Her stomach clenched with butterflies, not quite believing she was going to go through with letting him teach her self-defense. Only her determination to become a social worker had her going through with it. If she was going to try to protect others, then she first had to learn to protect herself. Yesterday had proved her vulnerability when she had locked the door against whatever had been following her. If they had gotten in, she wouldn’t have known what to do.
She put on her sweat pants and oversized sweatshirt and then her tennis shoes. Taking out a rubber band, she gathered her dark hair into a tight ponytail on the back of her head. Gathering what confidence she had, she picked up her bag and went back outside where Shade was in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
She came to a stop. She hadn’t realized he would be changing also.
Lily felt his eyes run over her as he took in her clothes.
“What kind of workout clothes are those?”
“It’s what I always wear,” she said.
“Then you need to get some different ones. Those won’t do.” Shade motioned for her to stand on the mat. Lily came to stand in front of him where he was pointing. Shade was taller than her, but he was actually the smallest in size of The Last Riders. He was lean, but Lily noticed his tattoo-covered arms were muscular.
Shade had her warm up first by stretching, which he also did, and then he moved her again to where she was standing in front of him.
Shade showed her how to kick out at him, which he blocked over and over again.
“Come on, Lily; you can do better than this.”
Lily tried to move, striking out with her foot several times.
“That’s enough,” he said when she stopped to catch her breath. “At least you’re in good shape physically, but you need to do some weight training.”
Lily nodded her head. “I agree. Thanks, Shade.”
“When we’re in here, you call me Sir.”
“Okay.” Personally, Lily thought he was taking his role of instructor a little too seriously, but she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. The few tips he had shown her today were enough to make her see that she would be easily victimized as she had been in the past if she didn’t continue. Maybe, if Shade taught her well enough, she would be better prepared.
Picking up her bag, she turned to leave, surprised when Shade walked her back out to her car.
“Bye, Shade.”
“Later.” Shade closed the car door and watched as she pulled out of the parking lot. Lily shivered as the air conditioner kicked on, cooling her overheated flesh. She was not sure what the look she had caught on Shade’s face in her rearview mirror meant, yet a sense of foreboding overcame her.
On her way home, Lily decided to stop at the local discount store for a different workout outfit. She was going to the checkout when she saw her friend, Miranda, who was pushing a cart with her young daughter in the basket.
“Hi, Lily.”
“Hi, Miranda.”
They chatted pleasantly for several minutes before Miranda brought up her sister. “Kaley quit her job at the pharmacy in town. I’m really worried about her.”
Lily didn’t tell Miranda she had seen Kaley at The Last Riders’ clubhouse. She didn’t like gossips and made it a point not to do it herself.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’ve got to go, Miranda. It was nice seeing you again.”
Lily checked out, feeling guilty for not telling her friend, yet Kaley was a few years older than both Miranda and Lily, and she was sure that the woman wouldn’t be happy if she knew her sister was spreading her private business around town.
Lily drove home and took a quick shower before getting dressed and fixing dinner for herself, Beth and Razer.
When they arrived home, they ate dinner before going into the living room to watch a movie. It was times like this, as they sat and watched television, sharing popcorn, that Lily would miss.
Later, as she got ready for bed, she turned off her bedroom light, leaving her bathroom light on. Snuggling under her covers, she stared at the light coming from the bathroom until she fell asleep.
* * *
The next day was uneventful with Hardin gone. His company had made the time go by faster. None of the other workers made any attempt to talk to her, despite her friendly overtures. Georgia especially would send the workers to do odd jobs if she saw anyone lingering, talking to her. By lunchtime, Lily was beginning to get upset.
She ate her lunch quietly, unaware of the speculative looks she was receiving from Shade.
“Anything wrong?”
Lily shook her head, picking at her hamburger and fries. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Lily said glumly.
Shades lips twisted. “You’re very emotional, aren’t you?”
Lily stiffened in her seat. “I’m sorry if I can’t be emotionless like you. I get a little upset when people run like the plague when I approach them.”
“Who’s running?”
“The other workers. If I try to talk to them, they ignore me and move away.”
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” Shade said, eating his own food with a hearty appetite.
“I’m not exaggerating. I asked Gaige if he knew where the pocket flares were, and you would have thought I had asked for condoms. I asked Trent to help me find a packet of seeds, and he walked off while I was still talking to him. And, in case you didn’t know, Georgia is a reincarnated Attila the Hun.”
Shade burst out laughing and Lily’s hurt feelings disappeared a little. When Shade laughed, his appearance softened and he was a very handsome man. Lily had never really noticed before and she wasn’t happy about noticing now. She carefully opened the imaginary door in her mind and thrust the thought inside; then her hand went to her wrist, snapping the red rubber band.
“Why did you do that?” Shade snapped.
Lily handed him her partially untouched plate, preparing to get to her feet.
“Sit down.” His hard voice had her bottom immediately returning to her seat, her eyes going to her hands which were on her lap.
“Eyes to me, Lily.”
Lily’s eyes reluctantly returned to his.
“Answer my question. Why did you snap the rubber band?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a habit. Sometimes I do it without knowing why,” Lily said softly.
“I see. I only give instructions once, Lily. The next time you snap that rubber band around me, you better be able to explain why. Do you understand me?” Shade’s hard, blue gaze stared directly into hers.
Lily nodded her head. Her hands clenched to prevent herself from snapping the band again.
“I need to get back to work,” Lily said, this time succeeding in getting to her feet and going out the office door.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she went back to work, going through the orders so fast that Georgia looked at her strangely, though thankfully, she stayed off Lily’s case for the rest of the day.
At quitting time, Lily cleaned her workstation and went to her car to get her workout bag. She reentered the factory to see Shade leaning against the doorway to his office with Georgia talking to him. The usually grouchy expression was gone from her face, replaced with one of flirtation.
Lily didn’t interrupt; she personally thought the two of them would be a match made in Heaven.
She put on her sweat pants and oversized sweatshirt and then her tennis shoes. Taking out a rubber band, she gathered her dark hair into a tight ponytail on the back of her head. Gathering what confidence she had, she picked up her bag and went back outside where Shade was in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
She came to a stop. She hadn’t realized he would be changing also.
Lily felt his eyes run over her as he took in her clothes.
“What kind of workout clothes are those?”
“It’s what I always wear,” she said.
“Then you need to get some different ones. Those won’t do.” Shade motioned for her to stand on the mat. Lily came to stand in front of him where he was pointing. Shade was taller than her, but he was actually the smallest in size of The Last Riders. He was lean, but Lily noticed his tattoo-covered arms were muscular.
Shade had her warm up first by stretching, which he also did, and then he moved her again to where she was standing in front of him.
Shade showed her how to kick out at him, which he blocked over and over again.
“Come on, Lily; you can do better than this.”
Lily tried to move, striking out with her foot several times.
“That’s enough,” he said when she stopped to catch her breath. “At least you’re in good shape physically, but you need to do some weight training.”
Lily nodded her head. “I agree. Thanks, Shade.”
“When we’re in here, you call me Sir.”
“Okay.” Personally, Lily thought he was taking his role of instructor a little too seriously, but she wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it. The few tips he had shown her today were enough to make her see that she would be easily victimized as she had been in the past if she didn’t continue. Maybe, if Shade taught her well enough, she would be better prepared.
Picking up her bag, she turned to leave, surprised when Shade walked her back out to her car.
“Bye, Shade.”
“Later.” Shade closed the car door and watched as she pulled out of the parking lot. Lily shivered as the air conditioner kicked on, cooling her overheated flesh. She was not sure what the look she had caught on Shade’s face in her rearview mirror meant, yet a sense of foreboding overcame her.
On her way home, Lily decided to stop at the local discount store for a different workout outfit. She was going to the checkout when she saw her friend, Miranda, who was pushing a cart with her young daughter in the basket.
“Hi, Lily.”
“Hi, Miranda.”
They chatted pleasantly for several minutes before Miranda brought up her sister. “Kaley quit her job at the pharmacy in town. I’m really worried about her.”
Lily didn’t tell Miranda she had seen Kaley at The Last Riders’ clubhouse. She didn’t like gossips and made it a point not to do it herself.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. I’ve got to go, Miranda. It was nice seeing you again.”
Lily checked out, feeling guilty for not telling her friend, yet Kaley was a few years older than both Miranda and Lily, and she was sure that the woman wouldn’t be happy if she knew her sister was spreading her private business around town.
Lily drove home and took a quick shower before getting dressed and fixing dinner for herself, Beth and Razer.
When they arrived home, they ate dinner before going into the living room to watch a movie. It was times like this, as they sat and watched television, sharing popcorn, that Lily would miss.
Later, as she got ready for bed, she turned off her bedroom light, leaving her bathroom light on. Snuggling under her covers, she stared at the light coming from the bathroom until she fell asleep.
* * *
The next day was uneventful with Hardin gone. His company had made the time go by faster. None of the other workers made any attempt to talk to her, despite her friendly overtures. Georgia especially would send the workers to do odd jobs if she saw anyone lingering, talking to her. By lunchtime, Lily was beginning to get upset.
She ate her lunch quietly, unaware of the speculative looks she was receiving from Shade.
“Anything wrong?”
Lily shook her head, picking at her hamburger and fries. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Lily said glumly.
Shades lips twisted. “You’re very emotional, aren’t you?”
Lily stiffened in her seat. “I’m sorry if I can’t be emotionless like you. I get a little upset when people run like the plague when I approach them.”
“Who’s running?”
“The other workers. If I try to talk to them, they ignore me and move away.”
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” Shade said, eating his own food with a hearty appetite.
“I’m not exaggerating. I asked Gaige if he knew where the pocket flares were, and you would have thought I had asked for condoms. I asked Trent to help me find a packet of seeds, and he walked off while I was still talking to him. And, in case you didn’t know, Georgia is a reincarnated Attila the Hun.”
Shade burst out laughing and Lily’s hurt feelings disappeared a little. When Shade laughed, his appearance softened and he was a very handsome man. Lily had never really noticed before and she wasn’t happy about noticing now. She carefully opened the imaginary door in her mind and thrust the thought inside; then her hand went to her wrist, snapping the red rubber band.
“Why did you do that?” Shade snapped.
Lily handed him her partially untouched plate, preparing to get to her feet.
“Sit down.” His hard voice had her bottom immediately returning to her seat, her eyes going to her hands which were on her lap.
“Eyes to me, Lily.”
Lily’s eyes reluctantly returned to his.
“Answer my question. Why did you snap the rubber band?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a habit. Sometimes I do it without knowing why,” Lily said softly.
“I see. I only give instructions once, Lily. The next time you snap that rubber band around me, you better be able to explain why. Do you understand me?” Shade’s hard, blue gaze stared directly into hers.
Lily nodded her head. Her hands clenched to prevent herself from snapping the band again.
“I need to get back to work,” Lily said, this time succeeding in getting to her feet and going out the office door.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she went back to work, going through the orders so fast that Georgia looked at her strangely, though thankfully, she stayed off Lily’s case for the rest of the day.
At quitting time, Lily cleaned her workstation and went to her car to get her workout bag. She reentered the factory to see Shade leaning against the doorway to his office with Georgia talking to him. The usually grouchy expression was gone from her face, replaced with one of flirtation.
Lily didn’t interrupt; she personally thought the two of them would be a match made in Heaven.
