“Sure, youcan. But let me be a gentleman.”
I open the door before she can argue any further. When she climbs into the car, I get a view of her ass. The leggings hugging her tightly. I stare for a beat too long. Then drag my gaze away, remind myself to be civilized. To try, at least.
“Who’s ready to learn how to fight?” I say in the car.
Mira laughs, clapping her hands together. Every time Elle looks at her, it’s with gratitude in her golden eyes, like she can’t believe what she’s seeing. “Me, me!”
As I drive away, a fleeting thought strikes me. This is what it must feel like to have a family. My lady and I and our kid driving into town for a fun day of adventure.
I push it away.
I live in the real world. Love at first sight is for goddamn fairytales.
Elle hums softly, looking out the window with that same artistic glint from yesterday.
“Look in the glove compartment,” I tell her.
She snaps her gaze to me. Mouth tight. She’s constantly waiting for a disaster. Like she thinks there’s going to be a hand grenade in there.
“Why?” she asks nervously.
“Just look,” I say softly. “It’s a good thing. A gift.”
“You don’t need to get me gifts,” she says quietly.
“Andyoudon’t need to be so stubborn,” I counter.
She finally reaches forward and opens the compartment. When she takes out the book, she gasps. Looks at me again with fresh eyes. “The Wonderful World of Gunnison Peaks: Photos and Fancies.” She opens the hardcover. “Wow, these are beautiful. Look at the trails.” She turns more pages. “I didn’t even know half of these existed.”
“That book was my dad’s,” I tell her.
She shuts it. “Then it’s too much.”
“It’s not,” I say fiercely. “Before we moved, he bought a few of those books when we were deciding where to settle down. When I came here, I brought it with me… And I want you to have it.”
“Rhett…”
“The way your face lit up just now, Elle. It’s worth it. Please.”
I grind my teeth. Stare at the road. My voice is too husky. But I can’t help it. Maybe I don’t want to.
“Thank you,” she says softly, reaches across and lays her hand on my arm for a moment that feels like it lasts minutes. “That’s really thoughtful.”
I open the dojo and led them up a set of stairs. At the edge of the mat, I slip off my sneakers. “Barefoot, please,” I say.
Mira takes her shoes off. Steps onto the mat. Turns in a slow circle and looks at the mirrors surrounding us and the medals on the walls. “Whoa, this place is really cool.”
“Lots of mirrors,” Elle says, taking her shoes off and joining us.
I look at our reflections. Me looming over Elle, Elle standing at my side, curvy, nervous, and attractive as hell. She looks at the mirror with a pursed mouth, as if she doesn’t like the sight. And that makes me want to roar.
Does she really not know how beautiful she is?
“We’ll do some striking first,” I say.
“Like when people want to get paid more, and they don’t go to work?” Mira asks in confusion.
That breaks Elle’s spell. She laughs gorgeously as she caresses her sister’s hair. “I think he means punching and kicking, angel.”
