I studied her.Everything she said could be the truth, but she seemed too affected to have just been waiting for me to finish.
“Good workout?”I had to distract myself from how good she looked all messed up.It was too easy to imagine another reason for her to be flushed, sweaty, and breathing hard.
“Good enough.”She jumped off the treadmill.Her breasts shimmied slightly beneath her T-shirt.MyT-shirt.
“Just good enough?”I stepped closer.Close enough to see little drops of sweat beading at her temples.
“I’m restless,” she admitted.“It took the edge off, but I needed to do something...”Her voice trailed off.She gestured to the treadmill.“It’s all yours.I’ll get out of your way.”
“Do you know how to fight?”The question slipped out.It wasn’t a bad idea, though.I’d be happy to teach her.I wanted her to be able to protect herself if she ever faced men breaking into her home again.
“Some,” Lacy said with a shrug.
“Seriously?”My surprise must have shown because she smiled.
“I’ve picked up a few things.”
“Want to spar?”I didn’t disbelieve her, but this also gave me an excuse to spend more time with her.
Head tilted, she studied me.“Sure, why not.”
I jolted.I hadn’t actually expected her to agree.“Ground rules?”It would be very, very easy for me to hurt her, which was the last thing I wanted.
“No hits to the face,” she said.
“Agreed.”
“Nothing hard enough to bruise.”
“Okay.”I’d already planned to pull my punches.
“And no blood.”She looked at me.“What about you?”
“Those sound good.”
“Best of three?”
Surprised again, I nodded.“Whenever you’re ready.”
She bent and unlaced her shoes.Hands pressed to the floor, she held the stretch.My sweats hugged her ass and I enjoyed the view for a moment, then looked away.
Her arms went wide as she stood, interlacing her fingers over her head.Arms extended, she tilted from side to side, then arced her back.The movement lifted her chest, accentuating her breasts.
I swallowed hard.This was torture.
She released her arms, swinging them back and forth, criss-crossing them in front, then in back.Stepping out of her shoes, Lacy padded onto the mat.“All set.”
Moving together, we positioned ourselves near the center of the mat, leaving roughly four feet of distance between us.Lacy shifted her body so she faced me sideways, her left foot in front, her right foot back, hovering on the balls of her feet.Her hands came up to shield her face.
I studied her position, looking for weaknesses, but it was a strong starting stance, well-balanced.She’d definitely had some training.
“Ready,” she said.
“Go,” I said.
We circled each other slowly, our relative distance not changing much.
My gaze drifted over her form again, studying her movements before I made my first move.
