blow to her midsection that she tried to block too late. She
responded with a fast kick, but he knocked it aside.
“Your kicks are becoming predictable,” he said,
dodging her foot.
She knew he was just trying to get her mad so she
ignored him.
Gage put his hands up. Moving closer to her, he leaned
down. “You don’t have to hide anything. Besides, I know you were up to
something.” He suddenly hooked his arm securely under hers and rolled her face
first on the mat. “Pay attention,” he said, giving her ponytail a little tug.
His plan to get her mad was working. She reared back,
catching him in the face with her head. It stunned him enough for her to slip
out from under him and jump to her feet. He swept her legs out from under her,
but she was able to catch him with a hard hit to the side of his head on her
way down to the mat.
Hurrying to get up, she didn’t realize how close she
was to the edge of the mat and slipped, knocking her already hurting head on
the marble floor. She quickly shook it off and got to her feet.
“You caught me, I was meeting a guy.” She tried to kick
him, but wasn’t fast enough, and he skillfully blocked her. “You and Matt
aren’t the only ones who shop the locals.”
He grabbed her from behind, holding her arms at her
chest. “We all learned that a few months back at the ski lodge— remember?”
The night Matt and Kim’s date got in the fight, Gage
was the one who called Addy out of her date’s room at the lodge to deal with
Kim, while he dragged Matt out of there. She wasn’t actually doing anything
with the guy other than listening to how awesome he thought he was on a
snowboard. The call to get Kim under control was more like a rescue than an
interruption.
Twisting in his arms, she dug the heel of her foot
into his knee and he released her.
Gage quickly recovered and tried to flip her to the
mat again, but Addy was ready for him. She used his weight against him and
flipped him over her body. He landed on his back with a thud.
She smiled at him, sticking her tongue out.
He pointed at her and grinned. “That was a nice move,”
he said, laughing as he jumped to his feet.
There was no more talking. Back and forth, they
knocked each other down, blocked, and counter attacked.
Sweeping her feet out from under her again, Gage pinned
Addy down on her back. He sat on top of her, easily holding her hands down above
her head. He was out of breath and soaked with sweat.
“You give up yet?” he asked, smiling down at her.
Addy shifted under his weight. “No way.”
Gage smiled, tipping his head back. “Of course you
don’t—what was I thinking?”
She could barely breathe and was completely dizzy. It
was hard to think straight.
“Hey, you’re bleeding.” He frowned and leaned down
close to see where the blood was coming from. His breath on her neck made her
shiver even though she wasn’t even close to cold.
Addy cut her eyes toward him and saw blood was smeared
across his cheek. “I’m fine.”
He moved his head and they were nose to nose, looking
to each other’s eyes.
“Pay attention,” she said, thrusting her body up
suddenly.
He was caught off guard and thrown to the side. She
worked to get to her feet, as he sprang at her, knocking them both back down.
“Both of you get to your feet!”
They froze at the angry sound of Bernard’s voice.
Gage stood up first, looking embarrassed. He reached
down and pulled Addy up. She was pretty unsteady on her feet, and she grabbed
his shoulder to brace herself. They were soaked with sweat and blood. His nose
was bleeding and blood was dripping from the back of her head. Each had red
welts that would probably be deep bruises before long, and both of them were trying
to hold back smiles.
“That wasn’t what I had in mind when I asked
you to work with her,” Bernard said, scowling at Gage.
Addy locked her eyes on the grey marble floor. She was
afraid if she looked at Gage she wouldn’t be able to hold
responded with a fast kick, but he knocked it aside.
“Your kicks are becoming predictable,” he said,
dodging her foot.
She knew he was just trying to get her mad so she
ignored him.
Gage put his hands up. Moving closer to her, he leaned
down. “You don’t have to hide anything. Besides, I know you were up to
something.” He suddenly hooked his arm securely under hers and rolled her face
first on the mat. “Pay attention,” he said, giving her ponytail a little tug.
His plan to get her mad was working. She reared back,
catching him in the face with her head. It stunned him enough for her to slip
out from under him and jump to her feet. He swept her legs out from under her,
but she was able to catch him with a hard hit to the side of his head on her
way down to the mat.
Hurrying to get up, she didn’t realize how close she
was to the edge of the mat and slipped, knocking her already hurting head on
the marble floor. She quickly shook it off and got to her feet.
“You caught me, I was meeting a guy.” She tried to kick
him, but wasn’t fast enough, and he skillfully blocked her. “You and Matt
aren’t the only ones who shop the locals.”
He grabbed her from behind, holding her arms at her
chest. “We all learned that a few months back at the ski lodge— remember?”
The night Matt and Kim’s date got in the fight, Gage
was the one who called Addy out of her date’s room at the lodge to deal with
Kim, while he dragged Matt out of there. She wasn’t actually doing anything
with the guy other than listening to how awesome he thought he was on a
snowboard. The call to get Kim under control was more like a rescue than an
interruption.
Twisting in his arms, she dug the heel of her foot
into his knee and he released her.
Gage quickly recovered and tried to flip her to the
mat again, but Addy was ready for him. She used his weight against him and
flipped him over her body. He landed on his back with a thud.
She smiled at him, sticking her tongue out.
He pointed at her and grinned. “That was a nice move,”
he said, laughing as he jumped to his feet.
There was no more talking. Back and forth, they
knocked each other down, blocked, and counter attacked.
Sweeping her feet out from under her again, Gage pinned
Addy down on her back. He sat on top of her, easily holding her hands down above
her head. He was out of breath and soaked with sweat.
“You give up yet?” he asked, smiling down at her.
Addy shifted under his weight. “No way.”
Gage smiled, tipping his head back. “Of course you
don’t—what was I thinking?”
She could barely breathe and was completely dizzy. It
was hard to think straight.
“Hey, you’re bleeding.” He frowned and leaned down
close to see where the blood was coming from. His breath on her neck made her
shiver even though she wasn’t even close to cold.
Addy cut her eyes toward him and saw blood was smeared
across his cheek. “I’m fine.”
He moved his head and they were nose to nose, looking
to each other’s eyes.
“Pay attention,” she said, thrusting her body up
suddenly.
He was caught off guard and thrown to the side. She
worked to get to her feet, as he sprang at her, knocking them both back down.
“Both of you get to your feet!”
They froze at the angry sound of Bernard’s voice.
Gage stood up first, looking embarrassed. He reached
down and pulled Addy up. She was pretty unsteady on her feet, and she grabbed
his shoulder to brace herself. They were soaked with sweat and blood. His nose
was bleeding and blood was dripping from the back of her head. Each had red
welts that would probably be deep bruises before long, and both of them were trying
to hold back smiles.
“That wasn’t what I had in mind when I asked
you to work with her,” Bernard said, scowling at Gage.
Addy locked her eyes on the grey marble floor. She was
afraid if she looked at Gage she wouldn’t be able to hold
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