“What’s her name?” The minute the words flew out of my mouth I wished them back when I saw the look on Coach’s face.
Coach rubbed his brow, and quietly added, “Evangeline, but goes by Evie, and her friend is Millie. All I know is that they’ve been friends since they were kids. They’re more like sisters.” He glanced at them then back to me. “I’m not telling you, I’m begging you to keep your distance from her. I’ve heard that Patrick is a jealous prick, and you don’t want to mess with him, or...never mind…hit the bag.” He nodded toward it.
I watched Coach shuffle toward the bag, his shoulders slumped forward and he looked uncomfortable, which made me wonder what he’d been about to say when he switched direction to the bag.
But what the hell, my concentration had been shot to hell with talk of Evie. I now had a name to put with her beautiful face, and I’d give anything to be able to talk to her—to hear my own name on her lips.
As I steadied the bag in front of me, I cast one glance back at her and smiled to myself when I caught her eyes on me through the mirrored wall in front of where she worked out.
“Stryker,” Coach growled. “Are you doing this to piss me off, or do you want Patrick involved because I’m telling you that will happen with his spies around here.”
“Patrick won’t do shit to me. He’s a fucking pussy.”
“The men who work for him won’t have the same problem.” Coach shook his head. “Get your mind back on training.”
With one last glance at Evie, I froze. My dick hardened, pulsed, as she bent to pick up a bottle of water from the floor.
I squeezed my eyes closed to avoid the image of her on her hands and knees as I pounded into her. That didn’t work because all it did was heighten my awareness of my woman.
Fuck!
Flexing my hands as much as the gloves allowed, I tried to breathe through my frustration, and hoped like hell the bag in front of me helped get rid of all the pent up need inside of me.
As my feet started to dance around the bag, I did small jabs with my fists to help loosen up my muscles that had become tense while my eyes had been focused elsewhere.
Shaking the image of Evie from my mind, for now, I started a fast and furious pace. The feel of the hard bag as my fist connected with it was familiar and sent me into the ‘zone’. Everything was forgotten the more I pounded into the black leather. Eventually, my frustration disappeared and was replaced with loneliness.
It was my constant companion and, while in the gym, it allowed me to block every sound from my mind and concentrate on my task.
I needed to stay focused without anyone in my eyesight to cause a distraction.
Distraction for me would become a choice of life or death.
Evie
AFTER MILLIE AND I had placed our food order with the server, I sat lost in my thoughts. They were filled with the fighter from the
other night who I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off at the gym. Stryker…and he had definitely struck not only that punching bag but something inside me. I tried to make a mental note of what I’d learned today but nothing came to mind. We’d been there so I could research my next book, but all I’d learned was how to work the cross trainer…and what fun it was to witness my friend melt into a puddle every time Carter had glanced her way. It had been cute.
“Instead of dreaming in silence,” Millie nudged my arm, “please dream out loud so I get a thrill out of it as well.”
I smirked, “I’d have thought you’d have your own dream to get a thrill out of.”
Millie sighed, a sappy look on her face, which stayed until the server interrupted us with our drinks—water with ice and lemon for me, an orange juice for Millie.
“Did you notice his body?” Millie practically drooled into her drink. “I mean, he had me panting with just one glance in my direction. I’m sure he watched my ass when I was on the stepper thing.”
“He did.” With a straight face, I teased, “I’m sure I caught him adjusting himself when he turned away.” I raised a brow and then started to laugh at the light blush that coated Millie’s cheekbones.
My friend was all out there and no embarrassment, until you outright described how someone reacted to her. Like now, she was flustered and had no clue how to handle my words. Instead of leaving her lost, I added, “Carter seemed really sweet, and I think you should try and talk to him more when we go back tomorrow.”
“I don’t know.” Millie looked worried with a small frown across her brows. “I usually go for the classy suit guys, not someone as rough or hard as Carter.” She sighed. After taking a long drink of her juice, she added, “He has an amazing body. I kept wanting to push his brown hair back from his forehead, which I’m sure he knew by the twinkle in his eyes.”
“Oh, he twinkled.” I let Millie ignore my comment while I remembered the other man to have a twinkle in his eyes. Even from across the gym I could see how focused on me he’d been. No one had ever looked at me the way that he did. It was as though he wanted to eat me for a snack and nothing or no one else would do.
His eyes had been so black; his large muscular body had been frozen in place while he’d watched me. His coach had tried to get his attention, but it had taken time. He’d glanced in my direction several times and I’d felt his gaze on me even when I didn’t look. His slightly long dark hair was tousled from his workout and it stuck to his forehead as sweat coated his skin.
I’d felt a reaction to the man right down to the tip of my toes, and the more he’d stared, the more I’d felt a deep ache between my legs, which left my panties damp with desire for the stranger…or was he a stranger?