“How inexperienced was I when I put you on your backside when we sparred?” I asked and raised my eyebrow.
Luke had mentioned Greyson vied for the spot as his head trainer before I showed up.
“Greyson, you’re a good karate instructor but Luke needs someone who’s better adept at groundwork.” I kept my voice neutral, trying my best to keep my annoyance to a minimum.
Greyson, also lacked a certain confidence that a trainer needed. There was no way he could cut it as Luke’s head trainer. Luke would run right over him.
“A few years of judo doesn’t make you a grappler,” he said, moving closer.
“Over fifteen years,” I corrected. “More than a decade of judo, also studying some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and working with three of the top trainers in my sport, and MMA, during much of that time.” I recanted my history in the fighting world. “Not to mention.” I paused, when I realized I almost said too much.
“Not to mention, what? You’re sleeping with him,” he said through clenched teeth.
Heat rose up the back of my neck. “Watch your damned mouth. I’ll ignore this tantrum since it can’t be easy watching me do the job you obviously wanted, but don’t ever speak to me like this again.”
Clenching my keys tightly in my hand, I backed away from Greyson and strode in the direction of my car. Even as I got in, I watched him eyeing me for a few heartbeats with clenched fists before he turned and headed back toward the front of the gym.
Sighing, I reminded myself I had enough problems with getting Luke to fully trust me as his trainer. The last thing I needed was to worry about some low-grade karate instructor who let his jealousy get the best of him.
Chapter 16
First Date
Syd
I’d been on edge ever since the night before. I was looking forward to going out with Luke on a real date. Something that didn’t center around his training.
It was the conversation I planned on having with him later in the evening I wasn’t looking forward to. I didn’t know how to soften the blow of my truth. More so, it was the fact that I withheld it from him for the past two months I suspected would piss him off the most. He wasn’t a man who trusted easily.
I wondered how long it took him to trust his last trainer. He rarely ever spoke to me about Banks. I’d wanted to ask him a thousand questions about his former mentor, but I held back.
At the moment my mind really began spinning with the different possible outcomes of the night, there was a knock on my door. I let out a huge exhale of air and walked across the hardwood floors of my condo. I smoothed my hands down the black, fitted skirt I’d chosen to wear for the night. Quickly fluffing my curls, I realized how ridiculous this all was since I’d seen Luke two hours earlier at his second workout of the day.
“Hey,” I greeted, pulling my door open with a smile on my face. My stomach immediately began quivering with butterflies. Damn, he looked good. Yes, I’d seen him earlier, but I swear every time I looked at him my belly did gymnastics. Especially when he slowly and carefully glided his eyes down the length of my body. They darkened with each second that past.
“Have I told you how fuckable heels make you look?” Those were the first words he spoke since I opened my door.
“Seriously? That’s what you say to someone on a first date?”
He dropped his lips, frowning. “Why start with the pretenses now? Especially since I’ve already heard what my name sounds like spilling out of your mouth while I’m balls deep inside you.”
“Okay, that’s enough of that. I assume those are for me?” I pointed at the bouquet of flowers in his hand. Naturally, I found it utterly shocking he’d put in so much effort as to pick up flowers for me. Sunflowers, no less, which happened to be my favorite.
“They sure as shit ain’t for me.” He pushed the bouquet into my hands as if they were burning a hole in his palms.
“Thank you. Come in,” I said, stepping back and widening the door. “I’m going to put these in water, and we can head out.”
He nodded, looking around my open floor plan condo.
“Nice place.”
I smiled, looking around at my pickled wood entertainment center and earth toned furniture and pieces, as if trying to see it anew through his eyes.
“Thanks.”
“You ready?”
I nodded and a tiny gasp escaped my lips when he reached his hand out, taking mine into his. It was the most unnatural, natural thing I’d ever experienced. Luke paused, stopping to stare down at our joined hands as if trying to solve a riddle. After a moment, he continued walking, but he didn’t release my hand either. I was forced to lock my door with one hand while he held my handbag with his free one.
