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“No, it’s fine,” he said bluntly.
“In that case, I’ll leave you to your evening.” She made her way to the door, thanked him again, and walked the short distance to her new place, wondering what the hell had just happened and what cruel act nature was now playing on her.
Why would she feel so pulled to someone who obviously couldn’t stand her?
Chapter 15
Colt
Colt smelled her before she even opened the door to the pack gym, that now-familiar mix of her apple shampoo and the herbs that she often worked with at the vet. But that was nothing compared to the real scent of her body. He already worried it was like a drug to him.
He glanced over as she entered, her long red tresses pulled back into a ponytail and her body wrapped in nothing but a flimsy film of Lycra. She looked straight at him as he continued at the punch bag, trying to keep his feelings in check.
“Hey.” He brought the bag to a halt and wiped his dripping brow.
“Oh, hey, Colt.” Her voice was soft, timid even, and he could sense something was bothering her. For a moment he worried those assholes might’ve been at it again.
“Everything okay?” He hoped he wasn’t right in his assumptions.
“Sure, just needed to work some stuff off. You know how it is.”
Colt decided not to press any further. He knew better than that. It was always best to let people come around, not force the issue. Tact and diplomacy were always the best answers as far as he was concerned.
“So, you wanna work out together?” He hoped she’d go for it.
“Uh, yeah, why not?” she replied. “I mean, I’m sure you’re used to working out with men but…”
“Don’t underestimate yourself,” Colt added, reassuringly. “I heard you put up a hell of a fight the other day with those hunters.” He watched as a small smile dressed her lips, his chest warming when he saw it. He liked to see that he could have such a positive effect on her.
“Well, I had no choice really.”
“So, why don’t we brush up on some of those skills, try a bit of self-defense? Show those assholes you mean business if they turn up again.” He bristled just mentioning them, his wolf furious that she’d been attacked.
“Okay… if you don’t mind. I can’t say I’m a natural at it, but then I suppose I haven’t had much practice. I never needed any… Until now.”
His heart sank at her tone, sensing the vulnerability and sadness that lived in her. It couldn’t be easy going through what she was experiencing. “Well, now you’ve got a teacher. Seems to me you’ve got plenty of fight in you, coming here alone like you have, and that’s the main thing. You just need to learn the skills.”
“Let’s hope so. You might have your work cut out for you, but I’ll give it my best shot. To be honest, if they showed up again, I’d love to kick their asses.”
Colt laughed. “See, that’s the spirit. We’ll make a fighter of you yet. There’s a room out back. Let’s go there. It’s a bit more private.”
“Sure, lead the way. And no laughing,” Harlow joked.
He held up his hands. “As if I would ever do such a thing.” She followed him to the small workout room, her hair bouncing as she walked and her scent captivating him. When he closed the door behind them, he knew right away that being in such close proximity to her was going to be tough.
“So, first thing you need to know is this. You don’t meet force with force. You use their force against them. Let me show you. Come at me.”
Harlow looked at him wide-eyed.
“Come on, go for it,” he urged. She launched herself at him, shocked when he dodged her advance and grabbed her arm in a firm hold.
“See?” he said, trying his best to resist every cell in his body screaming at him. He heard her heartbeat, felt the air growing thick with something so intoxicating it was killing him.
“I think so,” she breathed as he held her against him.
Letting her go, he tried to shake off the feelings, wondering if they were as strong for her. He decided to take her through some basic moves, ones that involved as little body contact as possible, as if that was going to be enough.
She was right about not being well-versed in self-defense, and he found himself having to start from scratch. But it was important—her safety was now an issue for him. When he had to show her how to resist being grabbed again, she twisted the wrong way, ending up facing him directly.
