Episode 86
EPISODE 86
FLEX AND FLIRT
River
This is all so fucked up.
How did I let Evangeline talk me into staying behind? Into letting Brett look into why Rachel and Ginger left the hospital against medical advice?
Brett said I’m too close to the situation because Rachel was the first woman I connected with, but I disagree. Rachel is special, but she’s clearly looking for something other than what I can offer. I wish her well. That’s all.
At least I think that’s all.
Which of course is why Brett needed to go instead. The way he sees inside me pisses me off to no end sometimes, especially since I can’t see through him the same way. Never in a million years did I suspect he had some kind of romantic feelings for Jake all those years ago. Was it just a friendship that bloomed for him? Was it a need to protect that turned into something more? Did Jake ever know?
Unless Brett chooses to confide in me again, I’ll never have answers to any of those questions. He and Sienna are off to the mainland of Jamaica, and he’ll get her on a plane home.
I’m here, and I need to work off more aggression. Since Emily is God knows where—she didn’t come to say goodbye to Sienna, which was strange in its own right—I can’t rely on her for some raw fucking like I did last night. And it was just fucking to her, apparently, since she was happy to spread her legs for Brett this morning in the hot tub.
Emily. Rachel.
I sigh.
They’re both beautiful and intelligent, but there the similarities end. Rachel is reserved, contemplative, insightful. Emily is outspoken, charismatic, utterly captivating. And I know her much better than I know Rachel.
And then…Misty, who also didn’t come down to see Sienna off on her journey. Misty is beautiful and intelligent as well, but she’s also devious and calculating…and I want no part of her. What the hell is Brett thinking, wanting to keep her around just because she may be Jake’s half-sister?
Clad in workout clothes, I enter the private gym in the mansion—the best way to work off the steam and aggression other than fucking Emily. Time for some punching. Maybe I’ll imagine Seb’s smug face—or Brett’s—as I pummel the fucking bag.
The gym is state-of-the-art, of course, but nothing compared to my gym back home, with floor-to-ceiling glass so I can watch the sun come up or down as I work my body. I prefer the outdoors, of course, but Montana winters can be harsh, so even when I work out inside, I can see the winter beauty of my ranch, the snow blanketing the rolling hills and vast fields. The golden hues of light spilling from the ranch buildings. Once in a while a deer wanders onto the property, moving through the snow.
Fuck. I’m a little homesick.
I punch the bag with a satisfying thud. The impact sends a shockwave through my hand and arm, and damn… It feels fucking good. It reverberates down my shoulder and back, and before I feel it all the way in my core, I throw another punch.
Then another.
Four more punches before I begin to feel a release of tension, a moment of clarity.
I regulate my breath, adjust my stance, and pummel the inanimate bag, the clarity increasing as I go.
Anger gets me nowhere.
I need to focus. If Sebastian has a plan, I can give this two weeks. I can give Evangeline the time she claims to need to keep herself safe from whatever goons she thinks are out to kill her.
God, so much I don’t know. How the hell did we end up getting into something deeper? Didn’t we do enough of that twenty years ago?
I punch again, creating a rhythm as I focus on the physical sensation of striking the vinyl bag. Sweat emerges on my brow, and still I keep going. Keep punching. Keep?—
“Hi there.”
I turn toward the female voice. Heather stands in the gym, wearing a skimpy blue sports bra and black yoga pants.
She takes out her earbuds. “I’m sorry to interrupt you. I can work out later if you want to be alone.”
I wipe my forehead and slick back my hair. “Not a problem. The gym is open to everyone.” I take in a deep breath and attempt to redirect my thoughts. No reason for Heather to know how frustrated I am. “How are you? Are you enjoying your time here?”
She smiles as she approaches me. “Hell, yeah. A tropical island, great food and drink, luxurious living, and four hunky men? What’s not to love?”
I return her smile. Or try to. She’s a beautiful woman, in an unconventional way. I don’t normally go for unnatural hair colors, but the blue tips work for her. And that viper tattoo on her shoulder. Again, not my thing, but on her? Sexy as hell. As is her amazing rack.
I don’t want to continue punching with her here, but I could go for some strength training. “You want to work out together?” I ask. “I’m going to do some lifting.”
“Absolutely. I could use a spotter. I want to try to go a little heavier today on my bench press.” She heads toward the bench and adds some weight plates to a barbell. “I bench about seventy, but I want to try seventy-five today.”
“That’s high for a woman,” I tell her. “I’m impressed.”
She laughs. “Let’s see if I can do it first.” She lies down on the bench and grips the barbell firmly.
I position my hands near the barbell without touching it. “Just tell me when you’re ready.”
She takes a deep breath and nods. “Ready. I’m going to try for eight reps.”
I shadow the barbell with my hands as she lifts. “Good, Heather. That’s it. Keep your form tight.”
She powers through the first few reps with ease. Around the fifth rep, I notice the barbell wobbling slightly. “You've got this. Stay strong,” I say without touching the barbell.
By the seventh rep, her arms are trembling.
“Last one. You can do it.”
She pushes through the last rep, and I help her guide the barbell back onto the rack. “Excellent,” I say.
She sits up, breathing heavily. “Wow. That was fucking hard. But having you here helped, River. You motivated me.”
“Glad to do it. You’re pretty damned impressive. You want to try again?”
She stands and stretches her arms. “I do.”
“All right. Take a few minutes to rest, and we’ll go again.”
She takes a long drink from her water bottle and then towels off her forehead. Then she looks me over. “So you’re a lifter? I thought those burly muscles came from ranch work.”
“They do. But on days when I can’t be out in the sunshine, I have to maintain this body in other ways. Plus, my ranch hands do most of the heavy work, though I’ve been known to put in a day of pure manual labor every now and then. Keeps me sane.”
“Nothing like getting physical to keep your brain healthy,” she agrees. “I’m ready.”
I spot her for another set. This time it’s a bit more difficult for her, but she powers through, and I’m impressed. I can’t imagine Emily or Rachel pressing seventy-five pounds. Definitely not Misty. That woman has never lifted a finger in her life.
Heather manages one more set after her second, but only gets to the sixth rep.
“Shit,” she says, rising from the bench.
“Don’t be hard on yourself. That was amazing for your first time with a new weight. You did great.”
“What can I help you with?” she asks.
She can hardly spot me while I press two-fifty. “Why don’t we do core work?” I say. “I’ll show you some variations on the plank.”
“Ugh. I hate planks.”
“Who doesn’t? But they’re important.”
She sighs. “You’re right. “Let’s go.”
We work out together for another half hour, moving from planks to dumbbells and then cooling down with some stretches. She’s flirty but not overly so, which I actually appreciate. It feels natural. Like I can forget for a moment that we’re all playing a game here.
“Whew,” Heather says once we’re done. “I needed that.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah.” She chugs more water and wipes her mouth. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but these last couple days have been… I don’t know. I don’t want to say stressful, but…”
“I know.” I walk toward her and grab her hand. “I’m sorry about that. We really did want all you ladies to have a good time. But what happened with Rachel… We feel terrible, and I want you to know that you’re safe here. You and the others. We don’t want you feeling stressed.”
“I know you don’t.” She squeezes my hand. “Thanks for the workout. I need a shower.”
I gaze into her dark-blue eyes. I wouldn’t mind seeing water slide over that tight, hot body. Over that sexy viper on her shoulder.
“How was your date last night with Sebastian?” I ask.
“It was wonderful. I had a great time.” She smiles and lifts an eyebrow. “Of course, I haven’t gotten to know you yet, River.”
Seb and Heather would be a great match for sure, but I’m not feeling any “bro code” at the moment. In fact, it’s every man for himself.
I lean forward and brush my lips over hers. “How about joining me in the shower then?”