Chapter 3
Skyla
S weat drips from my body as I pedal on the spin bike. Five rows in front of me, men and women look just as sweaty and ragged as I do, as we finish up this morning’s class. Music plays loudly from the speakers but I am wearing a headset that lets them hear my instructions.
“That’s it for today. Start your cool down,” I announce.
Seeing everyone let out a collective sigh, I smile.
I did work them hard this morning. A funk has hung over my head for four days, since Camo walked out of my house. I have not seen or heard from him since, but if I am being honest with myself, I expected him not to come around for a while. A way of punishing me, if you will.
I know he is a hard man with just as hard a life being with the club but I can’t help but think that he does not see me the way that I see him, and all I am to him is another wet hole for him to fuck.
We never set any boundaries between us, and I have heard from the club girls that he regularly fucks them. As much as it gets under my skin, he did not promise me anything. Some people hate that idea but again, we did not say that we were exclusive.
Once everyone is cooled down, they leave with farewells and see you tomorrows. Some will be back but others will join another class, due to work or life commitments.
We have a lot of regulars here at ‘Fit Tribe’ as we offer a wide range of services. Not only do we have the main gym with the typical equipment but we have spin classes and yoga, with our very own Eva.
Rocky and Clark teach boxing lessons as well as self-defense for all ages and sexes. We do not discriminate against anyone.
We also have a no recording and harassment policy. No warning; once, and you are out.
Nodding to one of my newbies who is on cleaning duty, he steps into the room to clean off the bikes for this afternoon’s class.
“I do not understand how your legs are not like Jell-O right now,” Rocky calls from the boxing ring, where he is sparring with a young fighter.
Stopping ringside, I lean my hands on the canvas mat and smile up at my long-time friend, who women gush over every time he talks. Imagine Vin Diesel’s voice— well, that is Rocky.
I shrug. “I am used to it. You are looking good, Tyrone,” I compliment him, and he beams.
“Thanks, Sky. Rocky has helped me a lot; we were just talking about me entering my first fight. What do you think?”
“I am not the expert here, but if Rocky thinks you are ready, then go for it. You never know until you try, kid.” I slam my hands on the canvas and leave them to it.
My body shivers when someone opens the front door and a blast of chilled fall breeze floats into the gym. Heading to my office where my private shower is, I strip from my clothes and wash off the grimy feeling from the spin class. I have no other classes today, so I am on admin duty.
If I am being honest, I could do with the distraction today. Anything to take my mind off a certain sexy, hot biker who likes to fuck me until I can’t think straight, but he has ghosted me again.
You would think that I would have given up by now, but there is this pull toward him. It is like my soul is happy to ride this wave of tension and uncertainty because she knows something that I do not.
Once my shower is finished, I dry off and dress in jeans and a knit sweater, slipping my feet into my fluffy lounge boots.
When one o’clock strikes, my office door opens and in stroll my three best friends in the entire world. They are my rock, and my family rolled into one.
“Fucking hell, I am starving,” Rocky huffs, dropping his big body down onto the plush sofa that we had added to the room for the occasional nap. Because I believe that naps are the best thing ever.
Standing at well over six-feet, Rocky is hot, like cover of a magazine hot. Tall, with dark hair that falls just below his ears, and both arms covered in colorful tattoos.
“You are always starving, bro.” Clark chuckles before biting into the chicken salad wrap.
Now Clark, is the all-American man. Tall, short blond hair, baby blue eyes, and a body that makes most women drool over him, but unfortunately for them, he is all for the male variety.
“I need carbs.” I giggle, looking over to Eva, who is my sister from another mister, who was also a fuck-up like my own father.
All four of us came from shitty homes; I think it is why we connected so much in college. After the first year of us living in the dorms, we all moved into a place together off campus and for the next few years, we grew to be a family.
From there we planned our future and here we are today, as close as ever and making a successful business.
“Girl, where do you put all that food?” I ask her before stuffing some noodles into my mouth.
She smiles around a mouthful of food.
“Classy,” Clark jokes.
“So, are you going to fill us in on what has had you in a sour mood the past few days?” Rocky asks.
I shrug, leaning forward to suck more noodles into my mouth.
“One word,” Eva pipes in. “Biker.”
The two men in my life look at me with completely different expressions. Clark with a dash of sympathy, but Rocky looks like he wants to cut Camo’s head off.
They are very protective over both Eva and me, but we are equally as protective of them also. You take us all or none of us.
“We had a little fight; you know how we get.” I wave them off. “I pushed too far.”
“There is nothing fucking wrong with wanting more from the man you are sleeping with, honey,” Clark adds.
“I know, but Camo never promised a relationship beyond sex.”
“He is a dick, if you ask me. Skyla, you deserve a man who wants to be with you outside of the bedroom. It is his loss if he walks away, and if I am being honest, and I know it may hurt for a while, but I am hoping that he walks away. You never date anyone else, but I bet my part of the gym that he does.” Rocky’s words hit hard, and I have to try a few times to swallow the knot in my throat.
“Maybe” is all I say.
“Well, how about those Bruins, huh?” Clark says to the room after a few minutes of awkward silence.
We all look at each other, and my gaze connects with Rocky, and he winks, letting me know that he has my back no matter what. In that second, the room fills with us laughing our asses off.
Trust Clark to break the tension.
“So, how was that guy you hooked up with from the bar?” I ask Eva.
A few nights ago, we went out to celebrate her birthday, and she danced all night with two guys, then left with one. We knew he was a supernatural, but I never got the vibe that he would hurt her.
“OMG, he was so sweet. He is a shifter; we did not go any further than kissing but that man can kiss, and his tongue is sinful,” she gushes.
“Speaking of tongues. I hooked up with that tech guy again. He had me coming in seconds with his tongue and mouth.” Clark gets a dreamy look in his eyes that I envy.
I want to go back to the carefree life that involved sex without the messy emotions. My heart and soul feel attached to Camo and I cannot figure out why I am so drawn to him.
Humans have always hooked up with supernaturals for as long as I have known about them, but somehow, things feel different with him. I know that some supernatural people have fated mates, but I am not sure about Camo.
“Man, I need to get laid.” Rocky grimaces.
He is not one to fuck around; he likes to feel a connection to the person he wants to sleep with. For years he was living his man-whore days but after he got tricked into thinking he was going to be a dad, but the bitch lied.
We spend the rest of our lunch break talking about classes that we have coming up, and the possibility of adding more offers to the gym. Rocky has even looked into buying the building next door so we can expand.
I sit and watch my friends talk, my heart full of love for them, but a certain biker keeps creeping into my thoughts and a dark cloud floats in.
Pushing it away, I get on with my day, thinking of nothing but sweaty people and women who learn to defend themselves against men who can’t take no for an answer.