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He gave her a look ‘That was the intention, wasn’t it?’

Aiesha walked over to the reave it a futile poke She could sense his watchful gaze resting on her He’d found her asleep Off guard Vulnerable Had she given anything ahile sleeping? Mur of the turmoil of her past?

She ta since she was eight years old Show no e up on me’

‘I was trying toasleep in front of a dead fire I orried you ht be cold’

Worried? Ha When had anyone been concerned about her welfare? She was invisible unless she made people notice her She had spent her life as an outsider Not good enough Not educated enough Not posh enough

The thought of hi about her comfort disturbed her No one cared about her No one watched out for her Not unless they wanted so

Aiesha turned and squared her gaze with his ‘Why didn’t you wake lad I punched you I should’ve hit you harder’

He took the ice pack away froer There was soaze as it held hers She looked away, flattening herhim out

He ca in front of the dead fire ‘You want to hit ain?’ he asked ‘Come on Put up your fists and clobber me with your best shot’

She crossed her ar fun of me’

Those dark blue eyes continued to penetrate and probe ‘I’, Aiesha Get it out of your systeo ahead and hit me I won’t hit you back I can take it like a man’

Aiesha clenched her fists She could hit him She could probably knock him out cold if she put her mind to it Trouble was, her mind was out of sync with her heart

She hated that she’d hurt him She loathed violence Violence sickened her She’d only taken up boxing as a precaution while living in Vegas It wasn’t called Sin City for nothing Men with too rope and proposition her each night as she left the club She had never hit anyone before, just a punching bag in the gy had been the substitute for all the men she wished she’d been able to pummel back the way they had puh hits and slaps in her time to want to eradicate all violence from the world?