Page 21 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

I should have kept my mouth shut. “I didn’t say anything about you,” I said. “Mart has eyes.”

Alex stepped closer to me. “So, you think I’m pretty?”

He shouldn’t have been so relaxed, like he belonged in that class and in that gym as easily as he did in a conference room. His eyes shouldn’t have sparkled so mischievously, like this was the most fun he’d had in weeks. He should have been intimidated or felt out of place or…I don’t know, but I was certain I shouldn’t have been the one feeling off balance yet again.

I’d managed for a long time by putting people into boxes, cataloging them and never being caught off guard. I didn’t like the unknown. Alex wasn’t fitting in any of the usual boxes and I couldn’t figure out how to catalog him or write him off.

“I think you better stay on your toes or Mart will mess up that pretty face.”

Alex turned to Mart with a smirk. “She thinks I’m pretty.”

Mart shook his head, but he looked more amused than annoyed. Alex was far too charismatic for his own good. “Our Jill doesn’t like pretty boys,” he said. “She likes men who are stand-up guys and work for what they want.”

Alex turned back to me, his smile gone, his expression serious. “I’m very good at working for what I want. I never give up.”

He was talking about me. I was what he wanted and, though it gave me a thrill to be wanted, I reminded myself that what he wanted changed daily.

I was a challenge, that’s all.

I shook my head. “Let’s get started.”

I led the class through the warm-up and then we worked on breaking out of different holds. Mart and Alex seemed to be doing fine, so I worked with the beginners and checked the form of the regulars.

I wasn’t avoiding Alex. Nope. Not at all. I wasn’t trying not to look at him because the way he moved and the cut of his muscles made my breath catch and my insides flutter.

No way.

I didn’t need to worry about him, because Mart would let me know if they needed my help.

Eventually, though, I made my way over to them. I was the teacher. I couldn’t avoid any student, no matter how much I wanted to.

I watched them perform the hold as I’d instructed. Alex moved smoothly and surely and broke the hold, turning on Mart so fast I would have missed it if I’d blinked.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my calm. Clearly, Alex had taken a Krav Maga class before. No one learned that quickly.

I moved onto other holds and other breaks and did my job, fuming all the while and not sure why I was so mad. It was just…Why did he have to be so damn good at everything? There was no way I was going to impress him or…Not that I was trying to impress him. I didn’t care what he thought of me.

I ended the class and chatted with the regulars as the newbies filed out. Mart slapped my shoulder and leaned in close to my ear. “I like him. You ought to give that boy a chance.”

I gasped and spun, expecting to see Mart grinning at me like he’d just pulled a prank, but he hurried out the door with a smile and a wave, leaving me alone with Alex.

“You probably want to get to the bar and the celebration,” I said, grabbing my water bottle and shoving it in my bag.

“I thought we could go together,” he said. “I’ll bring you back here to get your car after, or you can drink, and I’ll drive you home and pick you up in the morning.”

I turned to face him. There was nothing but kindness in his expression, and I knew I was being an idiot.

I had no right to be mad at him.

He had no idea of my plan to put him in his place. A plan, I realized with a jolt, that would have also allowed me to see how he handled frustration, how short his temper could be. “That’s nice, but I’m fine to drive on my own. We might not want to leave at the same time.”

He nodded, not arguing, not pushing. “I’ll walk you to your car, then.”

I couldn’t argue with that, so I walked through the gym and outside with him by my side.

It was cooler out, a definite chill in the air. I was glad it was finally feeling like December.

“You didn’t tell me you’d taken Krav Maga before.”

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