My Hard-hearted Hero

Chapter 10 √

Nine....

Zach riveted his concentration on the weight laden barbell resting on his shoulders behind his neck. Standing with knees slightly bent, he slowly pushed the bar straight up till his arms were fully extended, then just as slowly lowered it, counting his repetitions. He'd hoped the exertion of a tough workout in his basement gym would occupy his mind as well as his body, and keep unwelcome thoughts at bay.

No such luck.

Ten....eleven....

Sweat trickled down his bare chest and stung the fresh abrasions he'd earned climbing that tree this morning to get at__

Twelve....

__a virgin.

In his mind's eye he saw Ariana as she'd looked at the very moment he began to unthinkingly drive himself into her body. She'd stared straight into his eyes, her own wide with trepidation....longing. Trust.

Thirteen....fourteen...

His body quivered from more than physical strain. When he thought of how close he'd come to savagely taking her virginity against the wall of that damn tree house, he felt sick with self-disgust. Hell, you couldn't come much closer. The effort of holding back had taken more raw grit than he'd known he had.

Thank God he'd found that grit, somewhere deep within himself. In that stunning instant when he'd realized what he was about to do, it had all come crashing in on him like a tidal wave, all the reasons he'd been so careful, for so long, to keep her at arms length. The most important reason being her helplessness, the fact that she was under his control.

Fifteen.

He eased the barbell over his head and lowered it to the floor for a short break between sets. Flexing his hands in his fingerless weight liffting gloves, he grabbed a towel from his workout bench and mopped his face and chest. After a minute he hefted the barbell and began his third set. And nearly dropped it on his head when Ariana's voice rang out behind him.

"A roomful of heavy, blunt objects. Be still my heart!"

He carefully lowered the bar to his shoulders and glanced over it to see her standing in the doorway. Despite her droll greeting, she didn't meet his eye. She held herself with telling stiffness, hands stuffed into the pocket of her long, light green sweatshirt. It was now midafternoon, and they hadn't seen each other since he'd left her in the tree house at dawn.

She eyed the rack of dumbbells and weighted plates.

"Am I allowed in here?"

"I'll take my chances."

Though after the way he'd treated her that morning, maybe he should reconsider. He continued raising and lowering the barbell, feeling her eyes on his back the whole time.

"Military presses," she observed. "You can take the boy out of the army, but...."

He lost control of repetitions, but his shrieking deltoids knew when he'd reached his limit. As he strained to raise the barbell one last time, she crossed to stand in front of him, waggling the plastic water bottle he'd brought down with him.

"Open up."

Elbows locked over his head, he growled, "move." He couldn't put down the bar till she did. And she knew it.

"Come on." Smiling sweetly, she aimed the nozzle. "You've gotta be thirsty."

Arms trembling precariously, he opened his mouth like a baby bird and she filled it with a stream of cool water, grinning triumphantly.