by Jessica Gray
“Yeah, well, if I only had to take Gwen, I’d be the happiest man on the planet. Don’t get me started on her meddling, overprotective best friend Vivian and her family.”
“Obnoxious big family, aren’t they?” Ben had met Vivian and some of her five brothers on occasion.
Fernando scowled. “There’s six of them. Six!” He shook his head and then grinned at Ben. “Enough about me. What’s with the uptown princess? I don’t think I’ve ever seen something that pretty come in here.”
“Tough as Nails wasn’t made for pretty princesses, but she’s determined to train here. She wants to learn how to fight.”
Fernando gave him a surprised look. “And you agreed?”
“Kinda.”
“What does that mean? Everyone knows about your aversion to fighting. It’s a rule in this place. Your number one rule.”
“I know my own damn rules,” Ben snapped at his friend, who held his hands up in surrender.
“Hey, fine with me,” Fernando conceded.
“She was persistent,” Ben said more to himself than anyone else present.
Fernando raised a brow. “Wow. I always thought you preferred the easy blondes without guts or opinions.”
“You better get pumping some iron, then you can’t talk so much. And I have things to do,” Ben muttered and hurried away to check on some of the machines and talk to a few of his customers.
He’d started with a clean slate when he’d opened Tough as Nails eight years ago and other than the fact that he’d done some time, no one knew much about his upbringing. And he intended to keep it that way. His relationship with women was dangerous territory.
Despite his urge to keep the thoughts locked up, Ben’s mind wandered repeatedly back to the one woman who had promised to always stick by him after their mother had died, and who had then betrayed him so brutally and with any outward show of conscience or remorse.
The cold rage that always simmered beneath the surface rose again like Phoenix from the ashes. One day he would get his revenge. Not on the woman who deserved it. No. She was dead. But on her asshole former boyfriend.
He took a deep breath and released it, forcing his emotions back and calming himself down. Ben had always been a wild teenager, and an even wilder young adult, hanging out with the wrong kind of people, but in prison he’d learned the art of being in control.
Calmness under duress. That’s what his mentor in prison had called it. To have absolute control over his mind, body and emotions. Especially the emotions. The road back from incarceration could be a long one but he’d made it. He was proud of himself.
Everyone in his circles had physical toughness but mental toughness had to be perfected in the tough school of life. Concentrating on cultivating that had helped him survive prison, and contributed to his current success. Only when he thought about Caroline and that man, did his control threaten to slip.
Fernando approached him. “We’re good? See you in two days.”
Ben nodded. And just like that, Irena had returned to his thoughts. He snorted. Another woman to mess up my brain? No way, lady. If you don’t give up yourself on that stupid idea, I’ll make you throw in the towel.
An idea began to form in his mind, and he found himself thinking up all kinds of ways to make Irena regret seeking him out. He’d teach her how to fight all right, and force her to give up at the same time.
Ben headed back into his office with an evil smirk on his face. She would show up tomorrow morning, and with any luck, he’d never have to see her again after that.
Chapter 4
Irena’s alarm went off and she sat up in bed, blinking for a moment as her sleepy brain cleared enough for her to remember where she was. Georgia’s guest room. The past few days came rushing back to her. She’d run away. Her abusive husband was away on a weeklong trip to Europe for some political meeting, and she’d left him.
She stretched her arms over her head and a small smile curved her lips. I’m free. It felt so good. Then she tossed the blanket away, grabbed her robe and went in search of the coffee she could smell coming from the kitchen.
Georgia sat at the kitchen table in her usual business outfit, reading the newspaper, her own cup already half empty. Irena paused for a moment to observe her best friend. They had been best friends since high school, and had even gone to junior college together, which had been a surprise to everyone but themselves, because Georgia was the exact opposite of Irena in appearance and temperament.
Her golden blond hair reached almost down to her waist, and her green-brown eyes sparkled with lust for life. At five-foot ten, she could have easily played basketball instead of becoming a restaurant critic.
Irena giggled at the thought and her friend turned her head. “Morning, sweetie. You look much better than two days ago. Sleeping well?”
“Like a baby. Thanks for letting me stay here. Is there coffee for me too?”
Irena entered the kitchen as her friend nodded, filled a cup with the fragrant brew and put both hands around the mug. The heat seeped into her skin and bones. Irena sniffed and inhaled the sweet and bitter scent of the coffee. Then she closed her eyes and took a long sip. A warmth she’d long forgotten existed spread throughout her body.
“No problem. You should have left that asshole years ago.” This wasn’t the first time Georgia had made that statement.
“You’re right, but I wasn’t ready to hear it,” Irena replied.
“I’m right? That’s nice to hear for a change.” Georgia’s eyes turned greenish with delight.
“I was in love with him. You know that. And he was in love with me – at one time…” Irena’s voice trailed off.
Over time, things had gradually worsened and he’d become more and more possessive. Jealous. Until one day he’d hit her.
Georgia put a hand on Irena’s arm. “Don’t feel bad, sweetie. It’s like the frog who doesn’t notice it’s being boiled when you heat the water slowly…they never jump out.”
Irena giggled. “I’m not a frog, but thanks anyway. I should have left him when he first hit me. But I didn’t.”
“The important thing is, you left him now.”
“Yes, but remember what happened the last time I tried.”
A shiver of dread ran through Irena’s body at the memory. When she’d finally worked up the courage to ask Fred for a divorce, he’d been furious. You’re going to ruin my career! I’m running for senator! Who will elect me if my own wife doesn’t stick by me? As always, it had been about him, his career, his needs, his wishes. Never about her. He’d threatened to kill her should she ever decide to leave him. And after barely being able to walk for two weeks she’d believed every single word.
Georgia hugged her. “Don’t think about him. You’re safe now.”
“But for how long? You travel so often with your job.”
Georgia thought for a moment. “Irena, you know I love you, but…damn it, you know this is the first place Fred’s going to come looking for you when he gets back. You need to hide somewhere else. Far away.”
Irena shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the solution.”
Georgia’s jaw fell to the floor. “Then what?”
“I did something yesterday to protect myself from him.”
“What?”
“I’m going to learn to fight.” Irena smiled brightly. Maybe a tad too brightly as the image of Ben entered her head.
“No way. Irena, that’s not the answer...”
“Yes, it is. I’m going to learn to fight so that the next time Fred tries to hit me I can defend myself.”
“Girl, are you crazy? You’re planning to go back to him? No, you need to run away and hide.”
Irena felt tears sting her eyes as she shook her head. “He’d find me. With his connections, there’s no way I could hide for long. Besides, I don’t want to live the rest of my life running away from him.”
“Irena, he’s…”
“I know what he is, believe me. He does
n’t want a divorce, so I’m going to learn to protect myself and then give him an ultimatum. I’ll stay with him and protect his public image as long as he never touches me again.”
Georgia looked at her like she was crazy. “Tell me you don’t still think you love him?”
“I hate him! But he’ll never let me go. It would ruin his political career and…it would just be easier for everyone if I stayed with him and he left me alone. The only way that’s going to happen is if he knows I can fight back.”
“You’re a lunatic,” Georgia said. “Why don’t you just go to the police?”
“May I remind you that he’s a powerful politician and the police chief is one of his close friends? Do you really think they would believe me and go against him?”
Georgia squinted her eyes. “You’re really going to do this?”
“Yes. It’s my best chance at living the rest of my life without always looking over my shoulder.” She glanced at the clock on the stove, anxious to return to the guest room. “I’m going to be late.”
“Late?” Georgia asked, following her.
“I’m supposed to be at the gym like…now.”
“Want me to drive you over so you don’t have to take a cab?” she offered.
Irena grinned. “Checking out where I go? No but thanks. Give me a second to get ready.”
She quickly slipped into one of her favorite exercise outfits that she’d worn to more than one aerobics class. Then she threw ankle socks and her aerobic shoes into a bag and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She left off most of her makeup, but put on two coats of sweat proof mascara and swiped clear gloss over her lips.
I’m not putting on mascara because of Ben.
“Yeah, right,” she murmured to her reflection.
The butterflies in her stomach fluttered with just the simple thought of him. When Irena stepped out of the guest room, Georgia was already waiting for her with the car keys in hand.
“Girl. You’re not leaving this apartment dressed in a pink aerobics dress!”
Irena stepped in front of the full-length mirror, and while she definitely looked hot in the pink lycra and tights, it wasn’t street-wearable. She sighed.
“Look, I don’t want to change at the gym. Can I maybe borrow one of your light coats?”
Georgia rolled her eyes, but took off to get a coat for Irena. When she came back she asked, “Why exactly can’t you change at the gym?”
“Just don’t feel like it,” Irena murmured and stepped out of the apartment.
As Irena gave her friend directions to drive into the downtown area filled with gangs, beat up vehicles, rundown apartment buildings, and crime on every street corner, the navigation earned her more than one incredulous look.
“You can’t be serious,” Georgia exclaimed when the Tough as Nails sign came into view.
Irena nodded, biting her lip as she surveyed the sign again. It was one of the worst parts of downtown Los Angeles, but she’d felt perfectly safe yesterday.
“It’s not so bad…”
“Not for a million dollars would I step inside that place, ever. Irena, be serious. If you’re set on this suicide mission, at least find a decent person in a decent neighborhood.”
“Don’t be so judgmental,” Irena reprimanded her. “Besides, just like you, Fred would never step inside this place and I’m not likely to meet anyone who knows me.”
Georgia looked at her for a moment and then laughed. “That’s for sure. Well, be careful and don’t…I don’t even have any appropriate advice. Just be careful.”
Irena nodded and opened the door. “I will. Thanks for the ride. See you later?”
“I hope so,” Georgia muttered as the door closed.
Chapter 5
Ben had spent the time since he’d arrived to open the gym rehearsing what he was going to say to Irena when she arrived this morning. Look, lady, this is a mistake. You’d do better to find yourself another gym and another trainer. This place is not for high-society ladies like you.
A few minutes before she was due to arrive, he stood behind the front desk. Watching. Waiting. But all of his carefully thought out reasons flew out the window when she pulled the door open and stepped inside. It was a good thing he had the desk to grab onto, or he might have toppled over.
Irena stepped inside the gym and opened her coat to reveal a tight aerobic outfit that fit her body like a second skin, with the matching tights, in hot pink. Shit. So much for her not drawing attention to herself. Ben’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, and his breath felt like he’d just taken a blow to his solar plexus. Damn that woman is hot.
He stayed where he was and observed her approach, his eyes taking in every detail about her as he wondered about what attracted him so intensely. He’d seen sexy women before; he’d even slept with quite a few of them. In fact, he’d never had a shortage of female company. The girls went crazy over his physique and the dangerous aura he’d perfected, and he wouldn’t be a man if he’d say no to the prospect of a hot one-night stand.
But never before had he felt such a visceral response to one of them. And it wasn’t just Irena’s gorgeous body. No, there was something about her that drew him toward her like an addict to drugs. Her determination.
“Good Morning.” Irena greeted him with a smile and way too much enthusiasm in her voice.
“Good morning,” he growled. “I see you’ve changed already.”
A few catcalls and whistles came from the few guys already sweating on the floor and he shook his head and glared over his shoulder in their direction. “I’m going to have to add no pink Lycra outfits to the house rules.”
Irena chose to ignore his remark and instead gazed up at him with wide, excited eyes. “Sure. Let’s start.
Ben mentally groaned, more convinced than ever that this was a big mistake. That woman was dressed like Barbie going to a Hollywood dance class, not someone heading inside a real gym to learn how to kickass and bust heads open.
She’d proven yesterday that she had tenacity when it came to sitting on a chair and waiting him out, but how would that translate to being physically challenged? Then they’d see who could last the longest. She’ll give up after today. Make it two days, but she’ll give up. I’ll see to it.
“You really want to do this,” he said, not moving an inch.
Irena bit her bottom lip and then cocked her head to the side. “Did you think I wouldn’t show? Not me.”
He wanted to rip out that lip from between her teeth and capture it between his lips. “Yeah, I remember.” Ben pushed himself from the front desk and walked toward the back of the gym, expecting her to follow him. She didn’t disappoint.
The small room in the back was covered in mats on the floors, mats attached to the walls about three feet high, and a standing punching bag in the middle of the room. He rolled the punching bag to the side.
“I’ll make you give up, lady. Tough as Nails is no place for princesses in pink suits.” He muttered beneath his breath.
“Did you say something?” Irena asked as she stood in the middle of the room, looking at him.
Her eyes reflected an inner strength, a toughness, but also insecurity, and something else. A hidden fear. A dark secret. And I sure as hell don’t wanna know what it is.
“I said, we’ll start with the warm-up. Follow me and try to keep up,” he answered, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders.
He started out by going through a series of exercises designed to warm-up and stretch out. Jumping jacks, lunges, squats, push-ups, leg raises and jumping rope in place. When Irena didn’t complain, he upped the game, doing more and faster reps. But that woman was in amazing shape and while she couldn’t keep the pace, she never stopped to take a break.
After twenty minutes, he stopped. “Not too bad for the first day, Irena.”
It wasn’t meant as a compliment and he regretted his words as soon as he saw her beam with delight.
“Thanks. You sure now how to push a
girl to her limits.”
God, how much he wanted to push her limits – in bed. He closed his eyes for a moment, seeking his inner calmness. This was not the time to get hot and bothered.
“Okay, let’s go through some basic sparring exercises and see what you’ve got.” Ben showed her how to keep her hands up, walked her through a few blocks, and then stepped away from her.
She trapped that adorable lip of hers again between her teeth and furrowed her brows, trying to do exactly as he’d told her.
“Now I’m going to attack, and all you have to do is block or parry my hands. Think about it like a game of tag. The object is to not get hit.” He watched her nod her head and started with his first punch.
Irena blocked it and once again that damn sexy smile spread across her face. It was about to get crazy. He allowed her to parry a few of his punches, pulling his power and his speed. Ben toyed with her, building up her confidence, so he could shut her down later. He made sure he didn’t show her his true speed or power, setting her up fairly easily. After about fifteen minutes of playing with her, he decided it was time to end this little game of hers and show her just how out-of-place she was in his gym.
Ben threw a fake with his front hand to her head, and when she lifted her arm to block his, he followed up with his back hand. His fist made light contact on the left side of her ribs, an inch or so below the bottom curve of her breast – where he knew she’d most definitely feel it.
She immediately stumbled to the side, her hand going protectively to her left ribs even as tears filled her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks. He gritted his teeth at the surge of guilt and self-loathing that threatened to consume him, knowing that this was for the best. She needed to give up now and find another activity to occupy her time.
Instead of giving in to her tears, Irena used her free hand to wipe them off her face and took several breaths while still bent over. When she looked up at him, he realized she was nowhere near ready to throw in the towel. Damn stubborn woman!