Chapter 1 - Nova
Waiting patiently for the seminar room to fill up minding my own business, when I noticed him sauntering over. That ridiculous smirk plastered across his face and I knew it was meant just for me. Why did I have to open my big mouth? Why?
Seeing that a few others had come to sit down early, he headed straight for me like a predator locked in on its prey. Those dark green eyes glinting, his intent to torture me clearly written across his face. I groaned internally, berating myself over my inability to stop my mouth from doing its thing, before my brain could intervene. I released a breath I hadn’t even realised I was holding. He finally made it over to me, moving behind my chair, placing his hands on my shoulders.
Why I had chosen today of all days to make an effort with my appearance, I didn’t know. I’d stupidly chosen to wear my red bardot bodysuit teamed with my favourite pair of high waisted skinny jeans and my favourite combat boots, because, who can actually walk in heels? Elegant, graceful beings, that’s who. I was not one of those beings, I was more, gravitationally challenged. Okay, fine, I was just really clumsy. I’d worn my long, chestnut hair in loose, beachy waves around my shoulders, my winged eyeliner on point (just how Nina taught me) with my lipstick matching my top.
Actually, that was a lie, I did know why I’d made an effort. After being given a last minute heads up by my best friend that Spencer Russo would be there, on my writing course that I had specifically booked as far away from home as possible to escape my telenovela life. A part of me really wanted him to notice me. I was regretting my choices at that moment with all of his attention actually being focused on me, though. Well, I sort of regretted it. Another part of me was secretly a tiny bit thrilled.
The second he’d put his hands on my skin, an involuntary shiver ran down my body. Spencer knew the effect he was having on me (thanks to me and my big mouth) but that only seemed to spur him on. He started to rub my shoulders, causing goosebumps to form. He smirked again, clearly satisfied that his touch could have such an effect on me. No one else in the room seemed to have noticed the way my body reacted to him. Spencer however, seemed acutely aware.
“Try not to worry, Marrin.” He declared in that smug, posh accent of his. Why he could never use my first name, I didn’t know. It wasn’t that hard. It was four bloody letters. Nova. Ugh. He was so annoying but, good looking and he knew it. He didn’t need to perform for the crowd either, but he was going to, just like he always did.
“I’ll keep you company for the next hour and a half” continuing to rub my shoulders as he spoke. I was so very aware of how good he was making my body feel and it mostly annoyed me. The few others who had seated themselves nearby smiled at him, likely thinking that he was sweet. He bloody wasn’t. He was trying to wind me up. If only they knew him like I did. I did catch a few appreciative stares from some of the other women on the writing course too. I couldn’t blame them. He was objectively gorgeous.
“Great…” I muttered back in the most sarcastic tone I could muster. He seemed completely undeterred, that seemingly permanent smirk on his face, intent on winding me up for the duration of our seminar.
“I can hardly wait, Russo. Can you please sit your arse down?” I hissed at him, still being as sarcastic as I could.
“You mean my “fine arse” eh, Marrin? Isn’t that what you said yesterday?” He grinned at me, my expression that of disbelief. He would bloody use my own words against me.
“I don’t think I would say - you know what, never mind! For the love of all that is good, Russo, please can you just sit down?” I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I forgot how much he seemed to love pissing me off.
“I’m quite sure that our lecturer who will be arriving any moment, by the way, will probably not be a fan of you giving out shoulder massages in the middle of his talk.” I glanced across the room at the group of women who were giggling and looking at him.
“Not to mention” I nodded my head in their direction “your adoring fan club probably won’t be impressed either” it was my turn to feel smug then. The moment however, was very fleeting. He bent down, his head next to mine. He spoke softly so only I could hear him, his breath on my skin causing those sodding goosebumps again.
“I don’t really give a fuck what they think, I’m keeping my hands on you Marrin, one way or another. Judging by the way your body is reacting to me, you’ll like it too…” he trailed off. I stiffened at his words, feeling myself blushing as my mind wandered, traitor that it was. I imagined him moving his hands further down my chest, skimming over my cleavage, just a little below the neckline of my ridiculous bodysuit. Nope. Not going there. I just needed to get through an hour and a half of him being a big headed arsehole and then I could focus.
It was like he could read my mind, that knowing smirk on his face. He started moving his hands a little further down each time he rubbed my shoulders, causing my breath to hitch. He definitely noticed, pleased that he’d got yet another reaction out of me and my traitorous body (as well as my mind), he whisked his hands away, giving my arms a little squeeze before he did. I was both relieved and very aware of the loss at the same time.
Spencer then grabbed the chair next to me and made a big show of moving it closer to mine. His adoring fan club in the far corner of the seminar room were either giggling or glaring. The vast majority of the women were enjoying the show, but one of them was glaring daggers at me, clearly not enjoying me being on the receiving end of Spencers undivided attention. I decided to ignore them and rolled my eyes at him. Internally berating myself again for not thinking before I speak. Why my mouth decided it would be a good idea to tell him I’d had a huge crush on him when we’d worked together, my brain couldn’t quite work out… The two never could get their act together.
The course we were on was being hosted at Falmouth and Exeter University, with our accommodation nearby, this beautiful manor house that looked like something you’d see one of the Downton Abbey characters comfortably spending their summer. My room was absolutely amazing. There was a massive four poster bed, a huge bathroom with a walk-in shower. It was heaven.
Spencer and I had bumped into each other when I’d been grabbing myself a coffee over at the hotel between activities the day before. Despite my best friend Nina finding out Spencer was going to be there and sharing that information with me, I was still kind of shocked to see him. It had been so long since we’d last seen each other and we hadn’t exactly parted on good terms. I was surprised he’d even spoken to me, to be honest.
He’d sat down with me as soon as he spotted me, a huge smile on his face, catching me off guard. He acted like he hadn’t ghosted me out of nowhere. We’d obviously ended up chatting about the company we’d worked for back home in Manchester and all the people we’d worked with. My best friend Nina was one of those wonderful people. We’d all met there, working in the same department. Her and Spencer had become really good friends once I left, they were working together there for a while before they too, escaped.
We chatted about how relieved we were to leave or escape as we’d both described it. I wasn’t quite sure how we’d gotten on to the topic but, we’d been talking about how Spencer ends up with a fan club wherever he goes. He laughed, not quite believing me. I’d sworn that it was true that our friend Rayna and I had regularly giggled together about our huge crushes on him and how good he looked in his jeans, regularly checking out his ‘fine arse’ as she’d called it.
It really was yet another of my ‘speak first, engage brain later’ moments. I really needed to work on that. He’d seemed a little taken aback at first but that was quickly replaced by a look so smug that I knew in that moment I’d made a huge mistake. A mistake that I knew he was going to remind me about constantly.
Back in the seminar room, I was abruptly snapped out of my thoughts when I realised just how close Spencer had brought his chair to mine, his side brushing mine. Our knees were practically touching under the table too and they soon would be if he carried on with his incredibly annoying habit of manspreading. He’d always done that whenever I’d sat with him at work. I was forever wheeling him over to his side of the desk.
What did he even need all that room for anyway? I mean, I could think one thing… Nope. Definitely didn’t need to think of that in the middle of a now rather full seminar room when he was pretty much touching me again. I didn’t need to blush again or let him know that he was indeed getting to me. My mind however, had other ideas.
Despite being as aware as I was of Spencer’s knees now touching mine, I decided I wasn’t going to let him actually see he was getting to me anymore. That was the plan. I was super grateful of the distraction that our lecturer provided when he entered. He may have been a best selling author but you could tell he was still incredibly passionate about what he did with all the information we’d been given in the previous seminars throughout the morning. I had so many notes. It was glorious, getting to use all my stationary.
Maybe I would be able to concentrate on Tony’s words. It’s what I was here for, after all. Working on me and working on my book. Self care with a distance. The gorgeous man next to me, so desperately trying to wind me up would have to wait.
