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Natalie's POV

The Palace Downtown Hotel
Dubai, UAE.

Dubai is exquisitely beautiful. Everything here is so grand, luxurious and...gold. I have honestly never seen so many gold designs and funitures. Truly, this is the city of gold.

We are all gathered in the lobby of the hotel which had been booked by Cam for us to stay in. Our lodgings are smoothly sorted out and we are given our keys. Soon, we are on our way to finding our rooms.

It isn't until I find myself in front of the same door as Terrence that I remember that I hadn't told my cousin that this whole thing was for show and we weren't actually in a relationship so obviously she had gone ahead and booked us the same room.

Just great.

I breathe a a silent sigh of frustration as Terrence swiftly opens the door and he let's me walk in first.

Our bags had already been delivered to our room and all I want to do right now is to take a shower and just sleep. I would have thought that after the flight that I had, I would be less tired but it seems that I underestimated the disadvantages of sleeping on an airplane chair no matter how spacious.

I quickly roll my suitcases from the sitting area and go into the room which has only one bed, might I add.

Of course it does, silly. I practically roll my eyes at myself.

Terrence spots a smile at my expression seemingly taking pleasure from my distress. I shoot him a glare and he let's out a chuckle.

"Do you want me to take the couch?" He asks with a smirk.

Do I? I ask myself.

"No, it's fine." I sigh deciding to try and be less grumpy about this whole thing. "I'm going to take a shower." I quickly look for my toiletries bag and high tail it to the bathroom.

Breathe, Nat. Just breathe.

It's surprising the effect Terrence has on me after such a short period of time that I've known him. But I don't mind. Rather, I relish it.

It's been a while since I've been this affected by a man. Been too long. The last time I even dated someone because I genuinely liked him and not because I wanted to get my mother off my back was in my freshman year of college and let's just say that didn't end well. Yet here I was, ready to try again.

I quickly arrange my stuff and go into the shower. The shower heads are quite miraculous because as soon the water pours out, I feel so comforted as if it is holding me and I sigh in content. Now this is bliss.

Once I'm done, I quickly wipe my face and go through my skin care routine before finally realising that I have no clothes in here with me except the ones I wore from the airport.

Well shit.

I decide to look through the cupboard in here and luckily there is a white robe hung up there. I quickly don it before leaving the bathroom.

I hear Terrence on the phone and out of curiosity I stand by the door and eavesdrop.

"That deal is fucking important and I expect you to make it happen, Greg." He barks out at someone on the other end.

"I'm out of the country but I expect updates regularly." He says before adding in a deathly calm voice. "And Greg, if this deal falls through, that's your job on the line." And just like that he cuts the call.

What the hell was that about? I mentally question myself.

That side of Terrence that I just heard was a side that I had never before witnessed and it surprises me greatly. Why would an escort be talking to someone that way?

I quickly shake the thought off. Maybe he has a side business or something and that thought is a bit comforting. Maybe he wants to get out of the escort business soon.

I walk away from the toilet door and he finally looks up, noticing my presence.

"Is it wierd that you look even more beautiful coming from the shower with absolutely no make up on?" He says with a teasing smile but an expression that tells me that he is serious.

I blush furiously as I busy myself with going through my stuff for something to wear just to hide my face. "And is that what you tell all the girls?"

"No." He shakes his head. "Just you."

For some reason, I believe that he is saying through truth.

After deciding on what to wear I turn away from my suitcase just to see him standing right behind me. I hadn't even noticed him come up to me.

I gasp in suprise as he leans in and inhales my body wash. "You smell really good."

"Thank you." I whimper slightly at the feel and the sensations of the tip of his nose running leisurely along my open neck down to my collar bone where he lays open mouthed kisses.

I close my eyes as lust suddenly over comes my body and my legs feel like jelly. If he weren't holding on to my waist so tight I'm sure I would have fallen.

He pushes the robe away from my shoulder a bit to give him more space as he continues his ministrations.  Suddenly, the shrill sound of a landline blares through the silence breaking the moment as Terrence pulls away reluctantly.

"I should go shower." It's more of a thought he voiced because even after saying that, he doesn't move an inch from his spot and neither do I.

The phone rings again and I rush to go get it, in a desperate attempt to put some distance between us.

"Hello." I say into the phone, my voice coming out slightly breathy so I clear my throat a bit.

"Hey. It's your bestie." Kaylene says as I roll my eyes. "So, we wanna go check out the pool on the top floor in ten, we being Stassie, Norla, Tate and Jorah, you think you can pull yourself away from that hottie by then?" She laughs teasingly.

"You're crazy. I'll see you in ten." I quickly put the phone back on the holder.

I put the clothes I had picked out earlier on the bed before going back to my suitcase to search for a swimsuit. After a lot of contemplation, I decide on a black Calvin Klein swimsuit which is really tight but not too revealing and has a crisscross pattern across my stomach.

[Natalie's swimsuit]

After putting it on, I like the look so I just tie my hair up in a fashionably scattered knot on top of my head. I rub on some sun screen and then pack it up in a small sling bag along with my phone and sunshades and wear a black short.

I'm just done with that when I see Terrence step out of the bathroom. He has a towel hung low on his waist, nothing else. His abs are mouth watering and I feel my mouth hang open in amazement. So taut and chiseled, it looks like God gave special attention to every single ridge and muscle on his body. His 6 packs are a vision and his dark nipples make me so wet.

After what seems like forever, he pulls me out of my enchantment. "Going somewhere? " He gestures to the sling bag on the bed and I snap my mouth shut suddenly remembering what I was doing before he walked in and completely distracted me.

It's either he didn't notice me ogling him or he wanted to save me a whole lot of embarrassment and not comment on it. If it was the latter, I was grateful. I inconspicuously touch my chin to see if I had any drool, and thankfully there was none, before I reply.

"Kaylene and the others wanna check out the pool on the top floor. Wanna come?" I didn't plan on inviting him. Rather, I planned on making quick work of getting ready and escaping this room and him but it seems he showers quicker than I get ready. I mentally prayed that he refuses. I'm not trying to go insane by having him with me everywhere that I go.

"Yeah sure. Just give me a minute."

I nod my head and slip on a yellow satin top over my swimsuit.

Soon, I'm ready and so is Terrence (guys have it so easy when it comes to getting ready) so after confirming that we had our key card we left to meet up with everyone.

After a few minutes of navigating our way to the pool, I quickly spot Kaylene, Norla and Stassie sitting on pool chairs and lounging under the sun which is already setting as it is approaching evening here. The pool area unsurprisingly isn't crowded.

The guys are at the bar so Terrence, after giving me a kiss to my cheek, walks off to join them. Kaylene gives me a teasing smile as I approach them.

"Don't comment." I warn.

She makes a zipping-my-lips motion.

After getting my clothes off, leaving on only my swimsuit, I join them on a lounge chair and relax.

"So what's the deal with you guys?" Norla asks straightforwardly and Kaylene and Stassie look at me anxiously awaiting my reply.

"I don't know, okay?" I say confused and highly frustrated. I run my hand through my hair not really going far since it was tied. This annoys me so I remove the hair band and run my hand through it again. This time I'm satisfied.

"I mean," I begin. "One minute we are just talking and having an actual conversation and the next we can't keep our hands of each other and I'm talking 75 percent of the time we are around each other. And then I'm feeling some things that I'm not sure I should be feeling this soon. It's annoying." I groan.

Stassie has this smile on her face throughout. "What?" I snap at her with a frown.

"You like him!" And she and Kaylene burst out laughing like it was funny.

"N-no I don't."I stutter out my face heating up.

"Keep telling yourself that, babe." Kaylene says and I scowl at her. 

"Well he sure seems like he likes you too." Norla says her eyes averted behind me and I look back to see what has got her attention.

Terrence is sitting next to Tate and Jorah who are talking animatedly but yet he has his eyes on me and for some reason this makes me blush deeply. Our eyes connect for a minute before I look away and back to my friends who now have the same expression as they look at me before bursting out in  fit of girlish laughter and this time I don't even bother saying anything.

Kaylene gets herself back first. "Well whatever you guys do when you are alone is your business, but don't forget Cam's bachelorette dinner tonight."

Oh shoot. I had already forgotten.

***

A/n:
Finally Terrence has properly met the friends.

What do you guys think of Kaylene Stassie and Norla?

I'm tryna have this crazy best friend vibe for Kaylene, party girl and fun lover for Stassie and all round chillness for Norla, how well am I depicting that so far?

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Until next time.
-Love, Chisom.