Fight For Her Heart: Tattooed Seduction (Rock Hard Doms) (2 page)

I flattened myself along the wall just a second before
three officers blurred past, guns drawn. They pointed them at the fat
man on the ground and ordered him to stand up with his hands behind
his back.

The brute got on his feet slowly, staggered a little,
hiccuping through his bloody mouth. He spat and fell against the
opposite wall, curling his hands behind his back, slower than anyone
liked.

One officer moved swiftly to cuff him. They weren't
going to mess around.

“
Ma'am. Sir. I'm gonna need to pull you aside and
ask you a few questions.” An older cop stared at me, his stony
face set like a disinterested sentry. “Do you think you can
calm down for a little bit?”

All part of the job, I guess. Well, fuck me for being
upset. It's not everyday I narrowly escape getting raped.

And how many women aren't so lucky?

I
already knew the answer. Mysterious heroes in the right place at the
right time were
very
difficult to find. Especially ones this outrageously handsome!

“
William Gaulle.” The lean stranger stuck
out his hand and grasped mine. “Wish we didn't have to meet
this way, but I'm glad I wasn't a second later.”

“
I'm Rosie. Rose Merchante,” I said weakly.
My real name sounded hollow in my ears.

I looked back at the police officer. He nodded, and
motioned for us to step away as two burly officers dragged my
attacker down the alley toward their car.

The officer lifted a glowing tablet from his pocket and
began to alternate between us with the standard questions. I sighed,
thinking I'd freed myself from dull legalese after leaving the firm
for the day.

This
alley is the only time you've run into this person?
Of course. Don't know him from Adam.

And
you, Mr. Gaulle, stepped in as a good Samaritan?
That's right. It's not like I'm gonna let some poor girl get attacked
right next to my own gym.

Are
you sure alright, ma'am?
As alright as I can be, I guess.

Can't
you answer a policeman seriously instead of making goo-goo eyes at
your new friend for one second?
Crap.

I imagined the last one. I blinked, watching as the
officer carefully folded up his official tablet and slipped a card
with his name into my hands.

“
Thanks, Miss Merchante. If we need more
information about the suspect over the next few days, we'll give you
a call from this number.”

I nodded, slowly trailing him out of the alley. After
being attacked, I sure as hell wasn't going to loiter between the
tall buildings by myself.

Good thing William walked at my side. He followed me all
the way to the bus stop. We watched the squad car pull away, the grim
silhouette of the monster in the window, staring sullenly at his
bound hands.

“
Hell of a close call back there,” William
said with a smile. “You need anything? If your bus won't be
around for awhile, I can let you into my studio to warm up.”

“
That's very kind.” I quickly scanned the
schedule plastered on the glass shelter.

Obviously, I'd missed the original connection, but the
next one was only five minutes away. I turned to him.

“
Should be by any time. Look, I really appreciate
what you did for me. I was lucky to find anyone around to call the
cops, let alone someone brave enough to take that guy on himself.”
I inhaled deeply, blushing a little as he bathed me in his smile.
“You saved me, and you could've easily been hurt...”

“
Nope.” He swiped his muscular arm through
the air, dismissing the danger like I'd said something crazy. “I
get in brawls all the time. It's half of what I do for a living.”

He reached into his pocket. I grasped my second business
card that evening, and stared at his name emblazoned in huge blocky
letters next to a pair of ice blue, open fingered gloves.

WILLIAM GAULLE: SELF-DEFENSE AND PERSONAL TRAINER.

So, that explains it. Professional fighter or not,
it's not like it makes me appreciate what he did any less.

I thanked him for the card and shook his hand one last
time. My fingers instinctively curled tighter around his long, thick
fingers, searching for a pulse, the quiet engine powering those
chiseled guns he called arms.

Deep down, I wanted to experience his strength in a
different way. I wanted to see it, feel it, and let it sweep me away
as easily as he'd thrown that big animal to the ground...

What else can he do with those Hercules muscles?
I shivered to myself, pretending it was just the cold.

“
Call the number any time. I'd pick up a few
lessons if I were you. I'll even give you a few sessions for free.”
He grinned, showing off a perfect row of polished teeth. “Look
forward to seeing you again, Rosie.”

His mouth was surprisingly intact for a defense trainer.
No big gaps or chipped pearly whites.

“
Thank you,” I whispered.

We exchanged one more smile just as the bus roared into
view. I watched him turn away from me and begin walking back toward
the alley, leaving precious seconds to study his outline before the
warm bus cracked its doors, ushering me inside.

The morning commute on Friday made me sick to my
stomach.

It was a cold, dark, wintry morning. Darker, colder, and
lonelier than the day before, if that was even possible.

The holidays brought everything to a screeching halt.
The law firm was down to a skeleton crew, leaving me alone in my dark
corner cubicle, blasting music as loud as I could get away with in my
earbuds to keep awake.

The bus wasn't much more lively. A few dark figures in
oversized coats slumped against the windows near the back. Probably
just overtired mechanics or late drunks coming home from a binge the
night before.

Probably. But now my eyes saw the lazy shapes
differently.

Every man in a big coat drew a little more fear, and a
lot less trust. What the hell did they need such huge coats for
anyone?

I cursed winter in Minneapolis. Those coats kept them
warm, sure, but they also gave them ample space to conceal a gun, a
knife, or God only knew what else.

I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes on the reflections in
the windows, flinching whenever someone got up and skirted past me to
exit at the stops.

My rapid walk to the firm was just one notch below a
full on run. I worried I'd trip on the ice and dive onto the ground,
but not as much as I feared another trip down the shady alley.

By lunchtime, I fished William's card out of my purse
and stepped into the little closet employees used to make calls.

I swallowed hard, staring at his name and number. My
mind was made up.

I'm doing this for my benefit. I won't survive in the
city if I'm afraid of my own shadow. But is self-defense the only
reason?

As soon as I dialed the number and heard his voice, I
knew it wasn't. I knew, and I didn't care.

Granted, William Gaulle was the only man who'd managed
to get a rise out of me since I left the university a couple years
ago.

But I'd handled attractions before and managed to stay
professional. Why should this be any different?

“
Hello? William? It's me, Rose, the dumb girl you
rescued in the alley the other day.”

“
Hi, Rosie.” I could practically see his
strong lips curling up in a smile on the other end.

There was no mistaking his tone. He was
expecting
me to call.

“
Hi. I've been thinking about your services, and
you mentioned giving me some free lessons?” I hesitated, but
only for a second. “Well...I think I'm in.”

“
Good. I had a feeling you would be. Are you
available this afternoon? We can pick up where we left off yesterday.
And I promise I'll stay with you until you're on the bus after our
session, until I think you can handle the streets yourself.”

I started to sweat. That was more than I hoped for, as
if he'd channeled my fears and dashed them all away in a single
stroke.

Jesus. Am I attracted to a psychic?

“
That sounds wonderful. Yes, let me figure out a
time to meet...”

We decided on 5:30, roughly half an hour after my shift
ended. He bid me goodbye and the connection clicked off on the other
end.

I was excited to see him again, and just as enthused to
gain the skills I needed to feel comfortable in the city. I pressed
my legs together, hissing softly through my lips.

No, damn it. This is about self-defense. Not
impulsive self-satisfaction.

My skin just laughed and kept simmering with arousal. It
had been too long since I'd had a man, and now the first good looking
guy who came along seized my interest. Or maybe I was just getting
way too tired of self-pleasure.

I use reason to scream 'no' all day, but the muscles
that clenched deep inside me when they heard his voice wouldn't be
tamed that easily. Not by a long shot.

I had a strange feeling I was about to learn a lot more
than just self-defense lessons in William's studio. And worse, I was
looking forward to whatever scandalous madness he had waiting for me.

“
Feel how the muscle stretches on your calf? Yes,
that's it. Right there. Good job, Rosie.” William tightened his
broad hand along my soft belly, keeping me stable as his other hand
gripped my leg in mid-air. “Perfect. Now, kick!”

I did as he ordered. My foot lashed out, hurling at the
air. I did my best to summon anger so I could put a little force into
it, remembering the vile breath of the man who'd tried to do the
unspeakable just a little more than a day ago.

“
Good!” He guided my foot back to mat, but
his hands lingered on my body.

And I was in no hurry to brush him off. Seeing William
without the hoodie covering his body revealed how hot he really was.

He looked good before, but that saggy excuse for a coat
hid a body at least ten times better than I imagined. He'd peeled it
off in the studio without hesitating, showing me the muscular chest
hiding beneath the tight gray shirt.

When he turned around, another awesome flash of scenery
got my attention. Long tattoos snaked across his shoulders, stylized
ribbons in black ink with flaming edges.

I was hooked. Stupidly, instantly, magnetically
hooked.

His body called to me like a big manly magnet. I quietly
sizzled whenever he touched me. His gaze burned my skin like soft
lasers, focused and fixed on me as I ran a couple laps around the gym
to test my fitness.

“
Looks like your coordination is good. What do you
do for a living?” He asked, finally letting his hands meander
around my hips, before they fell away.

“
Legal coder.” I rolled my eyes. “Nothing
as exciting as this.”

“
Hey, punching keys all day isn't as bad as you
think. Mind and body are one.” He stuck two fingers to his
forehead and then guided them away, flashing those sweet bright eyes
in my direction. “If you keep your mind focused, your body will
follow. All we gotta do is introduce you to some new moves and build
up your strength.”

I smiled. Was it really going to be that easy?

“
Let's try out your fists. Here, I want you to hit
me as hard as you can.”

What?!

Before I could say anything, William puffed up and
flexed his muscles, sticking out that beautiful chest like a
Spartan's shield.

“
Are you sure about this?” I took a step
forward, wishing I could see his face behind the shirt.

“
Do it. Trust me, Rosie. You won't hurt me. Show
me what you've got in those little fists. Make me burn, baby.”

The
little
part irked me, but just barely. Compared to his chiseled slabs of
steel, I was a mousy thing.

My body didn't lie since I'd finished university and
stopped exercising regularly. I was only half-way in shape, and I
scarcely had the endurance to run a mile without keeling over on a
good day.

Okay, handsome. If you say so.

I braced myself back on one bare heel. Then I lunged
forward like he'd taught me, adding a curl to my hip, sending my
tight clenched fist into his rock hard side.

I'd wanted to touch his immaculate skin – but not
quite like this! And I certainly didn't expect it to hurt so much.

“
Ow!” I jerked my hand back.

My knuckles throbbed, like they'd run into soft earth
and gotten stuck a couple inches in. William didn't just look tough.

He was one hard bastard, rigid through and through, like
a tree trunk covered in sweet tattooed skin.