Chapter 18
18
DOMINIC
T he satisfying thud of my fists hitting the heavy bag echoes through the gym. Left hook, right cross, repeat. My muscles burn, but I keep going, working out the restless energy that’s been plaguing me since that night at Ruby’s bar. Since I felt her small body pressed against mine as I pulled her to safety. Since I watched her clean the blood from my split lip and wished it was her mouth instead...
Movement catches my eye as the front door to the studio opens, and everything in me goes still.
Ruby.
She’s standing in the doorway, afternoon sunlight catching her reddish-blonde hair like a halo. For a moment, I forget how to breathe. She’s wearing a long black coat, but underneath, I can see the curve-hugging lines of workout gear. Already, several of the guys have noticed her, their heads turning, eyes following.
A growl builds in my throat.
Mine.
She hasn’t seen me yet. She’s talking to Cherry at reception, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack. When she shrugs off her coat, I have to grip the heavy bag to keep from stalking across the room and covering her up again. The black tank top and leggings she’s wearing are all smooth lines, highlighting curves that make my mouth water. That tiny waist, the round breasts, those legs I want wrapped around me...
I’m moving before I make the conscious decision, drawn to her like gravity. She turns at my approach, and that smile—fuck, that smile ruins me. It’s all for me, accompanied by a pretty blush as her gaze drags over my tank top and arms. Her breath catches, just like it did at the bar, and satisfaction groans through me. Good to know I’m not the only one affected.
“Ruby.” I reach for her elbow, needing to touch her, to ground myself. “So happy you turned up.”
“Hey.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, trying for casual, but I can smell the nerves on her. Honey and cardamom, sweet enough to drown in. “Nice place you’ve got here. Very... intimidating.”
I chuckle, using my hold on her elbow to guide her away from prying eyes. “Wait ‘til you see the private training rooms.”
“Oh?” Her thin eyebrow lifts. “Mr. Chase. Are you planning to take advantage of me?”
The teasing lilt in her voice makes me want to show her exactly what I’d do with her in private. Instead, I lead her down the hallway to one of the smaller rooms, closing the door behind us. The padded floor takes up half the space—perfect for any practice falls.
“So, what made you finally decide to come for some training?”
“Oh, you know.” She drops her bag in the corner, stretching in a way that makes my mouth go dry. “Dealing with asshole cousins makes a girl consider her options.”
“You have any issues, let me know, and I’ll take care of him or anyone for you, angel.” The promise slips out, and the way her pupils dilate tells me she knows I’m not joking.
She glances up at me through those long lashes, and my gaze locks onto the pouty lips I haven’t stopped thinking about.
“I had no idea if you’d be at the studio, but I took a punt.”
“If I’m not on a job, I tend to come here either super early in the morning or late afternoons.” I move closer, drawn into her orbit. “How have you been?”
“Just dandy.” But there’s something off in her tone, a tension in her shoulders that makes my protective instincts flare.
“You want to talk about something?”
“Nope.” She pops the p playfully. “What about you? How’s your lip?”
“Right as rain. Trust me, I’ve been beaten up a lot. I’m a tough son of a bitch to take down.”
Her eyes dance in my direction. “Oh, is that a challenge for me or game talk to scare me?”
The laugh bursts out of me. Fuck me, but I’m falling way too fast for this woman.
“Let’s start with some stretches, angel. Then we’ll see about taking me down.”
I guide her through basic warm-ups, and it’s torture of the sweetest kind. Every bend forward, even her arms in the air, brings her scent closer and makes me more aware of her.
“Relax your shoulders,” I murmur. “First, we’ll practice breaking a wrist grab,” I explain, moving to stand in front of her. “When someone grabs your wrist, most people try to pull away. That’s exactly what they expect.” I demonstrate by gently taking her wrist. “Instead, you want to rotate your arm like this—” I guide her through the motion. “And step to the side while pulling down and away. The movement breaks their grip using leverage instead of strength.”
“Like this?” She tries to copy my movement, but her form is off. She’s rotating her arm but not stepping properly.
“Here.” I press closer, my chest to her back, arms wrapping around her to adjust her stance. “You want to use your attacker’s momentum against them. Step with your left foot—” I tap her leg with mine, guiding her into the correct position. “Good. Now rotate and pull while stepping. The movement should be quick and fluid.”
My lips brush her ear as I demonstrate, and her sharp intake of breath goes straight to my cock. She’s trembling slightly. Her scent spikes with something sweeter, headier. Beneath the honey and cardamom, there’s the subtle, intoxicating scent of approaching heat. Does she even realize what’s coming?
“Let’s try it again,” I say, forcing myself to focus. “I’ll grab your wrist, and you execute the move we just practiced.”
I circle around to face her, reaching out to grasp her wrist firmly but not hard enough to hurt. Her skin is soft under my fingers, and I have to resist the urge to stroke my thumb across her pulse point.
“Ready?”
She nods, determination replacing the nervousness in her amber eyes. When I tug on her wrist, she moves exactly as I showed her—stepping to the side while rotating her arm and pulling down. The movement breaks my grip cleanly.
“Perfect.” Pride mingles with desire as I watch her face light up. “Your timing was excellent. How did that feel?”
“Like I actually did something right.” She laughs, brushing escaped strands of hair from her face. “Can we try it again?”
“Of course. This time, I’ll grab a little harder. In a real situation, they won’t be gentle about it.”
We practice the move several more times, her confidence growing with each successful attempt. Her smile gets broader, more genuine, and the way she looks at me after each success tightens my chest.
“You’re a natural,” I tell her, and her answering blush is worth any amount of restraint it takes to keep teaching instead of pressing her up against the nearest wall and licking her all over.
“One more time?” she asks, practically bouncing on her toes now.
I grab her wrist, and she executes the move flawlessly—but this time, she adds a little twist of her own, using the momentum to step inside my guard. Her free hand comes up to brace against my chest, and suddenly, we’re toe to toe, her face tilted up to mine.
“How was that?” she asks, slightly breathless.
Dangerous woman. “Creative.” My voice comes out rougher than intended. “But now you’re in range for this—” I slide my free arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Her small gasp shoots straight through me. “An attacker could easily grab you like this.”
She’s so tiny against me, fitting perfectly under my chin. Every point of contact burns—her hands on my chest, her hips against mine, the sweet curve of her waist under my palm. I want to slide my hand lower, grab her ass and lift her up, pin her to the wall and?—
Damn it.
“So, what’s my move here?” she asks, looking up at me through those lashes. She has to know what that does to a man.
“First instinct might be to push away.” I tighten my grip slightly. “But I’m stronger. Instead—” Fuck, her scent is intoxicating this close. “Instead, you want to drop your center of gravity. Bend your knees.”
She follows my instruction, but the movement just makes her body drag against mine in all the right ways, mostly her rubbing against my groin. Wrong ways. Focus on the lesson.
“Now, remember how we used momentum before? Same principle, but you are twisting away from me.” My voice has gone hoarse. “Your elbow—” I guide her arm into position. “It goes here, into their solar plexus. Quick jab, then spin out.”
“Like this?” She demonstrates the movement in slow motion, her body rolling against mine. Has to be deliberate, the way she does it.
“Faster,” I manage. “Element of surprise is crucial.”
She tries again, this time with more speed. The elbow comes up—still pulling the punch, but better—and she spins away. But she’s smiling over her shoulder at me as she does it, and that smile is pure trouble.
“How was that?”
“Better. But a real attacker won’t let you go that easily.” I reach for her again, this time catching both her arms from behind. “They might grab you like this.”
She fits too perfectly against me, her back to my chest, her ass pressed against my cock. I have to grit my teeth against the urge to grind against her.
“Now what?” Her voice has gone breathy.
“Stomp down… not now, just demonstrating,” I quickly add as she shifts. “Hard as you can on their instep. Then throw your head back into their face.”
“Into their nose?” She demonstrates the movement in slow motion, her head barely brushing my chin. “Like you got hit?”
I chuckle darkly. “Exactly like that. Though I’d prefer you didn’t demonstrate that one at full speed.”
“Scared I’ll break your nose, tough guy?”
“Scared I’ll do something entirely inappropriate if you keep wiggling against me like that.” The words I hadn’t intended slip out.
She goes still in my arms, but her scent spikes—sweet and wanting. My hands flex on her arms.
“Like what?” she whispers.
I should step back. Should put space between us and continue the lesson. Should not drag my nose along the curve of her neck, breathing in her scent. Should definitely not press my lips to her thundering pulse.
“Like pin you to that wall.” The words rumble out of me. “Like lift you up and wrap those gorgeous legs around my waist. Like kiss you until you forget every damn thing that worries you.”
She shivers. “That’s... not very professional of you, Mr. Chase.”
“Neither is coming to my gym purposefully rubbing yourself against me like sin itself, Ms. Winters.”
She turns in my arms, and suddenly, we’re face to face again, her hands sliding up my chest. “I think,”—her fingers trace my collarbone—“we should probably get back to the lesson.”
“Most likely,” I agree, but my hands are already spanning her waist.
“Because I came here to learn self-defense.” Her gazes drop to my lips.
“Absolutely.” I walk her backward to the wall.
“And you’re supposed to be teaching me.” Her back hits the padding with a soft thud.
“I am teaching you.” My hands slide down to her hips. “I’m teaching you exactly what happens when you tempt an Alpha.”
At the last second, Ruby ducks under my arm and dances away, leaving me bracing against the wall, desire and frustration warring in my gut. Her laugh is pure temptation.
“Now, who’s being unprofessional?” She backs toward the center of the mat, eyes sparkling with desire. “I thought you were going to teach me self-defense, not how to drive an Alpha crazy.”
“Seems to me you’ve already mastered that latter part.” I turn slowly, tracking her movement. She’s practically bouncing on her toes, all fluid grace and curved smiles. Everything in me wants to chase her, catch her, and?—
“You coming?” she taunts, and fuck if that doesn’t drive me wild.
I move faster than she expects and swing around to stand behind her in seconds. My arm loops around her waist, pulling her back against my chest.
“Rule one,” I growl in her ear. “Never turn your back on an opponent.”
“I didn’t.” She tries the move I taught her—dropping her weight, going for the spin-out—but she loses her balance, starting to fall, and instinct takes over. I grab her, turning so I take the impact as we hit the mat. She lands on top of me, facing me, with a surprised oof , her hair falling around us like a curtain.
Her laugh vibrates through me. “Well, that didn’t go as planned.”
“I don’t know.” My hands find her hips, holding her in place. “Seems pretty perfect from where I’m lying.”
She pushes up slightly, bracing her hands on my chest, but doesn’t try to move away. “You did that on purpose.”
“Protecting my student from injury? That’s literally my job.”
“Mm-hmm.” She shifts, and the friction makes me grit my teeth. “Your hands seem to be wandering from strictly professional territory.”
They are. My thumbs have slipped under the hem of her tank top, stroking the soft skin of her waist.
“You complaining?”
“Not yet.” Her eyes are darkening, pupils blown wide. “But I should probably mention that I have a thing about men in positions of authority.”
I raise an eyebrow. “A good thing or a bad thing?”
“Depends.” She leans down, her lips brushing my jaw. “How do you feel about difficult students?”
Christ. “Ruby...” It’s meant to be a warning, but it comes out like a plea.
“Yes, Mr. Chase?” Her teeth graze my earlobe, and my control snaps.
I roll us, pinning her beneath me. Her gasp of surprise turns into a moan as I capture her mouth, kissing her hard and deep. Her hands slide into my hair, nails scraping my scalp, and I growl into the kiss. She tastes like desire, and I can’t get enough.
“This is a terrible idea,” she pants when I move to her neck.
“Probably.” I suck at her pulse point, loving how her body arches into mine.
“I mean it.” But her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. “We shouldn’t—oh God.” My teeth find that spot where her neck meets her shoulder, and she shudders.
I raise my head to look at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and swollen lips. “Do you want me to stop?”
Instead of answering, she pulls me back down, kissing me as if she’s drowning and I’m air. My hand slides up her ribs, thumb brushing the underside of her breast through her top. She makes a little whimpering sound that nearly undoes me.
“Dominic...” The way she says my name, all breathy and wanting, makes me want to wreck her completely.
“I know, angel.” I press my hips into hers, grinding my huge cock against her pussy, letting her feel exactly what she does to me. “I know.”
Her scent is overwhelming now—honey and cardamom and approaching heat, all mixed with arousal.
A knock at the door has us both freezing.
“Dom?” Cherry’s voice. “Your three o’clock is here.”
Fuck. I’d completely forgotten about the new client consultation. Ruby’s looking up at me with those big amber eyes, lips parted, chest heaving.
“I’ll cancel,” I whisper to my angel, not moving.
Ruby’s laugh is shaky. “No, I think this is perfect timing.”
“That’s cruel,” I murmur. I drop my forehead to hers, breathing her in one last time before pushing myself up. “I need to see you again, and soon.” I help her up, pulling her against me for one more quick, hard kiss. “We’re going to finish this lesson properly.”
“The self-defense lesson or the other kind?” Her smile is wicked.
“Both.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers trail down her neck. “How does tomorrow sound?”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll come find you.” I back her against the wall one last time, caging her in with my arms. “And trust me, angel,”—I lean down, my lips brushing her ear—“you won’t like what happens when I have to chase you.”
The small sound she makes tells me she might like it very much indeed. “Maybe it’s not a great idea. I-I don’t think I’m a good person.” Her voice breaks on the words, and I pull back enough to see her face.
“What do you mean, angel?”
She turns her face away, but I catch her chin, forcing her to look at me.
“I’m doing things... things that will make people hate me. That’s not who I am, but lately...” She swallows hard. “Lately, it feels like that’s exactly who I am.”
Ice slides down my spine as understanding hits. She’s talking about Knox and Garrett—has to be. They both told me about their encounters with her, how neither of them could resist her pull. Just like I can’t. And now, she’s drowning in guilt, thinking she’s playing us all.
Fuck.
I should tell her everything. Tell her about our plan—my plan—to let her see each of us as we really are. No fake dating bullshit, no pretense. Just three Alphas who all want the same Omega, who all agreed to let her choose naturally.
But looking at the pain in her eyes, the self-loathing... I know I’ve fucked up. We all have.
“Ruby.” I brush my thumb across her lower lip, watching it tremble. “You’re the best person I know. Whatever you think you’re doing wrong... it’s not as bad as you think.”
She laughs. “If you knew the truth.”
“I know enough.”
But she’s backing away like the spell she’d been under moments earlier has cleared from her mind. Her eyes hold mine, and I see the worry behind them. Then she grabs her bag.
“I gotta go,” she calls as she flees the room, everything in me screaming to chase her down, to make her understand. But my legs don’t move and suddenly, Cherry is at the door with my new client.
Fuck!
This is my fault. I made the rules of this game, thinking it would be better to let things develop naturally. But all I’ve done is hurt her—we all have.
Time to change the rules.
I pull out my phone, sending the same text to Knox and Garrett.
We need to talk. Pronto.