5. Bella
FIVE
Bella
The next day…
I straighten out the pillows, placing the two teddy bears back on top once I’m done. It’s clear there’s a family staying in this room.
When I walked in, there were toys scattered across the floor and a half packed ladybug shaped case with a couple of pairs of adorable pants spilling out onto the floor. A faint smile tugs at my lips as I picture a little boy and girl running around.
“Bella, you done in there?” Lily’s voice reaches me from the corridor.
“Almost, just finishing up.” I empty the few pieces of trash into the bottom of the cart.
“Looks good,” she says, appearing in the doorway. “Cute bears,” she says, stroking the head of the nearest one. “How was it?”
“Few stickers on the wall, a lot of fingerprints on the windows.”
“Kids,” she says with a shudder. “Who’d have ‘em, right?”
I shrug. “I wouldn’t mind.”
“Really?”
“Maybe one day."
“Hotel manager with a family. I can see it. Suits you.”
“Only the small matter of no money, no promotion prospects, and no boyfriend, right?”
“Easy solution.”
“What’s that?”
“Kill Nigel. Take his job. Save up enough to buy a husband online. Problem solved.”
“What do I do with Nigel’s body?”
She nudges me. “Put it in the stew of course.”
“Of course, how silly of me.”
“Hey, have you called Alex yet?”
“Am I supposed to?”
“He gave you his number, didn’t he? Tell him you’re naked and waiting. Or have you already ridden that ride? Carol said she heard the two of you talking outside your room last night.”
“God, I can’t get away with anything in this place, can I?”
“Not when the nosiest staff member in the building has got the bedroom next to yours. Is it true? Were you fucking him then sending him packing like the dirty slut I know you secretly are?”
I feel my cheeks heat up at the memory. "I heard a noise in the corridor so I went to find out what it was and he was there.”
“Spying on you?”
“I don’t know. He just told me to keep my door wedged shut with a chair from now on, said there are a lot of bad people around.”
Lily raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Sounds like he's got the hots for a certain chambermaid. I bet he wants to play the drums on that fine little ass of yours. Can’t say I blame him, little miss tight tushy."
I roll my eyes, trying to downplay the flutter of excitement in my stomach. "I was wondering if he’s got something to do with my dad."
Lily's expression turns serious. "What makes you say that?"
I shrug, the uncertainty gnawing at me. "I don't know. My gut? A gorgeous guy gives me his phone number out of nowhere. Then he’s outside my room in the middle of the night. It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?"
“Have you considered the insane possibility that he likes you?”
I’m about to respond when her radio crackles to life. Mr. Harris’s voice comes through loud and clear. "Lily, Carol’s gone off sick again. You’re working her shift tonight."
“You’re welcome,” she mutters to herself before groaning. "Looks like I won't be able to make it to our exciting new self-defense class."
I feel a pang of disappointment but quickly push it aside. "Think of the money. More hours, more dough, right?”
“Yeah, but I was looking forward to whupping someone’s ass tonight.” She makes karate waves with her hands. “You going to go on your own? Bring me back a report on any hotties in attendance?”
“Maybe I'll learn how to murder Nigel without anyone being able to tell it was me."
Lily grins, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "That's the spirit. You’ll do great. And if anyone’s mean to you, kick them in the balls."
“So, to sum up. Murder my employer, and kick random strangers in the balls, unless they’re hot, in which case sleep with them.”
She bows low, her hands together. “You have learned all I have to teach, my padawan. Now go forth and spread my message of peace and love.”
“And ball kicking.”
“Right.”
I stand outside the self-defense class, trying to psych myself up to go in. I know the A/C will be running. That’s one for the ‘go in’ column. Out here, the night is sweltering. But I don’t know anyone in there. One for the ‘stay out’ column.
When Lily suggested we go together, I said yes, thought it would be a good way for us to bond.
I told her I would go on my own but now I’m here, the bright lights from inside the gym feel intimidating, not inviting. I take a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to go in.
The thought of going back to the hotel, back to my room, feels safer. But I’d also feel like a failure.
I’m about to turn away when I see Alex Pierce striding up to the entrance, his presence commanding and impossible to ignore. “Coming in?” he asks, looking at me as he pulls the door open. My heart skips a beat, and before I know it, I’m following him inside.
The class is already gathering, and the instructor, a tall, muscular woman, is setting up mats on the floor. “Changing rooms are that way,” she says, motioning to her left as we enter. “Hurry up.”
I head through to a room that smells of old sweat. I slip into the gym gear that Lily loaned me, feeling awkward and exposed, the pants clinging to my legs, the top far tighter than anything I would usually wear.
I walk out to find Alex in black shorts with a matching tee. “Own anything that isn’t black?” I ask him as the instructor takes her place at the front of the room.
“An occasional optimistic thought.”
“Some new faces,” the instructor says before I can reply. “My name’s Karen and this is beginner’s self-defense. First step is warm up. Let’s start jogging round the edge of the room, shall we?”
Everyone starts moving. I do my best to keep up but I can feel Alex’s eyes on me. He’s close behind, too close. I glance back, stumbling.
I almost fall but he grabs me, catching me in his arms. “Thanks,” I say, feeling the heat of his thick fingers on me, wanting him to keep hold for just a moment longer.
He nods as we get moving again. When we stop, I’m out of breath, my chest heaving as the instructor shows us a couple of stretches. I do my best to follow her instructions but my balance isn’t great. Beside me, Alex is shifting effortlessly from one position to the next.
Karen raises an eyebrow. “Got some flexibility in those muscles,” she says and I get an irrational flare of jealousy. “All right, let’s get going with some basic techniques. Watch closely.”
She shifts her body in place. “It’s all about balance and power. You need to overpower your opponent mentally, physically, or both. Pair up and copy my movements.”
Alex turns to me, his blue eyes piercing through my nervousness. “Guess it’s you and me.”
I nod, feeling a strange mix of excitement and trepidation. As we move to an empty mat, Alex leans in slightly. “You look fucking good in those clothes,” he says, his voice low.
I blush, not expecting the compliment. “Thanks,” I mumble, feeling a flutter of warmth.
“Look a lot better if I was ripping them off your body.”
Karen claps her hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “Watch closely.”
She demonstrates a simple lunge attack on the nearest person to her. “See how my body shifts, my back foot meaning I’m off balance? Now, you try.”
I glance at Alex, who smirks slightly. “Ladies first.”
I take a deep breath and lunge at him, but he moves effortlessly, grabbing hold of me and twisting me so I’m trapped in his grip, my back against his chest.
I feel the length of his cock pressing into my ass for the briefest of moments before he lets me go. “You’ll need to move faster than that,” he says.
My cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. Karen watches us, her eyes narrowing. “Have you done this before?” she asks him.
“I picked up a couple of moves here and there,” he replies nonchalantly.
“Let’s see,” Karen says, stepping forward. “How about I demonstrate an attack on you and you see if you can defend against it?”
There’s a murmur of curiosity from the rest of the class as Karen squares off against Alex. I feel a knot of tension in my stomach as they face each other.
Karen lunges at him, but Alex moves with lightning speed, easily overpowering her and pinning her to the mat. The class gasps in surprise, and Karen’s face reddens as she scrambles to her feet.
“You’re good,” she says, trying to regain her composure.
Alex shrugs. “I got lucky, that’s all.”
“Do that again with her.” She points at me. “You, attack him.”
I turn to face Alex. “Give it all you’ve got,” he says.
I lunge at him with my fists clenched. He grabs me straight away, pulling me close enough to kiss me. “Good try,” he says, “But I could see that coming a mile away. Got to confuse me if you want to put me down, do something I’m not expecting.”
I think of what Lily told me and my knee automatically slams between his legs. He notices at the last second, twisting slightly so I only land a glancing blow.
It’s still enough for the wind to go out of his sails though. “That’s more like it,” he says, his voice a little strained. “Fighting dirty, clever girl.”
“Why are you here?” I ask, trying to steady my voice. “You clearly know more than the instructor.”
He meets my gaze, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. “I’m spying on you. That’s what you said last night, right?”
I roll my eyes, a small laugh escaping despite myself. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”
“Maybe,” he replies cryptically. “Maybe not.”
Karen shows us a set of moves, and each time Alex touches me to correct my technique, I feel a thrill of excitement. His hands are firm yet gentle, guiding me with precision.
As we move on to practicing with rubber knives, Alex shows me how to disarm him. “You’ve got to be quick,” he says, demonstrating the move. “Like this.”
I follow his lead. After a dozen attempts, I manage to disarm him successfully. “Good girl,” he says and I respond by wanting to melt into a puddle on the floor. How can two words have such an impact on me?
“Thanks,” I say. “I could have killed you but I felt sorry for you.”
“I appreciate the gesture. I haven’t got a Will written yet.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure all your stuff gets left to me.”
“So noble. Let’s do it again.”
The changing room is a hive of activity, filled with women chatting and laughing as they swap their workout clothes for more comfortable attire.
I slip into a corner, trying to keep to myself as I change out of my sweaty gym clothes. My mind keeps wandering back to Alex, the way his hands felt on my body, the intensity in his eyes.
As I pull my shirt over my head, I can’t help but imagine him in the men’s changing room, his muscles flexing as he undresses. The thought sends a shiver of excitement through me, my skin tingling at the thought.
I picture him standing there, a few feet away, shirtless, his body a perfect combination of strength and grace.
I shake my head, trying to focus on the task at hand, but the image persists. What would it be like to be with him in bed, to feel his skin against mine?
My heart races at the thought, a flush creeping up my neck. I can’t believe the effect he has on me, this dangerous stranger who’s somehow managed to captivate me completely.
I finish changing and take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. As I step out of the changing room, I spot him leaning casually against the wall, clearly waiting for me. His eyes light up when he sees me, and my pulse quickens in response.
“So, what do you do for a living?” I ask as I approach him, my voice more steady than I feel. “Serial killer? Bodyguard? Ninja?”
He smirks, a shadow of darkness flickering in his eyes. “I find things that have gone missing.”
I raise an eyebrow, thinking of my father. “What kind of things?”
I hesitate, then take a deep breath. “Let me buy you a drink. Lot of ears out here on the street.”
For a moment, I think about refusing. But then I nod and smile. “Sure.”