Read Online Black Dahlia by Tiffany Patterson - Free Book Online

worry about sharing or running into him while only dressed in a towel.
    Not that I’d mind. Mercedes’ smile grew larger imagining running into Raul with only a towel wrapped around his waist. She could imagine his golden skin as water dripped down what she was sure, was a very defined six-pack of abs…
    Mercedes blinked as she tried to clear her mind of those thoughts. She had to remind herself she wasn’t here for that. She was here because someone was stalking her. There was a very real threat against her and she couldn’t afford to get caught up fantasizing about Raul. At least not now. She stood and walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth, deciding to do a short workout before heading downstairs. She figured she would have enough time to work out and then make breakfast before Raul came down. She wanted to make him breakfast as a small token of her appreciation for his help. Mercedes finished brushing her teeth, pulled her hair up in a high bun and threw on a pair of black workout leggings and a hot pink t-shirt. Finding one of her favorite kickboxing routines on YouTube, she kicked, punched, and sweated for the next forty-five minutes. Feeling energized by her workout, she showered, put her hair in a goddess braid, and moisturized her skin before putting on a long, sleeveless sundress. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, Mercedes peeked down the hall at the door to Raul’s bedroom and found it was closed. She figured he was still sleeping. He’d told her he didn’t need to go into the office until later today.
    Mercedes made her way into his kitchen and once again, found herself in love with the large space and Italian marble countertops. She loved to cook, and she’d learned in the last few days that Raul knew his way around the kitchen as well. His kitchen appliances could rival those of any top chef. Pulling out eggs, veggies, and fruit, Mercedes began to crack the eggs in a bowl to beat and threw the veggies into the pan with some coconut oil. Mercedes didn’t eat meat except for fish and seafood, and Raul made sure to stock his refrigerator with plenty of foods she could eat. She made two veggie omelets, cut up fruit making a fruit salad, and placed some whole grain bread in the toaster. As the bread toasted, she headed upstairs to see if Raul was awake. It was getting close to eight o’clock so she assumed he was up. She found the door to his bedroom was still closed, and after she rapped on it a few times, she heard nothing. Getting ready to turn and leave a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Further down the hall, a door was opened and she heard low music playing. Mercedes had assumed this room was another bedroom, but as she got closer, she realized it had been converted into a gym.
    In the middle of the room, Mercedes saw Raul dressed in only a pair of dark grey workout shorts. His back was to her, as he kicked high and swooped down close to the floor. He crouched and spun twisting and contorting his body. At first glance, seeing his kicks, Mercedes thought he was doing some sort of kickboxing, but it was nothing she was familiar with. His moves were as light and graceful as a gazelle, but she could tell his kicks held the power of a sledgehammer. He swept one leg under the other, before leaping on his back and jumping back up in a crouched position. She knew it took years to develop that type of skill and dexterity. The music in the background sounded as if it was a mix of chanting in a language she didn’t understand and hand drums. Though she didn’t understand it, she felt the beat vibrate through her body. Raul’s movements seemed to be in time with the music, making it look like a dance at times instead of kickboxing. She was in awe. Mercedes continued to watch in silence for long minutes, forgetting about the reason she’d come to find Raul in the first place. When he turned she could see he was covered in a light sheen of sweat, as if he’d been at this for a