I fight. I twist, I push, I use every trick my brothers taught me. It’s hard. He’s so much stronger, so much bigger. But I refuse to lose.
I drop my weight, shift my hips, and manage to slip one arm free. I drive my knee up toward his groin, stopping just short, and proceed to wrenching myself out of his grip.
Maxim’s eyes widen slightly, genuine surprise flashing across his face as I successfully twist out of his grip. For a moment he just stares at me, breathing hard, chest glistening with sweat.
I won.
“Well done,” he murmurs, voice rough with approval. His hands are still on me, one at my waist, the other on my arm, even though I’ve already broken free.
The heat of his palms burns through my thin workout top. My skin feels branded where he touches me.
Then he seems to realize what he’s doing. He clears his throat and we both step back quickly, putting distance between us. My heart is hammering so loudly I’m sure he can hear it.
“So,” he says, his voice lower than before, “you win. What do you want as your prize?”
I stand there, chest heaving, still buzzing from the contact. We’re too close again. Close enough that I can feel the heat rolling off his bare skin.
Close enough that if either of us leaned in even an inch, our mouths would meet. I can’t stop staring at his lips. I want him to kiss me. God help me, Iwantit so badly my body aches with it.
I swallow hard when I realize he's waiting for my response. What do I want?For you to pin me against the wall and kiss me senseless until I'm out of breath and?—
Calina, get your act together!
“I’ll let you know once I've decided,” I say, my voice quieter than I intended.
“Why do I have a feeling I might not like what you are going to ask for?”
I shrug. “I guess you'll have to find out.”
He doesn’t move. Neither do I. The air between us feels electric, heavy with everything we’re not saying.
His eyes drop to my mouth, and for one dizzying second I think he’s going to close the gap and kiss me.
Then his phone rings sharply from the side bench, shattering the moment.
I blink and step back immediately, cheeks burning. “I… I should go.”
I don’t wait for his reply. I turn and practically flee the gym, my legs shaky as I head upstairs to my bedroom.
Maxim
I stare at my phone screen, jaw clenched. A reminder for the meeting with Adrian and Ivan. Of course. The one fucking moment I was finally about to kiss her, the world decides to interrupt.
I lift my head just in time to watch Calina’s retreating back as she hurries out of the gym. The sway of her hips in those tight leggings makes my cock twitch.
I don’t want her to leave. I want to drag her back, pin her against the wall, and finish what we both felt in the air between us.
Swearing under my breath, I push a hand through my damp hair.
She’s good. Better than good. Smart, quick, confident. The way she was quick to break out of my grip. She’s been trained well.
And the more I see of her, the more I like what I see. Day by day she’s crawling deeper under my skin, and I’m not sure I want her out.
I leave the gym, heading upstairs for a shower before the meeting. As I pass her bedroom door, something stops me.I don’t know what it is, but I decide to step inside without knocking.
I hear the shower running. A gentleman would turn around and leave. I’ve never claimed to be one. I push open the bathroom door.
Steam curls around her like a lover. She’s stepping out of the shower, completely naked, water still sliding down her body in rivulets. My breath catches hard in my throat.
