Page 56 of Recklessly in Love

I shrug lightly. “I said I don’t cook, not that I can’t.”

Greg chuckles. “You never stop surprising me, city girl.”

I bite into my bottom lip. “See you at six?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His eyes drop to my lips, and my breath catches in my throat. But instead of kissing me, he pulls me into his embrace. The feeling I get with his strong arms encircling me is almost harder to resist than his lips on mine. “If I kiss you, I’m afraid I won’t want to stop,” he murmurs in my ear.

I nod against his chest before pulling away. “Later,” I promise.

He dips his chin in response, and I turn to leave.

Once I get in the car, I let out a sigh of relief. I’ve taken the first step. And I’ll take the next one tonight. I can do this.

Focusing back on the task at hand, I glance at the clock and realize it’s just after one. If I wait until two, I can avoid Ned at the grocery store. But if I want to do the braised beef I’m thinking of, I’d need to get it going as soon as possible. Since it’s the only thing I know how to cook that’s both easy and impressive, I don’t have another alternative short of asking Mia to cook something for me. But that would defeat the point. Cooking for him is a big deal for me. I don’t cook for anyone, not even myself. And I want to show him that he’s special.

That aside, I also refuse to let one creep deter me from my plans.

Mind made up, I start the car and head toward the grocery store.

A few minutes later, I park and step out, squaring my shoulders as I march into the store. I pass the register but don’t see anyone in the store, not even another shopper. Ned must be in the back, and it seems it’s not only the women of Alpine Ridge avoiding him these days.

With a smirk, I head to the refrigerated meat section at the back of the store.

I’m examining the few available chuck roasts when I feel a presence behind me.

“Well, hello there, beautiful.” There’s no mistaking Ned’s lecherous voice. And now that I know exactly what kind of predator he is, I’m not playing games anymore.

I whirl around to face him. “If it isn’t the disgusting creep who tried to drug me and my friend.”

Ned’s eyes widen, and he lets out a nervous laugh. “I would never do anything like that to a beautiful lady like you.” He steps closer, backing me up against the beef case. “I thought we had a connection.”

“We definitely do not, and if you don’t get away from me, you will regret it.”

An unsettling, leering grin splits his wide mouth. “Oh, come on, baby, you don’t have to play hard to get. I’ve got what you want right here.”

He grabs my wrists, wrenching them down toward his crotch. His grip is so tight it hurts. The thought of being forced to touch his dick, even over his pants, almost makes me vomit on the spot.

I attempt to pull away, but he’s stronger than I’d expected. While he may have strength, I have smarts. And training. So before he can force my hands where he wants them, I jerk upward just enough to duck under his arms, swinging my knee up as I move to his side. I aim for his crotch, but he bends forward, and I end up landing the blow to his stomach.

Even better.

It knocks the air out of him, and he releases me in surprise.

The thing is, taekwondo isn’t about attacking. They train you to escape a dangerous situation first, whenever possible. But this guy? He needs to be taught a lesson. And he’s about to be taught one by someone he assumed was too small and weak to fight back.

It’s all to ensure he can’t do me more harm.

Really.

Because, in fact, my wrists are throbbing so badly from being wrenched around that I decide in the few seconds it takes him to get upright and whirl on me that a roundhouse kick to the chest is the only way to make sure he doesn’t get back up next time.

As soon as my booted foot lands in the center of his chest, the “Oh shit, what the hell did I get myself into” look flashes across Ned’s face. Well, for the split second he has before he goes flying backward, landing on the shelves behind him. The display crashes under his weight, sending dozens of wrapped cuts of meat tumbling over him as he, the shelves, and the broken stand collapse.

With Ned howling in pain and down for the count, I don’t stick around to savor the moment. I race out of the store, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

As soon as I’m back in my car and on the road, I can see the angry welts and marks on my wrists that I know from experience are only going to get worse over the next few minutes. I take a few deep breaths before driving straight to the hospital in Ellensburg.

When I get there just over thirty minutes later, the intake nurse takes one look at my wrists and face, where there’s a bruise I hadn’t noticed — probably a glancing blow I didn’t feel when I jerked Ned’s arms up — and tells me that they’ll get someone from the sheriff’s office to come by after I’m treated.

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