My Man Michael by FOSTER LORI

Author:FOSTER, LORI [FOSTER, LORI]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

FOR several days, Kayli managed to dodge any heartfelt discussions with Michael. It was easier than

she had imagined, given how he threw himself into the training. The man proved tireless.

He set up three sessions a day, al owing the women to join them, even appointing some of the

better female fighters the task of instruction.

On the third day, the men and women mixed, al working at various skil levels. There wasn’t a

single unutilized space on the fields. Michael effectively divided groups, giving each a specific task,

then rotating them at intervals.

On the forth day, he took it further than field training. He wanted everyone to pay attention to diet,

too, which meant he ate many of his meals with the trainees. After a long consultation with the cooks,

he came up with a specific menu for everyone. He praised as often as he corrected, harassed as

often as he commiserated.

And he sought Kayli’s input.

He truly made her feel an important part of the equation. If she noticed a lapse in technique, he

stood back while she offered the correction, then smiled at her with pride. So often, the way he

looked at her made her blush.

Even now, with everyone working hard, he found time to seek her out with his gaze, to look her over

and smile in that appreciative way.

“Your heart is racing,†Hauk pointed out.

“We’ve been working for hours.†Kayli used a forearm to wipe the sweat from her brow,

turning away from Michael.

“You’re in incredible shape, so exercise has nothing to do with it, and you know it.â€

“Do you want something, Hauk?â€

“Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Mal et wants to speak with you.â€

“Now?†He often conferred with her during practices, and in the middle of explaining a

technique, he’d tel her that she smel ed good, or that she looked good sweaty; sometimes

he’d just say that he wanted to hear her voice.

Little by little, he was softening her. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

“At the end of the practice,†Hauk explained. And then, in a chastising tone, he added,

“You’ve been avoiding him, Kayli, and he’s been patient. But it’s not like you to

cower.â€

“I am not cowering!†She was giving herself time to get her thoughts together, to . . . prepare

herself. She glanced over and saw that Michael had gathered everyone together. He did that each

day, going over what they’d learned, offering encouragement, and answering questions. She

sighed.

“Fibber,†Hauk accused. “You’re uncertain of how he might affect your neatly

organized life, but Mal et deserves your attention.â€

She rol ed her eyes. “What are you, his defender? He can handle himself, you know.â€

“Indeed. He is most capable of handling many things, including your insecurities.â€

Gnashing her teeth, Kayli said, “I’l talk to him later.†Because she wasn’t ready to

face Michael and his expectations, she slipped away before he could wrap up his pep talk to the

assembly.

She’d denied it to Hauk, but she knew it was cowardly to flee this way. But blast it, she needed

time to herself, time to sort through her feelings.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.