If You Fall (Brimstone 1)

“You said you wanted to take a huge bite out of life and live on the edge. I guess this is living on the edge.”

On the blackboard at the front of the classroom was the following:

Please warm up for 5 minutes before class starts.

I watched as the other participants shook out their arms and legs as if they knew what ‘warm up’ meant. I tried to follow their movements, bending over to touch my… my knees and then arching my arm over my head.

“Be prepared to puke the first class. Look.” I pointed to the wall. A tin bucket like a janitor would use stood by the door, a mop beside it. “There’s a bucket.”

She checked it out, making a face of alarm.

“Oh, and there’s a portable defibrillator, just in case…” I pointed to it and she laughed out loud.

“Oh, my God. Why did I sign us up for this? I should have done Zumba.”

“I honestly have no idea. We’re in for it now, sister,” I said, swallowing hard when the instructor entered the room, almost puking at the sight of him. He looked like the Marine Corps bulldog crest on his t-shirt, his head covered by a thin brush cut, the sides sheared right down to his skin. He had a neck as thick as a tree trunk and he wore grey sweats and a loose black t-shirt with a snarling bulldog dog on the front. I could practically see his muscles rippling beneath his clothing.

United States Marine Corps Devil Dog the t-shirt read.

It brought back so many memories…

“Sorry about the military thing,” Leah said. “I just saw fitness class and since it was at the right time, I signed us up…”

I shook my head “Don’t worry. I have to move on, right?”

She nodded and we turned to face the instructor who was speaking with a student. I glanced around at a few of the others, and they looked just as shocked and in awe as Leah and I were.

Then, I saw Beckett in the doorway, glancing around as if checking to see if he was in the right place.

Damn. He was going to join the class?

Despite my reluctance, he was everything I could want. Tall. Handsome, hell—gorgeous. Smart. Hard working. Sexy. Funny.

Leah went to the drinking fountain, which was right beside Beckett in the small workout room, scoping him out behind his back. She raised her eyebrows at me when she returned.

“He’s sooo hot,” Leah said, tilting her head in Beckett’s direction. “He really likes you, Mira. Why don’t you be nice and have some fun? Carpe diem, right?”

The instructor turned to Beckett. “You’re late,” he said, his voice gruff.

“Sorry, Master Sergeant,” Beckett said, taking off his boots, stripping off his jeans to reveal a pair of black basketball shorts.

“You better get warmed up. Fast.” The instructor stood with his hands on his hips watching Beckett get ready, looking like he was ready to bark out an order at any moment.

Beckett took a place at the side of the class, shaking his arms and legs as if trying to warm up. He was absolutely gorgeous. He glanced around and his eyes came to rest squarely on me. Another shiver that made my skin all goose-bumpy went down my spine when our eyes met, and it wasn't the air conditioning.

I glanced away quickly.

He definitely looked like he belonged in a Bond movie or a catwalk in Milan, and so as I stretched and tried to warm up, I tried to imagine what he really was. DEA agent? Maybe undercover? Or CEO of a tech company? Could he really be both?

I watched him while I bent over, trying to touch my toes on one side.

“Good day, recruits,” the bulldog said when he was finally ready to start the class, his blue eyes piercing. Then he frowned. “That’s a joke.”

We laughed nervously.

“I’ll be your instructor for today. My assistant will be a former Marine you can call Beckett, who knows his way around the MCMAP. I usually run this class alone, but since he’s in town, I decided to give him the privilege of helping. Some of you will be new to the MCMAP. Do what I say and you won’t get hurt – too much.”

Finally, Bulldog smiled, but it was hard to tell the difference between his angry face and his happy face.