The Only Way is Up

Part Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three

Nicole stretched, she loved waking up every morning, her body aching almost bruised with love. Was there a greater way to start the day? If there was she couldn't think of one, but when she turned in bed she was disappointed to find the bed empty beside her. Craning her ears, she heard sounds downstairs, and she smiled at that. Jumping out of bed she had the quickest shower ever, then headed for the kitchen at a rate of knots.

Max was stood across the kitchen propped on his forearms, his chest heaving, his upper half was bare, sweat covered, and the shorts that hung low on his hips were sweat soaked.

Almost sensing her presence, he turned to her and for a moment his haunted look scared her.

"Are you ok?"

He nodded then gave a small smile, "couldn't sleep, went for a run."

She took in every inch of his warm sticky body. "Hot out there is it?"

That made him smile again, "are you perving on me Ms Stark?"

She gave what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug, "I'm looking at the coffee machine, the fact that there's a half naked, sweat covered hunk in my line of vision is purely a bonus."

finally he grinned his eyes lighting up, and he came towards her, pulling her into his arms before she had chance to protest...not that she would have.

"So I'm just in your way?" When she grinned, he added, "hunk? Really?"

She nodded and before she had the chance to utter a single word, his lips dropped to hers. She was lost, immediately, uncaring that his damp arms were wrapped around her, or that he was potentially contaminating her just washed, fresh smell.

Eventually he lifted his head, "coffee?"

She blushed at how much she wanted to devour him there and then, but she had to be in work in an hour, she definitely didn't have time, and he wasn't a delicacy you could rush. That was for sure. Leaning back in his arms she stared up at him, "you should come with a warning Maxim, do you know that?"

He chuckled, "so should you..."

Reluctantly she prised herself out of his arms and started to make coffee, at the same time she noted the blender filled with rather ominous looking green sludge. "What's that?"

Tipping it into a glass he gave a laugh, "a healthy breakfast for a change, kale, chia seed and broccoli smoothie. Just what I need."

She shuddered, "I think I'll stick to my Cheerios."

Maxim had been tempted to drag Nicole back into bed, but no amount of losing himself between her legs would take away the fact that he had a meeting with his father, one that he could no longer ignore. He still wasn't sure what was going on, why his father needed him so badly. His father didn't do anything for any reason than his own gain. No one had got back to him as yet, and then there was the fact that Nicole hadn't really revealed what the subterfuge and undercurrent had been linked to at the dinner party a few days earlier. If she told him he might have a chance to wrong foot his father.

Instead he watched her head upstairs to get dressed for work. It was then that he noted his phone flashing, another message from his father.

"Midday."

Nicole was trying to tame her damp hair in the hallway mirror when he found her.

"At your parents, the other evening..." She looked up at his voice and looked anxious for a moment, "what was the issue with those lawyers? Your father dragging you into the dining room...you said you'd tell me about it later...but we got distracted."