Page 244 of The Reluctant Hero

I need to know how bad the beating I give Ace later is going to be, so I take my time going down the stairs. The closer I get to the door, the louder the heavy music coming from inside gets. At least he picked the right music for me.

I open the door and walk inside, letting it swing shut behind me.

And stare. I can’t move as my jaw drops.

Mikael is hanging from a bar built into the wall, his hands shoulder-width apart as he slowly pulls himself up, waitsfor a beat, and slowly lowers himself. He isn’t wearing a shirt, so I get an eye full of his bare skin. His legs are bent at the knee with his ankles crossed so his feet never touch the floor. I don’t know how long he’s been doing this, but he’s glistening with sweat in the light.

I wasn’t ready for this. I can’t form words.

Watching his muscles strain as he lifts again is like a work of art.

The song ends, but he keeps going. How many reps will he do before he stops? I should pull up a chair and count for him.

“I know you’re there, Ace. You’re late. Hit the bags.”

His rumbling tone is another hit below the belt, but I can’t take my eyes off him. Another metal song starts up before I can gather my wits enough to tell him it’s me, not Ace.

The beat of this song is faster, and the words a foreign language. He sings along as he speeds up. He acts like this isn’t an effort despite the sweat.

I’ve seen how big he is in his suits. Without them is another eye-opening experience. I thought he was dangerous before, butthisis the real danger. He’s so comfortable with his size that it boggles my mind. The lines of his suits hide so much more than I could imagine. The way his biceps and forearms bulge. The heavy dip in his back and all the muscles around it flexing. It’s drool-worthy art within touching distance.

“Come on, Ace,” he drops to his feet with a huff of breath. From behind he looks like an enraged beast even though his voice is mild with annoyance.

I have my jaw picked up off the floor before he turns, but I can’t help the stunned look I can feel plastered on my face.

The front isn’t any better. I could use the man as a mattress if I wanted to. A hard mattress, but it would be worth it. His pecs could be my pillows. I’d be ok with that. As I stare,a drop of sweat runs down his abs and stops at the elastic of his shorts.

It’s hotter in here than it was in the jacuzzi.

His dark blue eyes widen a little as he looks behind me as if he’s trying to find someone. I can’t take my eyes off his pecs. Holy hell. When he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, his eyes return to me.

Neither of us says a word.

Ace’s words roll through my mind on a loop.

“You’re surprise is in the basement, darlin’. Don’t bother bein’ gentle with it.”

“Did Ace send you down?”

I blink as his low voice brings me back to reality and somehow sinks me further into a daze at the same time. I end up nodding, my eyes following a trickle of sweat over his abs. How long has he been working out already?

His eyes narrow on me.

My eyelids droop as his cock begins to tent his shorts. It’s subtle at first. The longer I stare, the harder it gets.

“Amanda.”

I can’t tear my gaze off it. He’s proportionate. I don’t know if I can handle that, but I’m so worked up that I’m ready to try. Ace knew exactly what he was doing, and now Mikael gets to pay the price. I’d feel bad about it but I honestly can’t wait for this.

I close the distance between us slowly. For every step, his breaths get faster. I reach out and trace the trail the droplet took with a finger. His skin is burning with heat. The muscles contract at the touch, and a shuddering breath blows over the top of my head.

“Rakas,” he says in a tone even lower than before. It’s slow and dark, just the way he sounded outside the bathroom door, asking if he could soak with me.

I bring both my palms flat to his skin and feel how strong he is. I feel tiny in comparison to him. I’ve never felt that before. My hands run over his chest to his abs and over his sides. There’s a deep V trailing to his shorts. My palms slide down to it. I can hear him swallow, breathing through his nose quickly.

He doesn’t stop me at all. His stance widens a little as if he’s going to stand here all day and let me touch him however I want.

My fingers touch the waistband of his shorts when he moves. A single finger tucks under my chin to tilt my face back.

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