When I did, I told her how much her music had affected me, invited her for drinks with me and Alexis, and the rest is history. Somewhere along the way, I suggested that she learn how to defend herself, and now she was a full-fledged member of the class. I went to see her play gigs whenever I got the chance, but she still never opened her eyes. I guess you could call it a work in progress.

After a few minutes, Felix came and gave a little talk to all the new members, and we finally got started. When we were done I was a hot, sweaty mess. Apparently, another gym nearby had gone into receivership, which accounted for all the new members. Reya and I were making our way toward the showers when I heard a familiar voice shout, “Come on, Smithy, you’ve got more in you than that!”

Glancing to my right, I got a shock to see Lee Cross and a couple of other guys sparring in the boxing ring. Fuck my life. I couldn’t seem to get away from him. Only yesterday I’d seen him at the football match, and now he was attending my gym. Some higher being was seriously trying to test my willpower. It was too ridiculous for words.

So ridiculous that my feet were suddenly glued to the spot as I watched him throw a punch. He wore protective gear, of course, but he had no top on.

I repeat: Lee Cross was just yards away from me, wearing no top.

My skin prickled with awareness as I watched the way he moved. Right off the bat I could tell he was no amateur, from the way he threw his punches to the way he angled his body.

His skin shone with a thin layer of sweat, making the movement of his muscles so much more captivating. His dark eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated, and when he finally took the other guy down, I felt a quiver between my thighs.

God, I was so embarrassed by myself sometimes it wasn’t funny. My female hormones had me acting like a complete stereotype, and I hated how just the sight of Lee exerting his dominance over another man could reduce me to a tingling mess.

“Karla, are you coming or what?” Reya called impatiently.

As soon as he heard my name, Lee’s head turned, and I found myself caught in his stare. He lifted a bottle of water to his mouth and took a long gulp. All the while his eyes never left mine. At once my skin felt too hot and too cold. He lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth, and the spot between my legs continued to ache with a need I refused to acknowledge. Turning sharply, I went and followed Reya to the ladies changing rooms, stripped off, and stepped under the hot spray of the shower.

The way Lee had looked at me, like he already knew me intimately, was stuck in my head, replaying in a loop. It mixed with my memories of the day before, when his lips had brushed over mine and my frustration reached uncontrollable levels. I really wanted to do something about my arousal, but I didn’t. I wasn’t going to let my attraction to Lee make me act out of character, because I certainly wasn’t the kind of woman who got herself off in a communal shower room at the gym. That was just yuck.

Taking a second to gather my nerve, I got out, dried off, and turned to find Reya studying me curiously.

“So, who was the guy in the boxing ring?”

I frowned at her. “Who?”

“Um, the guy whose body you couldn’t take your eyes off. You were looking at him the same way you look at Felix, but with more hunger.” Reya was real big on the hand gestures and dramatics, ever the artiste. So yeah, she was shy until she got to know you, and then she never shut up talking. She was also highly perceptive. It was kind of annoying sometimes.

“Oh, fuck off.”

She laughed. “I’m being serious. I don’t know what the story is between you and this bloke, but even I could sense the chemistry. It was so delicious I could almost mould it with my hands,” she enthused, continuing with the gestures.

“Go write a song about it, then,” I deadpanned, and she scowled at me.

“Don’t start putting up the aggressive front. You’re not in cop mode now, and I’m not a perp. I’m your friend. You can talk to me.”

Her expression showed she was a tiny bit hurt that I wasn’t opening up to her, especially since she’d opened up to me about her past. It made me want to give her something, so I said in a low voice, “Look, this is all I’m telling you. He’s got a record. He’s seemingly into me. And I’m not touching that shit with a ten-foot bargepole.”

“Why do people always say that?” Reya asked irritably. “Do you normally go around touching things with bargepoles? It makes no sense.”

“Yes, it does. Bargepoles are notorious long.”

“Well, anyway, I think it’s stupid. Besides, do we even use bargepoles anymore? I don’t think so, not since like, the Middle Ages when armies wanted to storm a castle or something.”

I laughed loudly, because seriously, she cracked me up. “That’s not a bargepole, you numpty, that’s a battering ram. A bargepole is quite literally a pole used to propel a barge. It’s all in the name.”

She narrowed her gaze at me. “Oh, my God, I just enabled you in changing the subject, didn’t I? You’re a sneaky little bitch.”

I grinned.

We were rounding the reception area and making our way toward the exit when I caught sight of Lee again and my grin faltered. There was no avoiding him, because he was standing right by the door with a couple of the guys he’d been training with. I glanced at him quickly, relieved to find he hadn’t seen me yet. Then, just as Reya and I were about to leave, he stepped forward and opened the door for us.

“Ladies,” he said, and smiled.