Page 16 of Love Me
I shook my head but didn’t argue. “When are you getting off?” I asked Knox.
“I shouldn’t be much longer. Why?”
“Just want to make sure you’ll be home for dinner. There is this new recipe I want to try.”
“What are you making?”
I gave him a mischievous grin. “Something to eat.”
He nodded once and took a step backward. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll come with you to the store.” Not giving me an opportunity to respond, he spun around and went back toward his office.
Is he that worried about what I’m going to cook?I wondered.
As I stood there frowning, I caught Derek staring at me. Silence began to stretch between us. It was loud. Not in the sense that it hurt my ears, but in a way that was very obvious. Derek and I didn’t really know each other. Sure, he and I had been pleasant up until now in the sort of way acquaintances were, but conversation didn’t flow as easily with him as it had when I’d first met Ethan. I didn’t want to compare my interactions with Derek to how I’d gotten to know my guys. It would be like comparing apples to oranges. There was an attraction between me and my guys. I hadn’t understood it at first, or I hadn’t been ready for it. Not that it mattered, because I wasn’t attracted to Derek. As the silence continued, I figured I needed to make a better effort. Getting to know him, I mean. He might be training me soon and it couldn’t hurt to have another friend.
Just as I opened my mouth to say something, Derek asked, “You're doing the mud run?”
“I am, with Colt and Creed and some of our friends,” I said, grateful he’d dispelled the awkwardness. And his topic of discussion had been way better than mine, which was going to be about the weather and how crazy hot it still was in October.
“I’m doing the run with a couple of my buddies,” he said. “I might see you there.”
“Yeah.”Crap.What did we talk about now? “Um…”
His eyes flicked to mine.
“Keelan said you have MMA training.” It was the first thing that popped into my head.
His brows inched up a little. “I do.”
“How long have you trained for?”
“My dad threw me into karate when I was eight. Since then, I’ve trained in judo, jiu-jitsu, and muay Thai.” He glanced toward the ceiling for a moment as though he was counting. “So thirteen years.”
“Impressive.”
He grinned. “Does that mean I’m qualified?”
My brow scrunched up. “For?”
His grin wavered a little. “To help train you in the next couple of weeks. Keelan asked me this morning.”
Keelan had worked quickly. “Right. I wasn’t asking to see if you were qualified. I figured I’d get to know you if we were going to be getting up close and personal soon.”
He chuckled. “Understandable.”
Knox returned with his gym bag hanging on his shoulder. He looked from Derek to me. “Ready?”
I nodded.
“Enjoy the rest of your day,” Derek said to us as we walked out.
Knox followed me to the store in his classic red Camaro and let me park my car in the closest spot available near the entrance. He parked four spots down from where I had. I waited for him by my car so we could walk in together. As he walked toward me, I couldn’t help but watch him. The giant, strong man took his time, walked with confidence. He had a grumpy, guarded exterior that was intimidating. Not to me, though. I understood that surly wall.
As he approached me, I held out my hand. It was such a simple request, yet I’d never felt more vulnerable. I’d held his hand before, but I hadn’t really given him a choice then. Now, I was.
Without pausing, his hand took mine and then I was walking by his side toward the store. I faced forward, happiness taking over my face.
“I’m just holding your hand,” he grumbled next to me.
