Page 61 of Reckless: Collision

Looking at him—this beautiful disaster of an alpha trying to teach me his coping mechanisms—I wonder if we’re still talking about parkour.

“You want me to purposely fall?” I eye the lower section of roof he’s indicating, mentally calculating impact forces andtrying not to think about how my heart rate spikes every time he moves like that—all lethal grace barely contained.

“I want you to learn how to save yourself.” He drops into a crouch beside me, close enough that his heat bleeds through my clothes. “Since you’re so opposed to letting anyone else do it.”

“Bold of you to assume I need saving.” But I mirror his position, studying the way he distributes his weight. Not that I’m noticing how his leather pants stretch across his thighs. Definitely not.

“Show me a roll.” His voice drops to that growl that bypasses my brain and goes straight between my legs. “Unless you need hands-on instruction?”

“In your dreams, Havoc.” I shift my weight, preparing to demonstrate exactly how not-helpless I am. “I’ve watched enough parkour videos to?—”

“Videos?” He barks out a laugh. “That’s like saying you learned to hack by watching CSI.”

Oh, that’s just offensive.

I launch into motion without warning, tucking into what I think is a proper roll. The impact jolts through me harder than expected, and I come up decidedly less gracefully than intended.

“Wow.” Jinx slow claps, because he’s an asshole. “That was...”

“Shut up.”

“Educational.” His grin turns wicked as he stalks toward me. “Want to see how it’s actually done?”

“No, I want to try again.” I brush off my leggings, ignoring the sting in my shoulder. “I almost had it.”

“Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” He closes the distance between us, and suddenly he’s right there, his chest brushing my back. “Here.”

His hands settle on my hips, burning through the thin fabric of my workout clothes. “Tuck tighter,” he murmurs against my ear. “Roll across your shoulder, not straight over.”

My body betrays me, leaning back into his warmth even as my mouth runs on autopilot. “Are we still talking about parkour?”

His laugh ghosts across my neck. “Focus, Glitch. Unless you want me to demonstrate more... hands-on techniques?”

I elbow him in the ribs, using the motion to break away from temptation. “Show me the damn roll before I demonstrate some hands-on violence.”

“Promises, promises.” But he drops into position, his movements liquid smooth as he demonstrates a perfect shoulder roll. “See the difference? It’s all about controlling the impact, distributing force.”

I analyze his technique, cataloging the precise sequence of muscle contractions—how his trapezius bunches before release, the way his forearms cord with tension just before impact, definitely not focusing on how his back forms a perfect arc mid-motion. “Again. Slower this time.”

“Bossy.” The word rumbles from his chest, but he drops back into position, breaking the movement into fragments like code being deconstructed. With each deliberate motion, the air between us grows thicker, harder to breathe. “The trick is committing.” His voice drops lower, muscles rippling beneath tattoos as he demonstrates again. Sweat traces the contours of his spine in a path my fingers itch to follow. “Hesitation will get you hurt worse than any mistake.”

Like so many things in my life.

This time when I try it, I focus on the mechanics rather than proving myself. The roll comes smoother, my body finally understanding what it’s supposed to do.

“Better.” Jinx’s approval shouldn’t make my stomach flutter. “Now do it again. And again. Until your body remembers even when your brain shorts out.”

“Is that what happened to you?” The words slip out before I can catch them. “Your brain shorting out?”

His eyes go distant for a moment, that beautiful madness bleeding through. “Sometimes the only way to quiet the chaos is to embrace it.”

Something in his tone makes me want to reach for him again. Instead, I drop into another roll, focusing on the burn in my muscles rather than the way his broken edges match mine.

“Your form’s improving.” He moves closer, radiating heat and danger. “Ready to try something more challenging?”

“Always.” I rise to face him, closer than strictly necessary. “Though if you try to catch me again, I’ll hack your credit score into oblivion.”

His grin turns feral. “What makes you think you’ll see me coming next time?”

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