innocent expression she levels me with do nothing to disguise the fact she’s deliberately teasing me.

“I only fuck after the second date,” I reply, guiding her inside.

“We both know that’s a li—” She stops abruptly as we enter the open-plan living area.

Candles flicker sporadically throughout the room on all the surfaces, some big, some small. But they make the place look cosy and more welcoming than usual. A few flower arrangements add to the feel.

“If you’re not fucking me,” she says, turning to look at me with a narrowed stare. “Why invite me here?”

“Because there’s heat on me right now, and I figured that since you asked Frank to make that photo of us go away, you would be more comfortable here.”

“Oh…” Willow looks down at her feet as though she’s embarrassed. For a moment, I debate letting her feel sheepish, but I’m certain that it will only make it harder to get her to open up to me. And it would defeat the point of bringing her here, into my personal space. She may not trust me yet, however, my intentions when it comes to her are genuine.

“Clean slate, doll,” I tell her, lifting her chin with my crooked finger so I can get a good look at her face while I take her small purse from her hand and set it down on the coffee table. “I want to start over and get to know you…if that’s okay with you?”

Conflict darkens her gaze. It makes me angry to think that some asshole has made her feel this protective of herself. Still, there’s a shadow of doubt that maybe it’s me. I’m not her type. It’s obvious from the jerk I’ve had to chase away twice now. He’s a pretty boy, something I’m not.

“Do you want to get to know me?”

“I don’t know,” Willow says.

“You don’t know?”

“I…I’m not looking for anything serious. My head is still trying to grasp what happened with my last attempt at a relationship.”

“What happened?”

The smile on her lips does nothing to disguise the hurt in her eyes. “It’s complicated, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

The choice to keep going with this is automatic. There’s no pause to think about it and what her answer means. One-sided investments aren’t my thing, however, I’m not willing to believe that she would be here right now if she wasn’t at least a little curious about me.

“I don’t do relationships either,” I tell her, guiding us out onto the expansive balcony where the sitting area is laid out with a few blankets and outdoor heaters glow in the darkening sky.

Once Willow’s sitting and comfortable, I pour her a small glass of the wine the sommelier recommended to go with the meal.

“You’re not drinking…” she observes when I pour myself a glass of sparkling water and sit beside her on the large rattan sectional.

“I’m officially training, so I like to eat clean. Lean muscle packs more power.”

“Does that mean you have a match coming up?”

“Yeah, I got a fight brewing. His people are going to talk to my people now that he’s worked his way up the ranks. I need to be in top shape.”

A giggle bursts from her. The fucking sound tinkles through me, making my heart squeeze in my chest so tight that it takes me a moment to suck in a deep breath. I need to steady myself because with the way I’m feeling, I could jump her bones right fucking now.

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” A deep flush tinges the apples of her cheeks. It’s glorious. The softness it lends her high cheekbones causes my blood to heat in my veins. It’s impossible to keep my distance.

“That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I guess I’m not a terribly nice person.” There’s an attempt to make light of her statement with a sarcastic tone, but that hurt look bleeds into her eyes again, and all I can do not to engulf her in my arms is hold her hand. Wide eyes flash to mine when I stroke over her knuckles with my thumb. “The reason I asked Frank to take the photo down is because being out in the open like that makes me nervous. My sister is a barrister, and I’ve been in the industry long enough to be wary.”

“It’s why I thought this would be better. The view is pretty great, and there’re no prying eyes. In the lead-up to a fight, it can get crazy with the press.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

---