Waking up I feel something heavy around my midsection. Glancing down I see a toned, tanned hairy arm and I instinctively smile. My whole body is still buzzing from last night and I realise I need to crack a window open because the room smells like two people spent hours having sex, which is accurate. It’s not very professional of me to get into bed with the enemy but I don’t regret it. That man is as skilled at giving pleasure as I am at giving pain. He can be gentle, and he can be rough and when he mixes the two? Oh, baby. Not wanting to wake him, I carefully slide out from under his arm and make my way to the bathroom and get in the shower. I’m halfway done, having just finished with my hair when I hear the shower door open and arms snake around my waist making me smirk. “Thought you might like some company,” he says against my ear. I look back at him, my eyes trailing the droplets of water coating his body and for just a moment I’m envious of them. “I didn’t realise showering is

After a long, tedious, and uncomfortably silent flight, the jet finally lands home. Marcel doesn’t hesitate to grab the bags and exit the jet to put them in the car while I try to wake Alec up. Alec didn’t bombard me with his usual never-ending list of questions during the flight, which was a good thing, as it gave me time to think and mentally prepare. After I told him everything about The Tournament he became extremely quiet and eventually fell asleep, which gave Marcel and me plenty of time to discuss what to do moving forward. “Alec?” I softly call, giving him a slight shake to jostle him awake. He awakes with a start, instinctively wrapping his hand around my throat in a vice-like grip, his eyes looking frantic as they search for a threat. Not the reaction I was expecting, but pretty reasonable given I did stalk and abduct him with plans to kill him. Plans I haven’t given up on just yet. Recognition dawns in his eyes and he’s quick to release my throat from his grasp. I rub and

As I hit the twenty-minute mark of my workout on the treadmill, I increase the incline and begin to push myself further as I feel the burn through my legs. The Tournament is one week away, and I’ve been doing everything I can to prepare for the unpreparable. I’m working on my cardio to build stamina. Yoga and meditation to improve my breath control. Lots of sparring with mum, dad, grandpa and even Marcel, and of course, lots of target practice. You never know what challenges you’ll face in The Tournament until you’re in it, so any preparation is really just guesswork and hoping for the best. Tension has been rising as it gets closer to D-Day. I always find Alec somewhere watching me with this conflicted expression on his face. I get the feeling he’s going through an existential crisis, but I don’t have time to baby him. I’m about to fight for my life, he should learn to handle his own shit for a change. That being said, I have actually been enjoying his company. Despite the highly u

Eventually, Alec comes downstairs, his hair looking tussled while he’s dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a basic white T, but the shirt is hugging his frame in all the right ways. Stupid asshole still has my brain fuzzy with sex and now this little trek is going to just increase the ache this jerk has left in my pussy. I fucking hate him. “Where are we going?” He asks as he walks over to me. “A spot not far from here. It was meant to be a nice little day trip, but now I’m considering burying you out in the woods.” He smirks, “Someone sounds frustrated.” “How’s your dick feeling?” I smirk back. He shrugs, “It was worth it. You know I can fix that frustration for you, all you have to do is ask,” he says with a sly smile. “I have a knife in my purse, and I am very tempted to use it,” I threaten. He laughs, “You know I’m getting pretty good at learning when you’re bluffing,” he says smugly and that has me coming up short. Who the fuck said anything about bluffing? My fingers inch the

I spent all day getting dressed up for dinner, and I think it was well worth the effort because I look stunning. A dress seemed too expected, so I went for a gorgeous emerald and gold gemstone design full-length pantsuit. It has short sleeves with a plunging neckline and a collar and the sash around the waist really helps to accentuate my figure. I have masterfully accessorised with a gorgeous emerald, peridot and diamond encrusted necklace with matching earrings and have my hair up in a stylish and intricate low bun. Since I was not blessed with height, I paired this with 6” stilettos that are a beautiful beige to nude ombre and of course, I did my make-up. I wanted the whole look to have a theme so I went with gold lids, a subtle smokey eye with dark green corners and a wing teamed with a simple glossy nude lip. I even had time to do my nails. I keep my nails short for practical reasons, but I still like them to look pretty from time to time, so I painted them a matt emerald green a