The Only Way is Up

Part Sixteen

A/N Thanks to Kaisha for yet another wonderful cover. This one is amazing. :)

Chapter Sixteen

All the way over Max had felt inadequate, the collar was choking him, the shirt was tight, it was SO long since he'd worn a tie, let alone a bow tie, it was all so restrictive. He'd booked them a driver to get them to the ball, no expense spared, and he'd bought her flowers. But all his anxiety disappeared as she opened the door and stood there looking...edible. He didn't pay much attention to the detail of her dress, other than it caressed her body like a dream, he was sure it was beautiful. When he noticed her perfectly manicured nails, even when she looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards in the gym, he realised that she was normally glamorous, it had only served to show him in more clarity the effect her ex had had on her.

Today it wasn't the fripperies of clothing that made him smile, it was the look on her face, fear, anxiety, all the things he'd come to expect - but as soon as her eyes settled on him they warmed, she half smiled. He loved that he did that to her. Leaving her luminous eyes, he let his own drift down over the pale column of her neck beneath her scooped up and enticing hair, the extremely fine silver chain, the small silver heart that hung from it, nestling an inch or two above her cleavage. All the time they'd been acquaintances and then more latterly friends, he knew that she had an inner beauty, but even he was flawed by how sultry, how captivating she was. The dress stooped deeply between her perfectly rounded breasts, and revealed that she wasn't wearing a bra, and that was something that seemed to defy gravity. Trying to fight his reaction to that, he kept up his slow leisurely study.

The rest of the dress flowed around her like water, and rippled at her feet, completing the vision of flawlessness. She didn't need him on her arm; she could take on the world alone. If only if she had the strength and confidence that she'd lost.

Swallowing, his throat suddenly dry, he offered, "you look...amazing."

She blushed, so unused to taking compliments, then she returned to looking anxious. "What's wrong?"

Nicole shrugged, "I just don't know if I can go through with this."

She'd come so far, it almost broke him to see her lose it all. Shaking his head he reached forward and cupped her chin, lifting her face so that she couldn't avoid his gaze, "don't give up, not now. You will outshine every woman in that room tonight, I guarantee. Every man will want you, and equally, they'll all see that you have me devoted. I'll be that man tonight with no hardship."

Handing her the flowers, he smiled, "you're not wearing shoes?" When she shook her head he spotted them on the floor across the hall, diamante shoes that made him think of Cinderella.

Dropping her chin, he stepped past her and reached for them, then squatting down he slid each shoe onto the foot she exposed for him.

When he returned to his full height, the heels gave her a few inches, and her eyes were level with his chin, she was usually pocket-sized, almost a foot shorted than him, but now...he could see clearly into her eyes.

"Let's do this?"

She stared at him for a long moment, then nodded, "ok."

Maxim had taken her to a wine bar a block from the hotel with the ballroom that was the location for tonight's party. Nicole was perched on a stool in a corner of the already busy room, watching Maxim at the bar buying them a drink. He was a devastating man in gym clothes, but the dinner suit seemed to coat him like a glove, emphasising all his best bits - broad shoulders, firm chest and slim hips. He was epitome of tall, dark and handsome at any time, but today, dressed to kill, clean shaven...he was commanding. She almost shuddered at that. Then he turned to look at her, passing a dazzling smile her way, and that only enhanced the tingles that shot through her body.