Dirty English (English #1) - Ilsa Madden-Mills Page 0,50
inside the dark foyer, the smell of sweat and rubber mats piercing my senses like a balm of cool wind on a hot day. We were both quiet as I flicked on the lights and watched her take in the wide space, imagining how she’d see it through her eyes. It was old and musty and most of the workout equipment hadn’t been updated, but the boxing rings were new.
She stared at the posters in the hallway. I pointed at one of Max with his gloves in the air as the ref put on his championship belt during a mixed martial arts championship. “That’s Max. He’s my personal trainer, and he’ll be one of my trainers here when I open this place in a few months. We’ve been friends for a while.”
Her eyes searched mine. “You really love this place.”
“Yeah. If it wasn’t for this gym—for training—I’d be, I don’t know, crazy? Pissed off all the time, for sure. It gives me focus.”
She chewed on her lip, unease on her face.
I ignored it. “Ready for your surprise?”
She sent me a nervous look. “Yeah.”
“Come on, then. Let me show you something.” I took her hand and led her over to one of the red sparring mats. “I can’t help but notice how wary you are with certain people, and I think you might be more confident if you really knew how to defend yourself. You need to know more than just how to make a fist. You need to know how to use it.”
She looked down at the thick mat. “We’re going to wrestle?”
I grinned at that image. “We’re going to do Krav Maga. Ever heard of it?”
She shook her head.
“Translated it means contact combat, and I’ve been teaching it at various gyms in the area for a couple of years. Basically it’s a form of self-defense developed by the Israeli military, fast, aggressive, and very effective with just a few moves.”
“Does this mean you’ll be touching me?”
I blinked. “Yeah. A lot.”
She debated for a few seconds, a small smile curving her mouth. Full and plump, those lips on mine had been my fantasy way too many nights. “Okay, but only if you let me take you down a few times. Like flip you over my shoulder, toss you to the ground kind of take down. Maybe sit on you.”
I exhaled, picturing that little scenario, and I couldn’t stop the little grin on my face. “You can sit on me whenever you want.”
She smirked. “Funny, Englishman. You better be nice if you don’t want me to hurt you.”
I laughed. This was the girl I wanted to see. Sure of herself. Sassy. Not the scared girl at the frat party.
She walked around on the mat and hopped a little on her heels. “Okay. This is going to be fun. What’s first?”
“I need you to take your clothes off.”
OF COURSE HE was teasing me.
He chuckled. “You can close your mouth. I meant that you don’t want to ruin—or rip—your jeans.” He pointed to the back of the gym where the lockers and restrooms were. “Come on. I’ve got some extra pants for you to change into.”
Ten minutes later I came out of the ladies locker room barefooted in a pair of extra-small white karate pants.
I walked back to the mat and did a little pirouette, liking the way it made his eyes gleam with laughter.
He waited for me dressed in the same pants. His feet were bare and spread apart in a cocky stance, and even though I’d never been one of those people who got a thrill from odd body parts, his feet were sexy.
But it was his naked chest that made my heart do a loop-de-loop. My tongue wanted to lick it, but I settled for deep breathing. I recalled how wonderful it had felt to press myself against his skin the nights we’d slept together. But that was then and this was now, and it seemed as if we were slowly progressing toward more.
Keep your tongue in your mouth, Elizabeth, I told myself.
To distract myself, my eyes traced the dragonfly tattoo on his neck, my fingers itching to draw it. The tattoo seemed so incongruous with the tough guy he was, yet it fit him. He had a softness to him, and I think I’d sensed it from the first moment we’d met.
“Come here,” he said. Silkily.
I went without hesitation. “What?” I asked.
He reached out and gathered the bottom material of my shirt and tied it in a knot that