He stopped, his eyes widening in surprise. I had crossed a line, and I knew it. But a small part of me didn’t care.
“I’m just saying,” I said, shrugging. “It’s a compliment.” Where had this newfound confidence come from?
Kaden let out a short laugh, shaking his head. “I’m honestly not sure what to say, Val.”
Damn…rejected, reel it back Val.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I said, moving a step closer to him. “Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen.”Great, now he’s going to think I’m a psycho.
He looked at me for a long moment, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Alright. Let’s go again.”
We started working on the drill again, but this time, the air between us was charged.What is happening?My thoughts began to take over as I blocked each move. Left hook. I wanted to kiss him. Right jab. Scratch that Iwantto do more than kiss him. Watching as his sweat soaked shirt clung to his body.Why is this hot to me and why hadn’t I noticed it before?
We repeated the motions rhythmically for what felt like mere seconds, but by the time we were done I looked up at the clock and was shocked to see three hours had passed. ????I couldn’t believe it. While the rest of the world melted away around us, we had remained frozen in time.
Kaden stood there, his breathing heavy. I watched as his shoulders rose and fell with each breath before looking up andmeeting his eyes with mine. They were a beautiful shade of dark brown with what appeared to be golden flecks throughout. We didn’t speak. I bit my lip out of nervousness and he quickly looked away.
Maybe I had misread things. Perhaps Kaden wanted me as much as I wanted him but he didn’t want to blur those lines.
He took a step toward me.
Oh shit, what’s he doing?My thoughts raced.Was this actually happening?
But no. Kaden held up his fist and smiled. “Great job today, Val.”
I smiled, feeling like an idiot and looked down to the ground shaking my head back and forth, probably giving the illusion I was a bobble head. Then held up my fist and lightly tapped it against his. “Thanks, boss.”
Boss?Kaden smiled before taking off in the direction of the locker room. I dropped to the mat and laid back, staring at the blinding LEDs and listening to the sound of silence.
Sixteen
Kaden
I wanted to kiss her. All of my thoughts drifted back to her as soon as I twisted the knob on the shower and stepped into the water.
Everything about Val was intoxicating. Her smile, the way she looks down and bites her lip when she’s nervous, the confident energy she radiates, the way she smells. There were even times when I was explaining things to her I can tell she already knows and is just listening to be polite. It all does something to me.
What was I thinking?Training her should have never been on the list of things I agreed to, but of course I couldn’t help myself. I was supposed to be a professional, yet here comes Val, challenging me and testing my limits to see how far I’d go. I still didn’t even know much about her, but I felt a strong sense of urgency, knowing she could protect herself but still desiring to be her protector.
I continued to stand there, with my head tilted back letting the water pelt my face and cascade over the rest of my body. The steam coiled around me and the heat helped loosen up some ofthe knots which had formed throughout the day. My eyes may have been closed, but her face was a vivid picture painted in my mind.
Her submissiveness on the mat while we trained was reigniting a part of me left dormant for a long time. It reminded me of when Isabella and I had first started dating, the dynamic and raw passion we had for each other was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Eventually, we fell out of that. Mostly because of my accident and the fact she developed a resentment toward me she never wanted to talk about.
We pretended everything was great until she couldn’t pretend anymore.
I just didn’t want to unintentionally make Val a rebound, and I definitely didn’t want to shift my focus away from fighting again. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.
She would understand though, wouldn’t she? Valhadalready left her entire world behind in Arizona to pursue this dream.
For what reason? I still don’t know, but I was going to find out.
I cranked the handle of the shower into the off position, grasping the towel I had left on the hook just outside and dried off before wrapping it around my waist. Stepping out of the shower, the steam had already dissipated and I made my way over to my locker. Arlo had invited me over to his house tonight, but time had slipped away so we made plans to meet up at The Rocky Top Cavern. They had some of the best wagyu burgers in town and I wasn’t about to pass up time with my best friend.
???
Arlo took a bite of his steak. “So you do like her, you dirty dog.” He chuckled while chewing on his food. “I knew it.”
I sat back in my chair and took a sip of my soda. “But I can’t go there, right?” I paused. “It wouldn’t be a good look as a trainer, or for our company.”