“Yeah,” I nodded, rocking back on my heels. “Except, I don’t work for anyone else. I gave that up three years ago, and I’m not going back for anyone.”
She pursed her lips at me. “What if I made a bet with you?”
“I’m always up for a good bet.”
“I bet I can drop you on your ass in five seconds. If I win, you take the job. If you win, it’s up to you.”
I looked away, not wanting her to see me laugh at her. It wasn’t nice to make fun of girls. “Look, that’s cute, but even if I let you win, you still wouldn’t get to decide what I want to do with my business.”
“Then what do you have to lose?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at me.
I studied her for a moment. She was a small thing. There was no way she’d kick my ass, even if she gave it her all. “Alright, give it your best shot.”
I was braced for it, but wasn’t prepared as I should have been. And even if I had taken her seriously, I’m not sure I would have seen her coming. I was on my feet, and then she was up on my shoulders with her legs wrapped around my neck. Then I was on the flat of my back, staring up at the blue sky, trying to get air into my lungs. What the fuck just happened?
She climbed over me, pressing her hand to my chest as she leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Yeah, I like the military. 1stMarine Raider Battalion.”
She pushed off me and strutted away, flinging a smile over her shoulder at me, along with a finger wave. I watched her go, then flopped my head down on the ground and stared up at the sky.
“Fuck, that was sexy.”
* * *
“So, you decided to go through with it.”
I stopped working on the car and smirked before grabbing the rag and turning around to face Rae. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I wanted her. There was something about her that made me hard and pissed off at the same time. A woman like her, so confident and in control, made me doubt my sworn testament to stay away from all women, besides taking them to bed.
“Well, a bet is a bet.”
“You said you wouldn’t take Cash’s offer because of a bet.”
“Maybe I did it because a woman dressed in leather kicked my ass.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Please, don’t try flattery. It won’t work on me.”
I knew that all too well. The woman that stood before me took no prisoners. Again, dressed in leather with her hair hanging around her shoulders, she looked innocent, almost too pretty for the she-devil lingering underneath. This woman was the epitome of a killer in disguise. I could see how she was such an effective woman. With her petite stature and innocent face, no man in his right mind would assume she was a deadly weapon. I’d fallen into that very trap.
“And what would?” I asked, stalking toward her.
“You don’t stand a chance. You already have two strikes against you.”
“Two? Wow, I could see maybe one.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, and a cute smirk spread over her lips. “And what would you guess the one would be?”
“Well, a woman kicked my ass. I thought that was pretty obvious.”
“I would never turn down a man just because I could kick his ass.”
“Why’s that?”
Her eyes twinkled as she slowly perused my body. “I’ve never met a man that could hold his own against me. At that rate, I wouldn’t ever get laid.”
My eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. “You mean, you’re not a virgin?”
“Nice try. I’m not giving you my number.”
I nodded, giving her that. I didn’t really need to know, or even care. Whoever they were, none would compare to me. And that wasn’t because I was so good in bed. It was just that when I really wanted something, I didn’t give up until I had it. And I really wanted her. “So, what are the two strikes against me?”