All Out Of Love

Chapter 7: Rasavada

A/n Hi everyone. It's so good to be back to writing. Having covid on top of everything was just the most unpleasant feeling in the world. I decided to take a little chapter break from Preston and Maddie to deal with a little complicated "will they- won't they" couple. Preston and Maddie will be back next chapter I promise.

Rasavada(n) 

the taste of bliss in the absence of all thoughts

(3 weeks ago)

Normally, when it came to Kristin Dutch, there were few things she feared. As one of the few women agents swimming in the shark-infested waters of Tinseltown, fear was one of the emotions she had long laid to rest in the pursuit of her very own Hollywood dream career.

Still, there were such times when fear gained the upper hand in her life. Moments such as her parents' death just months after she had graduated college sprung to mind as she recalled how frightening to be in the world alone without the loving support of her parents who had been her biggest cheerleaders. Another such time had been after she quit her dream job and set out on her own after her boss decided that having a "skirt" in the office provided him with the perfect concubine to take the edge off from his stressful home life.

Usually fear never won. But in the years since she had become the envy of every young agent in Hollywood, only one thing made her fearful. It was the one thing that left her humbled, weakened and afraid that in her moments of weakness that she could become the next washed up agent fighting for Z-list agents to represent.

Kristin pushed her hair out of her face, curling into a fetal position as she willed herself to be okay. Her gynocologist had warned that it was possible that in the early days that she would experience nausea and cramping but the pain in her stomach brought tears to her eyes.

In her darkened room, she willed her body to be strong. Yet, the pain continued soaring to new levels of discomfort.

For what seemed like hours, tears soaked her already lumpy pillow. The alarm beside her shrilled as if enjoying her discomfort. Still, nothing overrode the pain.

Just when she was about to pass out from the pain, the door to her apartment flew open and the last person she expected appeared.

"You'd better be up!" Noblesse's voice sounded as perfect as an angel even with the deep, Texan drawl she had always teased him about.

"Or what?"

Kristin tried to hide the agony in her voice as his footsteps got closer to her bedroom.

"Girl, it reeks in here!" Noblesse teased, growing ever closer to her room.

In a few moments, Kristin knew she wouldn't be able to hide from him. Immediately she regretted the day she had given him a house key and allowed him to crash in her guest room when he was looking for an apartment in Los Angeles.

Closing her eyes, Kristin accepted defeat as Noblesse entered her bedroom. The space was unusually feminine, a polar opposite from the woman to presented to the public daily by representing the most powerful celebrities, entertainers and athletes in America.

"Kristin?" Noblesse questioned, dropping the groceries in his hands as he crossed the room in three strides. The space suddenly felt small as the man seemed to consume every corner of the room with his presence.

Although Madison and Noble had crashed at her place numerous times, having him in her room felt almost invasive as the air within seemed to be suddenly sucked out and drawn to the magnetic energy that Noblesse Hill alone exuded.