Page 48 of The Game

“Okay, this is going to sound a little strange. You made me pancakes on Saturday morning, but in the normal run of things, I have five very specific meals every day, developed by my nutritionist. I got her to double them up while you’re here.” She peeks at me. “Is that okay?”

I laugh. “That sounds amazing. Eating like an athlete. Are they weird?”

“Not at all. They’re just designed to give me the right balance of nutrients and fuel my training and muscle mass appropriately.”

“Then I’m down. I’m not fussy about food.”

She smiles. “How about a jujitsu lesson before we eat?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Anna gives me a little tour of the apartment this time and shows me to the same bedroom I stayed in three nights ago. She also does a detour via her study and tells me to make free use of it. Heading back to my room, I shrug into a top and shorts and come out to find her waiting for me in the living room in her yoga pants from earlier and a form-fitting sports vest that leaves her shoulders bare. We head up one floor in her penthouse to another living room and a gym with a bathroom off to one side, overlooking a beautifully manicured outdoor space on the roof. It’s got all sorts of equipment, including a huge soft black mat. Perfect.

“This is gorgeous.”

“I bought this apartment when I got my first competition check. It felt important to have a home outside Russia. The building was new at the time, and I got a good deal. Sometimes they want somebody with a name in thebuilding; it supposedly gives them cachet. They’re not supposed to let on who lives here, but people know.”

Interesting. “You said you’d done some martial arts in the past?”

“Judo. At school. I learned some of the basics.”

“Before you decked someone.” I grin at her, and she laughs. “I’m quite nervous about what you might do to me,” I say, but she shakes her head at me.

I rub my hands together. “Okay, let’s talk jujitsu. It’s a ground-based martial art, so initiating and defending takedowns is a large part of the skillset. The idea is to collect points and, if possible, make your opponent submit. Most of the sport is about defense, certain holds, submissions, and learning to escape.” I wink at her, and she smiles at me.

“Could be useful for tennis,” she says. “Submissions? I’m starting to understand why you like it.” She winks back at me.

I raise my eyes to the ceiling. “Are you going to be a troublesome student?” I say, my gaze dropping to her grinning face, and I have to stop myself from focusing on her mouth. “I’m going to run through some basic moves and holds, okay? The first thing to learn is a takedown. Your job in jujitsu is to avoid positions where your opponent can score points.”

I put my hand on her warm shoulder, and even just in gripping her the muscle and power is so evident. That shouldn’t be sexy, but it is. I close my eyes. It’s getting hard to ignore all the things I notice about Anna that I shouldn’t. The way her dark hair catches the light, the curve of her lips when she finds something funny. I hope staying here isn’t going to be a mistake.

“So, the aim of this session is for you to take me down.”

She steps forward, and in about a nanosecond her leg has wrapped around the back of mine and I’m on the mat. I blink up at her. It’s such a basic move, and I didn’t even see it coming. I’d forgotten what a competitor she is.

“Like that?” she says, a broad grin stretching her mouth. Then she laughs. “It’s a takedown in judo, too.”

“That’s the one and only time you’ll take me by surprise.” Seeing her wild grin makes my chest hot, my pulse too fast like I’ve been running. She’s ballsy,Anna, in all the best ways. When I see her like this, I realize I haven’t seen a lot of joy on her face.

“Ooh, smack talk now.” She fakes a boxer dancing on the balls of her feet and punches her fists into midair. “Come on, Adam, fight me.”

I smile up at her. “You’re a joker.”

I hold out my hand for her to help me up, and as soon as she takes it, I take her down and pin her to the mat on her front. She lands with a surprisedoof, all her muscles tensed under mine.I mustn’t get turned on—that would be a disaster.Fuck, what was I doing offering to teach her something like this? You were thinking you were her friend, you idiot.

“Lesson number one,” I say, inhaling the rose scent that I like so much, “don’t give an inch to your opponent. If he or she spots an advantage, they’ll exploit it.”

“I asked for that, didn’t I?” she grumbles underneath me, sounding a bit breathless.

I lift back off her before I do anything embarrassing, like kiss her neck, which is right under my chin.

“Did I wind you?”

“Crushed a few ribs I think,” she says, pressing her fingers along her side.

I narrow my eyes at her. “Do I trust what the lady is telling me? You just took me down.”

She grins. “Maybe not. I’ve had a lot of injuries over the years, so go gentle on me.”

---