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Hugh laughed as hepulled me close to him, turning me to face the open gym. “Well,this is the place for you, then. And, you came at the right time. Ihold beginner classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at six.Right now, we’re finishing up one of our advanced classes, as youcan see. So, if you want to head over to the locker rooms and getready, as soon as we’re done I’ll send one of my co-instructorsover. Since this is your first day, I’ll have him partner with youto teach you the basics.”
He patted me on theshoulder with a firm hand and stepped back into the ring with acouple of sparring men. I winced as one of the men swept out andknocked the other flat on his back with a solid thud. Hugh saidthis was the advanced class. Maybe the beginner class wouldn’t beas rough. Otherwise, I would be sporting some serious bruises cometomorrow.
I pulled my eyesaway from the fight happening in front of me and spotted the lockerrooms toward the back of the building. I took in my surroundings asI walked around the edges of the matches. It was a simple layout.The building was big enough for bleachers on the far side of thebuilding next to the locker rooms. There were already multiplepeople watching the matches. I assumed they were waiting for thenext class to get started.
There wasn’t a placeon the floor that wasn’t covered with soft mats you would find at ahigh school wrestling meet. There were exposed steel beamsthroughout the open space, making the industrial feel of the placeeven more prominent. The whole building wasn’t much to look at butit was still welcoming.
Looking around,there were people of every different race and ethnic backgroundtalking, joking, and sparring together. This may be a place to blowoff some anger, but I found it refreshing to not feel animosityfrom anyone.
I pushed through thelocker room doors and quickly found an empty locker to stash mybag. I stripped and changed into a clean black sports bra andmatching pair of capri leggings that made my ass look fabulous. Iexchanged my heels for my Nikes and I was ready to go. I quicklyput my hair up into a high pony before I walked back out to thesparring room.
After finding aplace on the bleachers, I sat and waited patiently for the nextclass to start. I was looking over the room at all the matches inprogress, when I felt eyes on me. I turned slightly and saw saideyes. And they were some pretty eyes at that.
He was sitting acouple of benches up from me. He wore long black gym shorts and adeep-red tank. My gaze traveled the length of his body starting athis powerful legs and his tan chiseled biceps. He had a square jawthat was clean-shaven, and plump lips. His eyes were a light jadecolor. His blond hair was cut too short for my liking but stilllooked good on him. The whole package was nice to look at but Icouldn’t stop the comparisons as they came rushing in.
I gave him a tightsmile and turned back around, facing the match in front of me. Isucked in a breath and braced myself to be hit on when I felt himmove from his seat and sit next to me. Almost too close forcomfort.
“I haven’t ever seenyou here before. My name’s Vince.” His deep voice rumbled as heextended his hand to me. I gave him another tight smile as I tookhis hand in mine.
“Jill,” was all Ioffered.
He revealed straightteeth as he smiled down at me. I’m sure that smile got him allkinds of attention with the ladies, but I couldn’t stop thinkingabout the fact that he didn’t have that sexy crooked smile thathaunted my thoughts.
“Nice to meet you,Jill. Have you ever done this before?” he asked, gesturing to thematch in front of us. I shook my head and he smiled even brighterat me. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes at him. “I couldhelp you out if you want. I’ve been doing this for a couple ofmonths now and I don’t want to brag, but I am kind of a natural atit,” he said with an arrogant shrug. “I could be your partner ifyou wanted?” He gave me a sly grin.
Oh, I’m sure hecouldhelp me out.I was confident that even a deaf personcould have heard the innuendo in his voice. I wasn’t really in aplace to entertain him at this point and my patience was alreadyhanging on by a thread. I really didn’t have the energy to put upwith half-cocked come-ons today.
I turned my fullattention to him so he couldn’t misunderstand my next words. “Look,I appreciate the offer, bu—”
“She already has apartner,” a familiar deep voice cut me off.
I stilled with mywords caught in my throat. I knew that voice, that tone. Iremembered when that voice whispered to me in that Spanish I lovedso much. I closed my mouth and swallowed hard. Slowly, I turned tosee the man I had been trying to avoid.
Damon stood in frontof me in all his hot Latino glory. I felt shell-shocked as I tookin his imposing form. His shoulder-length curls were held back in aqueue at the base of his neck. He stood with his arms crossed overhis delicious chest, making his arm muscles bulge even more thannormal. I nearly drooled when I noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt.His exposed olive skin was covered in a layer of sweat that Isuddenly wanted to feel against me.
My eyes traveled tohis tapered waist and that incredibly sexy V that I wanted to tracemy fingers down. When I looked up at his face he was staringbetween me and Vince with a menacing glare that made all of my ladyparts perk up and take notice. I sucked in a sharp breath andclenched my thighs together. The movement didn’t go unnoticed byhim as he looked down at me with his crooked smirk.
“How’re you doing,Red?” he asked in a deep rumble that seemed to rake over mynerves.
I cleared my throat.“I, ah … I’m fine.” I frowned up at him. “What the hell are youdoing here?”
I hadn’t meant forso much animosity to come out with my words, but I couldn’t helpthe flustered feeling he incited in me as I looked up at him.
Damon smiled againand my heart fluttered. “Well, I just so happen to be in theadvanced class that’s just finishing up. I have to say, I’msurprised to see you, what with you ignoring my texts and all.” Ididn’t miss the dark look he gave me at the mention of his texts. Ifelt my face heat as I looked away from his piercing gaze.
The rest of thesparring matches were wrapping up when I looked around the floor. Iswallowed the lump in my throat as I watched Hugh make his way overto us on the bleachers. I stamped down a thrill of excitement atthe prospect of leaving this conversation.
“It looks like myclass is getting ready to start. Would you mind moving out of theway so I can pay attention?” I tried not to look too long atDamon’s searing gaze as I dismissed him. He smiled when he backedup from me but didn’t leave.
“All right, who’sready to get started?” Hugh asked as he clapped his hands togetherwith a ready expression. “We have a couple of new people here todayso I wanted to take this time to introduce you to my assistant fromour advanced class,” Hugh continued, and I felt my heart sink intomy butt. “This is Damon,” Hugh said as he clapped Damon on thechest. “He’s been with me here for five years and he’s at the topof his class. Feel free to ask him any questions you may have.”
I looked back overto Damon who hadn’t taken his hot eyes off me. I squirmed as heglared at me and tried to ignore the wetness gathering between mylegs. What was wrong with me?
“All right.” Hughclapped his hands together again. “Everyone, partner up and we willget started.”
Before I could takein the gravity of the situation, Damon made a beeline straight forme. I stood and glanced around the room as everyone was finding apartner.
“You’re the newestperson here today, and you need to partner with me so I can catchyou up on some basic moves,” Damon said as he crowded me.
