“I know what time it is. It’s time to work out.”
She threw off the blankets and sat up. “I don’t work out this early.”
It would be pointless trying to get back to sleep now. That didn’t mean he needed to think he was master of her schedule.
“You do when you’re getting free private self-defense lessons. So get your ass out here or I’ll come in there and haul it out.”
Heat slid all the way up from her bare toes to the center of her belly. She could almost feel the clamp of his arm over the back of her thighs as she remembered when he’d thrown her over his shoulder. She squeezed her legs together and felt the delicious ache still there. Part of her wanted to throw herself back on the bed and dare him. Part of her wanted to call his bluff, or worse yet, have the satisfaction of having him go through with his threat. Have him give her an excuse, just one excuse to lose her shit the way he made her want to.
“All right, just let me get ready,” she called. No, she’d gone far enough with that slap. He made her lose control. What she needed was to keep a tighter rein on her emotions. Not to mention, self-defense lessons sounded really good with the memories of the night before skirting the edges of her mind. She shuddered and pushed the thought aside. The cops would get Gregory. She was safe.
“Ten minutes.”
She strode to the door and yelled, “Fifteen.” Like hell he was putting her on his schedule. She pulled her gym clothes out of a drawer and strode to the bathroom. When she emerged more like seventeen minutes had passed but he’d waited. She smiled. Guess he was all bluff and bluster.
She swung her door open and jumped. Connor stood in the doorway, thick arms crossed, looking like trouble with a hard-on. He’d been clean-shaven yesterday but obviously had not bothered to shave this morning. A dark layer of black bristle coated his jaw, roughening him just enough to take him from athletic panther to something even wilder.
And fuck if the look of him didn’t make her want to tug her pants down and bend over right there. Because she was crazy. A crazy, horny, frustrated idiot who needed to work out like a demon the minute she got to the gym.
A familiar beep chimed and he pressed his watch. He smiled, his teeth appearing even whiter against his dark stubble. “You’re lucky. I gave you three extra minutes.”
Her mouth opened. “You timed me? You don’t get to time me.”
Conner took one long stride toward her, his hand pressing against the wall beside her head. The minty scent of his breath washed over her face.
“You seem confused. I’m here to protect you. You were hurt yesterday and I’m going to make fucking sure that doesn’t happen again. So when I say do something, you do it because what I’m telling you to do might be the thing that saves you. Got it?”
Her cheeks warmed and she pressed her lips together. “Don’t start thinking this situation gives you free rein over me.”
His free hand slid to her chin and held it. “You can stop trying to wrestle your way on top, kitten. I know you’ve got massive balls, you can quit trying to prove it.” He dropped her chin. “Hurry, I have a training routine planned for you. I assumed you’d be glad to hone some defensive skills. In fact I thought that would be just your thing.”
Fuck him, he was more annoying when he was right.
Charlize slid out from under his arm and strode to her handbag and keys before throwing a glance over her shoulder. “I drive.”
He gifted her with his slow grin. “That’s what you think.”
Chapter Six
Connor tossed the boxing mitts into the corner and watched Charlize gulp from her water bottle while leaning her arm on the wall for support. He smiled softly. She was something all right—he’d never met anyone like her. He’d put her through the kind of hellish boxing routine that had most clients dropping their punches after fifteen minutes. But no matter how hard he’d pushed her she’d come back harder, no matter how bad it must hurt. She’d lasted an hour.
He’d destroyed her.
It amazed him she could still stand. The thought made him smile. Asshole? Maybe a little but she needed to work some shit out of her system. She wouldn’t have any energy left to devote to stressing out over the fucker who’d hurt her or the pricks that worked for her.
“Okay, enough rest, it’s time for self-defense instruction.”
Charlize turned her back against the wall, still leaning on it for support. Her skin shone with sweat, flushed a sexy pink—exactly how she’d look in his bed after he was done with her.
“What do you mean? We just did an hour of boxing, what do you call that?”