4. Mateo
Chapter four
Mateo
D amn it! I watch her luscious ass jiggle while she scurries away from me. Clenching my hands by my side, I itch to run after her and force her to never leave my side. It’s not the right time, though. From the way she reacted to the idea of being in an empty room with me, so scared and wanting answers, I bet someone hurt her. I mean, the woman feels the need to take self-defense classes.
Not wanting to scare her, I’ll let her go this time. People rarely want to get too close to me because I’m a fucking grumpy asshole. A woman like her filled with so much light doesn’t deserve someone like me to darken her life.
I turn to my brother Alex. Tightening my jaw, I give him my best scowl, “What do you want?”
He doesn’t answer me. He just stands there with his hands on his hips, smiling at me with a big, goofy grin. I don’t have time for his games.
I grit my teeth. “Why the fuck are you just staring at me, asshole?”
“Who was that?” he teases, looking toward the door she’d just exited.
I don’t answer him. It’s none of his fucking business. I just turn my back on him and grab the helmet that Cecilia had thrown down before she ran out. I’m not sure I’ll be able to manage teaching her self-defense lessons with the way I respond to her. Maybe I should allow Dexter to take over and teach her, especially if my cock gets hard every time she’s around. Breathing out a sigh. The idea of someone else being so close to her rubs me wrong, but I guess since it’s Dexter, and he’s with Hazel, it’s the safest bet. Pulling out my phone, I call him up.
“I need you to take over the self-defense classes.” The demand comes out before he can even speak.
“Okaaay.” It’s clear he’s confused, but I don’t allow him to ask any questions, hanging up immediately and pocketing my phone. My mind races with all the things I need to do if Dexter is taking over as I place the helmet back in the closet.
The first thing is that I really need to get more clients in the class. That way, I can at least use the money from them to pay him as an instructor.
I turn back and see Alex still standing there as if he’s waiting for me to answer him. What did he even ask me again? My thoughts bounce back between the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen and getting Dexter to instruct the class. I’ve lost interest in what he was saying, and now I’m ready for him to leave me alone.
“Are you going to tell me who that was?”
“She is a new client of the gym.” I keep it simple. He doesn’t need to know that she is the other half of my soul.
His grin drops and brows furrow together. “Why were you so close to her, then? I’ve never seen you like that with any other client.”
“I was showing her moves she can use to help protect herself.” What I won’t be telling him is that it’s unnecessary for her to take self-defense classes. She won’t need them, not if I’m around. I will always protect her.
He laughs. Like full on guffaws that fill up the room. “If you were trying to show her moves, then I’m a motherfucking alien. I know what I saw, and you were putting the moves on her alright but not self-defense ones.”
I grind my teeth so hard it feels like I might crack a tooth. “Leave it, Alex.”
He puts his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, man. I’m not trying to interfere.” His eyes soften a bit. “You’re always making sure that Dex and I aren’t jumping off the ledge and I know you don’t do casual. I just want to do the same for you.”
“There’s nothing to be careful about. She’s just another client.”
The lie feels bitter on my tongue. I know deep in my bones that she is not just a client, she’s much more.
I head out the door of the room and back into the main gym. Alex follows me. When we reach the front desk, I reach to grab her paperwork to steal her phone number from it, but something stops me. My shoulders tighten as I try to figure out how I’m going to get in contact with her without looking like a douchebag or a stalker.
Alex is still hovering behind me. I turn toward him. “What else do you want?”
“I was just hoping that you would come with me to Gary’s Place tonight.”
“No.”
“Come on, Mateo. I don’t want to go by myself, and we both know that Dexter isn’t going to come with me. He only wants to spend time with Hazel.” Bunching his shoulders as he whines, he sticks out his bottom lip.
I roll my eyes at his antics, but he’s right.
All I really want to do is close the gym at eight, go home, eat dinner and then go to bed. By myself. Guilt hits me in the chest. I’ve always been the one who was there for him since we were kids, taking care of him and Dexter, especially once mom died. Dad’s world had crumbled all around him and left us standing there in the rubble.
I take a deep breath and know what I’m going to be doing tonight. I turn toward Alex and sigh. “Sure, I could use a drink.”
Alex slaps his hand on the back of my shoulder. “Thanks, man. I knew I could count on you to be my wing man.”
“Be there at nine.”
Alex nods and then waves at me as he leaves the gym, giving me the time I need to return to my office and figure out how I’m going to get Cecilia to give me a chance.