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Maggie looks at me wide-eyed, no doubt wondering what the hell I got us into, and I squeeze Ivy’s hand even tighter.
“Thank you, Benji, but we are okay with the other group. We don’t want to bother Carter,” I say with a smile, albeit a shaky one.
“Too bad.” His voice grumbles at me from behind, and I turn quickly, startled. “You need to be able to protect yourself for whenever he comes back, because according to your little cub,” he says, stopping near Ivy and rubbing her head in greeting, “he always comes back.”
I watch Ivy’s smile beam when she sees him, and Carter puts out his fist for her to bump, which she does with glee.
“Hey, Ivy. Glad you can join us today.” I’m in a state of shock, unmoving, as I was their interaction with interest.
“Can you teach me to fight, Carter? I want to learn all the moves!” she asks, throwing a mock punch that whooshes through the air. And this big, tattooed monster of a man laughs. He’s laughing with my daughter, like nothing sounds more fun than that. He is probably the last man she needs to know, yet it warms my heart like I never knew it could.
“Sure thing, Little Cub.” Ivy jumps with excitement, basically catching air, and his smile grows even wider.
Carter comes to stand next to Maggie and me, looking like a delicious contradiction. The most intimidating bouncer at a nightclub, his arms crossing his chest, challenging me to argue, yet there’s a softness in his eyes that has my stomach fluttering.
“Cub?” Maggie asks with curiosity.
“Ivy,” both Carter and I reply to her at the same time, and her eyebrows raise as she eyes us both suspiciously. No doubt she will fire a million questions at me later, because I haven’t had time to fill her in on the latest.
I look back to Carter, whose gaze takes me in.
“What do you think, Ivy?” He turns to her, trying to get her on his side. He clearly hasn’t forgotten what I was saying as he walked in.
“I want to learn, Carter! Teach me everything!” she says, her face lighting up in anticipation.
“Sure, I have a few ways you can get strong, just like your mom.” His eyes flick back to me, but it’s not teasing anymore. It’s… reverent. It’s a look I’ve never seen aimed at me before.
“Let me teach you how to protect yourself, Cat.” His hand reaches out and connects with my hip, and he squeezes my waist. He gives me a sly grin, which I can’t help but return, and I nod at him, knowing that in this moment, I would do anything he says. So, I nod my agreeance.
Maggie clears her throat, snapping the two of us back into reality, and Carter claps his hands. “Let’s go, ladies,” he says, spinning on his heel, and we follow him over to the mats for our session, but not before Maggie gives me a wink that makes me smile.
Ivy takes a seat to the side to watch, while Carter explains a few moves to us. Then Maggie and I each take a turn in trying to escape from his different holds. He and Maggie strike up a great rapport and when it is my turn, I don’t miss the way he grabs my waist, runs his hands up and down my back, caressing my skin. With his hands on my body so much, it is hard to concentrate. I am so turned on by him, his strength, the way he teaches us the different moves with the utmost patience, his caring nature, his intelligence. There is a lot to like about this man and my fondness for him is growing by the minute.
“Go, Mom!” Ivy yells from the sidelines, and I hear Carter chuckle.
“She’s a great kid, Cat.” I smile, about to respond, but he grabs me and flips me over, showing me exactly why I need to keep my guard up.
After a rigorous session, Maggie and I lie on the mats, staring at the ceiling, both of us coated in a sheen of sweat as we try to catch our breath. Carter worked us hard, throwing each of us around, showing us techniques, getting our fitness up so we can harm and run. It is similar to what we were learning in the other class, but a little more advanced.
I watch Ivy with Carter, as he picks her up and throws her around like she weighs nothing. All I can hear is her elated giggles and a tear runs down my cheek, mixing with my sweat. I never thought I would see Ivy interact with a man like she is with Carter right now. Normally, she’s hesitant with any male that comes near her, but it seems Carter not only has a special effect on me, but my daughter as well.
“Well,” Maggie says as she sits up. “I’m done. Thanks, Carter!” she yells across the room, to where he is grabbing his water bottle.
“Good job, Maggie. See you next time,” he says before taking a few gulps of his water, wiping the sweat off his brow. Clearly, he got a good workout in too.
She stands and looks at me, a knowing look on her face. “I will see you later, and I want all the details.” It takes me a moment to catch up, but then she’s answering my unspoken question.
“Ivy, let’s go, your mom can meet us at my place. I need an ice cream stat.” Ivy promptly gets up, running to her jacket with a squeal. And now I know what my sister’s up to.
“Bye, Carter!” Ivy calls out to him, out of breath as she sprints across the room to meet Maggie. He smiles, giving her a wave, and I watch them both leave without another look back. Maggie’s wobbling slightly, her legs feeling like Jell-O, no doubt, because mine sure are. I want to thank Carter for taking time out of his busy day for us, so I am slower to stand.
I peel myself off the soft mats of the gym floor and look at Carter who is walking back to me, his shirt is now gone. My eyes drop to his body, and I can say with certainty it’s a sight I could never tire of.
“You’re going to burn a hole through me, looking at me like that,” Carter teases, and I blush at being caught gawking. I rub my face with my hands, laughing lightly, so out of practice with dealing with men.
“Come here,” he says gruffly, lifting his arm out to me for me to take his hand. I don’t hesitate to do just that, and as I do, he pulls me closer. My eyes automatically go to his hard chest again, landing on a woman’s name he has tattooed. I have seen it before, but I haven’t asked about it.
“What are you looking at now?” he asks before his gaze lowers to meet mine, and I lose my breath for a moment in his crystal-clear blue eyes.
