Page 29 of Their Reckless Thief
He led me down a series of hallways. The mansion was like an elaborate maze of luxury and darkness. Every room we passed oozed wealth—expensive artwork, grand chandeliers, and furniture that probably cost more than my entire apartment building. The place was a fortress of sin and power, and no matter how much I pretended not to care, it got under my skin.
Eventually, we got to a training area. The termgymdidn’t really fit the massive room lined with mirrored walls, reflecting every piece of high-end equipment you could imagine. Free weights, punching bags, treadmills, mats for sparring, and a boxing ring in the middle of the room. It was a full-on training facility, not some rich guy’s vanity gym.
“Welcome to our personal torture chamber,” Dorian said with a smirk as he dropped his arm from my shoulders. He walked over to the dumbbells like he owned the place. “Feel free to admire me while I work out. It’s quite a sight to behold, or so I’ve been told.”
I rolled my eyes again but couldn’t help the tiny smirk that tugged at my lips.
Cocky bastard.
“Torture chamber, huh? Didn’t peg you for a masochist.”
He laughed. “Depends on the day.”
I made myself comfortable on a bench by the showers. Dorian started his workout, and I did my best not to ogle him. I really, really tried. But damn, it was impossible not to notice. He was all lean muscle, and every move seemed so effortless, like he was born to do this. Sweat glistened on his skin as he lifted weights, his muscles flexing with each motion, and I found myself biting my lip before I could stop.
I hated this. I hated how easy it was for him to get to me, how difficult it was to ignore the fact that he was, quite literally, a walking wet dream. And he knew it. That grin of his told me he knew exactly what effect he had on women. Hell, he probably counted on it.
Smug, arrogant, golden-retriever, bastard of a shifter.
Still, if I was stuck here as a prisoner, I might as well enjoy the view.
Dorian moved to one of the machines and adjusted the settings. I leaned back against the wall, trying—and failing—not to openly admire the way his muscles moved as he worked. He wasn’t some gym rat. He was built for this—every motion smooth, controlled, effortless.
My eyes lingered for a moment too long on his shirt clinging to his chest, and I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop my thoughts from spiraling.
“Like what you see?” he called over his shoulder, not bothering to hide his amusement.
I rolled my eyes, but my heartbeat picked up a notch. “Oh, don’t get ahead of yourself, wolf boy.”
He flashed me that devastating grin again and walked over to a different machine. “Come here.” He waved me forward.
I raised an eyebrow before moving to join him.
“Wanna give this a try?” he asked, motioning to the sleek weight machine. His fingers brushed my arm as he positioned me in front of it. His touch was warm, the brief contact sending an uninvited spark through my skin.
I tried to ignore it. “You seriously think I’m gonna pump iron with you?”
Dorian chuckled, his breath grazing the back of my neck as he leaned in and adjusted the weights. “Who knows? Maybe it’ll take the edge off that temper of yours.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Trust me, it’ll take more than a workout to fix that.”
His lips quirked into a smirk. “Shame. I was hoping you’d want to stick around for the full routine. Might help you get to know me better.”
I glared at him, though my pulse quickened at his nearness. He was too charming, too damn smooth for his own good. And something about him made it impossible for me to hate him.
“Yeah, because I really want to get to know the guy who’s keeping me hostage,” I shot back.
Dorian leaned in, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. “Well, since you’re tagging along with me, you’re bound to learn a few things, love. Besides, I’ve got more layers than you think. I’m more than just your keeper.”
I swallowed hard. I hated that he had me all tangled up inside with only a few well-placed words.
He finally stepped back, giving me some space as he wiped his brow. “You sure you don’t want to give it a shot?” He nodded toward the machine. “I can help you. Guide your hands...”
I rolled my eyes, but the heat creeping up my neck betrayed my cool exterior. “I think I’ll pass.”
Dorian laughed again, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Suit yourself. But if you change your mind, I’m always happy to assist.”
I returned to the wall as he went through the rest of his workout routine. Every move was calculated, each muscle flexing with perfect precision. It was almost mesmerizing.
