Chapter Four
Mike had been attracted to Rin Hayashi from the moment he first laid eyes on her, and then disgusted with himself for thinking that way. There she had been, a mere handful of hours after being rescued, probably scared, most likely traumatized from her captivity, and mentally if not physically scarred from what she had endured. Christ, she hadn’t even been wearing shoes on her feet, just a dirty pair of socks, and he’d been thinking of pick-up lines, and the best way to approach her. How twisted was that?
When word had spread that she planned to stick around Malsum Pass instead of returning to New York, his heart had kicked into double-time. His first thought: he could ask her out now. It had taken a hard hand on the reins to pull that thought back. The last thing she needed was someone like him panting after her and following her around like a pup. She needed time to heal, not hear grand confessions of undying adoration coupled with no small amount of begging.
Now here she was, wanting to use his space to exercise. Hell, if she only knew. She could ask him to turn his garage into a tutu factory and he’d happily oblige. He’d even model the product while clucking like a chicken if she said the word. That’s how powerful his attraction to this female was.
“I’ve never boxed before.” Rin said approaching the ring and touching the bottom rope. “But I took Karate when I was little.” Then she laughed and Mike swore he fell in love at the sound. “Well, young – I should say young since I’ve always been little.”
Did he have stars in his eyes? Probably. Man, she was so perfect. Little, yes, but beautiful and sweet and smart and… He had to mentally check himself before he started proposing on the spot. Clearing his throat, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coveralls and tried to act casual. “Why’d you stop?”
Rin scowled and it was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. “I broke my arm and my mom went ballistic.” She rolled her eyes. “I tried a stunt that I was told not to do. I was a huge Jackie Chan fan – still am, but I actually wanted to be him when I grew up.” She shrugged and let out a little self-deprecating laugh. “I had just watched the movie The Tuxedo and wanted to try a jump kick I’d seen.” Another laugh and she shook her head. “Dad told me not to be rough housing in the living room, but I did it anyway. Broke the coffee table and my arm. Mom said no more Jackie Chan movies and no more Karate since they were obviously putting dangerous ideas in my head.”
Mike imagined a little pint sized Rin, stubborn and determined to be just like her idol. He sighed and then shook himself. He needed to get this infatuation under control before he made a fool of himself.
“Can you teach me how to box?”
The request was so startling that Mike thought he would choke on his own tongue. Images of having Rin in front of him, his hands on her body as he showed her the proper stances, adjusted her form. Watching her body move through the paces in the ring. Holy hell, instant erection.
Rin had picked up on his hesitation but she obviously had no idea of the cause. Her look was crestfallen as she said, “I’m sorry, I know you’re busy. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that.”
Mike never wanted to see that look again, he would deal with the discomfort if it meant seeing Rin Hayashi happy. “I’d be happy to.” And didn’t that just prove that his best friend, Tim, had always been right about him. Mike was obviously a masochist.
“This weekend?” She asked, her beautiful brown eyes lit with excitement.
God, his poor heart. He really didn’t know if it could take all of this jumping, stuttering, and double-time. “I, ah, I have an appointment in the morning tomorrow. After lunch?”
Rin nodded her head enthusiastically with a bright smile. “It’s a date.”
Mike’s heart gave another lurch. Man, did those words sound perfect.
Rin’s emotions were in a jumble as she walked back to the bed and breakfast. On one hand, she was excited. As Mike had said, the space wasn’t full of fancy equipment, but it would definitely suit her needs while the snow was still heavy on the ground. On the other hand, she’d made a commitment to learn a sport she had never had any real interest in, and the reason behind the admittedly spur of the moment idea, bothered her.
When she had taken Karate, her father had enrolled her because she was constantly trying to emulate Jackie Chan. He thought it was the best way for her to express herself in a safe environment while learning the proper form and usage of the art. This desire to learn how to box was not that. This was about fear.
The day of her interview, the day she had been abducted, was mostly fuzzy due to the drug she had been injected with, but one thing she did remember – the thing that haunted her – was that despite her gifts as a Kitsune, she hadn’t sensed the predator in her midst, hadn’t fought back. She had been too surprised by the attack, too shocked, to do more than let out a little squeak that was quickly muffled by a hard hand over her mouth. She never wanted to be caught out like that again. She had spent her captivity training to run, but now that she was free, she would spend her time training to fight. She would never be an easy target again.
Shoulders set with determination, Rin climbed the stairs to her room at The Cedars. She needed to educate herself about her new past time, maybe even watch the movie Rocky for inspiration. She had a date with a boxing ring to prepare for.