I reached across the narrow gap between us to stroke her cheek with the back of my fingers, marveling at the soft texture. “I know that this is important to you, and it is to me too. But you can’t give up your entire career for me, or for anything. Walk away for a while maybe. But you can’t burn bridges or nuke your chances of a comeback in the future if you ever wanted.”
I kicked myself as Alix’s eyes immediately teared up and her lip trembled. “Do you mean that someday you might . . . ?”
She couldn’t even say it, and I didn’t need her to. I shook my head, smiling gently. “No, Princess. What I mean is, what if in four or five years, after you finish college, you get an offer that makes what I’m doing now look like small potatoes? That seven or eight figure contract you tried to pawn off on me, but for real? Or who knows, maybe Alix Nova can make Portland the new hotbed for models.”
Alix laughed and cried at the same time, taking my fingers and kissing them before releasing them. “I love you, Kade.”
“I love you too, Alix. Which is why I won’t let you hurt yourself for me, no matter what. We’ll work together to make sure we don’t limit each other’s choices or options,” I said. “We support each other.”
She nodded. “Yes, my Lord.”
I started up the car and drove off, heading toward home. “By the way, what did you decide to get Rita?”
“I spoke with her,” Alix admitted, “and I was glad I did. She wants a new computer for whatever work she’s doing, and I was thinking maybe you could include something personal from the time you two spent together. You know, for a while she wanted to make things more permanent between you two.”
“I know. And Rita is a good woman, but she’s not you. Alix, I think . . . no, I know now, that I’ve wanted you for years, and I think that stopped me from developing anything deeper with another woman. It’s more than want, Alix. You’re my Princess, because to me you are royalty. But I’ll think, and we can get something for Rita besides just the computer.”
“Any ideas?”
I stopped at a red light and thought for a second, before a wicked grin spread across my face. “Yeah. The designs for that bench and bar that we used last night. I bet she’s got quite a few subs she’d like to use that on.”
* * *
The eyes of every man in the gym nearly clicked when Alix stepped out of the locker room in her workout clothes. I could understand why, and I had spent most of the last three days with her constantly by my side, so I was at least partially immune to her beauty. But a woman like Alix, there was no way anyone could ever be totally impervious to her looks. Still, when she came out in her red shorts and white t-shirt, even I did a double take. “Wow,” I whispered as she came over. “Seriously, you’re going to either ruin or motivate the workouts of every man in this place.”
“I don’t care about their workouts, only ours,” she said lightly. “Like the color scheme?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said. “Why?”
“It’s a certain rose,” she whispered, “I thought it appropriate for me.”
I laughed and nodded. “Does that mean you’re doing your own thing?”
“Yes, but not in that way,” she answered. “I’m going to get out there and do some stuff that I haven’t in a long time. Who cares if my arms get a half inch bigger or anything?”
“Not me,” I said, pondering. I remembered what an athletic Alix looked like from her high school days, and I thought she was just as beautiful with the added size. “If you need help, you want me to spot?”
She shook her head. “I’m not going that heavy. I need to remember how to move first, and I’ll take it easy. Yoga for a warm-up, then some light movements to get familiar again, and finish with a nice soak in the hot tub. What’s your plan?”
I thought about it. Part of me wanted to take it easy, since it had been a week since I’d really been home and able to exercise the way I wanted. But, I also knew there was another voice inside me, the one that enjoyed inflicting pain, the sadist. It was the side that I keep under control when I’m with Alix, and the side that let me be a good boxer when I let it loose somewhat, but I knew someone I could turn it loose against that would never complain. “I’m going hard tonight, so I’ll probably meet you in the hot tub later. It’ll take me close to an hour though.”
“That’s fine, I’ll be there,” Alix said, walking away. I watched for a moment before turning, and letting the dark side inside me out just a little bit. Adrenalin and power flooded my veins, and the barbell called. Time to go to work.