Page 108 of Twisted Truths

“No, I didn’t,” I agree. “But I’ve lived with them for three years. Why am I different to Gabriel or Isaac?”

He’s quiet for a beat, and I wonder if asking why he trusts me is making him question it for the first time.

“My gut,” he finally says, tucking my hair behind my ears. “I don’t know. I just trust you.”

“Then trust them too. We’re going to get Franklin back, but we need them to help. Gabriel won’t let his parents hurt another innocent child, and if he trusts Isaac, then so do I.”

Nash leans in to brush a soft kiss to my lips before straightening. He grips my hand and pulls me towards the back door.

“Where are we going?”

He leads me over to his converted gym. “If you’re going anywhere near them, I need to know you can take care of yourself.”

I glance down at the t-shirt of his I’m wearing. “I’m not exactly dressed for this.”

He looks over his shoulder, smirking at my naked legs. “Maybe not, but you’re definitely dressed for what I haveplanned after.”

My cheeks heat, my body temperature suddenly soaring. I tug on the hem of his shirt nervously, my panties completely soaked in anticipation. How I’m going to focus on whatever training he’s about to put me through is beyond me. All I can think about now is his strong hands on my body, touching me intimately. His tongue trailing over my naked skin, nipping and biting in that teasing way that has me…

“Huh?” I blink up at him, realising we’ve come to a stop in the middle of the gym.

A playful smirk plays on the corner of his mouth, as if he knows exactly where my thoughts are.

“What areyouthinking?” he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly as he drops his hand to my waist and throws my earlier words back at me. My skin tingles from his touch.

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry, and blush even harder as I try to form a coherent sentence. “Uh… I…”

“Relax, little possum. We’ve got plenty of time for that. Right now, I need to make sure you’re prepared if anything goes wrong.”

His words have the effect of a bucket of ice thrown over my body. I shiver, knowing what we’re going to be attempting is dangerous. Nash needs to be focused on getting Franklin out of there safely. He can’t be worried about me too.

“Right,” I say, clearing my throat and forcing myself to put some distance between us.

He grins. “Okay, let’s run through some things from the other day.”

For the next hour, Nash puts me through a gruelling series of self-defence drills. He teaches me how to break holds, strike vulnerable points, and use my body’s momentum to escape someone twice my size. He’s relentless but patient, correcting my stance, refining my movements, and pushing me until my muscles ache and my breath comes short. By the end, I’mbruised, sweating, and exhausted, but I feel a lot more prepared.

I flop down on the mat, my chest rising and falling as I gasp for air.

“You’re a fast learner,” Nash says as he drops next to me, resting his hands behind his head.

“I have a good teacher,” I reply, turning my head to smile at him.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Is that so?” I ask, rolling onto my side. My fingers trail up his torso.

“It is,” he says with a sexy smirk, catching my hand and entwining our fingers.

My stomach flutters, and I meet his hooded gaze with my own.

I squeak when he moves quickly, gripping my hips and pulling me to straddle him. My hands land on his chest, steadying myself as I gaze down at him. His heart races under my touch, and it’s heady knowing I do that to him. He licks his lips, and I lean down to kiss him.

Nash’s hands tangle in my hair, holding me to him as he deepens the kiss. I moan, grinding my sensitive core against the growing bulge in his pants. Arousal thrums through me.

We make out until we’re both breathless and panting. Rising to my knees, I push at his sweatpants, and he lifts, helping me kick them off. He doesn’t bother removing my underwear, simply pushing it aside, his knuckles brushing over my clit. I barely have a moment to process the desire pulsing through me before his rock-hard cock is notching at my entrance. I cry out his name as he pushes inside me.

This angle is intense, and my eyes roll back in my head. Nash grips my hips, setting the pace as I rock over him. Itdoesn’t take long for the first wave of pleasure to wash over me, causing my entire body to tremble from the force of it.