~ ~ Beatrix ~ ~

The thundering roar of water filled the bathtub behind me. The heat rose, steaming my mirror as I lit the last of the candles and flipped the light switch next to the mirror to submerge the room in softer tones. Barely able to see my naked reflection my eyes slid over my naked body.

Although I'd hated my body when I was a teenager, being on the skinny side, made me a target for bullies during high school. But hitting my twenties, I'd filled out in all the right places.

With a slow upward slide, I let my hands trace the curve of my hips over my small waist and up to cup my breasts. It was fair to say I was very content and confident in my own skin.

Dropping my hands, I turned and bent over, dipping them into the water. Perfect. The bath bombs and generous amounts of bubbles had worked their magic.  Stretching, I turned off the taps. I loved showers, but baths... well, you couldn't beat a bath in my humble opinion.

Slipping in, immersing myself, I sank back and reached for the glass of wine Ivy had handed to me on the way to the bathroom. Making the conscious decision, I would not think about tomorrow—day one as the boss and confronting the inescapable first meeting with Cameron Harte.

Cam... his face came to mind in high definition no less, those dark brooding eyes and his hands... Oh, I'd loved those enormous hands.

I double blinked. Giving my head a little wobble, cursing myself for letting him sneak in. Yeah, this was me not consciously thinking about Cam.

"Try harder." I muttered to myself.

I threw the image of him away and sat my glass down on the edge of the bath and reached for my book, opening at the last folded down corner.

Relax...

Relaxing lasted a good three minutes before noticing I was reading the words, but not a single one was soaking in. Irritatingly, my head had skipped off thinking about him again and busily running through different scenarios of our first encounter after all these years.

My stomach took flight. Was it wrong to be a little excited—or just plain stupid?

Stupid. He cheated.

Why?

I didn't stick around long enough to ask.

Did I want to know now? Would it lessen the hurt if I knew why?

No.

"Argh... Quit it!" I was warring with myself.

Focus on something else. Finn Wilder. Now he was something to focus on as I threw my thoughts back to this morning—my run with Finn.

Arriving just before six am, my tiredness evaporated as I'd watched him jog toward me.

Holy-fuck! His thick hair lifted in the cool breeze. Those sexy arms and snug fitting t-shirt did nothing to ease the dryness of my throat.

Why hadn't I brought water? Idiot!

Damn, the man oozed sex. Hell even jogging, he had swagger and who knew sweatpants could be so sexy? And when he stripped to reveal his running shorts which hugged his arse and those thick thighs perfectly... I had to scrape my eyes from him and stop a moan slipping from my lips.

The man was pure, unadulterated candy.

Thankfully Finn had brought enough water for both of us, but at this rate I would need to douse myself rather than drink it.

He stretched out in front of me, coaching me on the importance of warming up. I had to remind myself he wasn't just eye candy. I was here to train. Not that my drooling phased him, and when he caught me staring, he merely winked as his lip curled into his signature smirk... forcing me to look away quickly. But stupidly, my eyes dropped to the impressive bulge straining against the thin material of his sexy shorts.

Smooth move, Trixie!  I sucked in a breath, attempting to keep my face blank of interest, but I was sure he saw right through me knowing he was a feast for a starving woman.

None of this helped my mantra of no sex with your trainer.

And Finn, well, he clearly liked what he saw too! As his eyes ran over me with more than just a professional interest.

It was safe to say I warmed up without needing to stretch a single muscle, with the hottest part of me between my thighs... in fact, I think my knickers were about to go up in flames!

Christ, This was a bad idea!

Thankfully, cringing in awkwardness when I almost tripped due to staring at the muscles flexing in his calves as he jogged in front of me (yes, his calves was sexy too) I reigned in my filthy thoughts and focused on my stride.

I've got this. I could control my rampant hormones for a little while longer.

Keeping up with his pace and my thoughts out of the gutter, I listened to him chat as we jogged along. And to my surprise, he was funny and engaging and very passionate about his job and I liked the rough edges of his accent. It was smooth on the ear.

There was definitely more to Finn Wilder than just a finely built work of man-art.

It also didn't slip my attention the sparks of electricity that shot through my body every time his arms brushed against mine... there was undeniable chemistry between us. Or perhaps I was just too damn horny?

But that aside, I shocked myself when he asked me out for a drink, and the word 'yes' slipped out, wanting to explore this budding spark between us.

Ivy was right. I needed a little fun. Lighten up.

And I was sure it would either quickly fizzle out or lead to what I hoped would be a little fun.  There was no harm in fun. As all work and no play made for a very boring existence... and it been forever since I'd had fun, or sex.

Yes, slight exaggeration, but anything over a month without sex would transpire as a dry spell in my books!

But could I do a one-night stand? Or a casual relationship?

True, I was a little kinky—no denying that. But I wasn't one to jump into bed on a first date.

But who mentioned a bed? There was always the sofa or the wall...

"You've not drowned in there?"

I heard Ivy yell through the door. "Nope, still alive and kicking." I made a splash to prove my point.

"I'll be ten minutes. Just finishing watching the show I recorded."

Her footsteps disappeared. I should get out, but thoughts of Finn had my body aching for an appetiser and it would definitely take the edge of this pent-up frustration that's buzzed through my veins and it wasn't as if it was my first rodeo—self pleasure was my go-to release...my only release.

My hand was moving before I thought more of it, sliding down the length of my smooth body. Slipping further, my fingers found the golden ticket as I responded to my own touch... gentle, teasing at first.

Happily, my mind supplied with me the image of Finn. No shocker there in those tight shorts, his erection straining against the sheer material.

Sucking in a breath, my touch became more insistent, speeding up as I lost myself, temperature rising, almost spiralling as the intensity built with my knees falling wide and moans and breathing picking up.

I was nearly there.

Bracing myself for the familiar feeling, I pictured Finn naked and hard. His hands on me instead of my own.

Inhaling one last breath, my free hand squeezed my breast, tweaking my nipple... as I heard his voice, that sexy east-end accent, whispering depraved desires.

Hold up... that wasn't Finn's voice.

Fuck, his face morphed into someone else... the someone I was trying to avoid.

Cameron Harte's face was up suddenly up front and centre and starring in the lead role of my fantasy. Those dark eyes of his watching me intensely.

Fuck! My eyes flew open, toes curled, just as I rode over the edge, lost in myself, swimming in so many sensations I almost slipped under the water.

Gasping, I pushed myself up. Feeling much hotter than the water I was sitting in.

Shit!

I steadied my erratic breaths as I tried to figure out where the hell that came from and how he just hijacked my happy moment!

Cursing some more, a tap on the door interrupted me as Ivy's head came into view.

"You'll shrivel up if you stay in there much longer." She wandered in, shutting the door before plonking herself down on the end of the bath. "Looking a little flushed there, Trix?" Giving me a sly look.

Why did it always feel like she could see right inside my head—know exactly what I was thinking? "I'm in a bath of hot water, of course I'm gonna look flushed."

"Ah-hu." She opened a packet of gummy bears, fishing out a red one. "Come to mama little bear." Not satisfied, she emptied the whole packet into her hand. "Taking the edge off, were we?"

I blew out a long, slow breath. It was pointless denying it. "You could say that."

"Yeah... I heard you over the TV!"

Urgh! I avoided looking at her, reaching for my glass of wine instead.

"Finn won't survive the night." Winking, highly amused. "I was ready with the extinguisher. You're on fire, girl!"

I rolled my eyes as a sigh escaped me. "Remind me why we live together?"

"Simple. I'm awesome." She popped another gummy-bear into her mouth. Gummy-bears were Ivy's latest craving, them and some crazy tv show... sex on the beach.

"Watch, you don't choke on those. I'm in no position to administer the Heimlich manoeuvre."

"If I do chock to death on these delightful bits of jelly goodness. Just tell everyone a bear killed me and leave it at that."

"Duly noted." I laughed. "Hey, you never told me how last night went with Estelle."

"Good, but I don't think there's a future in it."

"Why?"

"She's a little vanilla and I'm a little freaky."

"Ah..."

She waved it off. "I don't want to talk about me. What's your game plan for tonight?"

"I don't have a game plan. It's just a drink to discuss my training plan and schedule."

"Forget the training plan. You need the man for sex. The only plan you need to think about is position."

"I do not need a man for that!"

"True, but you have a hot and I imagine very willing participant. So, use him." She emptied the last of the gummy bears in her mouth. "Think of it as an intervention." She mumbled with her mouth half-full.

"I'm not sure it's a good idea." My brows pinched together. "I can't lie, my vagina is on board with using him. But my brain is a fifty/fifty split. He's an excellent trainer and I actually like him. It would be a waste to ruin what could be a great relationship... a professional relationship."

Ivy sucked in a breath. "Fuck me, I let you go out for a run and you come back half in love already."

I spluttered, almost choking on my wine.

Ivy lifted the glass out of my hand. "Don't die on me just yet. I have a question or rather something I want you to do for me."

Uh-oh! I eyed her carefully. I knew that look. "Dare I ask?"

"I've been checking out clubs nearby."

Clubs? "As in drinking and dancing?" Ivy wasn't into the club scene.

"Nah, more along the fetish kind. Tie me up and spank me type of club!"

Shit. The last time she had wanted to try this, she almost got herself beaten up, and raped meeting a man she'd met online. It had scared the crap out of me. "I thought you were over the whole fifty shades phase."

"I am. But I've been dreaming about a man."

Well, this was interesting. "A man? Perhaps you should come out with me and Finn. Maybe you need him more than I do?"

She shook her head. "No, in this dream, I'm like this sexy badass dominatrix. And the guys on his knees calling me mistress with these cute clamps on his balls." She wiggled her eyebrows. "And he's licking my boots—it's hot!"

Je-sus. My jaw dropped.

"I know, crazy right?" She stretched across me, placing her finger under my chin, closing my mouth. "Anyway, this club I've found sounds interesting. So, I need you to come along with me. Stake it out."

My perfectly plucked eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. "You're serious?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely." She grabbed my glass and finished off my wine.

"Hey!"

"So, will you come with me?"

How could I say no. Ivy would go with or without me and at least this way I could make sure it was safe and above board. "Fine, count me in."

Squealing. "Yeah, that's my girl." She eyed her watch. "Shit, you'd better shake that sexy ass of yours. It's getting late."

Fuck. "What time is it?"

"You have forty-five minutes before he gets here."

Shit, shit, shit. "Throw me my towel." I pushed up, almost slipping."

"Easy bestie, you don't want to slip and crack your head open before he gets here, and it won't kill him to wait. You're worth it."

I steadied myself, stepping out, holding my hand out for my towel. "You know I hate being late."

"Here." I grabbed the towel. "And lucky for you, it doesn't take any time at all for you to look amazing."

Ivy always knew the right thing to say whenever I panicked. "You know I love you... right?"

"I know... it's because I'm awesome!" she strutted out the bathroom, humming a smile. "I'll pick out your clothes to save you time."

That wasn't good. No doubt it would be short, tight and leave little to the imagination!

"Trust me!"

Yep, she could read my mind.