Chapter 1 – First Impressions

His biceps were on fire. Actually every muscle in his body was on fire. The workout he had just put himself and his stable mate and brother through was fuckin crazy. He caught the towel that Dean tossed over to him before wiping the sweat that caked his face and neck. He also caught the bottle of water Dean tossed to him as well.

"Jesus Christ bro, you're going to be the death of me with these workouts." Dean stated before removing the white beater and tossing it over his shoulder.

Roman Reigns grey orbs landed on the man he considered a brother. They'd traveled the roads so much since they were in FCW/NXT together and then to be called up to the main roster of the WWE the same time for form the 'Shield' stable with Seth Rollins was damn near a dream come true. Roman wasn't nearly as close with Seth and they often bumped heads a lot but he was damn good in the ring and there was never any denying that.

Roman's chuckle filled the locker room of the gym. "Don't be such a pussy man. Feel the burn." Roman picked up a clean towel after stripping off his grey beater and pulling the black elastic band from his long raven ringlets. He then tossed a clean towel to Dean. "C'mon bro we need to get showered up and head to the arena. We've got a roster meeting before Monday Night Raw starts." Roma headed into the first singles shower and pulled the curtain closed as he discarded his basketball shorts and boxer/briefs on the floor before he stepped into the hot water and groaned as it started massaging his burning sore muscles.

An hour later He pulled his dark jeans on with black sneakers, a black form fitting t-shirt. He combed all the snarls out of her hair before he pulled it back into a loose bun at the nape of his neck, than secured his watch around his left wrist.

Roman watched as Dean stuffed his dirty laundry and other clean clothes into the same bag. Roman couldn't help chuckling; Dean was definitely one of the more messy guys he'd ever traveled with, but the man was always on time. Nothing like Rollins; he was a perfectionist but had issues with always running late. Roman picked up his duffle bag.

Dean hefted his bag over his shoulder. "C'mon man, shake a leg."

Roman chuckled as he followed.

Roman and Dean dumped off their bags in their locker room and started making their way down to the conference room; both carrying their coffee they had to stop at Starbucks to get to wake themselves up more for the event later that night.

Roman felt a nudge as he looked to his right and chuckled when he saw his cousin Jimmy Uso, carrying his fiancée Charisma Washington over his shoulder. Jimmy had a twin named Jey. Jimmy and Jey were the twin sons of Rikishi. Rikishi's father married Roman's aunt Vera and had Rikishi and Rikishi married Talisua and had the twins plus 3 other kids.

Roman's father was Sika and his uncle is Afa; they were the Wild Samoan's when they were in the WWE.

Roman smirked. "Excuse me Uce I hate tell you this, but you've got this lump attached to your shoulder you should really see the trainer about having that removed."

Jimmy couldn't help letting his boisterous laughter echo down the hallway.

"Bite the big one Roman!" Charisma stated as she slapped Jimmy on his jean covered ass.

"Hey! No foreplay woman! We bout to go into this meeting I don't need to be in there with a half chub." Jimmy growled as he returned the favor and slapped her jean covered ass as well.

Roman chuckled. "You two deserve each other."

Jimmy and Charisma both started laughing. "Man, don't be making fun of my love bug." Jimmy chuckled out as he shoved Roman. This really didn't move the bigger Samoan man; Roman was only about an inch taller and a few pounds of muscle heavier – so pushing him wasn't really going to faze him unless someone took a running jump at him.

Roman, Dean, Jimmy and Charisma walked into the conference room and took their seats around the huge table. They were waiting for the rest of the roster and of course Stephanie and Hunter. Roman's grey orbs looked up as he watched a raven haired woman walk into the conference room and took a seat up at the front facing the roster.

God she was beautiful.

Her raven hair stopped at her waist and was FULL of corkscrew curls. She had a pair of thin black rimmed glasses perched on her head and her deep sea blue eyes sparkled. She had on a plain black sleeveless dress that had pockets on the hips. The dress hugged every curve of her body and those DAMN were some dangerous curves. She had curvy thighs and an ass that wouldn't quit. It was rare to find a girl with the hips, thighs and ass she had with the tiny waist. Her breasts were a solid C cup at least.

His eyes snapped away from the raven corkscrew beauty as Stephanie, Hunter and Jenaya James – Stephanie's assistant walked into the conference room.

"Okay everyone let's get started." Stephanie announced.

Stephanie stood in the front and spoke about the script changes for the night and who was out on injuries.

Roman couldn't keep his eyes off of her. The mysterious nameless woman sitting to Stephanie's immediate right.

To him first impressions were everything and she was definitely piquing his interest.

MacKenzie was so nervous. She'd been told by the law firm she worked for in Stamford Connecticut that she was going on the road with one of their biggest clients from now on. She had no idea it would the WWE. She'd always been a huge fan and She tried not to miss the televised events but working for a law firm as a paralegal was definitely more time consuming than she ever imagined.

She was sitting with her hands in her lap as she listened to Stephanie address the Superstars and Divas. She felt her blackberry vibrate as she pulled her glasses down and read the text and frowned. When would her ex-boyfriend get a damn life? He always knew just what to say to make her insecure about herself. She swallowed as she placed her glasses back on top of her head and locked her phone.

MacKenzie looked up and noticed someone's grey eyes locked onto her. She swallowed hard and felt herself shrink back slightly. He was a huge guy. If the way he filled out that black t-shirt wasn't an indication than the tattoo that came down his arm and ended at his wrist was. She swallowed once more as her eyes returned to Stephanie who cleared her throat.

"Our legal team at Titan Towers has decided they want us to have a paralegal on tour with us at all time. It's clearly for legal reasons so please make her feel welcome. Everyone this is MacKenzie Brewman. She is usually the one who draws up your contracts for matches and also for the company. She will be with us from now on. Be patient with her until she's learned everyone's name and please also remember she'd not a wrestler so if you knock her over or run into her be gentle. She doesn't need a concussion or broken bones."

An hour later everyone was breaking for the bathroom and water. Dean took off outside of the arena to get a smoke in.

Charisma had been stuck between him and Jimmy during the meeting which was never good since they constantly screwed with each other back and forth. She finally had to pinch them both in the sides so they would cut their shit.

She looked Roman as she nudged him. "Is something on your mind soon to be cousin-in-law?"

Roman chuckled. "Just thinking is all." Roman had a good relationship with Charisma; they had all trained together down in FCW/NXT; which was how she'd met Jimmy and where she first fell for him.

"My goodness Mr. Reigns, it wouldn't have anything to do with the curvy paralegal in front of the room would it?" Charisma asked with a smirk.

Roman chuckled as he ran his hand over his goatee and couldn't help nodding. "Yes…Yes I do believe she has caught my interest."

"Be gentle Ro. She's sweet and she has a really great laugh, but she's got some insecurity issues. They tend to show up at the most opportune times and will grate on all your nerves, but it's really not her fault." Charisma stated softly.

Roman raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "What do you mean Char?"

Charisma swallowed as she sighed softly. "She had a boyfriend who she dated for a really long time – like years…No one knew but he was such an asshole to her. He would call her fat ass and believe me that's a nice one. He did it to her for years and finally they got engaged and a few weeks before the wedding he told her he couldn't marry her because he couldn't be seen with a fat girl; he was done being a chubby chaser and he needed a thin girl to make him look better."

Roman's eyebrows dropped to the bridge of his nose which was always a good indication that he was highly pissed off. "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously.

"Very much so I'm afraid. Once again she's a sweet girl and clearly intelligent if she's a paralegal." Charisma stated again.

"How do you know all this?" Roman asked trying not to sound completely disgusted about the information he'd just been given.

"Actually she helped negotiate my contract with WWE and ever since we talk on the phone a lot and when I'm in Connecticut we go for dinner or the movies and every once in a while she comes down to Tampa for the law firm and we go out. She's a good friend to have." Charisma stated. "In fact I see my girl coming this way right now. Excuse me gentlemen."

Roman watched as the raven haired woman stood up; walking over and she and Charisma embraced tightly.

"Oh my gosh chica. How have you been?" Char beamed.

MacKenzie smiled softly. "Good, I was supposed to come down to Tampa next week, but apparently they had other plans for me. I guess I'll be on the road with you guys from now on."

Charisma smiled. "Good because I've been dying for a girl's night. Jimmy hates it when I pick chick-flicks and make him watch them all the way through." She stated as she threw a thumb over her shoulder.

MacKenzie giggled as she watched both men stand up behind Charisma; her eyes widened and she took a step back.

Charisma knew that look. "It's okay chica. They are big but they are teddy bears; the both of them actually. This one is Jimmy Uso; you've heard plenty about him and his antagonistic twin Jey. That one is their cousin Roman Reigns. Roman, Jimmy this is MacKenzie."

Jimmy shook her hand as she shyly put it out there. "It's nice to finally meet the person who sends more text messages and e-mails to my girl than me."

"Ugh Jimmy…" Charisma groaned out as she rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, he's just jealous. I have a special relationship with my phone when I set it to vibrate and put it in my back pocket." She snickered out as MacKenzie joined her in the laugh.

MacKenzie turned her attention to Roman as she once again shyly put her hand out. "Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Reigns." She stated softly.

Her voice was soft as well as her hands and damn if both didn't make his pulse race. "It's Roman sweetheart."

His tenor voice sent a cluster of chills through her body as his warm hand griped hers and she felt a tingle slide up her arm; she supposed the need to gasp at his touch as she nodded. "Roman it is then."

His name tumbling off her lips was just about the most erotic thing and it shot a euphoric feeling to his groin. His grey eyes looked over every curve of her body. She was probably about 5'9 but her heels made her a couple of inches taller and she looked about 135; maybe 140lbs. She looked damn healthy but he could also tell she was slightly skittish around the bigger talent especially when she stepped back the second he and Jimmy stood and towered over her. He was slightly curious if the ex physically harmed her; her flappable nature told him her ex probably was not only verbally but physically abusive towards her.

"Kenzie, how are you getting along?"

MacKenzie jerked her hand out of Roman's as her eyes snapped over and she saw Stephanie's assistant Jenaya walking over. She smiled softly as she accepted a soft hug from someone she'd gotten to know very well since being at the law firm. Any time she needed to know something about the WWE or the contracts she could call Jenaya and vice versa. They talked usually on a daily basis. Charisma accepted a hug from Jenaya as well.

Kenzie smiled softly. "I'm doing okay. I'm just hoping I can get rid of my jetlag and hoping it doesn't hit me every time I step off a damn plane. I almost got ran over twice in the hallway. Is it always this chaotic?"

"No sometimes it's worse." Jenaya stated with a smirk. She turned her eyes to Roman and Jimmy. "Tell Ambrose is he doesn't stop making comments about my ass in whatever pants I have on; I'm sticking my foot up his."

Roman chuckled. "You know he can't help himself."

"Yea you know I can't help myself."

Kenzie and Jenaya both squeaked out; as Dean's voice startled both women. He smirked and walked by them both. "And you do have a great ass in those pants." He stated cheekily as he popped a piece of gum in his mouth to kill his tobacco breath.

"Ugh Ambrose; either stop talking about my ass or pick another body part!" Jenaya stated in frustration before the stomped her foot on the floor.

Dean chuckled. "Well you do have a nice set of…" He was cut off when Charisma leaned over and put her hand over his mouth.

"Dean for the sake of everyone; do not finish that statement." She scolded before she took her hand away and smacked the back of his head. "At least let MacKenzie get used to your foul mouth before you start scaring her away with your bluntness.

Dean chuckled. "What? I didn't say it…yet…" He chuckled harder as Jenaya growled at him before turning away and going back to the front of the room.

"This is definitely an interesting group of people." MacKenzie stated softly.

"You don't even know the half Kenz." Charisma teased.

Mackenzie nodded as she turned and walked back towards the front of the table; taking her seat once again, but she could FEEL eyes on her yet again and when she peeked up she could see Roman staring at her. She really wasn't sure what to think at this point, but she wouldn't read too much into it.