His crooked smile makes me smile and I lose my train of thought.  Very unlike me.

“It’s complicated.”  Those two little words would scare away most men, but apparently not Nico Hunter.

“Okay, let me hear it.  I’ll help you sort out the complication so we can get it out of the way.”  Nico leans back further into the couch, crossing one leg over the other, settling in for the story.  Really?

“Well…you’re William’s client.”

“And you said the other day you weren’t a couple, right?”

“We’re not.”  I’m being honest, I don’t think of William as my boyfriend. Boyfriend implies relationship, more than just good friends who satisfy each other’s sexual needs occasionally. But my answer isn’t totally truthful either.  “I mean, not really.”

“Okay.  He unfolds his arms and settles them on his knees as he leans forward.  “So where’s the complication?”  He looks directly into my eyes for a minute before he continues.  “In the not really?”

I blush, I’m not sure if he realizes what I’m saying or not.  “Yes.”  I hold his gaze when I respond, determined not to back down.

Nico assesses me and takes in my embarrassment.  It’s emanating from me, even though I’m reaching deep for my calm, cool and collected persona.  I can’t seem to hide what I’m feeling from him, he won’t allow it, and I have no idea why I let him control me.   I can’t help myself around this man and it makes me feel unraveled.  “Let me take you to dinner.  Just dinner.  I’ll be a perfect gentleman.  Scout’s honor.”  He holds up his hand and three fingers.

I furrow my brow at him.  “Were you even a scout?”

“Yes.”  He says the word without conviction.  I squint and look at his face with disbelief.  He knows I can tell he is leaving out something.

“Okay, so it was only for a day.  My brother and I got into a fight and got kicked out at the second meeting.  But it still counts. I was a scout.”

I smile at him, amused at his attestation, assessing the sincerity with which he spoke.  “Why?”

“Why what?”  The confusion on his face is evident.

“Why do you want to have dinner with me?”

Nico takes a slow, assessing gaze up and down my body, making no attempt to hide his blatant assault.  He gives me a boyish smile that has an edge of sexual undertones to it before he speaks.  “Aside from the obvious, that you’re gorgeous?”

I blush, but force myself to remain quiet.  A good negotiator knows when to keep quiet and let their opponent squirm to fill the silence.

“You’re smart and confident and the people around you seem to love you.”  He stops and watches me, I can tell he is deciding to continue.  “And when I look in your eyes I see a little light flicker…”

He pauses for a second.  I look at him, but still don’t speak.

“And for the last twenty four hours all I could think about was what it would take for me to turn that flicker into a flame.”

Holy. Shit.  I stare at him for a long moment.  My mind is spinning, but I already knew my decision before he even spoke.  I stand, silently signaling the end of our conversation.  Nico stands and joins me.  Waiting patiently for my response.

“Okay.”

He smiles, and I’m caught in his boyish charm.  “Okay?”  I think I’ve actually surprised him.

I smile back and raise an eyebrow, daring him to question my answer.

“Friday, 7pm.  Give me your address.  I’ll pick you up.”

“I’m barely done by 7pm.  Why don’t you pick me up here?”

And just like that I made dinner plans with Nico “The Lady Killer” Hunter.

Nico

“You give any more thought to taking on Kravitz?”  Preach stands on the other side of the bag, struggling to hold it in place as I alternate between kicking and punching.  He’s been bugging the shit out of me for four months now.  It’s been thirteen months since I stepped out of the cage and today was the first day that I didn’t wake up in a cold sweat reliving it since it happened.  Nope.  Instead I woke up with a hard-on and a picture of Elle smirking at me, daring me to question what had made her change her mind about going out with me.  I took a cold shower.  It didn’t fucking help.  So instead I came down to the gym and started earlier than usual.

“Are we going to have this conversation again, Preach?”  I hit the bag with a series of quick strikes and catch Preach off guard, he takes a step back to steady himself.  He knows damn well I meant to knock him on his ass.

“We’re going to have the conversation until you get your head out of your ass and get back in the damn cage.”

I switch to leg attacks.   My legs are stronger and I know I have a better chance of taking him down behind the bag with the power of my legs.  But fucking Preach is ready for me and his stance didn’t even falter.  He probably knew what I was going to do before I did.  That’s what happens when you stay with the same trainer for ten years.  They get into your head and know you better than you know yourself.  They have to.  Otherwise how would they break a fighter of their bad habits.

“I’m not ready.”  I stop and double over with my hands on my knees to catch my breath.  I’ve been at it for almost eight hours, but Preach doesn’t know that.  He gets pissed if I do anything over six in a day.  Says a man’s body has to rest if he wants it to renew, or some shit like that.  He came in at his usual time and assumed I’d just come down.

I see a glimmer of hope in Preach’s eyes when I stand to face him.  I know what he thinks, I didn’t say no today.  He sees it as progress.  I’m sure he’d take anything at this point.  I know I’m a stubborn shit and haven’t budged from not wanting to get back in the cage for thirteen months.  But Preach knows me.  I still workout six hours a day, six days a week.  Fighters don’t put in that kind of time unless they’re training for a fight.  Even then, some who are training put in less.

I didn’t lie to Preach, I’m not ready yet.  But today I woke up and saw a glimmer of sun breaking in from under the cloud I’ve carried around with me for the past year.  I don’t know if it will lead anywhere, but I’ll be ready if it does.

Elle

I look in the mirror at the newest outfit I’ve picked out and decide it will have to do.  I’m already a half an hour late for work and I haven’t even left my apartment yet.  My bed is littered with clothes, haphazardly thrown all over the place.  I must have tried on ten outfits this morning.  I feel like a teenager.  I never give much thought to what I wear to work or my dates with William.  I have nice clothes and William and I make an easy transition from work to dinner.  He removes his tie and jacket and unbuttons his top two buttons.  I take off my suit jacket.  But I’m not dressing for William today.

I want to look sexy tonight.  I know I shouldn’t care what I wear on my non-date dinner with Nico Hunter, but in the pit of my stomach I do care.  I see desire in his eyes and it fuels me.  I like that I can put it there, even though I don’t want to.  I take one last look in the mirror and like what I see.  I have on a cream colored pencil skirt that hugs my body and comes a few inches above my knee.  I’ve paired it with a soft pink, completely see-through blouse with a nude colored cami underneath.  Because the cami is nude, it’s not entirely clear if I have anything on underneath without a closer inspection.  I topped off the outfit with nude heels.  They’re higher than I usually wear to the office, but because they match my skin color, there is no break from my leg to my foot, which makes my already long legs look longer.

I get the reaction I hoped for when I walk into the office, only the reaction comes from Regina and not the man I dressed for this morning.

“You look hot, Elle.”