“Umm, in that case… Physical activity.”
I pull back with a grin. “Amazing. We’re right around the corner. Come on.”
EIGHTEEN
SCARLETT
Fifteen minutes later, I’m standing ten feet from a giant target with an axe in my hand.
“You havegotto be kidding me,” I say in the driest tone possible.
Nico’s laugh booms behind me. His hands go to my hips, and I find myself melting back into him.
“Just try it,” he says. “It’s fun, I promise. Grab it with two hands”—he gently guides my grip to the handle—“lift it over your head, and chuck it as hard as you can. We’ll tweak your technique after.”
“Nico, I can’t do this,” I whine.
“Of course, you can. You’re strong. And haven’t you ever wanted to throw something at a wall? This is like that.”
I shoot him a confused frown over my shoulder. “That might just be the fighter in you talking.”
“Doubtful,” he retorts, nipping at my shoulder. His playfulness warms me up inside. “Everyone has a beast in them. Now come on, throw it.”
“If I take your eye out, you still owe me two thousand,” I grumble.
And then I throw the axe, the sound of Nico’s laugh loud behind me.
I’m shocked to see it hit the board head-on, even if it’s nowhere near the target circle, before bouncing off and dropping to the ground.
Nico whistles and passes by me to grab it. “Good throw, Red. Now try it again, but let it go a little later. I think it’ll stick then.”
Taking the axe from him, I scrunch up my face in concentration, get into the stance he showed me, and throw it again.
This time, it burrows into the board.
I let out a shriek of excitement. When I spin to jump on him, Nico is already there with open arms.
“Good throw, baby,” he says fondly into my hair. “How did that feel?”
“Exhilarating,” I breathe, sliding down his body. “I want to do it again.”
He gestures at the table of axes. “Have at it.”
Twenty minutes later, I’ve fine-tuned my technique to the point of landing four out of five throws in a five-inch diameter on the board. I’m almost as good as Nico.
“Well, that didn’t take long to get good at,” he says with a chuckle. He’s been leaning against the high top at our section, looking way too sexy in a casual stance and with a water in his hand.
I want to jump him.
The thought isn’t a surprising one, but it’s definitely a unique one. I’ve never had a client I’vewantedto have sex with before.
“Do they do this with knives, too?” I wonder out loud in an effort to distract myself. “Or just axes?”
Nico’s eyes go wide with surprise. Then he lets out a laugh. “You sure you’re a piano-playing good girl? Between this and theself-defense lesson, I’m starting to think you’re a Russian spy just playing the part.”
I grin and skip over to him. “Hardly. You just bring out the Russian spy in me, I guess.”
His smile softens. “I’ll take anything I can bring out of you, baby.”
