Sweet Revenge (8 page)

The fact that Dylan didn’t want her out here with him was evident. She had thought she’d ceased being hurt by his more than obvious resentment of her presence. But after their little training interlude today, she had hoped the ice had been broken. Not only had Dylan laughed—something she hadn’t believed was even possible—but he’d kissed her. Holy guacamole, he’d kissed her!

Okay, so it’d been barely a peck and was over before her brain could even register it was happening … still, it had happened. She told herself it didn’t mean anything. Just a spur-of-the-moment reaction to what she’d managed to do. She had almost brought Dylan to his knees.

At that thought, Jamie started worrying. That kind of injury could incapacitate a man. Maybe that was why he was so surly again. Had he been limping when he’d walked outside? Was he still hurting?

“Are your testicles okay?”

In the midst of swinging the ax down, he missed the wood completely. The blade lodged with a thud into the tree stump. He whirled around, his expression one of incredulity. “Excuse me?”

A fire-red blush heated her cheeks. Okay, so it was probably an inappropriate question. No, not probably … it
was
an inappropriate question. Aunt Mavis was probably doing triple spins in her grave. Still, the question was out there. There was no point in pretending she hadn’t asked it.

“I know that kind of blow can be really painful for a man. I was just wondering if you were still hurting.”

He shook his head, and Jamie could swear his mouth twitched as though he fought a smile. “My balls are just fine. Thanks for asking.”

“Because if they’re not, I thought maybe an ice pack might help.”

He turned his back, and she saw his shoulders jerking. He was laughing at her. That didn’t bother her in the least. Making Dylan laugh, even if he was laughing at her, felt like she’d won the lottery.

Surprising her, he turned back around, and yes oh yes, that beautiful, usually grim mouth was smiling again. “The thought of putting an ice pack down there sounds a hell of a lot more painful than being kneed.”

She laughed. “I guess that would be uncomfortable.”

Shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe their conversation, he turned back to chopping.

No longer occupied with her worry about Dylan or embarrassment over her question, Jamie suddenly realized she was freezing. Expecting the man chopping wood with the ferocity of a lumberjack in a speed contest to speak to her again was hopeless. Even with his back to her, she recognized that he’d closed himself off again.

“I think I’ll head back inside.”

Dylan’s answer was a barely distinguishable nod. Blowing out a sigh at the foolish wish that some of the ice surrounding him had melted, Jamie turned and trudged toward the cabin. She barely got two steps before Dylan called out “Put on your workout clothes. We’ll get in a quick self-defense lesson before dinner.”

Maybe something significant
had
happened … perhaps not ice breaking, but a breakthrough all the same. At this point, she would take what she could get.

Feeling ridiculously happy, Jamie picked up her pace. Finally, her self-defense training was about to begin.

five

“No, allow your feet to move your whole body.” Dylan stood in front of her. “Watch.”

In wide-eyed awe, Jamie watched as Dylan’s entire body twisted in one seamless, graceful movement as he turned almost completely around. How could someone so big move with such precision and grace?

“How long did it take for you to be able to move like that?”

“Each person has their strengths. When I was a kid, I used to pretend I was a jungle cat. I practiced moving slowly and stealthily.” He shrugged. “I think that helped.”

Thrilled that he’d shared a piece of his childhood, no matter how minute, Jamie asked, “What about your speed, though? Your movements are so slow and deliberate, but when you need to, you can move like a cheetah.”

His eyes glinted with a slight amusement. “Not cheetah speed, but again, cats move fast when they need to.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move that fast.”

“Moving fast is helpful, but while we’re training, you’ll identify your strengths and we’ll work them to their highest potential. Strengths can minimize weaknesses.”

“Do you have any weaknesses?”

“Lemon pie.”

“Excuse me.”

“That’s my weakness. Put lemon pie in front of me and I’m the weakest man alive.”

Disappointed but not surprised that he wasn’t willing to reveal any more personal information, she tilted her head and smiled. “Guess I’d better keep an eye on my lemon shampoo or I’ll find you guzzling it someday.”

For some odd reason, known only to Dylan, his eyes darkened and an intense look flashed across his face. An instant later, it was replaced with another one of those granite expressions. If it had been anyone else, she would have sworn there had been desire in his eyes. But Dylan attracted to her? No, he was surly, grumpy, and downright rude. There was absolutely no indication that he felt the least bit of attraction to her. Well, there had been that surprise kiss earlier today, but that had been an anomaly. Or had it? For the first time ever, Jamie began to wonder if maybe the attraction she felt for Dylan might not be one-sided after all. A shiver of excitement zoomed up her spine at the thought.

“You cold?”

Dylan’s abrupt tone pulled her from the absurd fantasy; she shook her head.

“Okay, try it again.”

Remembering his instructions, Jamie went to the mat and once more tried to move her body the way he’d showed her. She whirled around, stumbling a bit. At his command, she repeated the move. And again, and then again. Though breathless, Jamie felt more confident with each successive try. When, at last, she nailed it, she threw him a brilliant smile, waiting for his praise.

Instead, he grunted and said, “That’s one move. You’ve got about a thousand to go.” He went to the middle of the mat. “Watch me.”

Feeling like a silly, immature twit for wanting a compliment when she had so far to go, Jamie watched as Dylan added arm movements to the body twist she’d just mastered. A one-two punch that would block an opponent and deliver a blow almost simultaneously.

In awe once again of his graceful but lethal-looking moves, she went to stand beside him as he showed her the arm movements and made her practice them over and over, and then several more times. In those hours, Jamie began to have serious doubts that she could pull this transformation off. Oh, she still believed she had a surefire way inside Reddington’s private domain, and once in, she could get the information she needed. However, defending herself if she had to wasn’t going to be as straightforward as she’d hoped.

McKenna and Lucas had made it look so simple … effortless. And the training films she’d watched made the moves seem uncomplicated and easy. Getting her body on board with the easy and uncomplicated part was the problem. Could she really make this happen?

With each minute that went by, Dylan could feel Jamie’s doubts increasing. Those white teeth were nibbling at her lip—something she often did when she felt uncertain. Also, her eyes had taken on a darker, more somber color. She was beginning to wonder if she had it in her to succeed.

He told himself he had no reason to feel guilty. Keeping her safe was his number one priority. Besides, it wasn’t his intent that she leave here without being fully prepared to protect herself against a predator.

As he watched her complete yet another jerky arm motion, Dylan acknowledged that he was walking a fine line. Giving her the confidence to defend herself without the assurance that she could go after Reddington was going to take the delicacy of a true diplomat. Since he had a tendency to be as blunt as a mallet, he might have had his own doubts about whether he could pull this off—if it wasn’t for the fact that he couldn’t fail.

With that thought in mind, Dylan moved behind her and prepared himself for the torture of touching her. The thought of this woman being hurt in any way again cooled his desire to the freezing point.

“Let me hold your arms and we’ll go through the motions together.”

Standing behind her, he watched her face in the mirror as he held her slender arms and took her through the movements. A fine sheen of perspiration covered her entire body, and the desire he had hoped he’d squashed refused to leave. Her hair, slightly damp and smelling like the lemon fragrance he associated with her, was in an untidy ponytail, with loose strands falling around her delicate face.

Able to make the movements without much thought, Dylan gave in to a rare fantasy.

What would happen if he turned her in his arms and covered her mouth with his? Though he’d barely touched her lips earlier with that too quick kiss, he remembered their softness and the sweetness. Desire pumped through him as he imagined how she would open for him and his tongue would enter that sweet cavern. How the slender arms he held would wrap around him as he pulled her closer and how his hands would cup her beautiful butt as he pressed her against the aching, painful arousal that only her heat could satisfy.

Growling his frustration, Dylan dropped his arms and backed away. “That’s it for today. We’ll pick it up in the morning, after breakfast.”

Her eyes wide with surprise, she said, “But can’t I—”

“Your muscles are going to be sore if we keep this up. Let’s have dinner, and then you might want to consider a hot bath.”

Before she could question him further, Dylan stomped up the stairs, headed to his room. A cold shower in the midst of winter was a damn stupid thing to do. Since today had been full of damn stupid things already, he figured one more wouldn’t matter.

Her steps light and quick behind him, Jamie asked, “Want me to start dinner?”

The last few days, they’d been sharing kitchen duties. Being in the too small room, with Jamie brushing up against him every so often, wasn’t a torture he was willing to put himself through tonight. Dylan nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

Before she could say anything else, he closed the door to his bedroom, shutting himself inside and away from the biggest temptation of his life.

Jamie woke the next morning only a little sore from the previous day’s workout but a lot confused about Dylan. During dinner, he’d uttered exactly three words: “Pass the salt.”

Once they’d finished her hastily prepared beef stew and corn bread, he had insisted on cleaning up, since she’d made dinner. She didn’t even think about protesting. Trying to carry on a conversation with a man who obviously had no desire to talk was exhausting. She’d said a quiet good night and had done what he’d suggested earlier—taken a hot bath and gone to bed. And she had slept almost dreamlessly. In the middle of the night, she’d woken with her body on fire and an ache between her legs. She had a vague recollection of Dylan lying on top of her, kissing her as he moved inside her. A sex dream about Dylan? She shook her head at not only the insanity but also hopelessness of it all. That was never going to happen.

Stretching carefully, she noted that she was glad she had followed Dylan’s advice. There was a small amount of tightness in her muscles, but nothing painful. A hot shower should take care of that, and then she’d be ready to try those moves again.

A glance at the bedside clock told her she had at least another hour before her normal routine had to begin. Since she’d gone to bed earlier than usual, she’d woken early. The thought of practicing without Dylan’s critical eagle eye was too tempting to pass up. Wouldn’t he be surprised if he walked in and found she’d finally managed to master the move?

With that incentive, Jamie bounded out of bed and took a quick shower. Though she would have liked to stand under the pounding hot water much longer, she couldn’t. Getting to the gym before Dylan arrived was her biggest priority right now. Drying hurriedly, Jamie brushed her teeth, slapped some moisturizer on her face, pulled her damp hair into its usual ponytail, and then slid into sleek spandex pants and a T-shirt.

She opened her bedroom door and stuck her head out. Relieved that Dylan’s door was still closed, she decided to forgo coffee and headed down the steps to the gym. She was at the bottom step before she realized that the room was already occupied. Her disappointment at not being able to practice quickly disappeared. Her legs collapsed silently beneath her and she quietly dropped to the bottom step … in awe.

His handsome face one of concentrated intensity, Dylan went through a series of slow, graceful movements. He wore only a pair of old khakis; a fine sheen of perspiration covered his skin. Jamie swallowed hard. This was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt. To describe a man as beautiful seemed odd—especially when Dylan was so incredibly masculine—but “beautiful” was the first word that came to her mind.

He was so tanned and smooth; his skin looked like bronzed silk. Yesterday, she’d felt those hard arms around her, but she hadn’t been able to appreciate how muscular and well defined they were. His broad chest had a slight sprinkling of hair that traveled down his long torso and disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants. Jamie watched a drop of sweat roll from that beautiful chest, down his hard, flat stomach. Her mouth watered, and a strange sensation went through her entire body.

She mentally shook her head at the incredulity and oddity of life. Her experiences this last year had left her wondering if she’d ever have the normal sexual desires she’d once had. The dream last night and now the delightful sensations zooming through her dispelled the worry. She had known she was attracted to Dylan, and now she knew it was more than just attraction—she wanted him.

And this wasn’t just the normal kind of want. She knew what sexual desire felt like, and before she’d learned what a mistake she’d made in her marriage, had experienced sexual fulfillment. This heat and need went beyond the bounds of anything she’d ever known.

Much too soon, he finished. He had to know she was there, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence as he grabbed a towel from the shelf against the wall and dried off, his back to her.

Feeling like an interloper but unable to leave and pretend she hadn’t seen him, she broke the silence. “I’ve never seen anyone do tai chi in person.”

Giving no indication that he’d heard her, Dylan pulled a T-shirt over his head and then guzzled down a bottle of water.

She waited for several more seconds, but when it was apparent that he was going to ignore her, Jamie got to her feet. If he planned to act as if she didn’t exist, then she’d just get on with her day and pretend he didn’t exist, either.

Finally he spoke, his tone and words an indication that he’d woken up in his usual state of grumpiness. “What are you doing down here so early?”

“I thought I might practice the moves you showed me yesterday.”

“Any muscle soreness?”

“Not really. I took a hot shower and feel fine.”

He nodded and headed for the stairs. “I’ll get breakfast ready while you practice.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dylan saw the expression on her face and heard the soft sigh. Both indicated extreme relief. Hell, who could blame her? When he wasn’t hurling instructions at her, he was grunting one-word answers.

He’d woken this morning with the clear knowledge that his attitude was going to have to change. She might trust him with her training, but he wanted more—he needed her to trust him enough to tell him what she was hiding. Behaving like a caveman only made her warier.

Hell of it was, he was damn good at cover-up and subterfuge. He should’ve had her eating out of his hand and telling him her secrets within days. Instead, he’d let his desire get in the way of his job. A damn foolish and stupid thing for him to do. Jamie’s well-being trumped his inconvenient lust to hell and back.

At the bottom of the stairway, he stopped and turned. “I’ll let you know when breakfast is ready.”

She gave him a tentative smile, as if she realized that a truce of some kind had been called.

Dylan stomped up the stairs and headed to his room. Maybe a shower would put him in the agreeable frame of mind he needed. He turned the shower on full blast and stripped down to nothing. Holding his head under the deluge of water, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for the challenge ahead. Not the agreeable part, although being an asshole was a comfortable attitude for him; but that wasn’t the part he dreaded.

For years, he’d practiced being anyone other than who and what he was. Last Chance Rescue was the perfect fit for him. Not only did he find enormous satisfaction in saving lives; being anyone other than the dirt-poor Ohio boy with the guilt of the world on his shoulders was like being given a new life. Weeks, sometimes months would go by without him remembering the sheer misery of those years. The terror, the beatings, the loneliness … all of those things had molded him into the man he became. And though his grandmother had saved him from a lifetime of abuse—or death—Dylan knew that much of the man he was today had been formed in those early years.

He’d been on numerous undercover missions. Been everything from a fake hit man to a sleazy pimp. When he’d agreed to take this current assignment, he had known it wouldn’t be easy. Training a new operative could be rewarding or a pain in the ass, depending on the person. But Jamie wasn’t an LCR operative, and never had he encountered an assignment where he had to ferret out secrets from a woman who was … hell, he might as well admit it … so damn lovable.