the impression he had no choice. So why is Jax here? He’s young, like Lilly, but doesn’t seem to have any parents around, which means he can’t have been born into it. Maybe he fell into it like me, or maybe he’s here for an entirely different reason. My curiosity wins out.
I tilt my head to the side, regarding his usual bored look. “Why are you here?”
“Because I have nothing better to do than spend my days teaching pretty girls how to fight.” The corner of his mouth lifts as mischief plays behind his eyes, wiping the boredom away. He returns the dagger to its place on the wall.
“That’s not what I meant.” I reach out and run my finger along the blade. The tip of my index finger stings as it makes a tiny cut. “Ouch. Why are you with the resistance?”
His face returns to blankness. “I was dumped here.”
Hint taken, I stop questioning, letting the silence he seems more comfortable with fill the air between us. The still quietness and realization we’re alone in the barn sucks all of the air out of my lungs, leaving my whole body tingling. Will and Sam must be training somewhere else.
Watching Jax stand at the wall with his back to me, legs planted apart and hands resting in his pockets, makes the tingling worse. I swallow, trying to ignore the feelings fighting inside me. He pulls two long sticks off the wall and binds each in rags from a box on the ground. “This will soften the blows while we train.”
“No need to go easy on me because I’m a girl.”
He chuckles. “I wasn’t intending to.”
We move to the mats. I pull my stick back, ready, but he beats me to it, striking first. I drop to the ground, rolling out of his reach, and it doesn’t make contact.
“Nice,” he says with widened eyes and a slight smirk.
He strikes again. I jump out of the way, but he spins so quickly I barely register the movement. He’s behind me. I try to turn around, but before I can move his arm is around the base of my neck, pressing the spot where my collarbone divots, holding me against him.
“Gotcha.”
His laugh tickles my neck. Something flips and slips inside me, and I swallow. My throat constricts around the words I want to say. The feeling in my chest rises, and I push it down because I really don’t want to like him. This situation is already complicated enough.
“Damn it,” I say. “Let’s go again.”
He releases me.
I turn to face him, and he strikes out against me. Ducking, I extend my leg, using it to swipe his feet out from under him. A move from stupid self-defense classes actually works. He struggles to get to his feet, but I jump and pin him to the ground with my knee on his chest.
“Ha.” I point my stick over his heart.
He looks up at me, flecks of amber dancing in his big green eyes like mesmerizing flames. His hand edges out from where I pinned it by his side, his unreadable gaze holds mine, boring into my soul. His hand brushes against mine on the stick, and my heart pounds in my temples with a rhythmic beat. Why did Beau send him to stop the scout at my house? Why him?
My grip loosens around the stick, just barely. His leg wraps around mine like a lasso —BAM. He flips me over, flattening my back against the floor and pinning me between his legs. The same desire I’m sure I can see in his eyes, floods me with the urge to kiss him.
“Gotcha.” He grins.
“Damn it,” I say, and we both laugh.
* * * *
Another hard day of training, and I’m bone tired. The muscles in my legs pull like they’ll tear in half if I walk another step. It’s a struggle to keep my eyes from sliding closed. I glance out the window in my room, but it’s still too early for bed. The sun hasn’t yet snuck below the horizon when a soft knock sounds at my door. I open it, and Will pushes his way past and unceremoniously dumps himself on my bed.
“Come in, Will, make yourself at home.”
He rests his arms behind his head and leans back on my pillows. “How’s
I tilt my head to the side, regarding his usual bored look. “Why are you here?”
“Because I have nothing better to do than spend my days teaching pretty girls how to fight.” The corner of his mouth lifts as mischief plays behind his eyes, wiping the boredom away. He returns the dagger to its place on the wall.
“That’s not what I meant.” I reach out and run my finger along the blade. The tip of my index finger stings as it makes a tiny cut. “Ouch. Why are you with the resistance?”
His face returns to blankness. “I was dumped here.”
Hint taken, I stop questioning, letting the silence he seems more comfortable with fill the air between us. The still quietness and realization we’re alone in the barn sucks all of the air out of my lungs, leaving my whole body tingling. Will and Sam must be training somewhere else.
Watching Jax stand at the wall with his back to me, legs planted apart and hands resting in his pockets, makes the tingling worse. I swallow, trying to ignore the feelings fighting inside me. He pulls two long sticks off the wall and binds each in rags from a box on the ground. “This will soften the blows while we train.”
“No need to go easy on me because I’m a girl.”
He chuckles. “I wasn’t intending to.”
We move to the mats. I pull my stick back, ready, but he beats me to it, striking first. I drop to the ground, rolling out of his reach, and it doesn’t make contact.
“Nice,” he says with widened eyes and a slight smirk.
He strikes again. I jump out of the way, but he spins so quickly I barely register the movement. He’s behind me. I try to turn around, but before I can move his arm is around the base of my neck, pressing the spot where my collarbone divots, holding me against him.
“Gotcha.”
His laugh tickles my neck. Something flips and slips inside me, and I swallow. My throat constricts around the words I want to say. The feeling in my chest rises, and I push it down because I really don’t want to like him. This situation is already complicated enough.
“Damn it,” I say. “Let’s go again.”
He releases me.
I turn to face him, and he strikes out against me. Ducking, I extend my leg, using it to swipe his feet out from under him. A move from stupid self-defense classes actually works. He struggles to get to his feet, but I jump and pin him to the ground with my knee on his chest.
“Ha.” I point my stick over his heart.
He looks up at me, flecks of amber dancing in his big green eyes like mesmerizing flames. His hand edges out from where I pinned it by his side, his unreadable gaze holds mine, boring into my soul. His hand brushes against mine on the stick, and my heart pounds in my temples with a rhythmic beat. Why did Beau send him to stop the scout at my house? Why him?
My grip loosens around the stick, just barely. His leg wraps around mine like a lasso —BAM. He flips me over, flattening my back against the floor and pinning me between his legs. The same desire I’m sure I can see in his eyes, floods me with the urge to kiss him.
“Gotcha.” He grins.
“Damn it,” I say, and we both laugh.
* * * *
Another hard day of training, and I’m bone tired. The muscles in my legs pull like they’ll tear in half if I walk another step. It’s a struggle to keep my eyes from sliding closed. I glance out the window in my room, but it’s still too early for bed. The sun hasn’t yet snuck below the horizon when a soft knock sounds at my door. I open it, and Will pushes his way past and unceremoniously dumps himself on my bed.
“Come in, Will, make yourself at home.”
He rests his arms behind his head and leans back on my pillows. “How’s
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