“I’m telling—”
“Be very careful, Georgia. Remember those kids you have at home,” he pushed. Georgia snapped her mouth closed. “Don’t ever think for a second that I would believe anything you say over Lily. She doesn’t know how to lie, unlike you.”
“Okay.”
Shade could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. As soon as he was finished with Lily’s workout that night, he was going to have that talk with Viper.
“When you come to work in the morning, I want those seeds straightened out. You were putting them in the wrong refrigerator, and you’ve worked here long enough to know how to do it right.”
“Is that all?”
Her sharp tone nearly had him firing her on the spot. If she didn’t have so many children, he would have. Not that he cared, but Viper would.
“Yes.”
When she hurried through the factory, her hands smacking the metal doors to the outside, Shade followed, turning off the lights and locking his office door. Then he came out of the factory, locking the door behind him.
“Why is she angry?” Lily asked as Georgia pulled out of the parking lot.
“When I leave a message, I expect it to be delivered,” Shade answered grimly.
“Do you always have to be so rude?”
“Yes.”
When they got to the basement, Shade made Lily wear Winter’s much tighter and more appealing workout clothes, which Lily did not appreciate, throwing a tantrum and refusing to put them on until Shade put his foot down.
Their workout consisted of stretching until Lily gradually loosened up. He waited until her movements became more fluid to begin her defense lesson, taking her through the movements she had learned the week before. She became more adept at kicking him, making him take a step back. Once she had done that enough to make him happy, he taught her a different move where her knee would actually make contact with him.
“I almost got you,” Lily bragged.
“Almost doesn’t count.” Shade intentionally raised her leg to his hip, her mound notching against his penis. Their workout clothes were thin, so Shade could practically feel the lips of her pussy. He exerted his control to keep his dick soft, wanting to be non-threatening, letting her feel him and see there would be no pain involved.
Shade held that position for a moment before his foot came out, sweeping the one she was standing on. She began to fall, landing on her back with him on top of her. She opened her mouth to scream but before a sound could erupt, Shade lifted himself off her in one fluid movement. Reaching down, he then snagged her hand and lifted her to her feet.
“Again. This time, I’ll show you how to keep me from sweeping your foot out from under you.”
Lily stood frozen, her eyes dark and unfocused. However, Shade had expected the reaction. He took her arm, leading her to the corner of the room, and then lifted weights until she was prepared to step out of the corner and continue.
“Go to the mat.” Shade kept her waiting as he took off his shirt, using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. .
Her first sight of the tattoos on his chest and stomach must have been startling because she looked away as he approached the mat.
“Eyes to me. Are you ready?”
Lily nodded and as soon as he was in position, she attacked, trying to take him by surprise. That time, when he caught her knee and pulled her off-balance, before her mind could spaz out again, Shade gave her instructions to keep her balance and avoid having her foot swept out from under her. He had deliberately picked that move because it required body contact to break.
He instructed her to place her hands on his shoulders to balance herself. Then he put his hands on her hips, explaining how to push off from him. As she completed the maneuver, she was awkward and didn’t stand a chance in Hell of defending herself at her current level. However, it was a start.
“Good. That’s enough for the day.” He removed his hands from her body.
“Thank God,” Lily muttered.
“What did you say?” Shade questioned. He had heard, but he wanted to see if she would be brave enough to repeat it out loud.
“Nothing, Sir.”
“You can go get changed.”
“Thanks, Sir.”
Her sarcastic tone had him crossing his arms over his chest as he widened his stance.
“Would you like a lesson I give when I believe someone is being disrespectful?” Shade snapped.
“No, Sir.” Lily rushed to the bathroom.
Shade was on his way to his bedroom to get changed when he heard her locking the door behind her.
Chapter 45