***
Kevan strolled into the gym 15 minutes later, looking around at what appeared to be an old ballroom converted into a gym. Caleb glanced up, stopping what he was doing, when he heard her join him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself, knowing he was going to have to touch her, and wishing he had some of his brother’s legendary control. She might be right about him regretting his decision to let her stay, but he didn’t think so.
“You’re late,” he stated, trying to distract himself.
“We had to search for something that fit, seeing as I wasn’t expecting to be doing a workout today. Besides, your lady friend is a bit smaller than I am.” Caleb could see what she was talking about; the outfit showed her every curve, and he had to turn away so she didn’t see how it affected him. He made busy work, doing something with one of the pieces of equipment. He tried a couple more cleansing breaths, thinking of anything except how Kevan looked in the small work out top and stretch pants that clung to her in all the right places. Someone he couldn’t even recall had left the clothes behind; it had been quite some time since he’d had a woman in his house that wasn’t an employee, or family.
“Expect the unexpected,” he told her, turning back to face her, hoping he had himself under control.
“Expect the unexpected? What is that your motto?” Kevan questioned. “Hello,” she shouted to grab his attention.
“Uh, oh sorry, did you say something?” he asked, making Kevan smile. At least she knew that she wasn’t the only one feeling this intense attraction between them.
“No, nothing,” she told him innocently.
“Good, are you ready?” He tried to keep his eyes off her, and prepare himself mentally.
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.” Kevan shrugged.
Several hours later, Kevan landed flat on her back for the umpteenth time.
“Oh my gods,” she screamed, slapping her hands on the mats that covered the floors. “Fifteen years of martial arts training and I can’t even get the upper hand once. What the hell is wrong with this picture?” Caleb laughed at her frustration. “Not helping,” she spat at him.
“Then stop thinking like this is a competition. When you’re fighting you have to think in terms of it’s you or them. Your life will most likely depend on it,” he held out his hand, helping her to her feet. “In a life and death situation, anything that gives you the advantage is fair game.”
Kevan grasped his hand, letting him pull her back onto her feet. “So you’re telling me to use whatever means I have at my deposal, if it works to keep me alive.”
“Definitely,” Caleb told her. He pushed her to edge of the mat, restraining himself from slapping her ass, as his hand itched to do.
“Well, that’s really good to know,” Kevan told him, as she adjusted the waistband on her sweat pants, then ran her fingers through her short hair, giving him an eyeful of her very generous breasts straining within the too small top. Caleb lost all track of what he was doing, and without even thinking, reached out. Kevan reacted, grabbing his hand, turning slightly, throwing him off balance, as she pulled him over her shoulder, laying him flat out on his back. Caleb found himself staring at the ceiling instead of at a very generous pair of breasts, wondering what the hell just happened.
“Oh my gods!” she gasped, her hand over her mouth trying to repress her grin, “I can’t believe that worked.”
“Neither can I,” Caleb growled from flat on his back.
Kevan couldn’t hold it back when she saw the dumbfounded look on his face; her laughter echoed around the room as she realized what she’d done. She started dancing around his prone body, not paying any attention to him, just continuing to crow about laying him flat on his back. Leaning over to offer him her hand, he moved so fast Kevan wasn’t able to think, let alone react. One second she was looking down into Caleb’s face, and the next second she was looking up at him, as he held her pinned under his body, his legs straddling her hips, his desire pushing against her.
“How did you do that?” she whispered, watching as he leaned down, his lips only inches from hers.
“Expect the unexpected,” he told her, as he lowered his head, giving into the desire that they were both trying very hard to deny. Their lips touched gently at first, the taste exploding in their mouths, sending ripples of lust through their bodies. The gentle turned intense, as the raging inferno engulfed them. Kevan moaned with need, as she pushed her body against his, craving his touch. Both wished that the clothing between them wasn’t, and Kevan lost herself to his mouth devouring hers. Her arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer, his hands running up her body, as he ground against her pelvis in a rhythm as old as time, cupping her breasts with his large hands, stroking them.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” a voice asked from across the room, making them both jump.
“Oh damn,” Caleb groaned, as he looked up seeing the man leaning causally against the doorframe. “Niall, your timing always did suck.”
“Well, how was I to know that you were going to be attempting a seduction in the middle of the gym? You should have left a towel, or whatever is it that roommates do to warn the others that they are entertaining.”
“Niall,” Kevan whispered, staring at Caleb, thinking it couldn’t get much worse. Caleb rolled off Kevan, jumping to his feet as he pulled her up.
“Caleb, you’re a terrible host,” Niall drawled.
“Excuse me?” Caleb questioned his body still raging with need, and now frustration.
“You haven’t introduced me to your lady friend.” He smiled as he walked across the room, and took a hold of Kevan’s hand, raising it to his lips to kiss the back of her knuckles.
“Kevan Cameron,” she told him, staring in total shock.
“I’m charmed,” Niall informed her, with a smile that exposed his dimples.
“No, I believe you’re Niall, Prince Niall,” Kevan said, closing her eyes to withdraw the emotion still flashing within, “They’ve been expecting you.”
“Oh really,” Niall gave her a wolfish grin, making Kevan blush. “I would say the last thing you were expecting, was me.”
“Niall, knock it off,” Caleb growled at him.
“Knock what off?” he teased Caleb.
“You know,” Caleb warned him. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you’d be at Roderic’s checking on Marcus?”
“I was, but I was ordered out of his room by someone named Eve. I was tiring him out with my stories of all my adventures of late, at least that’s what she told me. I gotta tell you, I don’t think I’d want to be on her bad side.”
Kevan laughed, “Eve can be a bit over protective, especially when it comes to her patients.”
“Yes, I saw that much. I would have stayed to catch up with Roderic, but he was in some kind of million dollar business negotiation, at least according to Catherine, and I definitely didn’t want to interrupt that.” He gave them a sly smile.
“I phoned Kayne, and he told me that you were here, so I thought I would come and see one of my oldest friends. Hell, I’d been here almost an hour, talking with Brody and Kayne, before I came looking for you, and found you doing what comes naturally.”
Caleb’s face turned bright red at Niall’s not so subtle dig. Kevan took one look at him, and burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry for my timing, but really Caleb, after all these years; one would think you would have the seduction thing down. But if but if you need any pointers, I would be more than happy to assist,” Niall teased.
Kevan turned away, laughing at the rising embarrassment in Caleb’s face. The laughter felt good. She hadn’t known Caleb for long, but the curling of his fist showed just how much he wanted to punch his friend in the mouth. It was somewhat reassuring that immortality didn’t negate emotions like embarrassment and modesty.
“You’ve misread the situation,” Kevan tried assuring Niall, attempting to help Caleb out of
the embarrassing situation.
“That would be a first, but if I did misunderstand, I’m very sorry,” Niall smirked.
“Yes, Caleb is training me,” Kevan explained in a business tone.
“Training huh,” Niall nodded, “Is that what they call it nowadays?” Enjoying himself too much to stop, even though he could see Caleb’s building anger, “I think I would enjoy that type of training; very educational.” He gave Kevan a wink. It was all Kevan could do not to burst out laughing again.
“He’s teaching me how to fight,” she stated, trying to be serious.
“Really, so Caleb, tell me, what do they call the technique you were demonstrating, the art of necking?” Niall asked, as a look of panic on Caleb’s face sent them into another fit of laughter.
“Oh, really funny,” Caleb growled.
“I think it’s wrestling 101,” Kevan threw back at Niall.
“I’d have to say I like that fighting technique. I’m going to have to use it the next time I go into battle, tongue wrestling,” Niall chimed in, sending them off into another fit of laughter, tears streaming down their faces, as they continued batting one bad pun after another, until Caleb finally had had enough. He stormed out of the room, shooting a look of disgust over his shoulder at the two idiots rolling on the floor.
Finally, the laughter died down. Kevan sat up wiping the last of the tears off her face, “I should be really pissed at you,” she informed him.
“And what would that accomplish?” he questioned her.
“It would make me feel so much better,” Kevan informed him. “He’s really choked,” she snickered, looking in the direction Caleb had stormed off in.
“He’s a big boy, he’ll get over it,” Niall shrugged.
Kevan got serious, looking to Niall. “Did you know this whole time?”
“No,” he declared, “I had no idea, it wasn’t until Catherine told me that the guys had found the girls …” she shot him a look, “fine, the women, the descendants of Daphne, and one of them was named Kevan Cameron. I started to wonder if it might be a possibility. Seriously, how many Kevan Cameron’s in the world can there be?”
“Not many like me, I would expect,” Kevan admitted to him. “So why didn’t you phone and tell me before you got here?”
“Yeah, I can see it now. It would go something like this, Hey friend, guess what? I’m an immortal warrior, and we’ve been searching for you since your family disappeared from our lives 75 years ago. Why have we been searching? Because we need your help to fulfill a reading an oracle gave to us about two thousand years ago,” Niall shook his head. “Not a conversation for over the phone. I think you would have been even more pissed than you are now. This way I had the surprise option working for me, and the most I risked was a punch in the nose, and not the men with the funny white coats.”
“I’m still thinking about it,” Kevan warned him, “the punch, not the straight jacket, but I haven’t ruled that out completely either.”
Niall gave her a long look. “Damn, you look great,” he told her.
“Thanks, so do you, considering I now know you’re much older than the 28 you’ve claimed.”
“What can I say? I hold my age well, even by our standards.” His grin showed a long practiced confidence, his ego still intact.
“I’ll say,” Kevan let the sarcasm go. “It’s great to see you again. It seems like forever, but of course, you’d know more about that than I would.”
“Ha ha, very funny,” Niall laughed.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard your voice, and it was really you standing there.”
“I can certainly say, seeing you and Caleb doing the horizontal mambo wasn’t what I was expecting when I walked in here, either.”
Kevan blushed. “He really has agreed to train me,” she tried to explain.
“Train you for what?” he questioned her.
“Nige... I mean Niall. Hey, why go by Nigel instead of Niall?”
“I don’t know. You misunderstood me the first time, and I rather liked being someone else for a change. Nigel, is a twenty some man, without a care in the world, while Niall has responsibilities.”
“It’ll take some getting used to. When they talked about this Prince Niall coming, I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be you.”
“I wasn’t expecting what I walked in on.” Kevan looked at the floor unsure what to say. “Kevan, its fine, Caleb is one of my oldest friends; you’re perfect for each other.”
“We only just met last night!” Kevan argued.
“Chemistry is chemistry, don’t fight it,” Niall informed her.
Kevan shook her head at Niall’s statement. “Have you been talking to Kaitlyn?” she asked him.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she told him. “So are you going to give me the 4-1-1 on everything, or do I have to beat it out of you?” she threatened. “If you remember, I had your ass on the floor …” Kevan stopped. “Oh gods, you let me win,” she whispered, as it suddenly dawned on her.
“Let you win? Of course I wouldn’t!” Niall stated innocently, looking straight into her eyes.
Kevan watched for his tell and snapped. “Why?”
“Kevan,” he tried to explain.
“No, you’re such a bastard, you did too. You let me win.”
“Don’t get upset,” Niall tried to calm her.
“Don’t tell me not to get upset, you lied to me for how long? Gods, I feel like such a fool. Thinking I was such a good fighter, but you could’ve had me on the floor in seconds,” she threw at him. “I thought we were friends, but I guess I was wrong on that one.” She started to walk away.
“You’re being completely ridiculous, you know,” he told her. “What could I say, I’m sorry, you will never be able to best me. I’m bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter.”
“Oh gods, aren’t we a bit arrogant! I’m not stupid, no matter what you may think. I would’ve understood, given our size differences, it’d make sense. I’ve gone around thinking I was so much better than I am, because you were afraid to show you could beat me. I didn’t get you once, did I? You let me think I was so good, when I really sucked.” Kevan gave him a look that made him feel like a shit. “That’s not being a true friend.”
“I was being the best friend I knew how to be, while not letting you know what I really am, and you don’t suck, you’re actually very good.”
“Just not as good as you, right?”
“Kevan,” Niall pleaded.
“No Nige…” she stopped herself, “I’m sorry Niall, Prince Niall. I understand the protecting yourself, but you didn’t have to let me win, my ego isn’t that fragile, it would have just made me try harder to beat you.” With that, she walked away leaving Niall sitting in the middle of the gym floor, watching her with a look of worry on his face.