Page 10 of Deadly Hacker

During the final pose, Emma Jean did a double take when she saw a ridiculously good-looking man peer through the glass. He was young, maybe a little older than Emma Jean, with dark hair and the kind of smile that landed commercials. He had to stoop a little to look through the glass panel because he was so tall, and even from across the crowded studio Emma Jean could see his muscular arms and chest through his T-shirt. He was striking enough to distract her from the closing words of her lesson, which she stumbled over as she forced her eyes back to the students.

“O-Okay, kids, you did it! You made it to the end of our time today. I am so, so proud of how hard you’ve all worked! You guys are experts. Before long, you’ll be teaching the class instead of me!” she said, eliciting laughter from the kids and parents, who didn’t seem to notice her fumble.

As the kids rolled up their yoga mats and prepared to leave, Emma Jean’s eyes flicked back to the door. Her heart skipped when she saw that the hot guy was still there.

And looking right at her.

Emma Jean’s face burned. She was suddenly hyper-aware of how her yoga pants and tank top hugged her frame. The guy wasn’t looking away; in fact, he was outright staring at her with an expression she couldn’t quite label. It was akin to awe, but with a familiarity she didn’t understand from a stranger. It was as if he were looking at someone he knew very well, despite the fact that she was certain they’d never met.

She would have remembered him, she thought. Surely, he was one of Miguel or Stacy’s clients on his way to a hardcore workout in another part of the gymnasium. So why was he staring into her yoga class?

Emma Jean shook herself back to reality and started across the room to open the door and let the class exit. With every step she steeled herself for the stern talking-to she would have to give the handsome guy. After all, no matter how hot he was, it was still rude of him to ogle her like that.

She just hoped her cheeks would stop blushing by the time she got to him.

CHAPTER5

RAD

God,she was beautiful.

The yoga teacher was the singular glowing form in the midst of a fog that had seemed to settle around Rad. The parents, the kids, the colorful yoga studio—it was all dim compared to the light that emanated from the gorgeous young woman. Now, Rad was no stranger to a pretty face. He spent many of his days hanging around high-end casinos and strip clubs. Even in his off-hours, women were drawn to him. Las Vegas had no shortage of beautiful people, and sometimes he found it fun to entertain them for a bit, but no one had ever captured and held Rad’s attention like this before.

He was already in high spirits when he arrived at the gymnasium, fresh off a successful business meeting with an ongoing client. The owner of a gastropub, something trendier than the Sokolovs’ usual fare, was reluctant to accept mafia intervention at first. He had actually rejected the previous offers slid across the table to him by other factions. Even the lower-level movers and shakers from the Sokolov crime family hadn’t been able to secure a deal with him. He drove a hard bargain, knowing his product was unusual. He was already seeing so much fortune and success, he didn’t feel as much pressure to let the Bratva take hold.

But he had never met Rad before today. All it had taken was some buttering up and a pinch of Rad’s self-assured charm to turn things around. The bar owner had seen that Rad knew what he was talking about. He was young, he was flashy, and he was whip-smart. He knew the trends, both aesthetically and economically. Rad could give him the cold hard numbers he needed along with the wink-and-a-nudge attitude he admired. They had shaken hands over top-shelf whiskey in less than an hour. Rad hadn’t even had to speed to make it to the Sunrise Business Complex on time to pick up his friend’s daughter, Grace, from yoga therapy.

He had been greeted by many smiling faces as he walked through the halls of the gymnasium, but none so striking as the face at the front of Grace’s class at Flex and Flow. He had only intended to take a quick peek through the glass panel of the door, just to make one-hundred-percent certain that it was the right room. He’d found Grace quickly; then his eyes had flitted to the instructor.

Time had slowed down. The world around him had fallen quiet. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. She was such a natural beauty. She wore not a stitch of makeup, but her skin was dewy and clear as a spring morning. She had adorable rounded cheekbones and a delicate chin. Her nose was a gentle slope, with a deep cupid’s bow leading down to her lips.

Andoh, those lips. Full and plush, perfect for kissing, sucking, gently biting. The top lip was ever so slightly fuller than the bottom, giving her model-like face even more character. Her eyes were bright and wide, with a sort of perpetual smile to them. From across the room, they looked to be green or blue, and utterly captivating. Her hair was a gorgeous cascade of blond curls barely held back with a tortoiseshell claw clip. There were loose wispy curls framing her face and casting soft shadows on her cheeks with the bright afternoon sun shining through the windows behind her.

Rad couldn’t help but devour the lines and curves of her body. How could he resist when they were so clearly on display? She wore a matching workout set with yoga pants that hugged her long, toned legs moving up to her rounded hips. There was a couple inches’ gap between the waist of her yoga pants and the bottom hem of her tank top, giving him a delicious glimpse of her well-defined abs. When she raised her arms over her head to instruct the kids in their final stretch, he noticed how sleek and slim her form was. Her arms were toned and graceful, and the little movement made a sheen of sweat shimmer in the sun on her chest. Rad felt a twinge of arousal looking at her perfect breasts. Even in that restrictive tank top, the yoga teacher had visible cleavage. Her chest jiggled slightly as she moved, and Rad thought he might melt into the hardwood floor in front of the parents waiting around him.

Then the young woman made eye contact with him. Something akin to an electrical current zapped through his entire body. It took a lot to get his blood pumping. Rad wasn’t scared of anything; not seemingly impossible business ventures, not a violent showdown with a target on the street. And he was immune to sex appeal by now.

But this woman made his heart beat faster. When she did a double take at him, Rad couldn’t help but smile. He saw the blush deepen across her pretty face.

Rad wondered why Max had never mentioned how hot the yoga teacher was before. It seemed like such a glaringly obvious trait to mention, but in all the times they’d discussed Grace’s physical therapies, the instructor’s beauty had never come up.

Then again, Rad reminded himself that Max was in a different frame of mind. He was still trying to work things out with his ex, Grace’s mother. They had been separated for almost two years, but Max was still madly in love with her. Besides, Max was so consumed with work that he may have completely missed the sexy yoga teacher. When there were calls to take and schedules to follow, it was easy to lose sight of reality. After all, that was the reason for Max’s separation from his ex—she’d felt like a low priority compared to how much time and effort he poured into his career. Max wanted her back more than anything, but he was blinded by ambition, unable to balance it all.

Max’s predicament had only solidified Rad’s decision to walk away from the cutthroat world of finance and big business. Sure, he was kept pretty damn busy working for the mafia. His own crooked career path was jam-packed with missions, whether they called for a keyboard or a trigger. Yet, he still felt freer than he ever had living in that claustrophobic bubble. His life might be a little more dangerous and unpredictable, buthewas the one with the time to pick up Grace from yoga today, while her own father was wrapped up in a business meeting.

Of course, if Max ever found out that Rad worked for the mafia, he would certainly never allow him anywhere near his daughter again. Max would not comprehend the fact that Rad could keep her safer than almost anyone else could, statistically. The stain of crime would instantly mark him.

If he wanted a chance with this hot yoga teacher, he’d have to stick to his secrecy anyway. A good girl like that one would never approve. Hell, she might even be afraid of him. That was the price he had to pay to keep both sides of his double life alive. He could never just be honest about his work, his lifestyle, or his allegiances. Usually, it was simple enough to lie by omission when he hooked up with girls. He never let anyone close enough to see the truth. It was safer that way, for everyone.

The door to the yoga studio clicked open, and suddenly the beautiful instructor was standing right in front of him with a tense smile on her face.

“Come on in,” she said, glancing at the small cluster of parents waiting at the door. Then, she looked at Rad and added quietly, “Can I help you find your trainer?”

He raised an eyebrow. “My trainer?”

“Sorry, I just assumed you have an appointment with one of my colleagues. This is the yoga studio, and it’s Little Tykes’ Day. Kids and parents only,” she pointed out.

“So, what you’re saying is that I don’t look like somebody’s dad,” Rad replied, totally deadpan. The yoga teacher’s eyes widened, thinking she’d made a mistake.

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