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down, ask
her if she was okay and wrap her in a hug.
    He shook his head. Was he insane?
    Just drive Dana for ice cream, smile, joke,
nod, be happy. Take her home and leave before Jordan sees you. You
might also want to mention, yet again, that you just want to be
friends. At least you have a valid reason now.
    Not that he’d tell her that. Harrison winced.
In less than 24 hours his heart had been captured. He had a feeling
the siege would be a long one.
    Granger, you’re pathetic.
    He stepped off the escalator with a black
frown. There was no denying it. A night that was supposed to be fun
had taken a turn for the best then a severe downward slide for the
worst.
     

 
    Chapter Five
    Ponte Vedra Beach,
Florida - 2011 AD
     
    The training room felt hot and stuffy. Gemma
wiped her brow and brought her fists up to protect her face.
Staying on the balls of her feet, she circled Dom, watching his
muscles twitch and jerk, trying to predict his next move.
    They had been at this since seven-thirty that
morning and Gemma was over it before they’d even begun. She usually
didn’t mind family training sessions, but not today. Not when
images of Harrison’s disappointed expression kept popping into her
head.
    Dom’s fist shot towards her, she blocked the
blow and moved to strike, but he was in the zone and countered her
attack. She spun behind him, giving herself space and time to
focus.
    This sucked! She cringed to think what
Harrison must be saying about her to his friends. He and Darren
were probably together right now, playing XBox and laughing about
what a freak she was.
    A bright pain tore up her jawbone. She
grunted and fell to the ground, grabbing her chin.
    “Oh my g… Sorry. Gem, are you okay?”
    Her brother was on his knees beside her,
rolling her to face him.
    “Dominic! This is only training!”
    Alistair Hart shoved his son out of the way
and moved Gemma’s hand in order to examine the damage.
    “I’m fine, Dad.” Gemma sat up, wiped her chin
and saw there was no blood. At least the bruising would be gone
before school tomorrow.
    “I was expecting her to block that.” Dom
pointed at his sister. “Didn’t you see it coming?”
    She rubbed her forehead.
    “Gemma, you’re not concentrating.” Her
father’s reprimands always stung.
    “I’m sorry.”
    Smoothing her hair back, she looked up and
was surrounded. Dom looked guilty, Ruby looked amused. Her father’s
eyes were narrowed and her mother was hovering with that annoying
“you better have an explanation for this behavior” look.
    “I’m tired. I didn’t sleep well last
night.”
    “Why? Are you sick? You’re taking your
vitamins, aren’t you?”
    She nodded at her mother’s barrage of
questions, but the woman wouldn’t let up.
    “Is something stressing you out at school?
What happened last night to make you tense? Is something going on
that we need to know about?”
    “Mom! Would you give her break. I don’t sleep
well after a midnight debrief either.”
    At that moment, Gemma would have handed Ruby
a platter of stars if she’d been able to. She shot her a quick
smile. Ruby’s wink was subtle as she stood up.
    “Alright everyone.” Alistair offered his
youngest daughter a hand up. “Let’s take a fifteen minute break. Go
get a drink, take some time out. I want you all back here at ten
hundred and we’re going to practice this until we get it
right.”
    Gemma looked over her father’s shoulder and
watched the twins roll their eyes and stifle groans behind his
back. She didn’t know whether they were blaming her for the
extended training session or not, but she didn’t want to stick
around and have their black looks aimed at her. Grabbing a towel,
she wiped her face and tore up the stairs to her room.
    Slamming the door behind her, she fell on her
bed and gazed up at the ceiling. She blinked at the moisture
building in her eyes and covered her face with the towel as the
door crept open.
    It was shut quietly behind her visitor.