warrior when you should have a man to defend you?”
She bit his lip and he jerked away.
39
Kate Pearce
“Every woman should know how to defend herself. She can’t always rely on a man.”
He cupped her cheek, his mouth grim. “Why do you say this? Has someone hurt you?”
She tried to smile. “My Mom had a lot of boyfriends. Some of them tried to come onto me. I learned how to defend myself pretty quickly.”
“Come onto you?”
“You know, steal a kiss or a grope or worse.”
Anger flashed in his eyes and he hissed a curse. “Where was your father? Why didn’t he protect you?”
“He was long gone. I don’t even know his name. My mom can’t remember it either.”
His fingers tightened on her jaw.
“How can you smile when you say such terrible things?”
“What do you want me to do? Cry and give up? I’m not that kind of woman.”
He stepped back, the emotion in his eyes almost too intense for her to deal with. She shrugged.
“Sven? It’s okay. None of them raped me or anything.”
He bowed his head, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Thea stood up.
“I need to get on.”
He moved to one side and she immediately missed the heat from his body. As she brushed past him he caught her hand and kissed it.
“Perhaps you are right to train your body. On this world, most men seem incapable of protecting their womenfolk.”
She pushed him gently away. “And they don’t have to be. We’re all equal. We can all take care of ourselves.”
“Like your mother and father took care of you?” He abruptly turned his back on her as if he couldn’t bear to see her face. “I’m sorry my lady, but the thought of you being preyed upon by those who should have taken care of you is…distasteful to me.”
Eager to give him some space, Thea walked across to another machine and lay back on the bench. It made her uncomfortable to hear Sven’s concern for her, especially as she’d managed to convince herself that she was way beyond her crappy upbringing and a different person now.
After a vocal command, the machine lowered a bar loaded with the weight she specified and she grasped it with both hands. She took several long slow breaths before even daring to try to press the bar upward. Sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades making her back stick to the plastic-covered bench. A shadow over her head made her pause.
“It’s all right, my lady. I’ll just watch.”
40
Secured Mail
She gripped the bar more firmly and straightened her arms until her elbows locked and the bar remained stationary above her. After three seconds she lowered it and then repeated the motion five more times. When the bar lifted at her request to add more weight, Sven moved to stand at the bottom of the bench.
“It would help if I stabilized your hips and back.”
She studied him carefully. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Because then you could lift more weight and beat your personal record.”
The bar returned and she grasped it. She’d seen some of the other guys use that trick. “Okay then, but don’t distract me.”
“Why would I do that? I only wish to be of service.”
She shivered as his big hands curved around her hips holding her pinned firmly to the bench. To her surprise it did seem easier to lift. After three more weight increases, she ordered the bar away and looked down at him. He sat on the end of the bench, his gaze fixed on her pussy, his fingers massaging the flesh at her hips.
“Sven, I’m done. You can let go now.”
He shook his head. “Did you know that the skimpy garment you are wearing has exposed almost all of your pussy to me?”
Thea tried to slow her breathing as one of his hands left her hip, trailed over her stomach and between her legs.
“It’s for exercise. No one cares.”
His thumb settled over her clit. “I bet the other men working out here enjoy seeing you half-exposed, warm and sweating. I bet they would like to touch you like this.”
She shivered as he
She bit his lip and he jerked away.
39
Kate Pearce
“Every woman should know how to defend herself. She can’t always rely on a man.”
He cupped her cheek, his mouth grim. “Why do you say this? Has someone hurt you?”
She tried to smile. “My Mom had a lot of boyfriends. Some of them tried to come onto me. I learned how to defend myself pretty quickly.”
“Come onto you?”
“You know, steal a kiss or a grope or worse.”
Anger flashed in his eyes and he hissed a curse. “Where was your father? Why didn’t he protect you?”
“He was long gone. I don’t even know his name. My mom can’t remember it either.”
His fingers tightened on her jaw.
“How can you smile when you say such terrible things?”
“What do you want me to do? Cry and give up? I’m not that kind of woman.”
He stepped back, the emotion in his eyes almost too intense for her to deal with. She shrugged.
“Sven? It’s okay. None of them raped me or anything.”
He bowed his head, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Thea stood up.
“I need to get on.”
He moved to one side and she immediately missed the heat from his body. As she brushed past him he caught her hand and kissed it.
“Perhaps you are right to train your body. On this world, most men seem incapable of protecting their womenfolk.”
She pushed him gently away. “And they don’t have to be. We’re all equal. We can all take care of ourselves.”
“Like your mother and father took care of you?” He abruptly turned his back on her as if he couldn’t bear to see her face. “I’m sorry my lady, but the thought of you being preyed upon by those who should have taken care of you is…distasteful to me.”
Eager to give him some space, Thea walked across to another machine and lay back on the bench. It made her uncomfortable to hear Sven’s concern for her, especially as she’d managed to convince herself that she was way beyond her crappy upbringing and a different person now.
After a vocal command, the machine lowered a bar loaded with the weight she specified and she grasped it with both hands. She took several long slow breaths before even daring to try to press the bar upward. Sweat trickled down between her shoulder blades making her back stick to the plastic-covered bench. A shadow over her head made her pause.
“It’s all right, my lady. I’ll just watch.”
40
Secured Mail
She gripped the bar more firmly and straightened her arms until her elbows locked and the bar remained stationary above her. After three seconds she lowered it and then repeated the motion five more times. When the bar lifted at her request to add more weight, Sven moved to stand at the bottom of the bench.
“It would help if I stabilized your hips and back.”
She studied him carefully. “Why?”
He shrugged. “Because then you could lift more weight and beat your personal record.”
The bar returned and she grasped it. She’d seen some of the other guys use that trick. “Okay then, but don’t distract me.”
“Why would I do that? I only wish to be of service.”
She shivered as his big hands curved around her hips holding her pinned firmly to the bench. To her surprise it did seem easier to lift. After three more weight increases, she ordered the bar away and looked down at him. He sat on the end of the bench, his gaze fixed on her pussy, his fingers massaging the flesh at her hips.
“Sven, I’m done. You can let go now.”
He shook his head. “Did you know that the skimpy garment you are wearing has exposed almost all of your pussy to me?”
Thea tried to slow her breathing as one of his hands left her hip, trailed over her stomach and between her legs.
“It’s for exercise. No one cares.”
His thumb settled over her clit. “I bet the other men working out here enjoy seeing you half-exposed, warm and sweating. I bet they would like to touch you like this.”
She shivered as he
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