‘Is that so? Hmm.’
‘Anna and I were a bit rusty, but it had been six months since we’d been.’
Ryan sat up; he was wearing an expression of awe.
‘What,’ Jaz asked. ‘What’s that look for?’
Ryan ran his hand over his short cropped hair. ‘I just can’t believe it. You’re like the perfect package, the ideal woman.’
Jaz’s eyebrows met as she screwed up her face. What did Ryan mean by that! She might have thought he was hitting on her but his expression was completely different. It was as if he’d found a missing notebook or something, nothing like attraction. Which was funny as she was sure she’d seen him gaze at her with desire, once or twice. Maybe her romantic sonar was just off kilter.
‘Thanks…I think. Hey, I’ve been dying to know if that tattoo drawing helped?’
That pulled Ryan away from his thoughts.
‘Yeah, it was a huge help, Jaz.’
‘Soooo, can I ask what it was about?’
Ryan chewed his lip for a second as if he was raging an internal war. He sighed, glanced around the room to check they were alone and then sat up cross-legged. ‘I guess it can’t hurt to tell you we were trying to track a certain drug cartel. We had information about the guy in the white suit but no hard evidence he was in league with this other group. Until you spotted that tattoo. It is their so-called “mark”. So now we know he’s involved, we just have to get some hard proof.’
‘How will you find proof?’ she asked.
‘That is something you don’t need to know. And this conversation goes no further, right?’
Jaz crossed her heart. ‘Yep, figured that. Are you an undercover cop? Is that what your title is?’ She just wanted to put Ryan into a job description, to understand what the hell it was he actually did.
‘In a way I am, but I don’t work for the police force.’ Ryan stood up. ‘Well I’m gonna go hit the speedball for a bit.’ And then he walked off.
‘Conversation over, got it,’ Jaz mumbled. While he pounded the ball, Jaz set about cleaning.
Fifteen minutes later she stopped to watch the fluid motion of his muscles at the speedball. The way the sweat rolled over his skin, making it shine. Jaz cleared her throat. ‘Um, Ryan, I’m going to have a shower and then close up. Sorry to kick you out.’
He paused. ‘No, that’s fine. I’m nearly done here anyway.’ Sweat dripped from his chin and soaked into his singlet. Jaz was going to need a cold shower.
She walked off, leaving him to finish.
Jaz went to the shower and a few minutes later heard another set of taps turn on a few cubicles down. Pax had an all-in-one change room so he’d put curtains on all the showers, except on her shower he’d put a lockable door. He was so sweet.
But that didn’t stop Jaz’s mind from realising there was a naked bloke a few metres away, a nice yummy bloke at that too. With a shiver, she quickly reached for the soap and buried her head under the water to drown out her thoughts.
Chapter 12
It was dark outside the gym as Jaz stood near the light switch waiting for Ryan to come out of the change room. Drops of water seeped through her hoodie from her damp hair. Why is it no matter how much you squeeze the water from your hair, and rub it with a towel, it still seems to seep moisture? Jaz flicked it back over her shoulder just as Ryan entered the room.
‘Waiting for me?’ he asked.
‘No, I just like standing here all night.’
Ryan cracked a smile as he walked towards her. His short hair glistening with wet. As for the rest of him, his tantalising scent reached her first. He wasn’t drowning in aftershave like most of the boys at school. They layered it on that thick you’d think they were trying to attract girls from schools three hours away. Ryan was refreshing without being overpowering.
‘Will you be back tomorrow?’ he asked.
Jaz cocked an eyebrow. ‘Why, you gonna miss me again?’ she laughed.
Ryan ignored her taunts. ‘I was hoping you and I could spar together, like you did with Tick that day?’
‘Now that sounds like a plan. Tomorrow it is! Prepare for an arse-whooping,’ she said nudging him. The contact sent a zap through her, causing her skin to bristle.
‘What makes you so sure you’ll win?’
‘Nothing…just trying to psyche out my opponent,’ Jaz said with a wink.
Ryan shook his head and smiled. It reached up into his eyes as the deep chocolate swirled with gold. It made him irresistible.
‘Can I give you a ride home?’
‘Nah. Thanks, but I like the walk back. Gives me time to unwind with my tunes. I keep telling Mum if she wants me safe she should get me a car. But I think the idea of me behind the wheel scares her more.’