“Thank you for today, even though you’re a bit of an ass,” I simpered.
He put his hands in his pockets and gave me a cocky smile. “When I see you next, I expect to see some improvement.” Quill had given me a list of daily exercises to do after he mentioned he could commit to training me every Thursday morning. “If you struggle to complete four laps by next week, I will punish you with an extra one.”
I crossed my arms. “If I keel over from over-exertion, you’ll be the one who gets punished.”
He replied with a dazzling smile that revealed his bright, white teeth. If someone from the Inner Ring could be this beautiful, I can only imagine how a member of the Center looked.
He stepped forward, and I stiffened as he leaned in, his lips mere inches from my ear. “I think I would enjoy you punishing me,” he whispered.
My eyes fluttered at the meaning behind his words, or rather, where my thoughts went. My mind was a flutter as he pulled away, and I thought I might hit him when he gave me a wink.
“See you soon, Flower,” he said smoothly, then strolled away.
I exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath.
Why do I let him affect me this way? It’s exactly what he wants.
I released my hair from the bun and strolled inside, the silence letting me know Mother was still at the market. I quickly scarfed down a bowl of yogurt and one of the muffins she baked yesterday. Who knew exercise could make one so hungry?
Quill was on my mind the entire time. When I was done eating, I rested my head against the back of my chair.
He's such a damn tease.
I couldn’t get him out of my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about his remark. About how I might look had we engaged in the “activity” he had inferred—howhemight look.
I shook my head and grasped my neck, not wanting to acknowledge the obvious. But I couldn’t help it. I kept thinking of his body and the green tunic he wore. The sleeves rolled up to expose his beautiful, golden forearms. Thinking about the muscles that were visible through his light-colored pants. Thinking about his eyes that were always looking at me like I was, just as he said, the most fascinating person he’d met. Thinking about his scent.
I bit my lip, and then I thought of that lazy smile of his, and it was all I needed to head to my bedroom and pleasure myself.
I could only think of the shit he would give me if he knew what I was about to do. The dark amusement that would fill his eyes. And that only aroused me further.
And I wondered if he’d do the same, thinking of me.
Chapter Seven
Thursdayshadquicklybecomemy favorite day of the week. My life had gone from painfully mundane to somewhat exciting. It was both a physical and mental challenge to complete all the exercises he planned for me, even with my daily practice. To keep my mind clear of dirty thoughts anytime he smirked or laughed or just looked at me was a whole other challenge.
By the third week, I was already noticing changes in my body and my stamina. Even though I wasn’t feeling relief from the pain of holding in magic like I always do, it certainly was a good distraction.
“You’ve improved a lot,” Quill commented as I finished my laps in record time. “Now, if you want to really start packing on muscle, you’ll need to focus on what you eat. And how much.”
I groaned. “I’m not ready to learn with a weapon yet?”
“Patience, Flower,” he said as he tousled my hair. I swatted him away, and he chuckled. “What do you eat on a daily basis?”
I thought about it. We didn’t always have a ton of food in the house. We had been able to eat more these past few weeks, however, thanks to the Queen’s generous purchase.
“It changes, but usually baked goods—bread, pasta, soups. Pizza sometimes. You know…affordable things,” I said sheepishly, kicking at the dirt on the ground.
“Oh, right.” He rubbed the back of his neck and then paused, slightly blushing. “Do you need help with that, Lena?” he asked gently.
I glared at him. “We don’t need handouts. We’re getting by just fine,” I replied coldly. I knew it was a sweet gesture, but I couldn’t take him looking at me as helpless, as poor. It pissed me off.
“There’s nothing wrong with asking for help if y—”
“Just stop!” I yelled, the quiet of the forest even more apparent after my outburst. He clenched his jaw.
His jaw.
