Rough and Ready (More Than A Cowboy 2)

One gave a hand lift as a wave, the other nodded.

“They’re two of my guys and need your quick pace. Do the same loop. You remember it?”

I nodded, tugged Reed’s hat down on my head.

Gray stepped back. “Good. See you in… twenty-two minutes or so.”

Carter and Paul looked at Gray as if he were joking about the just-over seven-minute mile, but when he slapped one of them on the back—I wasn’t sure which was which—they eyed me with suspicion.

“If you need another three miles, I’ll have two more guys run with you.”

“It’ll be light by then, I’ll be fine.” They’d done enough already.

Reed crossed his arms over his chest as if settling in for an argument, but Gray responded. “No. I’d like it if you had company. Besides, my guys need the harder workout.”

I glanced between all four men. None spoke up, most noticeably Reed. His expression hadn’t changed once in the past half hour, but I had a feeling he wanted to herd me back inside. Paul and Carter seemed to be waiting for orders from Gray, tall sentries flanking him. I felt like I had a bodyguard rotation, but there was nothing I could do about it. All four of them were big, solid, and the way I knew they could fight, no one was going to lay a hand on me.

But seeing Reed made me ready to run more, to try to block out everything, including him. I turned and started out of the lot, the new guys hot on my heels. If they needed a push, I’d give them one. Besides, the only way I was going to feel better was if I felt nothing at all.

19

REED

“I can’t join tonight. My legs are killing me,” I told Seth, who ran the BJJ class. He was in his white gi and black belt, standing just outside the door to the room. It was wall to wall mats since the class was completely on the ground, unless he was teaching takedowns. And then, there was no fucking way I could get up and down for an hour.

“Heard you had a ruthless trainer.” He wasn’t talking about Gray because he wouldn’t have grinned. The ass-kicking Harper had handed to a bunch of us this morning had made its way around the gym. Seth was about five years older than me, was some kind of tech nerd and knew his shit when it came to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He wasn’t a fighter and had no interest in MMA, although I knew he participated in BJJ specific competitions.

When I thought of Harper, I didn’t think ruthless, but the pace she’d set on our three-mile run was faster than I liked. Hell, I’d hated every minute of it after the first block. But I’d had no intention of leaving her side. The only perk behind the twenty-some minutes of pure lung torture was that I’d gotten to watch her body, see the way her leg muscles flexed and pulsed as they pumped out the distance. Her chin had been up, her arms at her sides, she’d been in the zone, something like I got into once I stepped into the ring. Nothing was going to stop her or slow her down.

By the time we’d turned back into the parking lot in front of the building, I was all but ready to collapse. I wanted to stay with her, to be near her and figure out what the fuck was going on with her, but there was n

o way I could have made it another three miles at her pace. But she hadn’t been done. Winded, yes, but she had the determination and drive as if she were only in round two of a five round match. Gray had seen it and, thankfully, forced Paul and Carter to run with her next.

Yeah, they’d been as finished as me when they’d returned. The sun had been up then, and Gray’d had Tom and Drew ready to do a third lap although they hadn’t been as eager seeing the four of us on our return. But they’d have gone because everyone did what Gray said, and it proved all of us had shit for endurance.

“She showed us,” I admitted.

“You did, what? Your usual?”

“Three miles.”

A student came up, shook Seth’s hand and went in to stretch before class started.

“How far did she end up doing?” he asked.

“Twelve miles, maybe.” Once she was done, she all but dashed for the stairs to her apartment, and I’d seen nothing of her since. I had no idea where her car was, but I’d been in the gym all day—either training with Gray or working with my own clients—and hadn’t seen her come back out.

Seth just smiled and shook his head in a combination of wonder and insanity over her skills. I shifted, my legs aching. I had to wonder if her legs were as rubbery as mine and if she needed those muscles rubbed. My dick twitched. I had to shut that shit down.

She’d made it more than clear the night before that she was done with me, that she didn’t want more. She hadn’t been thrilled about it; the look on her face said she was tormented. While it should’ve made me feel better, she felt as shitty about this as I did, it didn’t. I wanted her to be happy. Preferably with me. Something was up, and I was going to give her space. Although she said she was moving to the UK. No, she was running to the UK. I just had to find out why before she did.

“Hey, Reed.” I turned around to see Jack from the front desk coming my way. “You wanted me to let you know if that car was out there again.”

I looked over his shoulder and toward the lot. I was too far away to see anything, but the cars parked directly in front of the building. I’d barely slept the night before, I’d all but sprinted three miles beside the woman I wanted but couldn’t have and now this. I’d played it straight, played it cool until now. Yeah, I’d left them alone before, but I wanted to rip their heads off. I couldn’t handle this shit with Harper and keep my head on straight for the fight, especially if the opponent was trying to dick around. Harper was more of a head game than any shit Dominguez could toss my way.

Gray rapped on the glass of his office window, redirecting my attention.

He was on the phone and gesturing me his way, but I waved him off and stalked right outside. There they were.