Page 106 of Resist Me (Forget the Past 3)

“Mmm.” I lean back enough to meet her hooded eyes. “What’s going on at work? Have you only been meeting with Violet?”

Luna drags her short nails up and down my forearm, the light scratch teasing my nerve endings. “No, I have multiple clients. Right now, I’m working with ten different people. Some I meet weekly. Some multiple times a week. Some just every couple of weeks. Depends what type of training they need.” Luna’s gaze drifts away from mine, her head turning until she finds Pig wrestling with a husky across the way. The fight is playful, so neither of us moves to act as referee. “I also teach a class at Treyvon’s gym the last Wednesday and Saturday of every month. Open to anyone.”

My fingers press into her side, feeling the hard muscles of her abdomen. My wife is a beast.

“Could I go to one of those classes?”

Luna raises a single sharp eyebrow at me. “You could. But you know we live together, right? Meaning you get my expertise for free.”

“Very true. What would you teach me?”

Luna leans back just a touch farther, running her eyes over me in an assessment. My pride wants me to flex the few muscles I have, but I don’t bother. Sounds like she runs in a crowd that could tie me in a pretzel.

“I’d approach training you differently than most of my clients. Most people who come to me are smaller women. They need to know how to grapple. Get their way out of a hold of someone larger. But you’ve got reach.” To demonstrate, Luna circles my wrist with her fingers and extends my arm, which goes a good number of inches past the tips of her fingers. “I’m thinking more evasion. But with you being so tall, we also need to lower your center of gravity. An attacker will try to push you over.” Luna pokes a playful finger against my stomach, and I puff out a burst of air as if she socked me in the gut.

“But…” I drag the word out, inching closer despite the nonexistent space between us. “What if I want to learn grappling? Maybe roll around on the floor? Get tangled up?”

Luna huffs a laugh as her eyes flare with heat. “We might be able to go over some moves. Tonight. In bed.”

Yes. I don’t say the word because I’m too busy kissing her, which is prematurely interrupted by a sharp bark. When I break away, breath heavy with desire, I glance over to find our dog staring at us, panting from her own exertions.

“I think she feels ignored,” Luna observes in a dry tone.

“We’re bad parents,” I agree, reluctantly unwrapping myself from Luna’s tempting figure. Tonight, she said. We’ll be together again tonight.

We both leave the table, taking turns finding toys to throw for Pig until she doesn’t want to run anymore.

“Thirsty girl?” I reach for my backpack and pull out a bowl and water bottle I filled this morning. Pig eagerly waits as I struggle to open the screw-on top I twisted on too tight. Just as I’m considering asking Luna to assist with her superior strength, the lid comes loose. In fact, the bottle opens too fast, jerking in my hold, uncovered and slopping a wave of water over the side.

Directly onto Luna.

The two of us stand in shock. Me clutching the half-empty bottle, her staring down at her drenched white shirt.

“Damn it. Luna, I’m sorry.” I quickly dump the remaining water into Pig’s bowl, then turn back to my wife, wondering if there are towels in her car.

Luna gives me a wry smile. “This is my fault. I knew what I was getting into when I married you.”

I try not to cringe at the memories of all the other embarrassing incidents I can’t help stumbling into whenever I’m around her. Then my mind blanks when her strong arms wrap around my torso, pressing the damp fabric of her shirt between us until I’m soaked through too.

When I tilt my chin to meet her eyes, there’s a mischievous sparkle in her dark stare. “I kind of love how klutzy you are, Charlie Keller.”

The word love hangs in the air between us, lingering there. Waiting for me to grab the four letters and let them spill from my mouth.

I love you, Luna Lamont.

Maybe the declaration plays on my face before making its way to my tongue, because in the next second Luna lets go, stepping away and looking at anything but me.

“I think Pig is done for the day.” She pats the panting dog before clipping her leash on. All the playfulness has disappeared. This is business Luna.

“Yeah,” I agree, managing not to choke on the simple word.

For a brief time, everything was right in the world. Now I follow a few steps behind the little family I’ll have to give up in a year.

Because Iwillgive them up. If that’s what Luna wants. She asked to change some of our marriage rules but not the expiration date.

Funny to know the exact day in the future when my heart will break.

ChapterForty-One

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