Hearts on Hold

by Charish Reid

  “How can I not go there?”

  “Katherine!”

  “It’s really unfair that anytime I disagree with you, my loyalty comes into question.”

  Her mother gasped. “Archie, are you going to let her speak to me like that?”

  “I’m not fixing to sit here and argue with you two about loyalty or whatever the hell else you’ve got cooking up,” said her father. “I was minding my business, watching Lethal Weapon, not bothering anyone.”

  Victoria rolled her eyes. Her father always took the easy way out, even when he knew his wife was being unreasonable. To Archie, women’s arguments were strictly women’s arguments. There was no need for him to interrupt affairs that weren’t any of his business.

  “Now will I see you at the ceremony or not?”

  She dropped her head against the surface of her desk before answering. “Fine,” she mumbled. “I’ll be there.”

  “Good,” her father said. The click in the line meant that he had left the conversation in favor of Murtaugh and Riggs.

  “Well now that that’s settled,” her mother said huffily. “Get here early and bring a pretty dress.”

  “Yes, ma’am...”

  The second click signified that Victoria had lost the battle.

  Her phone rang again and she wanted to throw it against the wall. But it was John, and Victoria had to hope that he didn’t want anything from her. She was done doing favors for the day and it was only 2 p.m.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Dr. Reese,” he purred in her ear. A jolt of electricity traveled down her neck and into her chest as she gripped her phone.

  “Hi,” she breathed.

  “I’m just checking in,” he said. “We’ve had radio silence since yesterday and I hope you were okay.”

  Something bloomed within her chest that prevented her from speaking. As Victoria sat in her office, she suddenly felt isolated. She wanted to see him.

  “Dr. Reese?”

  She blinked back tears. “Yeah, I’m here.”

  His voice dropped to a softer tone. “How are you feeling?”

  Victoria brushed her sleeve across her eyes. “I’m not having a good day,” she admitted.

  “Would you like me to come to you?” he asked.

  “No,” she said quietly. “I’m just... I feel very alone right now. I’m glad you called.” She told the truth and felt okay. She wasn’t in the habit of doing that.

  “Is it work?”

  “That’s part of the problem.”

  “Do you know where Flynn Fitness is?” he asked. “It’s downtown across the street from the old theater.”

  “Sure, next to the post office.”

  “Meet me there in an hour and we’ll go a couple rounds on the heavy bag. You sound like you need to punch something.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “She’s coming here?” Chris asked with a raised brow. He sat on a locker-room bench as John changed into a tank top and sweatpants.

  “I invited her to come down and let off a little steam,” John said, tying his hair up.

  Chris laughed. “Okay.”

  John ignored the joke that his friend was dying to make. When he’d heard Victoria’s voice on the phone, he wanted to help her immediately. From the sniffles on the other line, it was evident that she had been crying. “I’d like you to behave yourself while she’s here,” he said. “Could you do that?”

  “What do you imagine me doing that would offend her?” Chris asked with mock-dismay.

  John caught his gaze and held it. “Just don’t dude-bro out in front of her.”

  “I’m hurt. Seriously hurt.”

  “Now that I know you clean up after me, I’m keeping an eye on you,” John said, biting back a grin. “Victoria is mine.”

  “Possessive already?” Chris asked as he stood. When they left the locker room, Victoria was already waiting by the front desk, a duffel bag hanging off her shoulder. She was dressed in a black tank top and leggings and her braids were tightly bound in a high ponytail at the top of her head. “Now I see it.”

  John saw it too. Saying that a woman was his wasn’t usually his style, but something about Victoria made him want to snap his jaws at his own best friend. Chris, who was just as handsome, and perhaps more charming, couldn’t be seen as an alternative this evening.

  “Maybe I can help you two with sparring later?” Chris asked.

  John narrowed in on his tongue-wagging and shot him a glare. “I’ll let you know if your services are needed.”

  “Please do,” he said as they drew closer to her.

  When Victoria spotted them, she flashed a nervous smile and waved. “Hi there,” she said, shifting from one foot to the other. “I don’t know if I need to sign in or where I should put my bag.”

  “Allow me,” Chris said, taking her bag. “I’ll keep this in my office.”

  John watched her face redden as Chris slipped the strap from her shoulder. “Thank you,” she murmured. He was used to seeing his friend’s effect on women, just not the one he was infatuated with. Chris wasn’t a real threat, but John couldn’t help feeling a little territorial.

  “Dr. Reese, this is my best friend, Chris Flynn,” he said.

  “And the owner of this fine establishment,” Chris said, holding out a hand.

  “Pleasure to meet you,” she said with a warm smile.

  “Pleasure is all mine,” he said, holding her hand for a little longer than John preferred. As John fought the urge to roll his eyes, he placed a hand on Victoria’s back and guided her through the gym.

  “Let’s get you stretched out.”

  Victoria looked between the two men. “I’ve never had two trainers before.”

  Over her head, Chris winked at John. Jesus Christ, he’s insufferable. “And I’m afraid you won’t,” John said. “I’m sure Chris has clients to see after.”

  “I actually don’t,” he chimed in. “Let me drop this off, make my rounds, and I’ll supervise you two. John’s not exactly a fitness professional.”

  “He’s not?” Victoria said with a grin.

  “No ma’am,” Chris said. “He’s more of an apprentice. I’ll let him get you set up, but I should probably chaperone...for insurance purposes.” He left them to go to his office, just as John’s jaw unclenched.

  Victoria looked up at him with a secretive smile. God, she’s too cute in her workout gear. “I’m guessing he’s this attentive to all his female clients?” she asked, planting her fists on her hips.

  John took a breath as he caught a glimpse of her breasts. Only yesterday, she was writhing under him in his bed, his lips on her nipples as he drove into her. He wanted her back in bed where he could be attentive to her every need. “Chris has always been a ham,” he said. “And now that he’s met you, I can expect him to be messy.”

  “I can take it.” The dimple at the side of her mouth creased when she twisted her lips. “I’ll bet he’s no messier than the day I’ve had,” she said, walking away.

  He followed her, eyes locked on her ass. John wanted to thank the designer who created the thin fabric that molded her curves so beautifully. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

  Victoria shook her head, braids swinging across her back and bare shoulders. “Not right now,” she said. “I’d like to use my fists for once.”

  “You wanna drop the mask and free the beast?”

  She turned on her heel and flashed him a grin. “Exactly.”

  * * *

  Jesus Christ, she’s done this before.

  John held on to the heavy bag for dear life as Victoria pummeled the fuck out of it. Hooks, jabs, uppercuts, and swift knees knocked him off his feet as she focused her concentrated hatred on the inanimate object. She picked up the pace when Rage Against the Machine’s “Maggi
e’s Farm” came on. She mouthed the words under her breath as she wheeled off a flawless roundhouse kick, hitting the side of the bag. John avoided her as best as he could while holding the bag still. When she returned to punching, she kept pace with the song, alternating between ducking and strikes. Victoria Reese was not going to work on someone’s farm. If John wanted to remain unharmed, he’d have to figure out who was oppressing her.

  “Time,” he called out.

  As if she were a sleeper agent, Victoria paused mid-swing. Her eyes cleared as she looked from the bag to him. Chest heaving and dripping from sweat, she dropped her arm. “That felt amazing,” she panted.

  “Did it?” Chris asked. “You attacked the bag like it owed you money.”

  “Oh, I could go again,” she said, running her arm across her forehead. “That was a warm up.”

  John exchanged looks with his friend. “Maybe I don’t need to supervise,” Chris said. “Looks like Dr. Reese has it under control.”

  “Maybe you can stick around,” John said. “For my safety.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Victoria said to Chris as she took off her gloves. “It’s time for a spar, Mr. Donovan.”

  “You heard her, Mr. Donovan,” Chris said as he backed away with a grin. “It’s time for a spar.”

  Left to themselves, John was hesitant to move away from the heavy bag and expose himself. “Would you like to talk about your day yet?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, not yet.”

  “Before we move to the mats, can I ask you something?”

  Victoria took a long swig from her water bottle. “Sure.”

  “Where did you learn to fight like that? As far as I know, you punched a girl in grade school and felt terrible about it. You didn’t say you were a paid assassin.”

  Victoria laughed. “My dad taught me. He’s a Marine, remember?”

  “What on earth did he teach you?”

  “Marines martial arts, MCMAPS,” she said. “They borrowed from all kinds of fighting styles: judo, wrestling, Muay Thai, Taekwondo...”

  “... Krav Maga,” John finished. He’d heard of this from Dante, the kickboxing instructor. Maybe Victoria should have been teaching his niece.

  “You’ve heard of it?”

  John was nervous. “I have. It’s kind of lethal.”

  “Of course it is, it’s the military,” she scoffed. “I’ll go easy on you.”

  He hoped so. As they walked to an empty kickboxing studio, John closed the door behind him. If he was going to get his ass kicked, there was no sense in letting everyone know about it. “And how did that square with your mother?”

  “It didn’t,” she said as she lifted her foot to her butt and tugged on it. “It wasn’t ladylike.”

  It’s sexy as hell though.

  “I used to practice a lot more when I got to college; it was a great stress reliever during finals,” she continued. “But I took a break when I got to Farmingdale.”

  Hopefully, that meant she was rusty. “I’m more of a kickboxer-grappler,” John said. “I don’t think I have the agility for high-flying kicks, Dr. Reese.”

  Victoria shook out her arms and cocked her neck before crouching and raising her fist in a defensive pose. “That’s fine. It’s a little impractical in a real fight.”

  And for some reason, that didn’t make John feel better. He was equal parts terrified and aroused to spar with a well-trained fighter who had buried academic rage all day. It was a dangerous endeavor, but he was up for the challenge. Between a sordid affair and getting his ass kicked, John was game. “Just so you know, I don’t have much experience fighting women.”

  “Then this is going to be fun.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that,” he said, raising his fists to his face. John hunched his shoulders and crouched to her height as he slowly approached her. He would not make the mistake of underestimating the little lady even if he did have a few inches on her. “How do you want to do this?”

  “We try to avoid face strikes,” she said, her eyes darting to his pelvis. “And uh...sensitive parts.”

  John nodded. “Good, good, that’s a good start.”

  “Otherwise, you’re a pretty strong guy,” Victoria said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

  He didn’t know what that meant, but didn’t have time to think about it when her foot shot out and swept his legs. John was on the mat in a matter of seconds. Victoria straddled him and gave him a fake strike to the face. “What just happened?” he asked as he lay on his back.

  She stuck out her hand. “I swept you.”

  “I don’t even know you,” he said, avoiding her help.

  With her hand still extended, she said, “I want to thank you for asking me to do this, Mr. Donovan. You have no idea how much I needed a release.”

  He suddenly remembered the quiet joke that Chris didn’t tell. Apparently, “letting off a little steam” didn’t necessarily mean sex to Victoria. He took her hand and let her haul him up from the mat. Once upright, John was hypervigilant of his limbs. At any moment, he could end up on his back again. At thirty-eight, he couldn’t afford too many dives.

  John sized up her defenses and found them impenetrable, as usual. Victoria was light on her feet and kept her fists at eye-level, like a professional fighter. “It sounds like we might be evenly matched, Dr. Reese,” he said.

  Her mouth quirked as she cracked her neck. “If you think so, Mr. Donovan.” She threw a jab that he sidestepped.

  “I’m not a fool,” he said, protecting his face. “You’re a lot faster, but I’ve got a longer reach.”

  “I’m aware,” she said as she narrowly avoided his fist. Victoria ducked and spun her leg in a long circular sweep in an attempt to take him off his feet again. But he’d learned his lesson the first time and hopped from the floor in time. When she rose from the ground, John plowed into her, planting a leg behind hers and took her to the mat.

  “Are you?” he said, now on top of her. “You’re on your back, Dr. Reese.”

  “Not for long,” she said, shifting her hips to the side. Before he knew what was happening, John was in an arm bar that extended past the point of comfortable. Victoria’s legs wrapped around him like a vice.

  “Jesus Christ,” he panted. This is hot.

  “You can tap out anytime, Mr. Donovan,” she said as she clutched his hand against her breasts. “I don’t want to break anything you’ll want to use tonight.”

  I think I love her.

  John tapped his other hand against the calf draped across his chest. “I give,” he said.

  When she released him, Victoria flipped over and onto her feet in seconds. She extended her hand again in a smug fashion that made John smile. “Are you ready?” she asked.

  He loved seeing her like this. Victoria was a woman in control and if he was the punching bag for the night, he was happy to do it. Her confidence and power was sexy as fuck. “I thought you said you were going to go easy on me.”

  She wiggled her fingers in front of him. “I’m surprised you don’t have more in your arsenal, Mr. Donovan. It shouldn’t take a little professor like me to get the best of you.”

  “This is the second time my manhood is being bruised,” John said, taking her hand. When he was back on his feet, he began thinking about his next move. She favored the left jab but he noticed she kept her trunk relatively open for attack. “You have to remember that I don’t want to hurt you, Dr. Reese.”

  Victoria shrugged. “I don’t even know if that’s possible.”

  He’d been in enough fights to know arrogance when he saw it. She was comfortable enough to trash talk, which could distract even the best fighter. “I’d feel bad if I did hurt you though,” he tried.

  “Says a man who’s been on his back twice in five minutes. If you want to take a rest, you don’t need me to send you to the m
at,” she said with laughter in her eyes. “Just let me know when you want to—”

  John cut her off with a quick strike to the belly and placed the same foot behind her. Once the air had been knocked out of her, she fell to the floor. He covered her quickly and pressed a powerful forearm against her chest. “What was that?”

  Victoria’s eyes widened as she sucked air through her lungs. “Dang it.”

  “Are you hurt?” John asked, refusing to move his arm.

  She shook her head against the mat. “Only my pride,” she said with a chuckle.

  “Good, now do you want to talk about it?”

  She shook her head again. The look in her eyes said as much. Victoria was prepared to bury her feelings and that didn’t sit well with him.

  “Are you ready to tap out?”

  She laughed outright. “Of course not.”

  John was puzzled by her response. “I’ve got at least forty pounds of muscle on you, Dr. Reese,” he said as he straddled her chest. “You’re not getting out of this.”

  “And I’ve been in tighter spots. This is nothing.”

  “I don’t see you doing anything,” John said.

  And that was the problem.

  He’d relaxed his grip on her and hadn’t noticed how Victoria raised her hips against the mat. While pinned beneath him, she managed to bring her legs to his shoulders and clamp ankles around his neck. Pulling him backwards, she used her free arms to pry his grip from her chest. John was on his back again as Victoria squirmed away. It was a floor match now and while he was caught unaware, he knew he was better on the mat. John righted himself and grabbed her by the leg as she tried to get away.

  “Nope,” he said, dragging her back to him. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Victoria swung one leg around his chest and latched onto his arm, trapping him in another arm bar. He swore he was actually trying, but she’d managed to catch him in the same move.

  “Jesus, woman. How?”

  Victoria’s braids swung low to the ground as she pulled his arm away from his body and locked it between her thighs. “I haven’t done this in a while, but it’s like riding a bike,” she said with a grin.