16. Kael

16

KAEL

I need to blow off steam like yesterday.

Being this close to Paige after weeks of not getting laid is giving me ideas I should not be having.

But feck me if that body of hers wasn't made for sin.

My body reacts, same it has done since she came on my thigh.

This calls for drastic measures. A cold shower should help calm me enough that I can then exercise.

I head to the bathroom in my bedroom and get naked, opening the freezing water and immediately jumping under the jets.

My body cools down, yes, but my cock doesn't.

Paige plagues me. She's living rent-free inside my head, and there is nothing I can do about it. And the worst part is my body doesn't get the memo that she's off limits.

No matter how hard I try, the image of her undulating herself on me is burned in my eyelids, my brain cells, my soul.

I try to think of Darla, of any of the girls in the club, any other girls at all, but they all become one .

Paige.

Feck.

I go on automatic, trying to close off my mind and just do my thing, but as soon as I'm soaped up, my hand trails down my abdomen, grasping myself at the base.

I brace myself with one hand against the wall, pumping my fist and thinking about how Paige's ass jiggled when she was climbing those stairs, how she rolled her hips against my thigh.

God, she'd been so soft and warm, and I know how hot she is, how beautifully she came apart on my thigh.

"Paige," I gasp when I come, and that's bad fucking news.

Any other time and any other girl, I would be running out that door and never looking at her again. This is a disaster waiting to happen.

But this is Paige. My assignment. My best friend's sister. My boss's daughter.

Her life is in danger. I can't just leave her. I don't trust anyone else to protect her.

As much as I'm willing to give my life for hers, I should stay away from her. I need to stay as far away from her as possible, but my job is to stay on her ass. Her juicy, gorgeous ass.

What the feck am I going to do?

I take a breath and dress in a simple pair of basketball shorts, foregoing a shirt.

I've noticed Paige checking me out. It's more than clear she likes the way I look, and as petty as that might seem, I want her to be as revved up as I am.

I can't be the only one hurting and wanting someone I can't ever have. It's only fair.

I go down to the basement, wrapping my knuckles and just going completely feral on the bag. I punch left, then right, then a flurry, never giving the bag a rest.

I get lost in my movements, everything else falling away. The world is me and this bag and all the pent-up frustration I have to unleash upon it.

What feels like seconds, but my body claims it's hours, later I'm so into it that when Paige clears her throat behind me, I jump and turn around, breathing hard, arms up, ready to defend myself from a non-existent attacker.

I'm sweating profusely, so I grab my towel and dry some of my sweat with it.

Paige's eyes move up and down my body, and it's all I can do not to smirk at her.

"See something you like, princess?" The smirk I was avoiding spreads across my face before I can stop it.

She wrinkles her nose. "No. Also, ew, you're all sweaty."

I step closer to her. "Something tells me you like what you see."

Paige swallows hard, but shrugs. "You're an... attractive guy."

"More attractive than Ronan O'Malley?"

She scoffs. "I'm not playing this game."

My turn to shrug. "Who's playing?"

"You are." She huffs out a breath, crossing her arms over her chest.

She's wearing a halter top and a pair of stretchy shorts that make her ass look amazing.

I'd wreck her, own her, destroy her. And myself along with it.

I turn my back on her, pretending to adjust the tape on my hands. "Let's just get this over with."

"I'm serious about learning, Kael. "

I look over at her, surprised. "You are?"

"Of course, I am. I never want to be that helpless ever again."

"There are weapons you could carry?—"

"I don't want to carry weapons all the time, looking over my shoulder. I want to be able to defend myself with just my body."

I nod. "I can help you do that."

"Then let's do it." She smirks a little. "I have a suggestion, though. Why don't we make it interesting?"

"Oh, yeah?" I lick my lips.

"Not like that." Her cheeks get this alluring shade of pink.

I want to run my finger through it.

Shaking myself out of it, I chuckle. "Like what, then?"

"I know it's too soon, still, and there's a lot for me to learn, but time will come when we will spar, right?"

I nod, frowning.

She grins. "Okay. Then when we spar, if I can take you down, you make dinner."

I laugh out loud before I notice her face, and I stop. "Oh, you're serious."

She huffs. "Of course, I'm serious. I want to make it a bet."

"And if I take you down?"

She shrugs. "What do you want?"

I look down at her, and she flushes that pretty pink again, her freckles looking more distinct.

"You shouldn't ask a man that."

"Why not?"

She steps closer to me, so close that her chest is almost pressing against mine, and I can't help but crave that she gives that extra step .

I'm still catching my breath, looking down at her. "Don't play with me, little girl."

"I'm not a little girl anymore."

Her green eyes are half-lidded as she stares at me.

Is she still drunk? Because what else would make her act this way?

I take a deep breath that hitches in my chest.

"You make dinner if I take you down."

Paige smiles. "Sure thing."

Does she know what she's doing? Does she know what she's doing to me?

"Let's wrap your hands."

Her hands are so small in mine, and she's looking right into my eyes as I wrap her knuckles carefully.

She starts fidgeting. "Can I use the big bag?"

I nod. "I want to teach you some lower body moves."

"I can kick." She lifts one leg, throwing her foot out.

She doesn't hit the bag, missing it by several inches.

I snort out a laugh. "Aye, I'm sure you can, princess, but this is about taking someone down, not just for fun."

Paige breathes deeply, and then puts her foot down.

"So, show me."

I move her out of the way by putting my hands on her hips and depositing her a few feet away.

She squeaks but doesn't complain, and the feel of her skin makes my palms heat up.

I get into stance and take a breath before I kick, hard, throwing my foot out sideways and knocking the bag over.

Paige breathes out a little cheer.

"That was amazing, Kael! If you hit someone in the chest like that, they'd go down like a sack of potatoes!"

I can't help but smile at her exuberance .

"I can show you how to do it, but yours will never be as strong as mine."

"Why not?" She pouts.

"Because I've got a lot of weight on you. It's all about using your body weight, pushing it forward, putting it into your hits."

"And I'm small."

"Small means fast." I don't want her to get discouraged. "You can hit them before they even know what's happening."

I grab her around the waist, positioning her where she needs to be, and she lets me.

"Now, throw your weight forward on that right leg, push everything into it."

Paige looks at the bag, and then back at me as if we're her enemies, and then she lifts her leg and kicks, rocking the bag and hitting her target.

I grin. "See? I told you that you could do it!"

Paige cheers and jumps around, shaking her hips and doing a little dance, and I'm definitely not looking at her ass jiggle.

"Let's go again. Other leg."

I put Paige back in the stance, and she kicks out again, this time, when her foot connects with the bag, it doesn't make much of a dent.

"What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't push your weight forward. You have to swivel your hips, just a bit."

I put my hands on her hips and show her, slightly swiveling them to the left.

Paige lets out a long breath.

I step back, watching her form, and she kicks out with her left leg, making the bag rock, but as I expected, it's still weaker than the right leg.

Paige frowns. "Why was that worse than the other?"

"Because you favor your right."

She nods.

I smile. "I'm left-handed, so my left is stronger. Your right is stronger. You just have to play with your strengths. Rely on your right side so that you'll have stronger hits. But train your left for if the right one fails."

"Okay," she says slowly, walking up to the bag and taking the stance I've been showing her.

I look on, rather proud.

She's figured out stances already.

She turns to look back at me. "Tell me if I'm doing it wrong. Watch me."

As if I could tear my eyes away.

As she kicks, her ass jiggles, and I curse inwardly.

I'm in so much trouble.