Page 92 of Shifting Gears

“You like that?” he rasped.

I could barely get the word out. “Yes.”

His grip shifted to hold me still, lips brushing my ear as he whispered, “Hold on tight, baby.”

AJ dragged me up from the floor like I weighed nothing, his strong arm holding me firmly against him as he stood up, and I lowered my feet to the floor.

I kicked my pants off the rest of the way, finally free of their restraint. But before I could catch my breath, he spun me toward one of the benches along the dojo’s wall and bent me over it, my hands slapping down on the cold wood to catch myself.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest as he dragged his hand up the inside of my thigh. He moved slowly, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake—a silent threat and a promise, all in one.

Every part of me burned for him, desperate for anything he was willing to give.

AJ’s chest rumbled behind me, low and dangerous.

“Damn, baby. Look at you, practically dripping down on the floor,” he groaned as he spanked my ass cheek.

My pussy clenched from the sting. It was a feeling I loved. Just like sore muscles after an amazing workout.

I shivered. The heat of his words flooded through my body, and I propped my ass higher.

He wasted no time knowing exactly what I needed.

I moaned as he shoved his cock back inside me, his tip twitching. No doubt he was leaking pre-cum by now.

He rubbed his hand up my spine, sliding his fingers through my hair before he gripped it tightly, tugging my head back.

I arched under him, my body responding to his every demand.

He fucked me hard against the bench until I had another orgasm before he also finished.

Tonight, I saw a side of AJ that he rarely showed. As rough as he had been, I knew there wouldn’t be a single bruise on my body afterward. He had shown a delicate balance of control with his movements very few could do.

Afterward, we lay next to each other on the cool wood floor, silence settling between us in the afterglow. AJ’s fingers traced lazy shapes along my ribs as I glanced up at him, my head resting on his shoulder.

That was when I knew this wasn’t like any of the other after-sparring hookups. I had been saying goodbye to him, and I didn’t realize it until right now.

“You were thinking about her, weren’t you?” I whispered.

He frowned, but he didn’t deny it.

I knew in my heart that I was right.

He was putting himself through a slow hell. I’d caught him checking his phone here and there over the past months, always looking at the same profile. The woman he’d left behind. Rosalie Wells.

A small part of me wondered what would have happened if AJ and I had actually fallen for each other, but I knew deep down, his heart would never be mine to take. Sex with him was never like sleeping with a great love. He always kept his walls up, but it was always a damn good time. If anything, after all these months, we’d developed a friends-with-benefits relationship, and I never thought about us in a way beyond that.

But I knew, deep down, we couldn’t keep doing this. I felt it in my soul when I looked at him. He didn’t belong here.

I let out a long, sad breath. Then I leaned away from him. Reaching over, I grabbed my top and pulled it on. I got up and continued until I was dressed again.

I picked up AJ’s clothes and held them out to him. He took them from me and stood up.

“Damn, trying to get rid of me already?” he joked with a chuckle, no doubt attempting to lighten the tension that hung between us. But he still got dressed.

I said nothing and watched as he picked up the rest of his things. I walked with him over to the dojo’s doors.

“Hey, walk with me for a minute?” I said as I pointed over toward the path that led around our garden and pond.

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