Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold #11)(63)

The man glared at him. “You don’t know your name? Then we can’t help you.”

Carter swallowed. “I just got to town. My dad is Gideon Boylan. I didn’t know how Felicia registered me for the class.”

The man smiled. “That Carter, huh? I’ve got you right here. Good to meet you.” He held out his giant hand. “Nice to meet you both.”

The transformation to nice guy was nearly as frightening as the scowl had been.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Carter said in a small voice, shaking hands with the man. Reese did the same.

“I’m Angel. You got any questions, come see me. You’re going to work out in the main fight room. It’s this way.”

He led them through several short hallways. They stepped out into a big open gym with punching bags along one wall, ropes dangling from the ceiling and a big area in the middle covered with thick, padded flooring.

Angel looked at his watch. “You’ve got about ten minutes, if you want to stretch.”

Reese nodded and Angel left.

Carter leaned toward his friend. “You know how to stretch?”

“No, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Did you see his scar?”

“The one on his neck? Yeah. You think someone tried to kill him?”

“I don’t know.”

They sat on the edge of the mats.

“I wonder how many other kids’ll come to the class,” Reese said.

Carter didn’t know enough guys his age to guess. Although there could be girls in the class. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He wouldn’t be comfortable fighting a girl.

“Felicia’s picking us up when we’re done here,” he said, to change the subject. “She’s busy getting ready for the book fair this weekend, but said she had time to take us to lunch.”

“You still doing okay with her?” Reese asked.

“Yeah, she’s cool. It’s harder with my dad. He mostly avoids me.”

“They’re not married?”

“No. They’re...” Carter shrugged. “I don’t know what they are. She likes my dad and I’m pretty sure he likes her. It’s hard to tell. My mom didn’t date much, so I haven’t seen how people in love act with each other.”

“Don’t look at me,” Reese told him. “My mom took off years ago. I could ask my dad, though, if you wanted me to. He might remember.”

“No, I don’t want him telling anyone. You know how grown-ups talk.”

Reese sighed. “All the time. My grandma is great, but she goes on and on about stuff. How my aunts are doing. Who’s pregnant, which of my cousins is having a birthday. They’re babies. It’s not that fun hanging out with them.”

Carter thought about the problem. “Maybe I could find some information online or something. There are a lot of weird articles and—”

His brain shut down. One second there were ideas and the next, nothing. He scrambled to his feet and stared at the most beautiful, sexy, incredible woman he’d ever seen.

She wasn’t that tall—maybe three inches shorter than him. Her long, dark hair was wavy and curly in that sexy way girls had with their hair. Her face was all big eyes and lips, but what really got his attention was her body.

He didn’t know where to look first. Her boobs or her butt. She had on a clingy workout tank, and pants that came to just below her knees. His body turned to fire and he was terrified he was going to be unable to control himself.

Reese mumbled something under his breath. Carter glanced at his friend and saw Reese looked as stunned as he felt.

The woman put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “I’m way too old,” she told them flatly. “Don’t even think about it.”

“You could wait for me,” Carter said before he could stop himself. “I’ll be eighteen in two years.”

Reese snorted. “You mean five years.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re thirteen. She’s not going to believe you’re sixteen. She’s hot, not stupid.”

Carter jabbed Reese in the stomach and walked toward the goddess.

“Hi. I’m Carter.” He hoped she would shake hands with him, like Angel did, but she only smiled.

“Consuelo. I’m going to be your teacher.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. By the end of the hour, you’ll be hating me.”

“Not possible.”

He was having trouble breathing. Being this close to her was torture. He wanted her. He wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted her for, but he needed to claim her, to tell the world that she belonged to him.

“Give me your hand,” she told him.

He held it out and braced himself for the sweetness of her touch. She took his hand in hers. Her skin was cool, her fingers—

Everything spun as he found himself jerked up and over. The ground came up fast and hit him hard on the back.

“Wicked,” Reese breathed. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“You’re both going to learn how to do that and other things, as well,” Consuelo said, helping Carter to his feet.

“You flipped me,” he said, unable to believe what she’d done, despite his battered body.