Page 45 of My All American Girl

20

DEAN

Saturday fitness drills had become the highlight of my week, although I was never going to admit it to Sarah. Her friends had bailed after the first grueling session, but she kept coming back, more determined than ever. It was just the two of us now.

She was daring me to push her harder. She honestly thought she was going to beat me. I thought it was funny because I was certain I could make her puke eventually. I found myself looking forward to our time together, even if all I did was put her through hell. I loved seeing that fire in her eyes and that never-give-up look she had.

“Come on, Thomas,” I barked as she struggled through her last set of burpees. “You’re moving like a pregnant koala.”

I was still new at being a hard-ass drill-sergeant type. Some of my insulting encouragement needed work. I hoped my stern tone was enough to get the point across.

Sarah shot me a look that was half defiance, half confusion, but she didn’t slow down. If anything, she pushed herself harder. It was something I’d come to expect from her—this relentless drive to prove herself, to prove me wrong.

“Is that all you’ve got?” I taunted, knowing full well it wasn’t. She was a glutton for punishment, thriving on the challenge. And every time I set the bar higher, she met it with a grin. “You’re slower than a snail with a sprained ankle.”

When she finally finished, she collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard.

“Not bad, Thomas.”

She looked up at me, her face flushed with exertion, but there was a spark in her eyes that told me she wasn’t done. “Not bad? Come on, Ryker, you know I can do better than that.”

When we were together in an official capacity, she usually referred to me as Ryker. But I wouldn’t forget that night two weeks ago when neither of us acted according to the code of conduct. That night, she called me Dean.

I shook my head, chuckling. “You’re dangerous, you know that? You’re going to hurt yourself one of these days.”

She rolled her eyes, pushing herself up onto her elbows. “Not a chance. I know my limits.”

“Do you?” I challenged, crossing my arms. “Because it seems like every time I think I’ve set the bar too high, you smash it and then some.”

She got to her feet, brushing the dirt off her clothes. “Maybe you just need to set it higher.”

Her words were a challenge. “Fine. Ten more sprints. Now.”

She didn’t hesitate, taking off down the track without a second thought. I watched her go, admiring her tenacity. There was something about her that drew me in, made me want to push her harder, see how far she could go. But it was more than that. I enjoyed our time together, even if it was just me hammering her into shape like a chunk of iron. It was probably some sick perversion I had. I loved seeing her sweat and her chest heave up and down while she struggled to catch her breath.

She pushed herself as hard as I did, and it was sexy as hell.

When she finished her sprints, she jogged back to me, winded less than I had expected. “Is that the best you can do?” she asked.

“You’ve never seen my best,” I said.

She grinned, hands on her hips. “So show me.”

I glanced at the clock, noting that we were almost out of time. “Take a water break.”

She picked up her water bottle and flipped it open. I watched as she gulped it down, sweat glistening on her brow.

“You’re doing well,” I said, leaning against a nearby fence post. “I’m impressed, and I don’t say that often.”

She looked at me over the rim of her bottle, then lowered it, her eyes locking with mine. “I’m not working my ass off to impress you. I’m working to get through survival training at the top of my class. I’m going to be the best. I’m going to show my father I don’t need a nanny.”

I smirked, crossing my arms. “As your nanny, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s exactly what happens. But I’m not going to tell you that. Don’t want it to go to your head.”

She laughed, a light sound that made something in my chest tighten. “Good to know you’re holding back the compliments. Wouldn’t want me thinking there’s a heart beating in that cold robot chest of yours.”

I chuckled and clapped my hands together, signaling the end of her break. “Alright, enough rest, says the nanny robot. Let’s get back to it.”

Sarah didn’t move. Instead, she stood there, staring at me with a defiant look in her eyes. “What if I don’t want to?”