He wouldn’t answer her as he turned away.
Millie began to ease off of him and he gripped her hard and held her ass in place on his lap by gripping her hip bones.
“Don’t push, Millie.”
“Really? Don’t push, huh? Just like how you didn’t push me at the dojo for answers as to why I quit training, or just like you didn’t push me to try harder when we were sparring. Sure, Dalton, no problem.”
She tried to get up but he squeezed her hips.
“You never did tell us why you quit before earning your black belt.”
“My boyfriend at the time made me quit,” she blurted out before thinking her statement through.
“What?” he responded with an expression that showed his disappointment in her. She didn’t need him feeling that way about her, too. It was bad enough that she allowed asshole Stewart to take from her what she loved most.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Was this the Frank guy?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Another guy? Why would he ask that of you?”
“Because he was a control freak. He thought that it wasn’t ladylike. But ya know what? After he got me fired from my job, I wish I had the opportunity to use some martial arts moves on him. The jerk.”
“He got you fired from your job?”
“Yeah, because he dumped me and then got mad at me for wearing a sexy dress to the gala event and getting attention. He insulted me, told me men would only want me for a quick fuck. Things like that,” she rambled on then tried to get off of him.
“What the hell! My God, Millie, that’s terrible.”
“Hey, it is what it is. My track record with men isn’t really good.”
“Well, my brothers and I aren’t like that. We would never put you down or hurt you like that.”
“Really?” She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared at him.
“Yeah, really,” he stated firmly and as if he were surprised that she could question their sincerity or respect of women or of her.
“Oh, so then why can’t I touch you when we’re making love? How come you kept this T-shirt on?” she pushed, and he appeared shocked.
“That’s different.”
“How so?”
“I’m not ready to discuss it.”
“Well, I didn’t want to hang out all of my dirty laundry but oops…it’s too late now, isn’t it? Fess up, Dalton.”
“You are a pushy little thing.”
“And you’re trying to avoid this conversation.”
“I need some time, Millie. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman.”
“Some woman hurt you? She cheat on you or something?”
“No. It’s nothing like that. I have some issues to work out.”