Page 28 of Hellfire

I shook my head. I hated seeing him hurt. “Why do you not fight back when spared yesterday?”

“How can I expect the prospect to get any better if I don’t build his confidence?”

I thought about that for a minute, and I wished I knew how to defend myself.

“Maybe you could teach me sometime?” I asked.

Tank’s eyebrow rose at my question, and I was sure he was going to deny me.

“I think that’s a great idea, pretty girl. We could start tomorrow.”

I smiled softly, grateful he was willing to teach me. Maybe with his help, I could defend myself when the time came. My mind drifted to Diamond again. Before this went any further, I needed to know.

“Hey Tank, can I ask you something?” I drummed my fingers on the table. “Is Diamond your girlfriend?”

Setting down an arrangement of cold cuts and cheese, he faced me. “She’s my ex. It’s over between us. I’ve known for a while now that I didn’t want to be with her anymore.”

“Does she know that?” I asked, remembering how territorial she was with him.

“She does. I promise you, we haven’t been together in months.”

I nodded, not really sure what to say to that. I didn’t like the idea of him being with anyone else. Tank growled, closing the distance between us. He tilted my chin up and forced me to look into his eyes.

“Tell me what’s going through that head of yours,” he demanded.

“N-nothing,” I stuttered, afraid I’d sound crazy if I told him how I felt.

Tank’s eyes narrowed into slits, his nostrils flaring. I averted my gaze to anything but him. His thumb drew small circles along my jaw when I hesitated to answer.

“Katrina, look at me,” Tank said softly. “Please.”

Looking into his dark brown eyes melted my resolve, and I blurted it all out. “I’m jealous, okay? Is that what you want to hear? Seeing her hang all over you drove me crazy.”

I tucked my lips between my teeth to stop myself from saying anything else. Tank spun my chair to face him fully, bracing his hands on the table, and caged me in.

“Want to know why it’s over for good this time?” he asked. I licked my lips and nodded, words evading me. “I met you.”

“What?”

I put a hand on his chest, silently asking for space. Tank’s shoulders sagged, but he took a step back. I stood and started pacing back and forth.

Am I the reason they broke up?

In a flash, I’m backed against the wall, Tank towering over me. His nose was in the crook of my neck. This time, I didn’t have the strength to push him away. His hands found my hips, giving them a gentle squeeze. My stomach clenched in anticipation.

“Did you forget that I can smell you?” he murmured, his lips brushing against skin. I sucked in a sharp breath. “Every time you feel nervous or upset, I can smell it on you.”

“I can’t be the reason you broke up, Tank. I just can’t.”

Tank leaned back slightly. “I don’t want her. I want you.”

His lips crashed against mine. I gasped at the sudden contact. Tank licked the seam of my lips, and I felt my body get hot. He groaned when I opened up for him. His fingers gripped my hair harder, demanding more. His hard body pushed up against me as he continued to devour me in a passionate kiss.

Finally, he pulled back, both of us panting. A slow and sensual smirk crossed his face. “Damn, I’ve wanted to do that ever since I saw you in my t-shirt.”

His eyes darkened with lust. I blushed at the memory.

“Me too,” I admitted.

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