Fighter

Three

Your POV

After a good workout my body is sore, but i felt really good. No pain no gain. There is a lot of truth in the old mantra. Full of adrenaline is the first time in more than six months that I feel like I'm heading in the right direction. Fuck it's the first time in a long time that i feel like i'm going anywhere. And to top it off, there's still Scarlett who is the Cherry on the cake of a business that I already thought would be perfect for me.

If I had any doubts about whether I was making the right choice when buying these gyms, having taken one look at her body and the way her nipples harden when we just meet just finished the deal. You never know what can push a buyer over the edge when he's wary of a million dollar purchase. I smile to myself thinking about how many deals could have been done with a sexy woman.

Robert was strict that the only type of investor he was looking for was a hidden partner. I would have preferred to help manage the business from the start, but the deal was too good to pass up, even without the opportunity to run the company. But I thought that when I developed a good relationship with my new partner, I might have the opportunity to play a less hidden role. Now my mind couldn't stop thinking about the different role I wanted to play with Scarlett.

Lately women have been in the background in my life. Desire kind of goes out the window when your life explodes into a thousand pieces. The only good thing about it was that I was anxious to close the deal with Johansson's gyms. The fact that my potential partner is sexy as hell is a bonus.

Night falls but I still haven't managed to use up all the energy I've accumulated so I decide to go for a run. Zigzagging through pedestrians is not something I'm not used to since I'm from Washington but the number of people on the streets is much higher in New York. A crowd is still on the street even after nine at night. And to my surprise it doesn't bother me, on the contrary, it makes it a challenge to maneuver through the chaos without interrupting anyone's path.

Back in my ridiculously large hotel suite I take a shower and lie in bed feeling good something I haven't felt in a long time. Scarlett's smile keeps me company until I fall asleep in a perfect combination of emotion and exhaustion.

=============

When I open the gym door I am greeted with Scarlett's smile. It's a face I could get used to seeing every day.

-Good morning.- I smile at her.

- Good morning Y/N/N.- Y/N/N, no seductive lady, no Y/N or Ms. Y/L/N? I had told her to call me by some nickname but I still couldn't help but want to hear her pronounce "Mrs. Y/L/N." maybe in a hoarse, panting voice inside my head.

I approach the table she's sitting at and take a peek at what she's been working on. She's holding her sketchbook and a black pencil, working on something fluid full of lines and curves, but I can't tell what it is.

- So when do you want to do it?

Scarlett's face turns red. I hadn't thought about the different possibilities of interpretation of this question, but I like the way she is thinking.

She coughs, clears her throat and takes a sip of water before speaking.

- Do what?

- Draw me.

- Oh.

- What did you think I was talking about? - I raise an eyebrow suggestively and the red of her face almost turns scarlet.

-Oh... I... it's ok you don't have to. I shouldn't have said anything.

-I don't care.- I'm not going to tell her I spent half my life posing for photographs. The less people here know details of my life, the better.

- Well I...

The door behind me opens interrupting us. I know who it is before I even turn around, just from Scarlett's expression.

- Can I help you with something?- With his shoulders back, Colin places himself between me and where Scarlett is sitting, looking like he's about to explode. This guy must have a radar because he shows up every time I'm inches away from Scarlett.

- No. It's okay.- I stay where I am, aware that he's trying to intimidate me and isn't being the least bit subtle about telling me to back off.

- Scarlett is busy. She's trying to work.- Colin crosses his arms across his chest.

- Colin.- Scarlett warns him.- I'm right here. Why don't you go do whatever brought you here?

- She doesn't seem to realize that you're trying to work.

- Then let her work. We're trying to schedule something here.- My suggestion is firm, but Colin ignores us both.

- Whatever you need, you can schedule it with me.- Colin walks around the counter.

- I'll need a sparring partner for tomorrow.- I lie. Well I do need sparring but that's not what I was trying to schedule.

With an enigmatic smile on my face, I know what the answer this asshole will give before he even opens his mouth.

- It would be a pleasure for me.