Wounded Angel (The Earth Angels) (3 page)

“Three more minutes.” Ella’s voice came from behind him, and in the mirrored wall he could see her past his shoulder, her gaze glued to him as if searching for any sign of weakness. Sheer grit stiffened his spine and he lifted his knees a little higher in renewed effort. There was no way he’d let her get the best of him. Not for another three minutes, anyway.

Wouldn’t she feel bad if he keeled over dead right about now? That’d sure show her.

“You’re almost there.” As she had done countless times in the past half hour, she put a gentle finger on the back of his right hand, which had fallen to grip the handrails.
Don’t
touch
.

Furious with the constant lapse, he concentrated instead on the spot where her fingertip had tapped. It was no bigger than a dime on the back of his hand surface-wise, but its effect was staggering. Like she’d managed to spark a low-level electrical field in that one area, exciting all the nerve endings to jangle out of control until it was as though that one spot was glowing. Maybe that was why he kept using the damned handrail. It was a pathetic excuse to get her to infuse him with a jolt of pleasure in a world that had become filled with a marathon of pain.

“There we go. You made it.” The program shut down, the digital readout going to all zeroes while the treadmill slowed down incrementally into a walk. He kept at it rather than stepping onto the machine’s side rails; no doubt his legs would seize up for all eternity if he came to a full stop. “Congratulations, Nate. You just set The Body Electric record for finishing the Pike’s Peak challenge—basically the equivalent of running up the last three miles of Pike’s Peak—in just under thirty minutes. No one has ever come close to that.”

“Great.” He didn’t take a chance on saying anything more. It would be undignified to throw up on her shoes.

“Here.” At last the treadmill wound down to a stop. To his relief she handed him a fresh bottle of water, as he’d drained the last of his about ten minutes ago. “Keep hydrating. Are you cramping at all?”

“Does my whole body screaming in agony count as a cramp?”

The hint of a smile flashed before she nodded past his shoulder. “I noticed you have some scars on your back. Old injury?”

“Scars? Oh, those.” He shrugged and downed a third of the water while his heart rate slowly eased out of the danger zone. “It was a birth defect my mother insisted had to be corrected when I was an imperfect little newborn.”

“So you don’t have any pre-existing injuries I should know about?”

“No.”

“I know I’ve already asked, but there are no medical conditions holding you back?”

He frowned. Didn’t she just say he’d broken some sort of record? “No.”

“Then I must confess—you have me mystified.”

That lush hint of magnolias drifted through her Chicago accent yet again, almost distracting him from the actual words. “What are you talking about?”

“You just ran up the last three miles of a mountain at top speed and you’re still daisy-fresh enough to have an amiable conversation with me, rather than being passed out on the floor, the way anyone else would be.”

At last the light went on.
Whoops
. “So I guess this means I’m in pretty good shape, huh?”

“You’re not just in
good
shape. As far as I can tell, the shape you’re in borders on demigod status. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you could do the Pike’s Peak challenge all over again.”

Just the thought of it made him want to faint. “No, thank you.”

“The point is that you probably
could
do it. And that makes me wonder... Why are you really here?”

For only a heartbeat everything inside him froze like a deer in the headlights. What an embarrassing noob mistake. Like the overly hormonal idiot he was, he’d been so busy trying to impress a pretty girl with his epic awesomeness that he’d blown his frigging cover right out of the water. “Why does anyone hire a personal trainer?”

“That’s why I asked about possible physical disabilities. I deal with many athletes recovering from injuries, as well as regular people trying to get through medical setbacks. But you... You’re in tip-top shape. The best I’ve seen.”

“I hope you’re not complaining.”

“What I’m doing is trying to figure out what sort of game you’re playing. You need a trainer like King Kong needs one. So what are you doing here?”

“I guess you could say you’re the big attraction.” Lifting the water bottle to his lips to drain it dry, Nate watched her out of the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction. “The fact is, I’m here because of you, Ella.”

Chapter Three

The words rang in her ears while Ella stood statue-still, and the sharp rush of adrenaline made her fingers tingle. The pounding of her blood sent danger signals to every fight-or-flight instinct she had, but she controlled it by locking her knees in place. Then she arranged her face into placid lines while ignoring the gut-twisting, knee-jerk reaction to hide. Better to meet danger head-on, than turn your back on it. Turning away made you easy prey.

“You’re here because of me.” With great deliberation, she rested her weight on the balls of her feet while her arms were kept loose at her sides and ready to lash out at a moment’s notice. “Would you care to elaborate?”

“Don’t tell me this has never happened to you before.”

Wouldn’t he be surprised. “Why don’t you tell me what’s happening?”

Those breathtaking shoulders shifted. “You’re right. I’m in great shape. I work hard to keep it that way and I’ve never really had the need for a trainer. In fact, the thought never crossed my mind until I bumped into you last evening.”

“Somehow I doubt the sight of me inspired you to try and reach new heights.”

“Well, you are pretty inspiring.” His crooked smile was a masterpiece in roguish charm. She didn’t trust it for a minute. “I took one look into those gorgeous baby brown eyes of yours and decided then and there that spending time with you was a definite must. And I can’t be the only guy who’s had that thought.”

Like that, Ella’s suspicious train of thought derailed. “Wait. What?”

“You seem surprised.”

“I’m...” Flabbergasted wasn’t too strong a word. The last thing she’d expected was to be hit on. “You let me torture you because you’re interested in me? I honestly don’t know whether to be flattered or alarmed.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I really am interested in building up my endurance. After meeting you, I thought it made sense to kill two birds with one stone.”

“So you are training to run a marathon?”

“I’m always training,” he said without answering. “As you’ve already noticed, I’m serious about keeping in shape.”

“For what purpose?”

“Why do you do it?” he countered.

To admit she was preparing to survive the next time her life hung in the balance was probably a little on the dramatic side. “I’m just trying to figure you out.”

“I’m a guy who loves to work out, and who has a weakness for dark-eyed women who could probably kick my ass in every possible way.” Again that crooked smile flashed, and she couldn’t deny that sizzle seemed genuine enough. Nobody could fake that much pure confidence. “I don’t see why we can’t continue on, especially when you’ve given me the best workout I’ve ever had. Since I’m in Chicago for the foreseeable future, why don’t we take it one day at a time and see what develops?”

“What develops,” she repeated, tasting the words and wondering why the hell she wasn’t showing him the door. “Just what is it you’re hoping will develop?”

“For the time being, greater stamina thanks to all the physical stress you can throw at me. What’s more, I’m happy to pay you to do it. Anything that happens beyond that is up to you.”

“Nothing will happen,” Ella said, her voice flat. On this, she needed to be very clear. “Not with me. Not ever. I’m...”
Damaged
beyond
repair
. “Not available.”

A thundercloud moved across his face, extinguishing that wicked light. “I see. You married?”

“No.”

“Prefer women?”

She snorted. “Unfortunately, no.”

“Why unfortunately?”

“They’re easier to understand. Or, if it comes to that, defeat in hand-to-hand combat.”

He started to chuckle, then paused when he caught her expression. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

At last Ella relaxed her defensive stance enough to turn toward the doors leading to the lobby, only to find Jacob and Phoebe standing on the other side, their anxious gazes locked on them. A short breath burst out of her in an irritated huff before she could stifle it. Terrific. Nothing like the two of them slipping into full-on nanny mode.

“I’m serious about a lot of things,” she answered belatedly while giving her babysitters the evil eye. “Mostly about taking care of myself.”

“Yeah?” Nate moved to stand at her shoulder, his inky dark gaze following hers while idly crushing the empty water bottle down to the size of a hockey puck. “Looks to me like those two think you’re not too good at that particular task.”

Damn, was it that obvious? “Well, they’re wrong. I can take care of myself just fine, and I can take care of you as well.” With a snap decision forming in her mind, Ella held out her hand to him so that everyone could get a good, long look at it. “If you’re crazy enough to pay top-dollar for me to beat you into a weak and quivering pulp, I would be stupid to stop you. You have yourself a personal trainer, Nate da Luca.”

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.” His hand slid into the cradle of hers, and the shock of rough, warm flesh wrapped around her nerve endings like a magical spell. Though logic told her it was a mere shaking of hands, it felt like something else entirely. It was as though he seemed intent on holding a part of her like she was a precious vessel he wanted to revere. His fingers squeezed over hers, and while she could feel the sheer power housed within his grip, there was only gentleness in the fingers sheltering hers. His thumb brushed over her skin—a slow, deliberate caress that was an honest statement of a man who wanted to sample the texture of a woman he found to his liking.

Who knew a mere handshake could communicate so much?

With a fluttery breath, she retrieved her hand from his and took a cautionary step back, baffled by the racing of her heart. “Just one thing. I’m agreeing to this partly because I want you where I can see you. If you’re up to something, I’ll do my best to squash it—and you—into nothing. And if not, at the very least you’ll get all the training you can handle.”

“Ella.” His low tone stopped her when she would have stepped away. “Are you always this cautious, or am I special?”

He wasn’t just special. He was in a class by himself when his touch alone made her nerves go haywire. “I’m cautious.”

“Any particular reason why?”

“Because the world is up to its eyeballs in bat-crap crazy. Don’t tell me you don’t know that.”

“Is there any other reason?”

The thought of stripping off her shirt to show him her back went through her mind before she shook her head. That
reason
would undoubtedly make him run screaming through the city streets. “You must live under a rock if you think the average woman in this day and age shouldn’t play it safe.”

“You’re nowhere near average. I’m just saying you seem to be a professional when it comes to being wary.”

“I
am
a professional.” Though she had every intention of getting the hell out of there, the unexpected compliment stole her legs out from under her. Considering the amount of charm he was shooting her way, she supposed she should be thankful she didn’t fall at his feet. “And as a professional, I’m calling it quits for today.”

“When do you want to meet next?”

“It’ll take your body a while to recover from today—”

“No, it won’t. Is tomorrow good for you?”

Reluctantly her gaze slid back to him in the feeble excuse of assessing his condition. Instead of doing a wilted-flower impersonation, he looked like a warrior-general eager to conquer an invading army. Sweat sheened his shoulders and hair-darkened chest she could see exposed by the tank, and his dark eyes seemed to touch her everywhere at once. With everything in her she tried not to thrill at the sensation.

Tried, and failed.

“Unfortunately I’m booked tomorrow. But I’m available the day after.”

Those eyes smoldered. “I’m all yours, Ella.”

Promises
,
promises
. She turned away before she could make a complete fool of herself by blurting out the impulsive words, and her mood nosedived when she found Jacob and Phoebe still hovering. She nodded in the direction of the offices and was pleased when they both backed off. “Email me the times when you’re available.”

* * *

Phoebe’s office reflected her personality to a T. One full wall was comprised of the smoked glass that looked out onto the gym’s vast reception area. Facing the glass wall was a desk that held every modern piece of technology known to man. On the wall behind it were pennants of the Chicago Cubs ranging back all the way to 1945, the year that Phoebe spoke of in hushed tones as the year of “the Curse.” Ella still wasn’t sure what that was but knowing Phoebe, she’d eventually have a pop quiz on it.

But worrying about pop quizzes on a sport in which she had no interest was the least of her worries at the moment. This mother-henning had to stop.

“Okay, let’s talk.” Determined to be calm, Ella did her best to leech the irritation out of her tone as the office door shut behind them. “Did you all enjoy the show?”

“I think I could take him.” Bristly head held high and hands folded behind his back, Jacob surveyed the room with eyes that were threatening to bulge. “Maybe. What do you think, Phoebe? I could take him, yes?”

Phoebe see-sawed her hand. “If you snuck up on him and had a handy baseball bat nearby, sure.”

“Holy freaking crap.” Ella looked from one to the other as the outrage built. “Do you realize you’re talking about ambushing a paying customer? A paying customer who’s done nothing wrong, I might add. What have you two been smoking?”

“Paying customer or not, this is our home. It’s always a good idea to know who’s wandered into our house.” Phoebe didn’t appear to be at all fazed at the violent turn in their conversation. “You were right when you called him a man-mountain, Jacob. I thought you might have been exaggerating, but I’m glad you brought him to my attention. She might as well try and take on a giant.”

Lovely. Now they were talking about her behind her back. “That’s why you came in so early this morning,” she muttered, shooting a dark glance at Jacob. “You had Phoebe look at when I had Nate scheduled, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did,” came the unrepentant reply. “He’s a huge, unknown man in top physical shape. I would struggle with him, Ella. I might even lose to him without some advantage. You would stand no chance against such an opponent.”

“Then I guess it’s a lucky thing he’s my client and not my opponent, isn’t it?”

“From now on you’ll schedule this Nate da Luca guy when both Jacob and I are on duty, so that we can keep an eye on things,” Phoebe added, ignoring her as she moved to take her official position behind her desk. “He seemed nice enough and I liked his smile—kind of like a little kid that’s up to no good. But don’t forget that looks can be deceiving. If he ever gets it into his head to try and be up to no good in a bad way, I don’t think anything short of an elephant gun would stop him.”

“Wait. Wait.” Ella looked from one to the other, hardly believing her ears. “We’ve had big guys come in here before. Remember those two who came in from the Chicago Bears? Talk about men who were mountains. Yet you guys didn’t hop on the paranoid train about those guys like you are with Nate.”

“Those men, they were plodding and slow, like...like beefy slugs. Easy to maneuver around.” Jacob sent a suspicious look out toward the reception area as if expecting Nate to be plastered against the two-way mirrored glass. “You saw that guy move, Ella. You saw his speed. That inherent fluidity is a sign of a natural-born fighter. Such speed makes him harder to avoid. Harder still to hit. And impossible to run from.”

For only a moment disquiet moved through her like a killing frost before she consciously shrugged it away. Fear would never again make her a victim. “He seems to be on the up and up, Jacob. He’s just another athlete who wants to reach his full potential.” And maybe reach out for her, but she wasn’t about to admit that now. “And in case you’ve forgotten, you are the one who’s lectured me time and again on how I must learn to take care of myself no matter what the circumstances are, and how I shouldn’t rely on anyone but myself when it comes to personal protection. Doesn’t your determination to play bodyguard whenever Nate’s around go against all that?”

“You must always be ready to protect yourself against regular people,” he acknowledged, nodding. “But that guy... He is part Goliath, part Viking.”

“Just because he’s big doesn’t mean he’s into raping and pillaging.”

“It doesn’t mean he isn’t.”

And there was no way she could fight against that form of logic. “So you’re saying that training me as hard as you have, for as long as you have, is worth nothing and I can’t take care of myself?”

“It’s not that we don’t trust your abilities or your conviction to protect yourself, Ella.” Phoebe’s calm voice soothed the agitated atmosphere, and it helped Ella’s iffy temper ease back from the boiling point. “But let’s face it—your new client needs a personal trainer like Dolly Parton needs breast enhancement.”

Ella tried not to sigh out loud. It irked her no end that she’d come to the same conclusion. “You’re both blowing this way out of proportion.”

“I have trained you to fight your way out of danger should you ever again find yourself immersed in it.” Jacob’s grave tone got her attention, and she turned to find an almost worried frown darkening his face. “I have given you all the tools I know of to fight, to maim, to kill. To survive. The one thing I have not yet had the time to teach you are all the mental skills necessary to read your opponent and see him for what he is. And what he isn’t.”

“At the risk of repeating myself, he’s not my opponent.”

“The world must be your opponent. To trust is to let a person close. To let a person close is to invite them to do harm. Have you not had enough of this?”

She tried not to flinch. “If I went by that philosophy I’d fear every single person on the planet, including you and Phoebe. One hell of a lot of my life was taken from me, but that little part... That’s the part I’d have to give away, and I refuse to do it. That’s not living.”

“That’s not what we’re saying.” Phoebe put up both hands palms out, clearly trying to apply the brakes. “Of course we don’t want you to go back to the way you were when you first landed on our doorstep, and why would we? You’ve made such tremendous strides since that time. The last thing we want is to shove you back into your shell.”