Page 266 of Ruin Me Gently

They both turned their heads in eerie synchronisation.

Silas tilted his head toward me and said, “Go on. Show me.”

Then, like the absolute menace he was, he went and sat down on the weight bench.

Holy Mary mother of all things good in the world. Arms draped over his thighs, fingers lazily interlocked, tattoos stretched over his chest and ribs, biceps flexing just enough to be distracting. Abs tensed as he leaned forward slightly, head tilted, dark eyes locked on me with an expression so unreadable it sent something electric down my spine.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

Finn clapped his hands together. “Come on, Lils.”

I exhaled, hands dropping to my hips. Would it make it weird if I played Eye of the Tiger over the speakers? Because I was going to make an ass of myself either way.

“Crunches or punches?”

I shot him a look. “I’m not doing crunches in front ofhim.”

From the weight bench, Silas lifted a brow and smirked.

Point proven.

“Yeah, okay, fair.” Finn snorted as he strolled over to the storage rack, grabbing the training pads and slipping them onto his hands like it was second nature.

I, however, was living through a personal crisis.

Because this was so humiliating.

I’d been existing in a little bubble of very secret training. Now? Now, I was about to make an absolute ass of myself in front of Mr. Six-Foot-Something-Intimidating-As-Shit-God-Tier-CEO—who, by the way, was watching me like I was a case study in‘How Not To Throw a Punch.’

I was going to throw up.

“Okay,” Finn said. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

I blew out a breath, rolling my shoulders, shaking out the tension crawling up my spine.

Just focus.

“Jab, cross,” he instructed.

I threw the punches, knuckles cracking solid against the pads.

“That was better than last time. Now, keep your elbows tucked.”

I did it again. Stronger. Tighter.

“Hook.”

I pivoted, threw my weight behind it, and smacked the pad as hard as I could.

Finn’s brows lifted. “Damn, okay.”

A low hum came from the weight bench.

I turned, catching Silas’ gaze just as he gave me a slow, approving nod, flicking his fingers in a‘carry on’gesture.

“Good for defence?” Finn asked, shaking out his arms.

I rolled my shoulders and nodded.

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