Page 34 of Unmasking Her Shadow

She pinches her lips together to stop herself from grinning too big.

“I can stay after. For you.”

I swallow and inhale slowly, trying not to show how badly she affects me.

“Get the instructor all to myself. I’d like that.” I wink and her cheeks redden more.

My eyes snag on Ryker leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching the interaction. I give him a knowing grin, and he turns, walking to the lockers to change. That fucker is going to stay too. Just to irk me. The little brother I never wanted, but am sure damn glad I have.

“Be right back,” I tell Sam before leaving to get changed, too. The gym is empty, except for Ryker when I walk back in. He has on his headphones and is working his abs on the power tower.

“I think I should stay after so you can be my instructor,” she blurts out, her eyes trailing over my body.

“That would be fun. I could lift you instead of weights,” I joke.

She cocks her head and looks me over, and I know what she’s thinking. I’m not bulky or as showy as the men here, but that doesn’t mean I’m not just as strong. I squat and tell her, “Come on.”

“What? No.”

“Well, now I have to do it so I can take your doubts away.”

She crosses her arms, and I snatch her up and drape her across my shoulders. She squeals and I turn towards the mirror. “Ki!” she laughs. I fix my form, then squat with her in tow.

Her mouth drops, and I do it again before placing her back on her feet.

“Okay…I definitely need to work out with you,” she laughs, poking her biceps.

“You are perfect the way you are, Red.”

I glimpse Ryker’s hidden grin in the mirror’s reflection. He needs someone who makes him as happy as Sam makes me. She’ll appear in his life one of these days, just like Sam did mine.

We return to our mats and go over each pose she did with the rest of the crew, but when it’s time for our closing stretches, I turn to face her and she does the same.

“What?” she asks when I can’t seem to take my eyes off hers.

“Just wondering when you’re going to kiss me again,” I admit foolishly.

She averts her eyes, and I worry I’ve crossed a line. “Red—”

“What if kissing me puts you in danger?”

I furrow my brows at her question and realize she’s talking about masked me.

“Someone shot at me today,” I tell her. “And that wasn’t the first time this week. You can kiss me whenever you fucking want and I’ll accept all the bullets that come with it.”

“Whenever I want,” she repeats.

I’m fucking blushing now. Since when do I blush?

Our hands brush and a bolt of need and desire rush through me. Calm the fuck down, Ki. She doesn’t even realize she’s as straight as a country back road in West Virginia yet. She closes her eyes to take her final long inhale and exhale, but mine remain on her face. If I can make her mine, it will be my greatest accomplishment. I’d hold her up like a trophy. First place motherfuckers.

“How come you didn’t join us, Ryker?” Sam asks, grabbing her water bottle.

“I’m not the one needing decompressed,” he replies.

She looks at him funny and goes to take a drink, but the cap falls off and water pours over her, drenching her top. I pat and rub her back when she can’t stop coughing.

“That wouldn’t be the first time I almost drowned,” she rasps, and I have to hold back a laugh.