Sweat poured down Emmeline’s flushed face, plastering strands of her hair to her damp skin."What are you doing, Mr. Blackthorn?" she managed to pant out between labored breaths, glaring daggers at him.Rather than responding verbally, Zavian simply reached over and jabbed another button on her treadmill's control panel, causing the belt to accelerate even faster.Emmeline stumbled.Her stride faltered as she fought against the unbearable new speed with everything she had.Her muscles screamed in protest, trying to keep up with the relentless pace.Zavian’s look was filled with wickedness. "I'll discuss adult matters with you when you’re taller," he stated flatly.His deep voice held an undercurrent of scorn, making Emmeline's cheeks burn with indignation.She gritted her teeth and her fingers clenched the handrails tightly.She closed her eyes against the dizzying rush of the world blurring past."You're so cruel," she grumbled, the words nearly swallowed by her ragged pants for air.
Zavian's lips curved into an inscrutable smile at her words, though the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. "A soft stomach is better than a muscled stomach for a woman," he stated flatly.Emmeline bristled at his words. Who was he to dictate what was or wasn't attractive on a woman's body?Zavian jerked his chin toward a nearby machine with a curved, padded track before she could voice her indignation."That's an ab roller. Use that for your core," he instructed.Emmeline hmphed then moved to stand before the indicated machine.She eyed it with a bewildered frown as she tried to puzzle out how it was meant to be used.Zavian let out a sigh, clearly resigning himself to providing guidance."Put your knees on the seat—be careful, it moves. Fix your arms on the support and hold the handles, " he explained in a clipped tone punctuated by his exertions.Emmeline followed his curt instructions to heart and straddled the padded roller, pulling her lower body off the seat with her hands
"The problem is that your ass becomes visible whenever you bend your legs," Zavian growled in a tone of dark censure that seemed to vibrate against her very bones. "And the man behind you is almost devouring you with his eyes."A furious blush flooded Emmeline's cheeks at his bold words.The heat of it spread rapidly through her body when Zavian wrapped his other arm around her waist as well.He effectively caged her against the solid wall of his chest, the hard planes of his body molding to the softer curves of hers in a way that made her head spin.She opened her mouth, determined to respond - to protest his forwardness or at least ask him to give her some space - but all that emerged was a strangled squeak.Emmeline’s mind raced, torn between indignation at his presumptuous behavior and a traitorous thrill at his possessive display.Who did he think he was, manhandling her like this in public? Yet... a bigger part of her reveled in the feeling of being claimed and the object of his
Zavian sat back down on the weight bench after grabbing what he wanted. He reached for one of the small metal discs resting on the floor beside him and gripped it between his thumb and forefinger.Then he stuck his index and middle fingers through the hole in the center of the ring and began moving them up and down in an unmistakable motion.His dark blue eyes never left her face, glimmering with a sinister, burning promise that made Emmeline gulp down her saliva.A flush crept up her neck at the overtly suggestive display that made her skin prickle with embarrassment and an unexpected frisson of arousal she struggled to tamp down.She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, feeling hyper-aware of every inch of her body under his scrutiny. "What are you trying to do now, Mr. Blackthorn?" she asked.Malice seemed to dance between Zavian's heavy-lidded eyes and the corner of his lips twitched with the faintest hint of a smirk as if he had been hoping she would inquire about his p
"What happened to her?" Emmeline muttered under her breath with frustration creasing her brow.She got out of the car and looked it over from the outside, then bent to peek under the open hood at the internal components.The scent of hot metal and oil filled her nostrils, making her wrinkle her nose in distaste.Everything appeared to be in order from what she could tell, though she readily admitted that her knowledge of automotive mechanics was sorely lacking.She settled on the curb in front of the stubborn vehicle, staring at it helplessly as she wracked her brain for what could possibly be the issue that was preventing it from running properly.The morning sun beat down on her, causing beads of sweat to form along her hairline."Damn, what did that bastard do to her?" she growled, knowing full well that Richard must have tampered with the car in some way during the time it had been in his possession.He was likely trying to punish her somehow for her defiance, or simply exert his
Emmeline let out a sigh in relief when Zavian finally slid back out from under the car several minutes later with his clothes relatively unscathed despite the grimy nature of his task.His gaze darted to the spot where he knew they were being watched with a shrug. The person had dispersed before he slid back from under the car."Thankfully, your clothes didn't get too dirty," she remarked, unable to hide the approval in her tone.Zavian didn't respond. He simply took the litres of fresh radiator fluid from Donald and moved to the front of the car once more.Emmeline noticed the streaks of grease and grime staining his hands and forearms but didn't comment as he unscrewed the cap and carefully poured the bright red liquid into the open tank."You have to check the water in the car whenever it gets hot. Do you understand?" he stated in a tone of firm instruction, not even looking up from his task.Emmeline nodded vigorously, not wanting to admit that she likely would have forgotten such
Zavian didn't seem inclined to fill the quiet. He simply sipped at his tea while eyes remained locked on her face in a way that made Emmeline feel utterly pinned in place."You don't talk much," she finally ventured in a feeble attempt to dispel some of the heaviness that had settled over them.One of Zavian’s dark brows inched upward in a silent prompt for her to continue, though he didn't offer any verbal response."You don't speak unless it's necessary or useful to speak."Zavian’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side in a subtle gesture of arrogance that somehow suited him perfectly. "Good brevity makes sense," he stated at last.Emmeline couldn't resist letting out a bright peal of laughter at that. "I didn't realize I was sitting with Socrates!" she teased, grinning at him from across the table.Rather than taking offense at her gentle ribbing, a look of wicked amusement seemed to glint in the depths of Zavian's eyes. "I don't like using my mouth to talk. There are more exci
Emmeline couldn't get Zavian's words out of her head since the previous day.His words that his thoughts about her were starting to go in the wrong direction - it was inconceivable that he felt tempted because of her.He didn't seem the type to betray his wife, even with wandering eyes!She was lounging lazily on the living room sofa with a book in her hands. Its nondescript cover appeared to be some philosophical treatise, but the pages contained decidedly more salacious content.She had been swapping out risqué novel covers for more academic-looking ones to fool her parents since high school. While she agreed that frivolous novels were largely a waste of time, she felt sexual education through the medium of erotic literature was important too!"Don't go to work today. My mother is coming to visit. She'll be staying for lunch," Richard's voice rang out.Emmeline looked up from her book and slid it on his back in displeasure. "Why do I have to miss work just to receive your mother? Ha