Page 11 of Married to the Mafia Monster

I shrug, the uncertainty gnawing at me. "I don't know. My gut? A gorgeous guy gives me his phone number out of nowhere. Then he’s outside my room in the middle of the night. It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?"

“Have you considered the insane possibility that he likes you?”

I’m about to respond when her radio crackles to life. Mr. Harris’s voice comes through loud and clear. "Lily, Carol’s gone off sick again. You’re working her shift tonight."

“You’re welcome,” she mutters to herself before groaning. "Looks like I won't be able to make it to our exciting new self-defense class."

I feel a pang of disappointment but quickly push it aside. "Think of the money. More hours, more dough, right?”

“Yeah, but I was looking forward to whupping someone’s ass tonight.” She makes karate waves with her hands. “You going to go on your own? Bring me back a report on any hotties in attendance?”

“Maybe I'll learn how to murder Nigel without anyone being able to tell it was me."

Lily grins, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "That's the spirit. You’ll do great. And if anyone’s mean to you, kick them in the balls."

“So, to sum up. Murder my employer, and kick random strangers in the balls, unless they’re hot, in which case sleep with them.”

She bows low, her hands together. “You have learned all I have to teach, my padawan. Now go forth and spread my message of peace and love.”

“And ball kicking.”

“Right.”

I stand outside the self-defense class, trying to psych myself up to go in. I know the A/C will be running. That’s one for the ‘go in’ column. Out here, the night is sweltering. But I don’t know anyone in there. One for the ‘stay out’ column.

When Lily suggested we go together, I said yes, thought it would be a good way for us to bond.

I told her I would go on my own but now I’m here, the bright lights from inside the gym feel intimidating, not inviting. I take a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to go in.

The thought of going back to the hotel, back to my room, feels safer. But I’d also feel like a failure.

I’m about to turn away when I see Alex Pierce striding up to the entrance, his presence commanding and impossible to ignore. “Coming in?” he asks, looking at me as he pulls the door open. My heart skips a beat, and before I know it, I’m following him inside.

The class is already gathering, and the instructor, a tall, muscular woman, is setting up mats on the floor. “Changing rooms are that way,” she says, motioning to her left as we enter. “Hurry up.”

I head through to a room that smells of old sweat. I slip into the gym gear that Lily loaned me, feeling awkward and exposed, the pants clinging to my legs, the top far tighter than anything I would usually wear.

I walk out to find Alex in black shorts with a matching tee. “Own anything that isn’t black?” I ask him as the instructor takes her place at the front of the room.

“An occasional optimistic thought.”

“Some new faces,” the instructor says before I can reply. “My name’s Karen and this is beginner’s self-defense. First step is warm up. Let’s start jogging round the edge of the room, shall we?”

Everyone starts moving. I do my best to keep up but I can feel Alex’s eyes on me. He’s close behind, too close. I glance back, stumbling.

I almost fall but he grabs me, catching me in his arms. “Thanks,” I say, feeling the heat of his thick fingers on me, wanting him to keep hold for just a moment longer.

He nods as we get moving again. When we stop, I’m out of breath, my chest heaving as the instructor shows us a couple of stretches. I do my best to follow her instructions but my balance isn’t great. Beside me, Alex is shifting effortlessly from one position to the next.

Karen raises an eyebrow. “Got some flexibility in those muscles,” she says and I get an irrational flare of jealousy. “All right, let’s get going with some basic techniques. Watch closely.”

She shifts her body in place. “It’s all about balance and power. You need to overpower your opponent mentally, physically, or both. Pair up and copy my movements.”

Alex turns to me, his blue eyes piercing through my nervousness. “Guess it’s you and me.”

I nod, feeling a strange mix of excitement and trepidation. As we move to an empty mat, Alex leans in slightly. “You look fucking good in those clothes,” he says, his voice low.

I blush, not expecting the compliment. “Thanks,” I mumble, feeling a flutter of warmth.

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