Just Me (You & Me 1)

“Let’s just put it behind us,” Katherine suggested.

“I just hope you can forgive me, and I promise to leave you alone,” he said, holding his hands in the air like he was surrendering. It was obvious he regretted how he behaved, and Katherine was satisfied with all he had done to make it up to her.

“All is forgiven,” Katherine said with a nod. Ben smiled back at her and they stayed frozen in that gaze for a few seconds that felt much longer.

Katherine was taking in every detail about him, memorizing the curve of his jaw and the shape of his eyebrows as he fought to hide the smile creeping across his handsome face. There was something about him that intrigued her and made her feel safe, but she wasn’t sure what it was.

Ben had what she liked to call kind eyes, and whenever he looked at her she felt stripped of the baggage she was so used to carrying. It was like Ben could see her, the real Katherine, buried beneath all the insecuritie

s and fear. He saw something in her she was struggling to see herself.

“So, you box, huh?” Ben asked, continuing the conversation. Katherine was happy to be talking about anything other than their weird encounter at the market.

“I started today!” Katherine announced proudly, holding her boxing gloves up. “I actually wanted to do more, I liked it a lot! But the instructor had another appointment.”

“Well, I know a few things, I could help out if you want,” Ben offered.

“Really?” she asked excitedly. Her muscles were relaxed now, ready for more, but she thought she would have to lift weights instead, since Katie had to leave.

“Yeah! It’s the least I can do,” he zipped his bag and began walking towards the boxing ring.

“Wait,” Katherine stopped him with seriousness in her tone. “Is this another one of your moves?” she asked, a flirtatious smile playing on her lips.

Caught by surprise, Ben chuckled. “I guarantee you, this is not one of my moves. You should know by now, I’m a smooth operator,” he joked, and they both laughed as they climbed into the boxing ring.

Chapter Twelve

Ben

CIRCLING AROUND THE ring, Benjamin kept creating combinations for Katherine to follow. She was a quick learner, and she had great form. Careful not to be obvious, he caught a few glimpses of her amazing body as they continued their workout.

“Good job,” he commended her after she landed a left hook.

She had a bit of fire behind her punches, and he was impressed. Most women liked less aggressive workouts, so the fact that Katherine enjoyed boxing was intriguing. It was one of his favorite pastimes, and knowing they could have that in common felt like a good sign.

It didn’t matter though, because Ben had promised he would not ask Katherine out again. They had made things right after his failed attempt at hitting on her, and now he just wanted to let things go, confident in the knowledge there wasn’t a woman in the city who could say she had been harassed or bothered by Ben O’Leary. He had really been sick about pushing her.

Now he just wanted to focus on helping her with her exercise, but from the way she was hitting, he doubted she needed any help at all. Katherine moved like she had something to prove. Most people train with boxing in a routine choreographed dance, but the way Katherine moved was different. It was like she was actually in a fight, or at least preparing for one. It was intense, and Ben liked it.

“Two here!” he barked, holding up his left hand. Instantly, Katherine threw two fast jabs. “Good job!”

“Have you done this before?” she asked, between strained breaths.

“Oh yeah, but I’m usually on your side of the training,” he admitted with a smile. Ben was recalling all the things his personal trainer did with him in the ring, trying to replicate them for Katherine.

“I don’t think I’ll ever lift a weight or run on a treadmill again. This is my favorite workout by far,” she smiled, her face red from the adrenaline rushing through her small body.

It was remarkable to Ben how gorgeous Katherine was, even covered in sweat at the gym. She had the kind of effortless beauty that needed no dressing up. Even her determination was attractive, the way she continued to follow him, throwing each punch harder than the last.

“Man, you’re stronger than I expected,” Ben remarked after Katherine threw a hard right hook.

The compliment seemed to give her more energy, her face brightening with pride. Ben liked being able to make her feel good about herself, and secretly wished he could do it more often.

“So, what do you do?” she asked.

“I sell pet accessories,” Ben answered, half honestly.

It was true, his company did sell pet accessories, and so he indirectly did as well. While success had never gone to his head in a negative way, he often tried to hide or downplay his wealth when it came to women. There was a misconception that all women loved wealthy men and threw themselves at them, but his experience had been much different.