Chapter 8 Miguel
Chapter eight
Miguel
Soaking and Warmed Up
Laney drifted off against my chest as we crossed the mile to her apartment. I gently wake her by rubbing my hand along her arm as we pull up in front of a Chicago common brick building.
“We’re here.” I tell her with a press of my lips to her forehead. It has slowly returned to a normal temperature. Her body shifts against me and she’s moving more fluidly already. Thank goodness. “Keys?”
“In there.” She nods to the bag I’m holding. I reach in and dig around until I find her key ring. I keep my arm around her waist as we walk up to her door.
“Which apartment?” I ask as I lead us into the vestibule.
“Two A.” She mumbles.
“Alright, up the stairs we go. You’ve got it. C’mon Laney.”
She seems exhausted, her normally sparkling, wide eyes are barely open. Once inside her apartment I drink in every detail, desperate to know everything about the woman in my arms.
Mismatched dumbbells line the floor under the window next to a rolled out mat.
The floral patterned sofa seems more like the type you’d find in a grandmother’s apartment but the embroidered pillow in the corner saying “I’m too clumsy for fragile masculinity” is all Laney.
Across the hallway to my left is a kitchen with a box of breakfast toaster pastries sitting on the counter.
“Which room is yours?” I ask as I walk down the hall.
“This one.” She holds onto the door frame for balance as she steps inside.
“Get undressed, I’ll start the bath.”
“Okay,” she murmurs. My mouth goes dry as she pulls my t-shirt off over her head. My eyes drink in the muscular expanse of her back, the nip of her waist, and the swelling hint of her breasts from the side.
Breasts that tortured me as I held her on the beach.
With a centering breath I drag myself away and into the bathroom. The water thunders from the faucet and the noise crashes through the otherwise quiet space. I find extra hand towels under the sink and roll one up to be a pillow for her neck against the cold, hard porcelain.
Without another task to complete, my brain takes the opportunity of a moment alone to overwhelm me with feeling.
First, my body flushes with relief to see her moving and recovering already. I’ll be haunted by the purple shade of her lips and the chattering of her teeth.
Reassured her coloring is returning to normal, the next emotion to run through my blood is fury.
I’m seething over her carelessness.
How dare she risk her health like that? Her life? Why didn’t she stop me earlier in the swim? Why is she in an ill-fitting wetsuit to begin with?
Who is looking out for her? Because she clearly isn’t looking out for herself.
The door creaks open behind me and Laney steps in, wrapped in a robe.
“Here, I’ll help you in.” I take her hand and guide her in front of me. Once the robe is clear of her shoulder blades, I force my eyes away from her skin, instead tracking the glide of the garment off her arms in the mirror.
Each smooth plane of her body reflects against the glass and into my brain. I’m mapping every inch of her I can see.
Laney called us out for being attracted to each other. She saw it being a problem.
I counted on my resolve and control to temper my want.
But I had no idea how strong my desire burns.
I should walk away, I should free myself from this temptation. Free her from the danger of becoming attached. Break the gravitational pull drawing me into her orbit.
“Ah, that feels nice.” She says and I hear the water moving gently against the tub. Pleading with myself to not picture it lapping across her body.
I clear my throat. “I’ll just–” my sentence dies because I really don’t know what I’m going to do. With a thumb over my shoulder indicating my retreat, I turn away from her and partially close the bathroom door behind me.
Each step down the hall clears my head a little more.
Laney Matteson is intoxicating.
If I’m not careful she’ll seduce me into submission without lifting a finger.
Molten lava floods my veins as I all too easily separate the hypothermic concerns from the memory of holding Laney against my chest. Her rock hard nipples cut against my skin. Her strong, muscular back, curled to bring her closer as my arms wrapped around her.
If we were anywhere else at that moment I would have sunk myself into her depths, losing myself completely to her.
She’s a siren beckoning me to the rocks.
And I don’t have a mast strong enough to tie myself to.
How the hell am I going to resist her?
I pull out one of the chairs at her kitchen table and regroup. This is not how I expected the morning to go. I was hoping to do a training swim to get a sense of her physicality and then talk with her about her plans for training.
I’m her coach. Her role model. I’m the one with the knowledge of the sport and the business side of TitaniumPerson the corporation.
And my job right now is to ensure she’s safe and healthy.
Healthy.
She needs to eat.
The box of breakfast pastries stares back at me. The processed and synthetic ingredients in these things aren’t going to give her body what it needs to build strength and endurance.
But the sugar in them will help warm her up internally right now.
I grab a pack and glass of water and head to the bathroom.
“Laney?” I ask as I knock gently on the door.
“Yeah?” Her voice sounds tired but relaxed.
“I’ve got a snack for you. And some water.”
“Thanks Miguel.”
“I’ll just leave it here,” I reach in and try to set the stuff on the counter without glancing in the mirror or in the general direction of the tub.
“It’s okay, I want you to come in.” She says as water slushes around.
“No, I better not.” I can barely utter the words through the sandpaper in my throat.
“Miguel, please.”
My knees buckle as they move me into the small room.
Laney is leaning forward and her entire side body is on display as she reaches up into her hair. My eyes trace from her fingertips against her golden locks up to the bend of her elbow, down her cut bicep, to the curve of her breast popping forward above her ribs and pressing into her thighs.
“Can you help get this braid out? I think it got tangled in the water.” She says and I trace my eyes back up to her hair.
“Yeah, I’ll help.” I agree as I kneel down outside the tub.
Her hands lower and she sighs gently. She hugs them across herself, hiding the side of her chest I will never forget.
Focusing on my task, I begin to untangle her hair. Without a word needed between us, she hands me some conditioner and a wide tooth comb. I take them and set them down before handing her the snack.
Her hair is wet and darker than the usual sunshine hue. I work my way through the strands and once everything has been brushed straight I sit back on my heels.
“I think it’s done.”
She reaches back and combs her fingers through it. “Yes, oh thank you, Miguel. It feels so much better.” She says as she turns to smile at me.
My eyes nearly explode as I keep them focused on her face instead of wandering anywhere else.
Her hand reaches out and she lays her palm against my forearm. Her touch is warm and I am so fucking thankful she’s recovering.
“Did it hurt?” She asks as she pulls her arm back into the water and hugs her knees.
“What?”
“The lion tattoo.”
“Oh, I suppose it did, but that was kind of the point.”
“What do you mean?”
“He represents inner strength, power, courage. And when I got him I needed to be reminded of those traits.”
“That’s cool.”
She sounds distant, a little sleepy.
“I’m going to go.” I grunt out as I stand up and turn away from her. I need to get out of here. I need to regroup. “I’m going to bring your bike back but stay in that bath until the water feels cold and then rest up.”
“Yes Coach.” I can hear the smile in her voice. The teasing.
She either knows exactly how irresistible she is or she has no idea.
I can’t decide which is worse.