standing guard, if you know what I mean?”
I chortled, “Actually, I do.” I waved my hand in a motion for him to sit back down. I took the chair across from him. “He can be a bit intimidating,” I acknowledged.
“Don’t let him frighten you,” he professed.
“I’ll try. Not an easy task, considering he vibrates with restrained violence.”
“Yeah, well, there is that,” he confirmed with a smile. As he sat up straight, he held my gaze with his beautiful cornflower blue eyes behind a sexy pair of tortoiseshell glasses. “He won’t hurt you. I hope you know that.”
Maybe not physically, but I wasn’t so sure about emotionally. I had a feeling Nik could absolutely break my heart if I let him in. I had no words so I simply nodded and pulled my robe a little tighter around me for security.
“I’ve made you uncomfortable,” he proclaimed. “I apologize.” Sincerity laced his voice.
“It’s not that.” I glanced over at the fireplace and mustered up the courage to ask him questions regarding Nik. Finally, I turned my head back towards Alex. “Can I ask a few questions?”
He held his hands out. “By all means, I’ll do my best to answer.”
“Nik is a former UFC heavyweight champion?”
He grinned, “Yes. That’s common knowledge, Aimee. What do you really want to know?”
“Well, how did he go from that to successful mogul?”
“He has always been good with money. Also, he has an MBA.”
“Doesn’t surprise me, although, it still doesn’t make sense.” I could see the confusion on his face, so I spelled it out. “How did he get the money to start up a company?” I raised my shoulder in a slight shrug. “I mean, did your parents have a lot of capital?”
“Why all the financial questions?” he probed defensively.
“I meant no disrespect.” I waved my hand around the room for emphasis. “I was just trying to figure it all out.”
He rubbed his jaw with his forefinger and thumb contemplatively. “I see where you’re going with this. You think most cage fighters come from rough backgrounds?”
I nodded emphatically. “In my experience, they do. Have I missed the mark with Nik?”
“No, not at all. As a matter of fact, you’re spot on. However, this isn’t my story to share. You need to ask him yourself,” he affirmed.
I appreciated his loyalty to his brother, even if it frustrated the hell out of me. “Fair enough, Alex.”
He reached for my hand and clasped it in his. “Was there anything else?”
At that moment someone coughed. We looked up at the same time to see Nik leaning against the doorjamb. He looked confident and relaxed, but his eyes gave away the storm raging inside him. “Are you finished talking behind my back?”
Alex stood with ease, not at all intimidated by his enormous, pissed off brother. “We’re good,” he said. As he walked through the door, he cuffed Nik on the shoulder.
*****
Once Alex was gone, Nik stepped into the room. “Did you need to know something?”
I twisted the belt on my robe around my hands —a nervous habit of mine. I tried to hold his gaze, but it was no use. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your personal business. I apologize if I have upset you.”
He scoffed, “Bullshit. You had every intention of wringing out every drop of information you could from my brother.” He sauntered over to me and crouched down in front of my chair. “For the record, he’s my attorney. He won’t tell you shit that isn’t a matter of public record, sweetness.”
Oh, the man infuriated me and set me aflame with desire. How does he do that? “I was trying to learn more about you. Forgive me for giving a damn,” I snapped.
When I stood, he had to lean back on his haunches. Wow, the fantasy that played through my mind at such a visual. This man was beyond trouble. I needed to stay far, far away from him. I paced across the room then spun and asked, “Why are you here?”
He chuckled darkly. “I live here.”
I sighed
I chortled, “Actually, I do.” I waved my hand in a motion for him to sit back down. I took the chair across from him. “He can be a bit intimidating,” I acknowledged.
“Don’t let him frighten you,” he professed.
“I’ll try. Not an easy task, considering he vibrates with restrained violence.”
“Yeah, well, there is that,” he confirmed with a smile. As he sat up straight, he held my gaze with his beautiful cornflower blue eyes behind a sexy pair of tortoiseshell glasses. “He won’t hurt you. I hope you know that.”
Maybe not physically, but I wasn’t so sure about emotionally. I had a feeling Nik could absolutely break my heart if I let him in. I had no words so I simply nodded and pulled my robe a little tighter around me for security.
“I’ve made you uncomfortable,” he proclaimed. “I apologize.” Sincerity laced his voice.
“It’s not that.” I glanced over at the fireplace and mustered up the courage to ask him questions regarding Nik. Finally, I turned my head back towards Alex. “Can I ask a few questions?”
He held his hands out. “By all means, I’ll do my best to answer.”
“Nik is a former UFC heavyweight champion?”
He grinned, “Yes. That’s common knowledge, Aimee. What do you really want to know?”
“Well, how did he go from that to successful mogul?”
“He has always been good with money. Also, he has an MBA.”
“Doesn’t surprise me, although, it still doesn’t make sense.” I could see the confusion on his face, so I spelled it out. “How did he get the money to start up a company?” I raised my shoulder in a slight shrug. “I mean, did your parents have a lot of capital?”
“Why all the financial questions?” he probed defensively.
“I meant no disrespect.” I waved my hand around the room for emphasis. “I was just trying to figure it all out.”
He rubbed his jaw with his forefinger and thumb contemplatively. “I see where you’re going with this. You think most cage fighters come from rough backgrounds?”
I nodded emphatically. “In my experience, they do. Have I missed the mark with Nik?”
“No, not at all. As a matter of fact, you’re spot on. However, this isn’t my story to share. You need to ask him yourself,” he affirmed.
I appreciated his loyalty to his brother, even if it frustrated the hell out of me. “Fair enough, Alex.”
He reached for my hand and clasped it in his. “Was there anything else?”
At that moment someone coughed. We looked up at the same time to see Nik leaning against the doorjamb. He looked confident and relaxed, but his eyes gave away the storm raging inside him. “Are you finished talking behind my back?”
Alex stood with ease, not at all intimidated by his enormous, pissed off brother. “We’re good,” he said. As he walked through the door, he cuffed Nik on the shoulder.
*****
Once Alex was gone, Nik stepped into the room. “Did you need to know something?”
I twisted the belt on my robe around my hands —a nervous habit of mine. I tried to hold his gaze, but it was no use. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your personal business. I apologize if I have upset you.”
He scoffed, “Bullshit. You had every intention of wringing out every drop of information you could from my brother.” He sauntered over to me and crouched down in front of my chair. “For the record, he’s my attorney. He won’t tell you shit that isn’t a matter of public record, sweetness.”
Oh, the man infuriated me and set me aflame with desire. How does he do that? “I was trying to learn more about you. Forgive me for giving a damn,” I snapped.
When I stood, he had to lean back on his haunches. Wow, the fantasy that played through my mind at such a visual. This man was beyond trouble. I needed to stay far, far away from him. I paced across the room then spun and asked, “Why are you here?”
He chuckled darkly. “I live here.”
I sighed
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