He fell to his knees. “Great.”
She dropped his hand like it was on fire, but the blaze was inside her. She sucked in a staggered breath, wiping the beads of sweat that had formed on her brow. He directed her through a series of grabs that they’d learned as the dreaded choke hold drew nearer. Her muscles strained and flexed, shoving him to the ground again and again. Each position added fuel to the tension that wound around them.
“Perfect,” he commented, staying on his knees. “Last one.”
She steeled herself and lay on her back. Exposed and vulnerable, her skin lit with anticipation. He moved closer, situating himself between her thighs, every point of contact magnified by whatever this thing was between them. His hands reached for her neck as his scent washed over her. Oak and sin. She licked her lips, tasting it on her tongue. His eyes darted to her mouth. Her inner walls clenched. Arousal thrummed through her, so powerful, she worried he’d feel the vibration. His focused blue eyes locked on to hers—bright and pure and edged in darkness. Breathing came in pants as she fought the urge to grind against him. He leaned in closer still. Her mouth went dry. Was he going to kiss her? She wanted him to.
No! What had this man done to her? She was out of control. Anger swelled. No one could take that from her again.
Belle wrapped her legs around him and grabbed his elbows closer together. She used every bit of a lifetime of deep-seated anger to ignore the fact that she was now pressed against the hard ridges of his abdomen. She swung her legs over his shoulders and lifted her hips, making his arms bend at an unnatural angle as he released her.
She rolled away from him quickly. A few other women in the group laughed. Mason skirted past, almost as if he was running from the room, nodding to Bently before he exited. Katy’s mouth was turned up into a knowing smile as she handed her water bottle over. Belle didn’t bother to say anything—she grabbed her keys and hoodie and darted out of the room. She needed air—fast.
Pushing open the door to the parking lot, she inhaled, filling her lungs with crisp oxygen. Wood smoke with a hint of salt. She jogged to her car, her hands trembling so hard, she dropped the keys.
As she bent over to retrieve them, a shadow loomed over hers. Oh god, he followed me.
“You okay?” Katy asked.
Belle whipped up to standing, choking on her relief. “Uh—yeah. I’m fine.”
“It looked like you two had a moment,” Katy pressed.
“Nope. Definitely not. Hate to break your bubble, but he’s not my type.” She forced a strained laugh.
“You look terrified.” Katy’s brow furrowed as if concerned.
Belle wiped her forehead with her arm. “I’m just high on adrenaline from the workout.” More like rattled to my core.
“You sure you’re okay?”
Belle nodded. “Yeah, absolutely.”
Bently burst through the gym doors, his gaze locked on her.
“I should go,” Belle said.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you at work later in the week.” Katy waved and walked away. Belle jiggled her key into the lock again as Bently stopped only a foot from her.
“Hey, uh, I wondered if we could talk?” He shoved his hands into his pockets.
The key found purchase and she inserted it and twisted. “I really need to get home.”
“I just wanted to know if you’d have dinner with me sometime. Now that I’m no longer your instructor,” he added with a smile.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sheriff.” She used the title like a shield.
He frowned. “We all gotta eat sometime. I promise, just dinner and a little conversation. I’d like to get to know you better.”
Like she couldn’t see straight through that invitation. Did he think she was born yesterday? “Men,” she grumbled under her breath as she opened the door and threw her water inside.
“We men are good for some things.” He winked and smirked.
What part about this was funny to him? “I don’t need a man,” she grated.
“I’m not proposing marriage—just dinner.” He shrugged.
There it was. He’d spelled it out for her. He wanted sex, company for a night, and then he’d be on his merry way with no care in the world for the devastation he’d leave behind. Here was another man, trying to take from her. “That’s exactly why this will never happen. I said no, Sheriff. Isn’t that what these classes are about? To help women deal with men who don’t take no for an answer?”
He stepped back as if physically struck. As if he’d never heard the word no directed at him before.
Maybe he hadn’t earned the jab, but her anger for every man that had ever hurt her bubbled to the surface. She would burn this bridge and move on. “You’re a pig.”
Bently’s jaw tensed. His body turned rigid. The vein in his neck pulsed rapidly under the light of the streetlamps. Anger radiated off him in waves as his eyes narrowed. “Because I’m a man or because I’m a cop?” he asked, his expression grim.
“Both.” She climbed in and shut the door before quickly starting the engine. He turned around and walked away, each step tugging at her chest.
“Fuck!” she yelled. Her mind and body were so mixed up. Had she taken it too far? It didn’t matter. She wanted nothing to do with that man or the feelings he stirred up inside her.
It was better she was left alone.
Chapter 8
Belle
Belle walked towards the nurses’ station.
“Belle, patient in room one needs stitches, so get the suture kit set up, please,” Doctor Stanley said.
“Sure thing.” She got to work preparing everything the doctor would need.
She checked her watch—four in the morning. Three
