28
That night, Isis sat in her hotel room waiting for Gage. He went to the club with the guys so they wouldn’t think he and Isis were sleeping together. He didn’t want anyone to harass her. Only he could do that. A knock came at the door, expecting Gage to be there.
“Flowers for Miss Evans.”
“Oh. Thank you. Let me give you a tip.” She turned to grab her purse.
“No, ma’am. That’s been taken care of. They instructed me to not let you do that. Here, there’s a card. Have a nice evening,” the bellhop said as he turned and left.
Smelling the roses, she looked at the card.
My goddess,
Come to my room in half an hour. Don’t talk. This is a lesson in listening.
Your sweet tormentor.
Gage
Isis assumed that meant to not say anything at all. She rolled her eyes with a giggle at his silly request. This would not be easy. She knew Gage’s mouth would eventually make her angry enough to pop off something at him. Or finally knock him out completely.
She showered and wore a simple light pink spaghetti strap dress that went past her knees. Keeping her look simple and pretty, she wanted to show who she was outside of the ring. Something he had yet to see.
Isis made her way to the room next to hers, adjusting her dress as she prepared to knock on the door. Gage had insisted she have a room beside him since the day she started, and she believed it was a way of being controlling. In reality, he just wanted to ensure her safety from the madness of being a celebrity.
Isis knocked on the door, and she heard Gage opening from the other side. His hand rested on the door frame with his tall, handsome self, looking like something straight out of a romance novel. His white button-up shirt opened, revealing his perfectly sculpted abs. Looking her over, licking his lips as he gave her a sly smile.
“You look pretty. I like this. Simple but beautiful.”
Isis blushed, smiling back at him sheepishly, too nervous to speak. So far she was okay but wasn’t sure it would last. Standing quietly, she put her hands behind her, intertwining her fingers, trying to not make eye contact. She was nervous, and it showed. Gage had a way about him that made her melt into a ball of nerves in his presence.
Opening the door, he stepped aside to allow her way in, smiling from ear to ear as she gracefully walked past. It was sweet, how innocent she seemed.
Isis went past him, noticing how immaculate the room looked. “Figures. He’s a control freak,” she thought.
“Did you get the flowers I sent?”
“I did. They were beautiful. Thank you.” She turned to him.
He chuckled under his breath, going over and putting his finger on her lips. “Shhh. No talking, remember?” he said with a wink.
She shook her head yes, sort of laughing inside. So, this was the game he played.
“Now. Where should we begin? You always seem to have a smart remark for everything. So tonight, say nothing unless I instruct otherwise. You use your words to hide your insecurity and we need to work on that. I want to see you become a confident woman with a voice without being combative. I think your argumentative side comes out when you feel insecure. Please... have a seat.” He motioned her to the couch in his suite.
Thinking about what he said, Isis couldn’t argue that fact. That was exactly what she did. Either she would cry and get upset or argue when she felt threatened. A result of years of bullies making her feel worthless, but she wasn’t willing to admit that to herself just yet. That would mean admitting they made her feel weak.
“We also need to do something about your lack of confidence. You need to see that you are beautiful inside and out. When we first met, you used your body to seduce me, like I’m an immature teenager. I can have any woman I want, but I don’t want just any woman. I want one with confidence and grace. Someone who I can care for, allowing me to be a man in the relationship, but still knows her worth. I guess you wonder why I am so adamant about controlling my surroundings. Other women tried to dominate me. They try to use their sexuality to manipulate me, just like you did. I’m a smart man. It doesn’t work. I know who I am and what I want.”
She shook her head, understanding. He was right. She used her sexuality to gain his attention. She remembered her thoughts then. Thinking all men ever wanted was sex and a woman’s body. It only made sense to assume so when factoring in the behavior he had been displaying.
“Isis, I have certain specific needs. I don’t like for women to use their bodies to seduce me. If I’m attracted to someone, I’ll let them know. What people don’t understand is that women like those ring rats at work are a dime a dozen. I never cared about looks. It’s the person. You assume since I have women around all the time I must sleep with them.”
Her eyes grew wide. That’s exactly what she thought.
“I don’t sleep around. I’ve learned I want someone who can commit to me fully. I didn’t have any of that with Summer. I spent a lot of time trying to hold my sexual desires back because we didn’t have the trust we should have had in our marriage.”
He looked annoyed at that thought. Summer pretended to be his true love. She manipulated him for money and fame, denying him any semblance of who he once was. He became more of her servant and cash cow than a husband.
He continued, “I dominate in the ring and bed. I’m a very giving lover. I like to make my woman happy. Since I started this concept, I have yet to find a woman that fills my needs, but you’re different.”
Isis smiled, hoping he was saying he wanted to explore this with her.
“I think since you want to learn, maybe I can teach you. I am attracted to you sexually. I’m sure you realize that by now. I’m a little old-fashioned; one man and one woman. I don’t share with anyone. This is not all about sex and I need you to understand that up-front.” He sat on the other side of the couch and leaned back into the corner, crossing his legs. “Do you have questions?”
“Is that all you think of me? Someone to fulfill your sexual desires?” She stopped, afraid to say too much.
“Not entirely. I find you very intriguing. When you’re talking to Derek or Jacob, I listen. You’re highly intelligent. You read a lot of classic novels and discuss important topics. I saw you were reading poetry from Emily Dickinson today.”
“I love to read and learn.”
He smiled. “That’s one of the many things I find special about you. You get excited when Jacob or I show you something new, or you’re learning things backstage with the crew. I love how smart you are. Cyrus told me once that he and his wife tried to show you the world through your education, and it shows. He said you would be something great one day. He didn’t think it would be wrestling. He figured you would be a ballet dancer or a rocket scientist.”
Isis bit her lip to hold back her emotions of thinking about her caring cousin. He meant so much to her. She had no idea he talked about her so much. Cyrus knew her better than anyone, even though he thought it was Wraith who she always confided in.
“What happened when you didn’t go to Juilliard? It’s the biggest art school in the world. Cyrus used to brag constantly about you.”
She looked down with sad eyes. A lump swelling in her chest. “I can’t answer that. It’s a long story.”
“Please try. Remember to submit everything.”
Isis took a breath. “It’s hard to talk about. I hated myself when I was younger. I had an eating disorder because I felt fat and ugly. I was a chubby kid for most of my life. Holly and I were both bullied, but I got the worst of it. A lot of her bullies came from her trying to defend me. It was hard being in a family with the Doom brothers. People would try to fight us all the time. I wasn’t tough like Holly.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you. Kids can be cruel.”
She gave him the side-eye. “So can adults.”
Gage nodded. “Touché."
“My dad was dying and the only way I could feel any control was with my weight. I couldn’t tell my sick father I was being bullied. I was his baby girl, and it would have broken his heart. To feel in control, I starved myself and became obsessed with working out. It was Cyrus who helped me deal with my eating disorder. Everything around me was whirling out of control. When I feel threatened, I go back to the memories of my past.”
She stopped before she cried while thinking about the tournament she endured. Taking a huge breath, she cautiously looked over at him. Watching him run his fingers through his long, luxurious hair, she wasn’t sure if she should tell him so much. Would he use the information against her? The last-ditch effort to hold power over her.
“I know you lost your chance to go to that school. Cyrus never said why.”
He adjusted his position, showing he wasn’t trying to be threatening. He wanted to calm her and felt her vulnerability. He reached over, taking her hand, and ran his thumb over her fingers.
“Isis, you can trust me.”
Looking into his eyes, she wondered if she could trust him. The confession of truths of her past may destroy her all over again, and would he even understand?
