Chapter 6 Hawk
SIX
hawk
One of the best parts of owning your own baseball team had to be the state-of-the-art gym equipment that was available to me. The Minutemen let all staff use the gym, though it was unavailable during team workouts or when individual players needed it to rehab.
In the off-season, we mostly had free range. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Kendra working out after hours, but I inhaled sharply at the sight of her running on the treadmill. Fuck, she was fast.
She didn’t notice me right away, and I took advantage, watching her as I put weight plates on the leg press to warm up. Whatever she was listening to in her earbuds had her completely blocking out the rest of the world.
I was on my third set when she stopped the treadmill and wiped the sweat off her brow. Her black leggings and sports bra did nothing to hide her lean, toned body. And those tits, fuck. Did she know that her nipples popped clear through the fabric of her top?
Adding a few more plates to my next set, I attempted to distract myself from watching her, using the strain of the weight as a physical reminder that I was her boss.
Kendra still hadn’t noticed me, and I continued to watch her as she continued, moving onto a shoulder and chest workout. I passed her as I moved to the Smith rack, where I planned to set up for squats.
Our eyes met in the mirror, and she smiled slightly, continuing with her set. I waved before jumping into my next set.
She waved me down when I finished. “Can I get a spot?”
“Sure.”
Fuck me. Spotting her on the bench press, I had to look at her, and no, I couldn’t avert my eyes to avoid her nipples. My dick twitched, a reminder that not only was I not immune to her, but that it had been way too long since I’d gotten laid.
Work, the team, and convincing Grandad to let go of his control of the team had monopolized every waking hour. Add to it that Julia, my long-time friend with benefits, was now in a relationship. My only action of late was from my right hand.
Fuck. I liked tits. They were okay, but I fully subscribed to the thought that more than a handful was a waste. I fucking loved nipples, and Kendra’s begged for me to suck on them.
She was efficient in her workout, moved quickly through the set, and sat up to thank me.
“What are you listening to?” I asked. Kendra blushed. Interesting.
“It’s an audiobook.” She grabbed her water bottle and took a swig.
“What’s the book?”
“Oh, just a light and fluffy beach read. Nothing you would recognize.”
“Kendra, are you listening to smut?”
Her slight blush spread over her entire face, a clear giveaway. I gave her a grin, and she avoided my gaze as she prepared to do her second set.
“None of your business, boss.”
“You know what trait I absolutely love in a woman?”
Her eyes went to mine as she gripped the barbell. “What?”
“I love when they read smut, in the middle of a crowded room, and they think no one knows. But right now, you could cut glass with your nipples. Whatever they’re doing in that book, it’s working for you, isn’t it?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, covering up the nipples I’d been stupid enough to mention.
“It’s not smut, Hawk. It’s about a serial killer, a very misunderstood serial killer who just disemboweled his victim. And it’s cold in here, so stop looking at my chest.”
I swallowed and then laughed. She was quick. I’d give her that, but I didn’t buy it. “Let me hear it.”
She blushed, and I grabbed her earbud out, the sound transferring to the phone in her pocket.
“…umm, she moaned as his cock hit the back of her throat…”
She fumbled with the phone, frantically trying to stop the playback of the book. Her blush had gone from a faint hint to a full red bloom across her face.
“God, you’re adorable when you blush.”
Dammit, Hawk. Guess you’re going to need to report yourself to HR.
She grunted and got ready for another set, attempting to change the subject, moving back to the workout.
“I have another meet-up tonight. If you want to be my wingman, you know, just in case Connor ends up being Tyler 2.0.”
“Of course,” I said. I spotted her for the following two sets, growing increasingly frustrated that she was meeting fucking idiots from the dating website again. Did I know for certain that this guy was a jackass? No. But in my mind, I was already gearing up to tear him apart.
Kendra was a fucking catch; not only was she drop-dead gorgeous, but the woman’s brain made her even more attractive.
The fact that an idiot like Tyler thought he even had a right to speak to her, never mind demanding anything from her, blew my mind.
So yeah, I would be her wingman. If only to block the douchebags until the day someone worthy shows up.
“I’ll be at the bar by 7:00. Does that work?”
She nodded. “It does. Thanks for looking out for me.”
“Anytime.”