Robbie Johnson looked like a fisherman with his hook in deep. “You don’t have to, of course… but then.” He gestured at the papers in my hand and shrugged. “We’ve got a lot of people who want in on this project… but when Austin asked for you specifically? Forget about it.”
My brow furrowed at the same time as my heart leapt at the notion that Austin even remembered me. What on Earth was this project?
Chapter 7
Skylar
If anybody had have told me that I might end up in an arranged marriage, I’d have said they were crazy. Yet, here I was, about to announce it to the world.
Marriage had always been on some untouchable pedestal in my mind. That pillar of my upbringing came crashing down when I was faced with the choice of this or going home, though, and I signed the contract. I signed the non-disclosure agreement too.
I thought that, one day, I’d find my Prince Charming and he would be sweet, kind, and perfect. My dad would finally be proud of me, because I made it all the way to my wedding bed without scandalizing Brookmere and dragging his name through the mud with my slutty behavior.
Instead, I agreed to marry a man who, at the time, I’d only met once, and who hadn’t shown any of those qualities. The way he made me feel, well, that sexual excitement hadn’t featured in my hopes and dreams, but sweet and kind and perfect he certainly was not.
Since then I’d been avoiding him as much as possible, and I’d never been alone with him again since that night in the dressing room. I couldn’t trust myself.
There’d been a few meetings where Robbie Johnson filled us in on this or that aspect of his grand scheme, though. Even then, just sitting next to Austin, I could feel an undeniable pull in his direction.
The sight and smell of him alone was enough to send hormones racing through my bloodstream, conveying messages to my body that I did not want, preparing me for sex, and lots of it. It was so embarrassing, sitting there trying to concentrate on what Robbie was saying, and all I could think about was the feel of Austin’s body when I touched him, and I ended up slick between the legs without fail every time.
Yes, just being close to him was bad enough, but when he actually touched me? I felt like the whole world disappeared, and all that was left was the two of us and all those unspoken promises of mind-blowing pleasure.
He seemed to make a point of making me squirm like that. When he touched my leg, I wanted that knee as far away from my other one as possible. When he reached out and touched my hand, I wanted him to make me feel his muscular torso again, take away my choice so I couldn’t feel guilty about it, so I could let go and just be.
Each and every time the shame returned, though. I was bad, bad, bad, for having those thoughts, an evil, selfish, shameless little bitch.
Sometimes he’d call or text, wanting to see me, and I always found a way to turn him down. When he wasn’t right there, I managed to find the willpower.
Today, though, was going to be tough. As part of the promotion for the next NHBFC event in Las Vegas, where Austin was going to be fighting Ernesto Sanchez, we were going to be filming a short segment of the two of us walking along the lakeshore next to the New Ashby Event Center and announcing our relationship and impending marriage.
Robbie had told me about half an hour ago, a make-up lady had come and spent ten minutes with me, and now I had a few minutes left to go over the notes before I met Austin and the crew outside. Apparently the two of us met when he saved me from a mugger. Well, that was less embarrassing than the truth, at least.
Somebody knocked on the door a fraction of a second before it opened. I looked up and froze like a deer in the headlights. Austin was here. And I was all alone.
His eyes quickly found me, and a satisfied smirk took hold on his face as he closed the door slowly, but firmly, behind him. I gulped when it clicked loudly.
“They said you’d be here.”
“Um… yeah, but I guess we need to get going to the lake-” I said.
“No. We’ve got enough time.”
Austin slowly stalked in my direction, and my sense of being a deer frozen in surprise as an alpha predator bore down on me was more powerful with every moment. I stood and half-tripped over my own chair as I unconsciously began backing away from him.
“T-time for what?”
My ass hit the wall and I braced my hands against it as he came closer, gradually looming over me. With all that size and strength, he should have been a lumbering giant, but I’d seen him move lightning fast too.
That’s what made this slow advance feel even more like he was toying with me. His eyes dropped down, then slowly worked their way back up, drinking me in with such intensity I almost thought my clothes must have disappeared.