Maxim (8 page)

Chapter 10

Nigel had called both of them to fill them in on their next date. They were going to a park that afternoon. He wanted the press to see the happy couple together being affectionate publicly. Nigel told them that Amelia would be waiting for them in a shuttle right outside the loading dock by the GCFA ship. She would go over what was to be expected of them. He also informed them that a security detail would be escorting them from the lobby and into the shuttle.

Alona agreed to meet Maxim in the lobby despite his protests. She wanted a moment to herself to clear her thoughts. She couldn’t do that with Maxim near her; he always found a way to distract her. She wasn’t sure whether what had happened between them was a one-time thing, a temporary thing, or something more permanent. It scared her a little. The doors to the elevator opened and Maxim was there waiting for her. He looked anxious.

She gave him a smile. “Hi.”

He bent down and kissed her cheek. “Hi.”

They began walking through the lobby. She felt someone following and glanced back to find two large men both dressed in black fatigues. “Are they the security detail?”

“Yes,” Maxim told her.

“They are very . . . conspicuous.” She shook her head. This was going to draw even more attention to them.

When they got inside the shuttle, Alona turned to Amelia. “Will the security detail be staying with us through the whole date?”

“Yes. At least until you return to the GCFA ship and your floor. Any time you leave, Alona, one of them needs to be with you to protect you. Nigel is insistent upon that.”

“Fine. Where’s our next date?” All she knew was that she had been told to wear casual clothes. She had chosen a pair of jeans and a tight pink t-shirt. Maxim was dressed similarly, in black jeans and a black t-shirt. He looked hot in those jeans, too. Alona tried not to look but his package was nicely encased for her viewing pleasure.

“You are having a late picnic in the park. The sun will be setting shortly and it should create a very romantic atmosphere, great photo opportunities for the witnesses. Nigel wants you two to flirt, touch, and if you could handle it, a kiss would be great. Do you think you could manage a kiss?” Amelia asked Alona.

Alona could feel the heat rise to her face and glanced over at Maxim, who said nothing but had a very secretive and inviting smile on his face. “I think I can manage that.”

“Good. I’ll remain with the shuttle but we’ll be about half a mile down the block, out of the way. The security will scope the area first and find places where they can watch over everything without getting in the way. Just remember, you’re in a public setting, so there will be tons of people watching and reporters everywhere taking pictures of your every move. If you need something, page me.” She gave Alona her cell phone number.

The shuttle stopped at the curb next to the park. The security guards got out first. Amelia made them wait until the area was secured. Then she motioned for Maxim to get out with the picnic basket. He then turned to help Alona out of the shuttle. As soon as they were both on the curb, the shuttle left them.

“Where do you want to sit?” Maxim asked, scanning the area. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He wasn’t going to leave Alona’s safety in the security detail’s hands alone. He was there to take care of her. He felt protective of her.

“How about over there under the tree? It’s facing toward where the sun will be setting.”

He followed her over to the spot she had picked out. What he liked about the location was the way the trees gave them a little bit of privacy. That privacy wouldn’t be for long though. There weren’t that many people there yet, but those that were had definitely noticed them. Soon the reporters would swoop down upon them.

“I wonder what kind of food they packed,” Alona said as she spread out the blanket on the ground and took the picnic basket from him.

Maxim sat down on the ground across from her and watched as she pulled items out of the basket. He was fascinated by the way her eyes lit up with excitement. It was adorable. He could not recall ever using the word adorable for anything, but that was what she was at that moment: simply adorable.

“Fried chicken, can’t have a picnic without that. Fruit platter, peanuts, rolls, cheese, crackers, champagne glasses and bubbly champagne. Oh look, chocolate cupcakes for dessert.”

“I like all those things, but I had hoped for a steak.”

“That would have been tasty, but most picnic foods need to be things you can eat without utensils.”

“Why?”

“So you can feed each other by hand. I guess it’s more romantic.”

“Ah. And we have to be romantic tonight.” His voice was deep and husky.

She gave him a wink. “Come here, let me feed you a strawberry.”

He practically leaped across the picnic layout to land right next to her. He scooted as close as possible.

Alona laughed and opened the container of fruit. She picked up a strawberry by the stem and dipped it in the glass of champagne. She turned to feed it to him. He took the whole fruit up to her fingers in his mouth. She watched him and felt her nipples tighten as she remembered how he suckled her.

“I could get used to this. But I need to feed you as well.” He picked up a grape and placed it on her tongue. She sucked the grape and his finger in her mouth. He growled with need. “I didn’t know eating could be so . . . arousing until I met you.”

“Me either,” she confessed, taking a sip of her champagne.

“How long do we have to stay here? I want to take you to my suite, remove all your clothing, pour the champagne over your body, and lick it all up.”

“Mmmm.” She wanted that now too. Just the images of what he wanted to do to her had her panties wet. She wanted him so badly. She cleared her throat. “I think we have to stay until we’ve finished eating and it gets dark. Let me text Amelia.” She reached for the cell phone tucked in her jeans pocket. She held the phone low down and hidden from prying eyes. “She says we can leave twenty minutes after sunset. It will be hard for reporters to get good shots of us anyway. She said that sunset is in an hour.”

“Chicken?” Maxim handed her a drumstick.

“Thank you. It smells delicious.” She bit into her chicken and groaned in pleasure.

“Eat more.” Maxim tried to hand her another drumstick before she was even done with the one she already had.

She giggled. “I can’t eat that fast.” She took another bite of chicken and moaned again.

Maxim growled. “I’m not going to make it much longer if you keep moaning like that.”

She pushed his plate of untouched food towards him. “Eat. It will help us pass the time.” She took a sip of her champagne. He still insisted on feeding her, so she fed him too. Every time he took a bite from her hand, he sucked her fingers into his mouth. She was so ready to leave.

“The sun is finally setting,” Maxim said, pointing to the horizon.

Streaks of red and gold danced across the sky as the sun set. “It’s beautiful.” She turned to look into Maxim’s dark eyes. He wasn’t watching the sunset; he was watching her.

“There is nothing more beautiful than you. You are sunshine itself.”

“Thank you.” He was so sweet. She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. But it wasn’t enough for her. She wanted more. He pulled her into his lap and captured her lips. She felt his arousal pressing through his jeans. She wiggled against him and couldn’t help but smile when he moaned with need.

She was feeling a little lightheaded from the kissing. She thought she heard fireworks. She pulled back and opened her eyes. There
were
fireworks lighting up the sky above them.

“Wow, Nigel went all out with this romantic picnic to arrange fireworks.”

“Does this mean we can go now? I need to get you naked beneath me.”

She gave him a flirtatious smile. “What if I want you beneath me?”

“Yes, I want that. We’ll take turns being on top. But we need to leave right now.” Maxim reached for her phone and texted for Amelia to come immediately. He sat her gently on the blanket and began to throw the items back in the picnic basket. She got to her knees and started to fold the blanket.

Within a few minutes, the shuttle with Amelia arrived. Alona stood up and was about to walk to the shuttle, but Maxim surprised her. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms. He balanced the picnic basket in one hand while carrying her to the shuttle.

“I could have walked,” she protested.

“I need to hold you close to me in some way.”

Well, she couldn’t argue with that. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly. The only thing that would have made this date any better would have been if they hadn’t been surrounded by reporters.

*****

“They just left,” Soren reported over his cell phone to Doctor Forbes.

“You didn’t get close enough to grab him?” Forbes yelled back over the line.

“They were surrounded by reporters and it looks like there were bodyguards with them, too. I don’t get it. What was the purpose of this whole public appearance thing?”

Forbes sighed with frustration. “The GCFA is trying to improve Maxim’s image, to make him more relatable to humans.”

Soren snorted. “He’s not human. I’m not either. It’s a waste of time and energy.”

“We need to look for the next opportunity. The good news is that the GCFA will be exposing them to more public venues, which will help us find one where you can snatch him.”

“What if I can’t get to him? He’s going to fight me the whole way. Not that I can’t take him, but I know you need him unharmed.”

“We’ll get him one way or another. Get back to the lab. I need to give you another treatment.”

“Already? I feel fine.” Truth was, Soren wasn’t feeling fine. He had to fight to keep his focus and he had moments of uncontrollable anger. He hated being out of control. But he hated the treatments even more. It was two hours of pure hell. No matter how many times he did the treatments, they never got any easier.

“Your condition is worsening. You need the treatments daily now. Get back here before someone sees you.”

“Fine.” Soren hung up the phone. He wanted to smash it to the ground. He felt the rage building inside of him. He had to release it somehow, or it would take over his whole system rendering him helpless. He refused to be left vulnerable. He had to take care of this before he went back to the lab or he would be tempted to rip Forbes’ head off like he had imagined doing so many times. He wouldn’t be cured if that happened. He needed to find another outlet.

A woman with blonde hair ahead of him caught his attention. Her hair was similar to Alona’s. His anger focused on the female. He wanted Alona for himself. He was furious that he had to sit and watch as she allowed Maxim to rub himself all over her. The images replayed in his mind, hazing his vision with red fury. He found himself following the blonde woman as she paused by a nearby building. Soren felt out of touch with reality. It was like he was looking at himself from above.

He walked up quietly behind the woman. She never saw him coming. He wrapped his arm around her middle from behind and clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming as he dragged her into the dark alley. She struggled, but he liked that. It focused his rage on dominating her.

He shoved her up against the brick building and turned her around. Her eyes weren’t the same as Alona’s. Alona had the purest blue eyes he had ever seen. This female’s blue eyes were dull and couldn’t compare. It didn’t matter, though, as his anger took over. He would use this woman to release the anger he had. Then he would head back to the lab for his treatment.

Soon, he would be free of the doctor, his treatments, and Maxim, and he would have the real Alona and the life he deserved. He just needed to survive this long enough. No one would keep him from getting what he wanted. Not some psychotic doctor, not the GCFA, and certainly not some weak halfsie droid. He would show them all who was the better man.

Chapter 11

The next day Alona stretched out luxuriously in her bed. They had come back to her suite and made love the rest of the night. She was getting addicted to his touch. He was surprisingly gentle with her. There were quite a few surprises with him. She wished he hadn’t had an early practice this morning. They could have lazed around in bed all day touching and tasting one another. But he had a fight later that night he needed to get ready for. Her phone rang and she sighed as she reached for it.

“Hello?”

“Alona, you need to come down for training,” Zara told her.

“What? I don’t have a fight tonight.”

“You do now. Just come down to the training center. Nigel is here and he’ll explain.” Zara didn’t wait for her to respond before she hung up.

“Damn it. So much for lazing around.” Alona threw the covers off and got up. She went to take a quick shower, then dressed in her training gear and headed out of her suite.

After taking the elevator down to the training level, she got out feeling a sense of foreboding. Something was up. Nigel normally didn’t come down to training to make last-minute changes to the show.

She walked into the training center and her suspicions were confirmed. Nigel and his assistant Amelia were there, along with Zara, Rage, and Maxim. Maxim did not look happy.

“What’s going on?” Alona asked Nigel. She didn’t dare glance at Maxim. Just being near him had her heart racing. No one else knew that they were actually having a real affair behind the disguise of a fake one. She wasn’t sure he was ready to come out publicly with it yet. They still had things they needed to discuss first.

Nigel stepped forward to greet her. “Thanks for coming. I had the training center cleared so that we could discuss things without witnesses.”

“I don’t understand.”

“There has been a change in tonight’s pairs event. Instead of Maxim and Ronin partnering tonight, it will be you and Maxim instead.”

“Okay. What’s the problem?”

Amelia spoke up. “This is the first female/male pair match that Maxim has been in. He is hesitant about it.”

Maxim growled. “Is it not enough that we have to perform public dates?”

“Could you have a talk with him?” Nigel asked. “Zara and Rage are here to help you two work together in the cage. They have had the most experience with female/male pair matches.” He motioned for everyone else to leave the training center. Alona waited until they were out of earshot.

“Alright, Maxim, what’s the problem here? We’re both fighters and we’ve both done pair matches before.”

“I have not done one with a woman and I have especially not done one with a woman that I am sleeping with.”

She frowned. She had never realized their personal life could affect their professional one. Truth was, she had never dated other fighters in the GCFA, so this problem had never come up before. She sighed with frustration.

“It’s no big deal. Just treat me like one of the guys.”

Maxim moved so fast she didn’t see him coming at her until he had her wrapped in his arms. “You are not one of the guys. The thought of you being hurt even for a moment drives me crazy with the need to protect you.” He kissed her with enough passion to take her breath away.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. She could never refuse him, he was just too arousing. Her body felt like it had imprinted on his. They melded together as if they were made for one another. She pulled back from his kisses with reluctance. She had to make sure that he respected her as his partner in their professional lives as well as in their personal one.

“Baby, this is part of our jobs, it’s what we do. We both have to work together to make this succeed.”

He stroked her cheek gently. “This is the first show we’ve had since we started dating. I just don’t think I can stand by and watch someone attack you without trying to help.”

“Hopefully I will be fighting back.” She saw him look even more hesitant. “You have to learn to trust me to take care of myself. We will train for this with Rage and Zara. It will be alright.”

He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. She did the same and stared him down. She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her into backing down. This was her career. It may not seem appropriate to her parents, but it was her choice. She loved her job. She used her popularity to help her charities and to help other women with fewer opportunities. This was important to her.

“Fine. I know these feelings I have are irrational. Maybe if we train well, these feelings of worry will lessen.” Maxim gave in reluctantly.

She smiled at him. “It will be fun. The crowd will go crazy for us, the new couple fighting side by side.” She looked up to see Amelia peeking in. She nodded to the woman letting her know that things were fine. A few seconds later Nigel, Rage, and Zara came back.

“What’s first?” she asked.

“You two will go up against me and Zara outside the cage first. Then we will practice inside.” Rage took off his shirt and tossed it to the floor.

Alona watched, amazed at how big Rage was. She had seen him shirtless for fights many times, but it was still an awesome sight to see his large Beastial build, even if he wasn’t in a rage. It was very impressive. She must have been staring too long at Rage because suddenly Maxim growled right in her ear before whispering to her.

“Please do not look at another man like that. It’s making me feel a little crazy.”

She turned to look up at him. He was jealous. It made her feel excited at first to realize this new power she had, but then she felt worried. He looked unsure of himself. Usually Maxim was very confident in his abilities. She didn’t want him to think that her feelings were so easily swayed. She touched his cheek gently.

“You have nothing to worry about. You are the only man I want.”

His eyes flickered with desire. “Good, because I would kill any man that touched you.” He kissed her palm and walked away.

Damn, he meant that too.
It should have scared her, but she found his protectiveness kind of sweet. As long as he didn’t think it meant he could boss her around. She wouldn’t stand for that.

“Can we start now? I have plans with my mate later and we have a babysitter. Zen volunteered,” Zara grumped. Rage growled at that comment and Alona smiled to herself, knowing exactly why Zen had offered.

“Let’s get started then,” Maxim agreed.

*****

Amelia followed Nigel out of the training center. As soon as they were in the hallway he turned to look at her.

“You were right.”

She looked shocked. Nigel never told her she was right, even when she was. “Right about what?”

“They are a real couple. I thought it was all for show, but the way Maxim is so protective of her and the way that Alona touches him, it’s clear this is not a fake relationship anymore.”

Amelia nodded her head. “I suspected it was real after seeing the pictures of them dancing and kissing. But I knew it for sure at the picnic.”

“How did you know?”

“No woman responds to a man like that unless she’s turned on.”

“You’re an expert, are you?” His eyes narrowed at her, making her blush.

“Yes, I’m a woman. I know how one would react to a man she was attracted to.” She turned to walk quickly up the hall, putting some distance between her and Nigel. For some reason, this conversation was making her feel very uncomfortable.

“Wait, Amelia, I want to ask you more,” Nigel called.

No way
. Amelia refused to continue talking about this. “I have to give the change in event to the press. I’ll see you at the GCFA meeting this afternoon.” She glanced back once quickly and found him still watching her. That man was intense, too intense at times. And fucking hot!

*****

Later that evening

Alona and Maxim sat in the waiting area with the other fighters who would go on that night. Their training session earlier that day had been worrisome. Every time Zara hit Alona, Maxim growled and made a move towards the tall Amazon.

This was a problem that needed to be addressed. Alona had fought many matches. She wasn’t a newbie. After an almost disastrous practice, she could only imagine what the real match would be like. She was tempted to call Nigel and beg him to cancel their match tonight, but she fought that urge. Maxim was the one with the problem. He needed to get over it.

She sat in her chair watching the current match. It was pretty good, between Zen the Sin, a Felon halfsie, and a full Felon. Both moved with smooth, quick movements. It was like watching two panthers circling, parrying and taking swipes at one another. Zen took some hard hits, but he was persistent and won his match.

“We’re up.” Maxim stood waiting for her by the door.

She tried to reassure him. “Just think of it like any other match. Pretend I’m one of the guys.”

He looked her from head to toe. She was wearing one of the GCFA uniforms. The women’s uniform consisted of two tiny pieces of stretchy material similar to a bathing suit. It barely covered her breasts and ass. He growled at her.

“You look nothing like one of the guys.”

She walked past him shaking her hips. She couldn’t help but tease him. She was sure he would make her regret it later. But right now, she was taking pleasure in it.

*****

“Welcome back to the Galactic Cage Fighter Association Event. It is a very exciting evening so far. Our lineup so far has been spectacular and it’s only going to get better. Don’t you think so, Johann?”

“Absolutely, Poland. The Felon match alone was worth the trip out. But I’m looking forward to the pair match coming up. We have Alona the Beautiful and Maxim the Cyborg. Not only are these two as different as you can get, but they are newly dating. Who are they up against?”

“Their opponents are a Sorian and a Beastial. That is going to be something to watch. But Johann, this new couple has made quite a stir among the GCFA fans. Their chemistry is off the chain, but there has been some tension regarding another man.”

“Yes, rumor has it that Alona had been seeing two men at the same time. When Maxim found out, he hit the roof. Some say he destroyed his suite. But it looks like they are on the mend.”

“Let’s see if they are able to get past all their personal drama and perform together.”

“This should be interesting.”

*****

Alona tried to block out the roar of the crowd as she and Maxim entered the huge arena. She smiled and waved at the cameras, blowing kisses and winking at the fans, most of them were men. She glanced over at Maxim and found him frowning at her.

“What?”

“I don’t like you flirting with other men.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s part of the job, Maxim. You have to accept it and get used to it.”

“But I don’t have to like it,” he growled at her.

Maxim climbed into the cage first and then turned to help her inside. She kept hold of his hand and raised their arms up in the air. The crowd went crazy for their show of unity.

“Smile, Maxim, let them see some of your human side.”

Maxim smiled and winked at the VIP section where the front row was filled with mostly women. She tried to let go of his hand but he kept hold and pulled her into his arms.

“What are you doing?” she gasped.

“Letting them see my human side.” Then he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. It didn’t last long but when he finally released her she was breathing heavily. The crowd loved it. She wasn’t thrilled with him, though. It felt like he was trying to show everyone she belonged to him. She might as well let him piss on her to mark his territory. She shook her head. She needed to keep her wits about her, but it was going to be hard now to concentrate on the fight with her body suddenly craving him.

“You could have done that after the fight,” she hissed at him through her practiced smile. “Stop the macho shit, Maxim. I won’t put up with that.”

He looked at her worriedly. “I didn’t mean to let these possessive feelings get the better of me. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

She walked up and pointed her finger at him. “Keep your hands and your lips to yourself. We need to concentrate on this fight.” The music signaled the entrance of their opponents.

The Sorian and Beastial entered the cage. The Sorian played the crowd, raising her hands up and down in the air, while the Beastial growled at Maxim. Then the man looked Alona up and down and licked his lips.

“Little Alona, I hear that you are looking for a man. Perhaps the tin can over there can’t satisfy you. I could show you what you need.”

Maxim did not even realize what he was going to do before he suddenly lunged at the Beastial. Alona tried to pull Maxim back as the Sorian pulled at the Beastial. They weren’t having much luck getting the men to separate. Then security for the GCFA came into the cage and pulled them apart.

Alona stood in front of Maxim, trying to break his gaze away from the Beastial. “Calm down, Maxim. Come on, save this energy for the actual match.”