Brooke was a nurse practitioner with a lot of experience under her belt, considering she was only twenty-nine. But she’d grown up quick as a medic for the military, and that was like working three times as many years at a regular facility.
She’d heard a rumor that a new set of Andersons was heading up this brand-new project, and she was determined to find out exactly what they were doing. If they were building a veterans facility, then she definitely wanted to know everything about it.
Brooke stopped as she reached the martial arts studio. She could hear a deep male voice from inside and then a round of laughter from what sounded like a lot of females. She smiled, the feeling of her lips turned up almost foreign on her face now.
If there was a new Anderson in town, it made sense that any eligible females would swarm to him. Rolling her eyes, she opened the door and found herself with a smirk on her face at the first words she heard.
“Now, ladies, try not to hurt me too badly,” that rich, sexy voice said.
Another round of giggles followed the man’s words. Brooke wasn’t sure what to expect when she turned the corner. But what she got wasn’t it.
Brooke had been surrounded by strong, sexy men her entire life. Her brother had been two years older than her, and he’d been great looking, athletic, humorous, and all-around amazing. His friends had matched him. But Brooke hadn’t been interested in guys in that sense. She’d wanted to play sports with them, roll in the mud in a nonsexy way, and watch sporting events while spitting seeds. She hadn’t had her first boyfriend until she was nineteen, and then she’d beat him at basketball, and he’d dumped her. She’d learned early on that guys were nothing but trouble.
But the man she saw standing in front of a roomful of women immediately stopped her in her tracks. She didn’t want to swoon like all the other ladies, but she found her knees slightly weak. What the hell? That wasn’t a reaction she liked or wanted.
He had to be standing at least six feet three, with shoulders that appeared as if they wouldn’t fit through a doorway and arms that instantly made her want to run her fingers over them. His T-shirt showed the hint of a tattoo she was almost desperate to see the rest of. His short dark hair was slightly tousled, and his high cheekbones and clean-shaven face were made for midnight fantasies. If ever there was a man who could be described as perfect, it was the guy standing in front of her.
Just as she was able to suck in her first breath since seeing him, his head turned, and then crystal-blue eyes were gazing straight at her—right into her very soul. Never in her life had she experienced something like she was feeling right then, right at this moment.
Time completely stood still as she gazed at the man, at this stranger. She tried telling herself it was nothing, that she was simply messed up from grief and loss. Otherwise she’d feel exactly zero emotions toward this guy who meant nothing to her. But she couldn’t shake how intense the feeling was.
“You’re a bit late, but we’ll make room,” he said, his voice like butter melting on top of a mile-high stack of buttermilk pancakes. It cascaded over her, making her fall into a trance.
“Hey, Doc Garrison. You here to learn some self-defense?” Brandy, one of her patients, asked.
The woman’s voice finally managed to snap Brooke out of her insane stupor. She ripped her gaze away from the man and focused on her patient instead.
“Nicolette told me about the self-defense training, and I wanted to make sure it was being taught right. You know my patients are important to me,” Brooke said.
“Yeah, you’re the best, Doc,” Cindy piped in. Several heads nodded.
“Wanted to make sure it was being done right?” the man asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
She turned back to him and felt immensely better when she didn’t grow faint at looking into his eyes. That cocky little smirk was exactly what she’d needed to see. Oh, how she loved to wipe a look like that off a man’s face.
She hunched her shoulders as if she was just a sad, weak female and sauntered up to him, looking as innocent as a python in a bunny costume.
“I’m the town practitioner, Brooke Garrison,” she said, holding out her hand.
He paused for just long enough to make her uncomfortable. She had zero doubt it was a control thing. She had to grit her teeth to keep the innocent expression on her face.
“Finn Anderson,” he said. His fingers curled around hers, squeezing just slightly. A buzz ran through her that she refused to acknowledge.
“Great to meet you, Finn. What are your qualifications for teaching this class?” she asked. It was making her slightly sick to use the tittering female voice. But she liked to surprise people, and because she was naturally petite, she was often underestimated.
“I was military for seventeen years, so I think I’m pretty qualified,” he told her. There was something in his voice as he said the word was. She knew there was a story there. She wondered if she’d find out what it meant.
“Hmm, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re qualified,” she told him.
“Why don’t I demonstrate with you, then?” There was zero doubt it was a challenge he expected her to refuse. She kept her facial expression innocent.
“If it helps my patients, I’m more than willing to help,” she told him. She turned and walked over to her students, set down her purse, and took off her jacket. Her size truly did make people underestimate her. She loved it.
“Okay, class, I’m going to show you what not to do, and then exactly what to do, if a man comes up behind you and grabs ahold,” Finn said.
Brooke stood in front of him and smiled at the girls, who were beginning to giggle again as Finn crept up behind her. She could feel his hot breath as he stealthily began to surround her.
She waited.
This was the fun part.
Finn’s arm wrapped around her middle, and before the other one could connect, Brooke jumped into action. She twisted so quickly she knew he wasn’t sure what was happening. Her foot wrapped behind him, and within two seconds, she had him on the ground . . . pinned beneath her body with her legs trapping those beautiful arms to the mat.
The look of utter shock on his face was a priceless moment she was sure she’d live over and over again while dreaming and daydreaming. Her innocent expression evaporated as victory showed in her eyes. Who was teaching whom now?
“Is that what I’m supposed to do?” she asked as she batted her lashes and desperately tried not to giggle.
Then it was her turn to panic, because she saw the gleam in his eyes about a second too late. Before she had a chance to so much as inhale, she found herself being flipped over, with Finn’s massive weight trapping her beneath him. Their breathing was heavy and loud as she found herself gazing into his intense blue eyes. Damn, she could get lost in them—she was getting lost in them.
“I haven’t been surprised in a long time, Doc,” he told her, his voice husky. For just a moment she forgot they had an audience. Her gaze dropped to his sexy, full lips, and she felt a tingle in her belly that was lighting her on fire. A low growl escaped his throat, and that made her realize exactly where they were.
“It’s good for you,” she said, her voice breathless and telling. “Too much confidence can make you weak and vulnerable.” Now she wasn’t sure if she was talking about him or herself. She didn’t want to analyze that too closely.