Mark was already in the gym by the time she came down, moving around the equipment like he had been that first day. He was wearing gym shorts and a fitted blue T-shirt.
Confidence fairly dripped from him as he pulled the mats together and got the sparring dummies out of the way. Then he reached down and grabbed the backs of his calves, folding himself nearly in half. He then released his hold and moved into another stretch, then another as Jenna watched from the shadow of the doorway.
The slow, concise movements demonstrated strength, grace, and flexibility.
He’d been right. He could definitely handle her.
Not to mention there were otherphysical activitiesthey could partake in to burn off some of this stress.
“We going to do this, or you just going to watch?”
He wasn’t facing her, so she didn’t know how he knew she was there, but he obviously did. She stepped more fully into the gym.
Sparring. Nothing else. Mark had no idea she thought about him like that. There had been a few moments when she thought she’d caught him looking at her over the past few days, but it had to be her imagination.
No one wanted to get involved with someone who couldn’t even make it outside. That was ridiculous.
She grabbed her gloves and put them on. He put some on too.
“How hard do you want me to go?” Mark asked.
Jenna smiled at that. Nerves aside, this was going to be fun. “As hard as you like.”
“Are you sure?” Mark stared at her.
“Very. I mean, I’d prefer not to die, but I can handle everything else.”
He chuckled. “Not dying. Got it.”
They faced each other then, both of them settled into low, ready stances that allowed them freedom of movement. Jenna immediately saw Mark’s comfort in the gym wasn’t merely for show. He was settled in his body, fully present, and all that sharp attention was focused on her.
He moved. Fast. He was so fast, coming at her with a quick strike she dodged purely on instinct. It was a test of her reflexes. Another quick movement put him closer to her, and she countered it. Another test. Despite asking her limitations, he was still testing them.
So Jenna made a move of her own. Three quick strikes to the torso that Mark blocked, backing on to the defensive, and she didn’t stop, bringing her elbow to his face and stopping before she knocked him out.
Mark’s face warmed into a smile. “Not bad, librarian.”
“Told you.” She grinned, backing away and giving him a chance to reset. “Now, are you going to stop toying with me and actually fight?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “The last thing I am is a ma’am.”
He took advantage of the distraction, launching himself at her with speed she was envious of. But she was light on her feet, dancing backward and blocking two jabs at her face. She returned fire, landing one on his ribs before spinning away and maintaining distance.
Mark was fully grinning now. “Let’s dance, Franklin.”
And they did. Jenna knew Mark wasn’t going full-out Special Forces on her, but he wasn’t taking it so easy she felt insulted. She was making him work for every hit he landed and was landing enough of her own to feel like they were evenly matched. A few more months and he wouldn’t have to hold back at all, if she kept up her work on the BOBs.
The thought made her confident. She stepped inside Mark’s guard, throwing a punch that should have gone directly to the jaw; only he wasn’t there anymore. He was on the floor.
At first, she thought it was a deliberate drop to escape the hit. But he didn’t get up.
Dread crashed down on Jenna like one of the anvils in Saturday morning cartoons. Her mind flew back to that bar and the man she’d put on the floor, covered in blood.
What had she done? How had she managed to hurt someone this badly again? Her breath went short, and the world started to spin.
She was still a monster.