“Hey, I’m talking to you.”
“And obviously, you are unable to take a hint that I don’t want to talk.” I set the barbell in the cradle and sat up to wipe my face off on my towel and the sweat and fog off my glasses.
“You don’t belong here.”
“It’s a gym, not your own personal playpen, and I belong wherever the fuck I want to belong, so back off.” I moved to lie back down to do another set, but I saw eyes around the gym on me and the meathead. The only eyes I held, though, were hers.
There was surprise and respect in her eyes, along with a big dose of curiosity. I’d seen her working at her desk earlier. She was dressed in workout clothes, with her dirty blonde hair in a sloppy knot on top of her head. There was no makeup on her face, and her sleeveless tank showed the ink artwork covering her upper arms. She was stunning; her gold-green eyes were large and exotic, fringed by thick lashes. She was supermodel gorgeous without even trying to be and, from the looks of it, she didn’t really care about or see her own beauty.
I grabbed my water bottle off the floor, figuring my work out was over, and headed for the locker room, “Don’t come back,” the big guy said again.
I stopped and turned to look at the man that outweighed and out-muscled me. I looked him up and down like the pest he was. “Do you own this gym?” I asked him, knowing full well he didn’t.
“No.”
“Great, then mind your own fucking business.” His face went a little red, and the other members around the room had looks of shock on their faces. Apparently, not many people stood up to the fucker; either that or they were all friends with the idiot and didn’t give a shit that he was being an ass.
“I saw the way you looked at her. She’s mine.” My eyes immediately flicked toward the only woman in the room. She shook her head at me, telling me it wasn’t true. Her annoyance at his words was clearly written across her face. In fact, she looked downright pissed that he’d talked out his ass in front of everyone.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Hell, yeah.” He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. His barreled chest was massive, and I would probably get decked for what I was about to do, but I didn’t give a fuck. This guy needed to get taken down a notch.
I smirked at the big idiot and walked to the blonde beauty behind the desk. Without asking permission, or even catching her name, I pulled her against me and kissed her hard. I heard catcalls, wolf whistles, and laughter from the guys in the gym, but with my lips on hers, I couldn’t care less. She tasted delicious. Her hands clutched at my biceps as her lips and body responded to mine.
“Thanks, Beautiful,” I said when I pulled back from her. I winked, then turned to the locker room. I needed to shower and change before heading to work.
The big guy was pissed. His face was an angry red, hands clenched at his sides, and – if he had one – it looked like his brain was on the verge of exploding. His buddies started giving him a hard time, but I ignored them all and went to change. I had things I needed to get done today, and dealing with this asshole was not on the list.
I’d finished my shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. He was standing there with his arms across his chest – waiting. It wasn’t the big oaf, but the guy that had been sparring in the ring. The one she had kissed on the cheek. He was clearly her father, and from the conversation I’d somewhat overheard, he was protective.
“I didn’t want any trouble.”
“It’s a little late to apologize now don’t you think?”
“I guess so.”
“Want to tell me why you kissed my daughter?”
“To prove to the asshole that he doesn’t own her, or me. She seemed as pissed as I was that he was talking shit.”
“Ox can be an asshole, and no, he doesn’t own her.” He leaned back on the counter and studied me. “You aren’t afraid of me?”
“No.”
“Most people would be.” He studied me, sizing me up critically. The guy could kick my ass and not break a sweat. He was a few inches shorter than me, but between what I saw in the ring and what I saw in his eyes, he could kill me with his bare hands and hide the body without a second thought.
“What are you doing in my gym, son? Ox was right about one thing, you don’t fit in here, so what is it you want or are looking for?”
I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on. “I’ve been working out for a while now. I’ve had a hard time putting on mass my whole life, so I figured building muscle would help, and it has, but I’m starting to get bored with the workouts, so I want to add in some boxing. I was told this is the best place to come for it, and with guys like Ox,” I said his name – heavy on the sarcasm, “I can see why. I’m ready to kick his ass.”
“I don’t let anyone in the ring to spar unless they’re ready. Right now, Ox would feed you your dick for breakfast. You want to fight, I can teach you. I can even teach you how to put mass on, but it won’t be easy and it will take commitment on your part.”
“I’ve come this far,” I said, leaving it hanging between us. I’ve never been in a physical fight before. I used my sharp mind and my wit to outsmart and argue my case. Throwing a punch never happened, so yeah, he was right, the asshole would have me beat in no time.
“Tomorrow morning, come in for your workout. The gym opens at four. Do thirty minutes of jump rope, bounce off your toes, then move on and do an hour of weights, alternate upper and lower body. Take two Ibuprofen before you come in tomorrow night at seven for your first lesson. Bring your own gloves, and bring good ones, not the shit you get at a local sell all store.”
He rattled it all off like a list, and I was wondering why. Why was he so ready to help me without discussing payment? Before he could leave the locker room, I stopped him.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because I’m impressed with you. I don’t say that often or without warrant. You didn’t lash out on someone behaving like a jackass, but you didn’t roll over and take that shit either. Instead you hit him where it hurts most – his pride. You knew you couldn’t beat him in a fair fight, so you found another way to battle him. It takes guts, especially in a place like this, surrounded by his club. I admire guts. Plus, you seem to have caught my daughter’s eye, and I want to know what kind of man you are. No better way to know that than to see you commit to something, no matter how painful.” He pulled the door open and left. I couldn’t help but grin. I’d caught the blonde beauty’s eye. Out of everything he’d said, that was what stuck the most.
Chapter Three
Leah
Wow. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been kissed to where my toes tingle, I’d have exactly one dollar. William Atwood Carver III may look like a preppy nerd, but his kiss said there was more to him than meets the eye. My curiosity about the man spiked a bit more.
I saw Dad go into the locker room and not come out for a while, so I figured he was having a talk with him. I expected Will, like so many others before him, to come out of the locker room, head down, and hightail it out of here without looking my way again. Imagine my surprise when he didn’t.
I watched as he left dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His eyes met mine, and his cockiness came through full-force. Cockiness is a weakness of mine. Dammit. I was attracted to the nerdy preppy Mustang driving guy. What the hell was wrong with me? Seriously, I’ve never dated a guy like him before; I’ve dated the jocks, the gamers, the loners and the stoners, but never before have I gone into the preppy or nerd categories. They never seemed to attract me or have the balls to last in my world. This guy was refreshingly different and confusing.
He left, and my concentration came back. Funny how that works. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I sighed, seeing Ox walking toward me with a determined look on his face. Fuck, I hope to hell he doesn’t think he’s going to plant one on me and get away with it. If he came close to me with his lips, I’d knee him in the balls so hard his great grandchildren would feel it. Fuck! Fuck! F
UCK!
When he got closer and his stride was still just as determined, I said, “Don’t even think about it.” It didn’t stop him. I sighed in resignation. This was about to get ugly. “Ox, if you lay a lip on me, it will be when my fist connects with your mouth.”
“You’re going to let a little pansy ass shit from the other side of the tracks fuck you, but not me?”
“If I fuck him, that’s between me and him. I’ve told you I don’t date club. When is it going to sink in that I mean what I say?”
“He will never understand our world or accept it.”
“Then that’s my problem to deal with, but either way, it has nothing to do with you. Now, go find you a Sweetbutt to ease your bruised ego.”
“If you aren’t into dudes, just say so. I can just watch.”
Oh my God, did this asshole really just say that? “Look, asshole. I’m done with this conversation. Take your overbearing, incompetent ass out of my office before I have you removed from it. I’ve put up with your shit long enough. You belong to my Dad’s club, not to me. Get that straight in your mind.”
“You are an ice bitch.”
“No, Ox, I’m not. I just won’t date you.” I pushed him out of my office and slammed the door in his face. Like hell I was ice. Will had me hot and bothered with one fucking kiss.
Ox left pissed as hell, but I really don’t give a damn. Just because my dad is the President of Riders in the Wind MC , does not mean that my life is in the club. There are only two roles women in the club perform, Ol’ Lady or Sweetbutt, and I have no intention of being either.
From the safety of my office, I watched as he left the gym, some of his buddies with him. There were a few other people working out, and Dad was sparring with someone else now. He loved to fight. Mama hated that he used to get in the ring for real matches where the whole goal was to beat the hell out of your opponent. Now that he was just sparring and teaching other guys to fight, she didn’t mind so much.
The gym was in our blood. I played here even as a kid. I knew how to fight and protect myself as good as any of these guys. If some motherfucker messed with me, he would go down hurting. I may be ‘Pebbles’ but I’m still a Slate and I’m still the by-product of Rubble and Rock. My dad and granddad are the two toughest sons of bitches I know.
I may be a woman, and I may be smaller, but appearances are deceiving. I’ll strike first and take you down before you have a chance to get a hand on me. Your underestimation of my abilities is your greatest mistake and my greatest advantage. I’d kill a motherfucker on my own, then call my dad to help me get rid of the body. I don’t need a man to save me; never have, and never will.
Dad’s just over protective. He knows I can handle myself, but he will still try to guard me all the time. I love and hate that trait. Sometimes, especially when it comes to men, he pushes too far. Like the time I was in high school, a boy brought me home from school. Dad had an arsenal out, along with a shovel, and Duck tape. Not to mention the tarp he had on the ground and the rubber gloves lying by the ax.
Garrett didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t stay to study like we had planned, and I never got past a kiss my whole high school career. I ended up losing my virginity to a one night stand I picked up in a bar. Eventually, I found a guy in the club I was interested it, but it only lasted long enough to teach me a valuable lesson.
I don’t know what happened in that locker room, but I was doubly impressed by Will Carver’s attitude coming out. He didn’t seem scared or angry, instead he smirked in my direction. Preppy. Nerdy. Cocky. Confident. Who the hell was this guy, and why am I so curious about him?
It was my night to lock up and, as always, the stream of members had dwindled to nothing by nine o’clock. This is my favorite time, with the gym to myself. I blast boy band music that would make the guys cringe, and pound away at the speed bag. Unlike my dad, I stay on top of the laundry, which helps me to have this time to just clear my head.
The steady thud of the bag as it swings with each of my strikes is a rhythm that I know well. I close my eyes and focus on that rhythm. It’s soothing and steady, like the beat of a heart.
“It would be a shame if you missed and bloodied your face all up.”
I opened my eyes at the sound of the voice, stepping back and putting my hands down. The swing of the bag between us. He was dressed in dark denim jeans, and his white chambray shirt was untucked, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was still everywhere, and his chocolate-colored eyes were hidden behind his glasses.
“Guess it’s a good thing I don’t miss.” I took off my gloves as I studied him. “You aren’t dressed for the gym. What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. I wanted to apologize if I created problems for you with that kiss this morning.”
He knocks my socks off with a kiss and then apologizes for it?
“Nope, no problems, none that I can’t handle anyway.” I set my gloves on a bench and went to the radio, turning off one of my favorite nineties boy bands and hiding the CD under the stereo. Aptly, the words as I shut it off were ‘Bye. Bye. Bye.’
“So, that’s all you needed, to ask me if I had any issues from your kiss?” I turned my back to the radio, crossed my arms and looked back at him. The sounds of Foreigner filled the gym. I guess I couldn’t have chosen better than Hot Blooded, especially when the man that made my blood run hot was in front of me. It fit my mood, so I went with it.
“Our kiss, you did kiss me back as I recall, but I also wanted to get your name.” He had a point there – I did kiss him back, and I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, because I did.
“I’m Leah.” I held out my hand, but damn, the guy had his tongue down my throat a couple hours ago, did I really need to shake his hand?
Luckily, he took my hand and didn’t make it weird. His palm was huge around mine, and his grip was firm without being overly tight. Instead of the smooth palms I expected, he had a weightlifter’s grip – rough and callused across the palms.
“Leah. I like it. It suits you.” I pulled away from his hand and the electric currents that felt like they were running through my body.
“Yeah, and Will suits you. By the way, if I were you, I would keep your full name off the radar. With a name like that, you’ll end up getting shoved into a locker or worse.” I was only half joking. The guys around here didn’t need much of an excuse to beat the hell out of someone, and Will was already on their shit list because of Ox.
“It is a mouthful, isn’t it? Typically, I only go by William in the office. Everybody else just calls me Will.”
“William isn’t that bad; it’s the Atwood, Carver, and the number that will get you in trouble.”
“Nice to know you are checking up on me.” He had dimples and, damn him, they were appealing.
“Not checking up on you. I had to file your membership paperwork, so I saw your ID.”
“You wound me.” He placed his hand over his heart like he was hurting, but his grin said otherwise. “Couldn’t you just lie to me and tell me that you were interested enough to find out who I was?”
“Oh, I could, but then your head might get bigger and your glasses wouldn’t fit anymore. So, you see, I’m just looking out for you.” I winked at him and headed back to my desk. I felt his eyes on me as he followed me back to my office. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t put a little more sashay in my hips.
“So, Will, you have apologized for your part in our kiss and you’ve found out my name; is there anything else you’re after, or was that it?”
“That’s it for now, but I’ll be back for more. Have a goodnight, Leah. Ride safe.” Sexy, nerdy, with a dash of cocky confidence, and prep… I knew then that I was in big trouble.
Chapter Four
Will
I got to the gym at five the next morning. Her bike was parked outside, along with a few other cars and bikes. I didn’t figure this place would have a morning crowd, but I was wrong.
Music was blasting when
I walked in. There were people on the machines as well as lifting. Nobody was in the ring this morning, but a few were pounding on a couple bags. I went to the front desk to check in. Leah was there working on a laptop when I approached, she looked up.
“You came back.” She raised a brow and grinned. “Some of the guys are going to be pissed.”
“Damn, sorry to disappoint, but I don’t scare so easy. Especially when it’s something I want.” There was a double meaning in that, and I was sure she had caught it. I wanted to build more mass and learn to box but, after meeting her, I had another reason to hang out at the gym.
She was different than other women I’d met in my normal circles. The edges of her personality intrigued me, and the smart mouth and wit entertained me. She was beautiful without trying or knowing it, and damn, her body was hot. Leah worked out a lot, but her muscles were sleek and smooth, not rippling bulges. She had nice, perky tits that would be just enough to fill my hands, and her ass was nicely rounded and bouncy. I felt my cock twitch, and I knew I had to look away and focus on working out or I’d be sporting a boner.
“I’ll catch you later,” I said, turning to go toward the locker room. If I stayed there much longer, my interest in her would be completely visible for all to see.
“Have a good workout,” I heard her call after me. I’d love to give her a workout of a different kind, and I would, later.
I threw my bag into my locker then headed back out to the gym. I saw the asshole was back. He glared at me, but stayed away for the time being. The rack that held the jump ropes was on the other side of the room from him, so that was fortunate. I grabbed one, set the timer on my phone, and started jumping. I made sure to bounce off my toes as Leah’s dad had told me to do. The last time I jumped rope was when I was a kid, so it took me a minute to fall into that old familiar pace, but it was much like riding a bike.
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