Page 24 of Craved By the Mountain Man

The heavy bag swings slightly behind his shoulder.

Up close, he is even more offensive.

Sweat darkens the hair over his chest. A bead of it slides from his collarbone, tracks downward, and disappears along the hard planes of his stomach.

My eyes follow it.

Again.

I am beginning to recognize a pattern in my behavior around this man.

Gavin notices.

This is humiliating.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You keep looking at me like that.”

My cheeks heat.

“Like what?”

His gaze drops briefly to my mouth.

I forget the question.

Then he steps past me and reaches for a towel draped over the railing.

“You said Kaden taught you self-defense.”

My brain takes a moment to catch up.

“He did.”

Gavin wipes the towel over his face and neck.

This does not improve matters.

“How much?”

“Enough.”

“That what you told the guy who grabbed you?”

My attraction temporarily loses a fight with irritation.

“I got away from him.”

“You did.”

He tosses the towel aside.

“But you tried the same kind of escape on me last night.”

“And you cheated.”