Liar (Madison Kate #2)(46)

I glowered at him. "What are you doing awake, Kody? Do you know what time it is?"

"Do you?" he countered, cocking his head to the side. "I came to find you, obviously. This middle-of-the-freaking-night workout seems to be a habit of yours now, and I'm starting to become offended."

Propping my hands on my hips, I scowled in confusion. "Why the fuck would my early morning exercise have anything to do with you? Let alone cause offense?"

His glare flattened. "Babe. Seriously? I'm literally a professional fitness trainer, and you've resorted to sneaking down here at three in the damn morning to avoid training with me?" He clicked his tongue in a disapproving way. "That's just hurtful, MK. I'll have you know, I'm very good at my job."

I grinned, glad for the extra height the treadmill was giving me. It almost put me level with Kody so I didn't need to crane my neck like usual. "I'm sure you are, Kodiak Jones." Unable to help myself, I let my gaze travel down his bare chest, admiring the swallows and roses inked over his pecks. Every single one of his abs were sharply defined, and that V at his waist... groan.

"So?" He wasn't going to be distracted by my lusty looks. Damn. I released a sigh, catching the edge of my lip between my teeth as I tried to think of a polite refusal.

"Look, I don't really give a shit about training, you know? I just run to clear my head and keep the cookies from showing on my ass. Trainers can be a bit..." I shrugged, knowing this was going to go badly. "You know. A bit mean."

Kody gasped in fake outrage. Or I was pretty sure it was fake. Not much fazed Kodiak Jones, that was for fucking sure.

"Babe, you say that like you don't love a bit of mean in your life." His lips curved into a darkly suggestive smile, and it did all kinds of delicious things to my insides.

I needed to duck my eyes away from his in order to stop the drool running down my chin at all the mental pictures he'd just sparked. "In the bedroom, sure," I replied, piling on the sass to cover how turned on I was. "But not in the sweaty gym with angry, 'roid-raging muscle men pumping iron in the mirror."

A frown ticked at Kody's brow causing his smile to slip slightly. "You know you could have royally fucked up my future with that steroid stunt too? I'm only just growing my business, which relies entirely on word of mouth, referrals, and reputation. Having my most high-profile client suspended for doping would have had me dead in the water as far as my training career went."

Unease settled in my belly, and I looked down at my bare toes on the treadmill belt, unable to meet his eyes because I already knew there wouldn't be any anger or resentment there for what I'd done... only hurt and disappointment. And I fucking hated myself for that.

"I know," I whispered, letting myself feel all that guilt. I deserved it. "I'm sorry, Kody. I can only say that I didn't really think about the consequences for you. Sometimes when I fixate on a revenge plot..." I trailed off, scuffing my toes against the exercise equipment.

"You lose sight of everything and anyone else who might get hurt along the way?" Kody asked, his tone harsh enough that I looked back up at him. But his green eyes were just resigned. "I know. You and Arch are more similar than you realize."

My lip curled in denial, and Kody just laughed.

"Whatever," he said, shaking his head. "Come on." He held his hand out to help me off the treadmill like it was twenty feet tall. "You're training with me, whether you like it or not."

I groaned, dragging my heels as he tugged me across the gym to the padded mats he usually sparred with Archer on. "Kody, I really don't want to. It's the middle of the night... I just wanted to clear my brain of all the shadows and shit."

He gave me a sharp look. "Maybe if you knew how to defend yourself, those shadows wouldn't seem so scary."

I had nothing to say to that. He was right, as usual. Maybe if I'd known how to fight off my attacker, he wouldn't have nearly choked me out in that public restroom. If I hadn't had my butterfly knife in my pocket... I shuddered to think how it all would have turned out.

"Fine," I agreed grudgingly. "But go easy on me, okay? I only appreciate the domineering bullshit if we're both naked and your back is bloody from my fingernails. Got it?" I was teasing, but the responding flare of heat in Kody's eyes made my heart race and my nipples harden.

"I mean, that can be arranged, too," he practically purred, dragging his teeth over his lower lip while stripping me naked with his eyes, "but for now, I'd honestly feel better if I knew you had some basic self-defensive skills."

Sometimes in life we made decisions and just had to roll with it. That was my excuse, and I was sticking with it.

"You sure?" I teased, playing with the hem of my T-shirt and raising it up enough that he could see the tiny panties I wore underneath.

Kody swiped a hand over his hair, making it stick up in all directions. "Damn, babe. You really don't want to train with me. My feelings are hardcore hurt over here."

I rolled my eyes. "No, they're not."

His responding grin was quick. "Well, luckily for you, I'm a have-my-cake-and-eat-it-too kinda guy. I am going to teach you a couple of basic self-defense moves, which we're going to build on every time you can't sleep and come creeping down here like a black cat." He prowled closer to me, stopping only when we were close enough that his sweatpants brushed my bare thighs. "And then I'm going to fuck you hard enough to wake this entire damn house up. Clear?"