by Natalie Ann
“There are a lot of causes out there that are right and good. Why mine?” he asked. He wanted to see if there was more going on. Or maybe he was seeing and hoping for something that wasn’t there.
“Because I like you as a person. You stopped me from getting drunk at Ella’s wedding. Even though it was your idea.”
He laughed and was happy that she was trying to lighten the mood. “My attempt was to relax you, not get you drunk. I thought your father was going to deck me when he heard that.”
“He wouldn’t dare.”
“He’s protective of his little girl. Anyone can see that.”
A fire leapt into her eyes he didn’t expect. “I’m not a little girl.”
“You’ll always be his even if you want to prove to everyone you’re tougher than you are.”
“I’m pretty tough,” she argued.
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
She let out a breath. “It’s amazing to me how well you think you know me or aren’t afraid to speak your mind.”
“I think I know you more than you want to admit, but we can let it drop.”
“That’s fine with me,” she said. “So how’s the house hunt coming?”
“I haven’t even started. I need to. The apartment living isn’t going to cut it for long. I need a gym to work out in and I really don’t want to go to one. The college is out of the question for me based on my intern’s reaction alone whenever I’m around. I’m not sure I want to go to the hospital gym either and have my ear talked off.”
“You haven’t found a place to get a membership?” she asked. “There are plenty around.”
“There are. But they are filled with people I don’t want to associate with.”
“People like who?” she asked.
“That want to talk and prance around, show off. I want to show up and do my workout and leave. Right now I’m doing the shit I did when I was on missions. Where I just use what is available around me. But I’d like to do more.”
He didn’t want to admit he needed to do more to get his strength back. That would be like admitting he was weak when he’d never do that.
“I know of a place that isn’t too bad later at night or early in the morning.”
“Where’s that?” he asked.
“The gym in my complex.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t live there.”
“No, but I could get you in as a guest if we went the same time.”
“And why would you do that?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to see her in some skimpy workout attire. Or have her see the damage done to his body.
Then he had to remind himself this was the new him and he had nothing to be ashamed of. He couldn’t wear long pants his whole life. She’d seen him in shorts already but he’d had that brace covering his whole leg.
Now it was just a mixture of scars all over the place from pins and shrapnel.
Had his mother requested a plastic surgeon work on him? She had, but at the time everyone was more concerned with saving his leg rather than the scars and there was no way he was going to see one now. He didn’t want any more surgeries. He just wanted to move on.
And when had he ever doubted himself or his ability before?
Cocky and confident? That had always been him. Even when he was the new kid in another school or country again and again.
He’d learned to put that chip on his shoulder and no one ever knocked it off.
Yet this little slip of a woman was making it wobble more than any drill sergeant ever had.
“I’m not allowed to be nice?” she asked. “You said you were having a hard time finding a place. I know it’s just temporary. I work out every day so it’s not a hardship on me.”
“What time do you work out?” he asked. Might as well consider it. Maybe it’d be enough to kick any fears he had in his head out the way they came. Fast and furious.
“It depends on my schedule. Normally I try to get there early in the morning when not many others do. But I can be flexible and go after dinnertime.”
“Mornings are good for me. I’ve been getting to the office around eight,” he said. “Are there showers there for me to just get ready and go right to work?”
“Locker rooms but no showers since most people live there. I’ve got two bathrooms. You are more than welcome to get ready at my place.”
“Really?” he asked. “You don’t think that’s pushing it?” He knew it was for him. How the hell was he going to control his body if he knew she was in the house with him naked?
She started to laugh. “Brock, you’re making me think you might have a thing for me and I scare you. Is that possible?”
Damn her for calling him out on it. “What if I did?” he asked, putting her on the spot. “Think you can handle it if I’m there undressed in another room?”
She gulped. Damn. This was so worth it. She was feeling some of what he was. Son of a bitch.
“With a name like Fierce?” she asked. “I can handle just about anything thrown my way.”
“Fine,” he said. “We can try it this week. Tell me the best time and day for you.”
“Tomorrow. Why wait? I’ll text you my address. Is six too early for you? I need time to get ready in the morning and I work out from anywhere between thirty and sixty minutes. Depends what I’m doing that day.”
“Six tomorrow it is,” he said, knowing this might be the biggest challenge he was going to face since he left the service. Being naked and alone with Jade Fierce and seeing which one of them could hold out the longest because he had a feeling she was going to make him work for it.
Especially when the bill came forty minutes later and she reached for it. “What are you doing?” he said, ready for a tug of war.
“Paying.”
“No,” he said.
“Yes,” she said back. “This is a business meeting. Fierce Engineering is covering the tab.”
“No,” he said again. “I can pay for dinner with a woman. Especially one that is doing me a favor.”
“What favor is that?” she asked, not letting go of the tab.
“The gym tomorrow.”
“That’s personal,” she said. “This is business.” She gave it a final tug and it was let go or have it ripped. He wasn’t going to be that childish.
“Fine. Then personally, I owe you dinner for getting me into your gym.”
She laughed at him. “See, that wasn’t so hard to compromise, was it, Brock?”
She had no idea.
9
Her Shield Up
The next morning Jade was up earlier than normal and taking more time than necessary finding the right exercise outfit to wear.
She was just going to get hot and sweaty but then reminded herself there were more parts of her that were going to get all...hot and sweaty.
Like she did with the rest of her wardrobe, she made sure she looked good when she worked out. When she stepped foot out of her house period. Very few people saw her looking anything other than perfectly groomed.
Even when she woke up in the morning, her hair was still in a ponytail or in a bun, her makeup scrubbed clean the night before. She might not be made up, but she didn’t look disheveled.
Growing up with three brothers didn’t cause her to be that way. Not to the extent of not wanting them to see her sleepy with makeup smeared on her face.
Nope. Living at college in the dorms did. There were some mean and nasty girls out there. She stayed to herself as much as she could but it didn’t matter.
She socialized, she partied, she had fun. But she kept her distance because she’d seen what those girls could do to anyone they didn’t feel was worthy of them.
Too many times she’d overheard someone being bashed or trashed for how they looked, even when the girl was trying to look good.
But if you got up on the wrong side of the bed and looked it, you were singled out more. Which was stupid really because in her eyes most college kids rolled out
of bed and went to class in sweats, leggings, or shorts.
She supposed it stemmed from those girls that always wanted to steal a man, but then had days where they were unkempt and that’s where it came about. She wasn’t sure but she’d been singled out enough in her life and really didn’t want to deal with it in college.
So she did what she always did. She squared her shoulders and adapted to what was around her while putting her shield up.
When she heard a knock at her door she rushed to open it. Her townhouse was on the end, two stories, so she really didn’t have much chance of the knock waking a neighbor up, but she didn’t want to test it either.
“A few minutes early,” she said to Brock. Good thing she was up early too and ready for him. Not that she was positive she could ever be ready for the sight of him or how it affected her body.
“Are you sure this is okay?” he asked, moving into her place as she stepped aside. He smelled mountain fresh and she just wanted to inhale the scent.
“You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. Nor would I have made the offer. It’s pretty quiet there this time of the morning, just a few of the diehards.”
“Where do you want me to put my clothes?” he asked. He had a bag over his shoulder and she wondered if he cared if his clothes were wrinkled or not. Best not to ask.
“Follow me,” she said, moving toward the stairs. “This bathroom right here, if you want to hang anything up. Or I’ve got an iron in the spare room if you need it.”
He laughed at her. “My shirts are wrinkle free, but if it makes you feel better I’ll take it out of the bag where it’s folded with military precision.
She felt her face flush, forgetting that about him. How could she forget his background when it was his pure identity most of his life.
Though she didn’t think of it when she saw him. Or thought of him. Dreamed of him.
Nope, he was just Brock James the guy that was giving her wet dreams when no other man ever did.
“Let me get you a hanger,” she said, moving out of the room and taking a deep breath to get her wits about her.
She came back and handed it to him, but he’d already had his shirt hanging on the hook on the back of the door. “I’m good.”
“Do you need to change?” she asked. He was in jeans and a T-shirt so she didn’t expect him to work out in that.
“I do. I just didn’t want to shut the door in your face since you were coming back with a hanger.”
She moved out and let him have some privacy, then went back downstairs to her kitchen and grabbed her water bottle.
“All set now?” she asked. “Do you need some water?”
“If you don’t mind. I forgot to grab a bottle,” he said.
She opened up the cabinet and pulled an insulated one out, then filled it with the filtered water in her fridge. “Here you go. Trying to save the environment and all.”
“I’m not sure how to get a read on you.”
“Because I like to bring my own cute water bottles to the gym?” Back to people judging or misunderstanding her.
He shook his head. “You try to act all pretty and superficial but you aren’t. There is more to you than you want people to see.”
She angled her head and put her hip against the counter. “And what do you see?”
“I see someone that is very smart. Very organized. Very particular about things in her life for whatever reason. But she’s funny, she’s nice, and she hates being judged so she acts the way people see her so no one else can figure her out. No one other than her family.”
Jade wondered what things he might have heard through Travis to have figured that out but decided not to ask and make it seem like she was bothered he pegged her so well.
“I’m all those things. When I’m comfortable around people they see the real me, but it takes me time to get to that point.”
This time he stared at her. Hard. Enough that she started to squirm. “If you’re uncomfortable around me for some reason, I can leave. Maybe this is a mistake. I wouldn’t want you to be anyone that you aren’t.”
She felt her shoulders drop and wondered why she should be surprised he’d said that.
“I’m comfortable around you. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to start telling you my deepest darkest secrets or fears.”
He laughed. “Something tells me you don’t have a lot of fears.”
She had one standing right in front of her now, but she’d never admit that she feared Brock’s rejection.
Brock knew Jade was uncomfortable around him, but he really didn’t think it was anything more than she was attracted to him. Even then he found it funny that she was trying to pretend she wasn’t.
But to clear his own mind he wanted to throw the offer out there that he could leave. He truly didn’t want her to feel that way and thankfully she was good with him staying.
He grabbed the bottle of water from her and waited while she locked the door to her house with her phone, then slipped it into the side pocket of the leggings she had on. Teal with a flower print down the side of each leg. She had a baggy T-shirt on that hit her hips and didn’t seem to fit her style. Not that he’d say anything because he was going to have a hard enough time as it was focusing on his workout with her in the same room as him.
“Do you walk or drive?” he asked. It was still a bit dark out and the thought of her walking there by herself didn’t sit right with him.
“Walk,” she said. “That’s the building across the parking lot.”
He liked where she lived. The front had a garage, that he suspected housed her car, but she also had two parking spots in front of her house in the driveway. There was a parking lot across from her place that might hold extra cars or visitors but it wasn’t full by any means.
“How long have you lived here?”
“A few years,” she said. “I won’t stay forever, but it’s been a nice place. I get enough privacy and its low maintenance on top of it. One of my neighbors was having some work done last year and there was a gas leak and we had to leave for a few weeks while they got everything under control and replaced pipes. I stayed with Wyatt in his condo. He’s a few floors up and there are multiple people a floor. It wasn’t loud, but it still felt closed in to me. Though he has a nice gym, indoor, and outdoor pool.”
“Why stay with Wyatt? Why not your parents?”
She laughed. “Because as an adult it’s hard to go home and stay with your parents. My mom isn’t too nosy, but it’s not the same when you’re older. I see my dad daily. Wyatt isn’t around much and it worked out the best.”
“It didn’t crimp his dating life?” he asked.
“No. He dated, but doesn’t always bring that many home. It was only a few weeks anyway.” They got to the building and she opened the door with a keycard that had been in her pocket too.
“Do I need to sign in anywhere?”
“No. It’s an honor thing. Pool on this level if you want to try that sometime. There are also courts here for basketball and racquetball. The gym is upstairs. Lots of equipment and other rooms for yoga or aerobics.”
He could only imagine what a place like this cost. The monthly fees. But the truth was, he thought it was a nice feature. If he didn’t mind being around people so much. But he was pretty sure he had his fill of it now and wanted his own space.
“Maybe a swim another day,” he said.
She swiped the card to the gym and he saw there were only four people in the big space. One girl on a treadmill, another on a mat doing sit-ups, and two guys lifting weights.
“I’m sure you don’t need me to show you around,” she said.
“I’m good. I’m going to hit the treadmill then weights. How long did you want to stay so I can keep an eye on the clock?”
She looked at her phone while she was putting wireless earbuds in. He’d forgotten his and wished he didn’t but there was music playing and a TV in the corner too. He’d have to settle for that.
“I planned
thirty minutes on the bike and then fifteen of weights. Lower body today,” she said, grinning at him, her eyes dropping down to his legs. Her smile never faded when she saw his scars. “Maybe you can show me a few new moves since I’m sure you are focusing on that.”
“Something tells you me you know a lot more moves than you want anyone to know.”
She flung her ponytail over her shoulder and winked at him. Now he knew she was playing with him and he had to wonder if she had been all along.
He shook his head and walked to a treadmill, Jade a bike close by. He wished he wasn’t looking at her when she lifted her shirt up and over her head and dropped it across the bar on the bike while she adjusted her workout routine.
Jade Fierce had one hell of a body on her. Thin, toned, muscular at the same time as being completely feminine.
He quickly started up his treadmill and got to walking for a few minutes. Once his leg was warmed up enough he increased the speed to a jog. Twenty minutes would be enough and then he’d hit the weights. No reason to overdo it and embarrass himself.
And forty-five minutes later, Jade was wiping sweat off her forehead with her shirt that she’d pulled back on. He’d lifted the bottom of his shirt to wipe his own face and when he looked up she was staring at his abs, her eyes now traveling up to his.
He winked at her and saw her face redden even more than what her workout caused.
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if she liked what she saw but then knew it was a game neither one of them might be ready to face right now.
Instead they walked back to her place and it just reminded him that he was going to be getting naked at one end of the hall while she was doing the same at the other end.
He had a will of steel though and could do this and not give it away. Not reach out and grab her and pull her into his body like he was dying to do.
She’d have to make the first step. Or at least give some kind of verbal sign she was okay with it.
When he was done with his shower and changed for work, he opened the door, letting the steam out and heard what he suspected might be a blow dryer going.