Killer

“What’s up first?”

“Eeep!” K’s sudden presence at my side draws a humiliating noise out of me and I wobble. Catching myself, I turn to face him, unprepared to control my reaction. My mouth drops open at the sight. K is already shirtless, exposing a tantalizing expanse of tan skin, defined muscles, and dark black slashes of ink. All within inches of my now itchy fingers.

“Sorry,” he grunts, his huge hand wrapping around my wrist to keep me steady. The touch sends a spark straight between my legs.

Oh. My. God.

“Ummmm, I… I’m okay. Thanks.” Our eyes lock and my heart leaps into my throat. Mesmerized, I stare at his molten silver irises as the black of his pupils enlarges, eclipsing nearly all of the extraordinary color.

Those eyes.

I can’t put my finger on it but they remind me of… of something. Something just out of reach, but I’m not sure what it is. It’s like déjà vu but not quite. Without thinking, I raise my hand to touch his face, desperate to understand, desperate for physical contact, desperate to see if K can give me the serenity I crave.

“Are you guys ready?”

Max’s loud question breaks us apart. I yank my hand back to my side. K actually cringes and if I didn’t spot the crimson streaks on his cheeks, I would never have believed the man could actually blush.

“We’re ready,” I reply with more confidence than I should be able to manage.

“Good.” Max snaps, entering the cage, K hot on his heels.

Oh great. First K, now Max is in rare form today.

I stand by the cage, confused by the images running through my mind. K’s eyes, they seemed… I can’t explain it. Familiar? And not because I’ve been obsessed with their unique color since the first day he arrived at the gym. He so rarely allows eye contact, it’s not as if I’ve gotten anywhere near as acquainted with them as I’d like. I could stare into them for hours at a time.

The unsettling sensation has my heart beating wildly, which is irritating considering I have no idea why I’m so unnerved.

“Earth to Britt!”

Once again, I’m caught spacing out. In the ring in front of me, Max and K are staring, waiting for me to join them. Max has his hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice.

“No need to shout, Max,” I retort, stomping up the steps and letting myself into the cage. “We won’t be filming today, so you can go.”

Max frowns, his entire body going rigid at my dismissal. “I’m supposed to help,” he insists.

The hostile expression Max shoots my way sends chills down my spine and an uneasy ache into my stomach. Max is pissed off to say the least, only I don’t know why and frankly, I don’t care, but my voice catches in my throat, along with any argument I had at the ready to tell Max off.

K must sense my discomfort, because he does something I’ve never, ever seen him do. Something I never imagined he could do. He gets visibly pissed and shouts. Loud.

“Did you hear what she said?” K takes a deliberate step into Max’s space. Max blanches, his hands trembling just enough to notice. “Don’t fucking look at her or talk to her like that again,” K growls, fists clenched and brows pulled tight over hardened eyes. Eyes that aren’t hidden by a baggy hood.

Max stumbles back. “I-I wasn’t—”

“Leave!” K’s voice is so thunderous the entire gym goes silent. It’s probably the first time most of these people have heard his voice. I stand, shocked, as Max scrambles for the stairs, hurries out of the cage, and up the stairs to the employee lounge.

I glance around, unsure of what to do next. Everyone is staring. K doesn’t seem to care or notice. He steps out of the octagon and walks over, his loud, booming voice now a soft, near-whisper.

“Are you okay?”

I flush and a nervous giggle escapes. “Are you really asking me that?”

The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” I correct when one of K’s eyebrows lifts accusingly. “Max just… I mean, he’s never acted like this before, but lately he’s just off. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Now, confused instead of furious, K’s brow furrows over those stunning eyes again. “I don’t understand you,” he admits.

K is willingly meeting my gaze. Only this time it’s K trying to figure me out instead of vice versa.