Page 31 of Vengeful Guard

She does, and I give her a smile, showing my teeth. “Good girl.”

Paige freezes for a split second when I say that, but she continues to eat, finishing the sandwich and then sighing.

“That’s better. You were right.”

“Say it again,” I joke, and she chuckles.

“I’m going to lie down for a while.”

It’s not even dusk yet, but she hasn’t been sleeping, and I haven’t finished my workout, so I won’t look a gift horse in the teeth.

I clean up the kitchen after she leaves the room, knowing that she probably has a maid. The thing is, my mother worked as maid for a while, and so I have utmost respect for them.

I finally trail into the living room, which has plenty of open space because Paige only has a loveseat and a sectional on opposite sides of the big room.

Why would a little woman like her need so much space? It’s almost wasteful how the Burkes spend money.

I’m doing pretty well for myself, having saved up a big nest egg, but I can’t imagine being able to buy a brownstone like this without even blinking.

But the Burkes have always been a lot different than the Sullivans, and Paige is probably the most obvious example.

I stand in the middle of the room, where it’s nice and spacy, and I kneel down on the floor and sit on my feet. I bow, nose to the floor arms stretched above my head, and then sit back on my feet.

My hands are on my knees as I close my eyes.

I meditate for a couple of minutes before bowing again and getting up to perform a series of katas.

The flow of the movements from kick to punch to block is a dance I’m in love with, and it brings me peace.

Martial arts are almost a safe haven for me, and a way to empty my mind and escape reality.

When I’m done, I do a bit of cardio, with ab work and push-ups.

Tomorrow, I’m going to get this all done before she gets up, because as I get into the shower, my body aches from the split workout.

Hot water runs down my body, and I close my eyes, enjoying the sensation as my muscles relax.

A picture of Paige pops into my head, with those duck shorts, and my body immediately responds.

My eyes fly open.

What the feck was that?

There’s no way that my body in any way reacts to thoughts of Paige in those ridiculous shorts, right?

Paige’s a bubbly brat that couldn’t be more my opposite if she tried. That annoying bubbly good mood and constant cheer drain anyone. And that’ a scientific fact, I’m not just being an asshole.

Who can stand being like that or around someone like that twenty-four seven?

I don’t think even she can stand herself sometimes.

However, since I moved in here, she’s not the same person she was before.

She looks like a dimmed version of herself. More serious, more…sad.

Sure, she’s still a brat and deserves a spanking. Feck if my body doesn’t react again at the thought of having her over my knees, ass up, my hand on her as I teach her to be a good girl.

I take a deep breath, willing my erection to go down. My hand reaches the nozzle, and I turn off the hot water, leaving only the cold water on.

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