Chapter Six
Max and Malee’s next meeting didn’t go as well as the last.
Kiet was late getting to the MMA class, and he’d been in a bad mood all day. Malee had noticed it earlier. Lawan said he hadn’t done well on a test in school that day.
She’d asked if she could accompany him down to the gym, making the excuse that she wanted to look into a self-defense class that was offered. Her father, for once, thought that was a good idea and made Kiet take her with him, which made him even more annoyed.
While he was in the class, she sat on the sidelines and pretended to peruse the pamphlets. She’d noticed Max as soon as they’d walked in the door. His presence was magnetic, and she found her eyes immediately drawn to him. He was a big man, tall, muscular, and intimidating with all that ink, and maybe that was part of it, but there was something else, too. It was in the way he carried himself, the way he stood, the way he moved. But especially it was in the way his eyes scanned the crowd, searching her out…and when finally they locked on her, the beautiful grin he tried to hold back but couldn’t.
Through the entire class, as he worked with the teacher as an aid in his demonstrations, she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. That kiss they’d shared had left her restless. Some part of her awakened, making her feel alive in a way she hadn’t before. The pull between them had been that strong. He’d branded her with that single kiss until she’d dreamed of it, over and over. Staring at him now, watching his body move, his muscles flex, the smile on his face… It was all like a dose of a drug she was newly addicted to.
The hour was over much too soon. While Kiet was in the locker room, she moved to the bulletin board on the wall to scan the different classes offered. But it was just a pretense, and they both knew it.
Max joined her. With both their backs turned to the room, he signed, grinning over at her. Hello, beautiful.
She peered behind to see the stragglers who were drinking water and chatting before heading to the lockers. In a soft unsure voice, she spoke. “Hello, Max.”
That had him smiling even bigger, showing perfectly straight white teeth. He lifted a hand and signed to her. You came.
She nodded.
His eyes strayed to the board. Are you thinking of taking a class?
“I told my father I wanted to see about a self-defense class. He thought that was a good idea and made Kiet bring me.”
I see. And do you really want to take a self-defense class?
Her chin came up, and she murmured, “Maybe.”
He turned back to the bulletin board and pointed to the calendar.
She read the listing.
Sundays 2pm
Self Defense for Women.
Instructor: Max O’Rourke
“Then I definitely want to,” she said.
He laughed. She could see his chest shake with it. She couldn’t hear it, but she imagined it must be the most beautiful sound.
He signed slowly. I thought about it a lot. About…you, and about—his eyes dropped to her mouth—everything.
The kiss. He’d thought about their kiss! Happiness burst inside her.
He reached over and let their hands brush, his little finger hooking hers. Then he winked, and she felt her heart melt a little.
Max twisted, looking behind him. Malee followed his eyes to see Kiet was tapping him on the shoulder. His eyes moved between the two, and Malee wondered how long he’d been watching, how much he’d seen. He didn’t look happy.
He jerked his head toward the entrance, his eyes on her, and signed, Wait for me by the door.
Malee was disappointed that her brief time with Max was cut short, but she did as her brother said. Even though she was two years older than Kiet, her father had made him responsible for accompanying her tonight, and he took his duty seriously.
She handed Max the jacket she’d promised to return tonight. “Thank you.”
With Kiet standing there, he could do nothing more than nod and accept it.
She walked toward the entrance. Turning back, she saw Kiet speaking in a firm way to Max, who was clenching his jaw like he was holding back a comment. Instead he just nodded respectfully. His lips moved, but whatever he said, it was short.
Then he turned and walked away. Kiet followed him with his eyes, before swinging back to pin Malee with a look. He moved toward her, coming to stand in front of her.
Father would not want you associating with men like him.
We were just talking, Kiet.
Let’s go, Malee.
She glanced over her shoulder as Kiet held the door for her. Max was wrapping his hands with tape in jerking motions as he stood before the punching bag. His eyes flicked up in time to catch hers as she moved through the door. There was anger there, but they softened for a moment. She tried to communicate with her eyes that she was sorry.
***
Max watched the metal door with the red peeling paint slam shut behind them. He finished wrapping his hands and then slammed a fist into the bag, taking out his frustration.
Kiet had warned him off Malee, telling him to keep his distance and refrain from speaking to her. Max wanted to argue with him, but he knew it would get him nowhere. If he wanted in the good graces of her family, arguing with Kiet was not the way to go about it. All he could do was assure the boy he meant no disrespect. The kid had moxie, though; he gave him that. He was twice Kiet’s size, and the boy didn’t even flinch in telling him there’d be trouble if he didn’t keep his distance. Something told him that was going to be easier said than done.