Chapter 48
forty-eight
Sweat drips down the side of my neck as I curl a pair of fifty-pound barbells. The burn in my biceps is exactly what I need after the shit show of a morning I’ve had.
Couldn’t sleep for shit last night thanks to mine and Logan’s discussion, and the only thing keeping me from losing my mind is the steady rhythm of reps and the view from across the gym.
Reyna is teaching a pole dancing class located behind a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass, and from where I’m set up on the bench press, I’ve got a front-row seat.
She’s got about six women lined up around the poles, all of whom are dressed in various states of athletic wear, twirling around them as she calls out directions and encouragement.
I’ve been coming to Summit Studio since it opened a couple of months ago. And if Reyna hadn’t come along, I would’ve been trolling the yoga classes, spin sessions, and the gym, sussing out women who might be down for a quick fuck. It was all just a game to me. One I’m pretty damn good at.
But ever since that night in Portland when she had her mouth wrapped around my dick, tears streaming down her face, I haven’t looked at another woman. Not once.
So, my focus isn’t on them.
It’s on her.
Her long, white-blonde hair is pulled up in a messy knot on top of her head, a few strands escaping to frame her face.
She’s wearing a black sports bra and these tiny little shorts that show off every inch of her toned legs.
The way she’s moving, all fluid and graceful, makes my mouth go dry every single time she bends over and shakes that fuckable ass.
Captivated, my reps slow as Reyna wraps her hands around the pole, and in one smooth, controlled move, lifts her entire body, spreading her legs into a perfect V, toes pointed, thighs flexed.
As my brain goes offline, one of the barbells slips out of my hand and drops to the floor with a thud, narrowly missing my foot in the process.
Jesus Christ.
“Brex.” Logan’s voice cuts through my haze, his solid nudge to my shoulder nearly knocking me off the bench. “Dude. Stop fucking staring.”
“How can you not?” I ask, eyes locked on Reyna as she lowers herself to the floor in a slow, controlled descent. My cock twitches. “She’s a goddamn work of art, man.”
Setting his weights down, he steps in front of me and crosses his arms over his chest, blocking my view. “It’s called a subtle side-eye, shithead. If even one person sees us eye-fucking her and tells a friend, we’re up shit’s creek without a fucking paddle.”
I crane my neck, catching one last glimpse of Reyna spinning around the pole, legs extended in a perfect horizontal split.
Logan presses two fingers against my forehead and shoves.
“Hey!” I smack his hand away. “You said the chief was cool with us dating her as long as we keep it professional at work,” I remind him, snatching my towel off the bench, wiping the sweat off my face.
He was on the phone with Chief Harrison for close to an hour this morning. Apparently, he and his wife have a unique situation of their own, so the guy is open-minded. Thank fuck. Cause I’m not giving her up, no matter what he said.
“Cool with it doesn’t mean make it obvious,” Logan mutters, eyes flicking over to Reyna before snapping back to me. “We still need to be careful. You know how small towns work. One effing whisper and suddenly the whole town is talking.”
I roll my eyes, but he’s not wrong. Lakeside is the kind of place where gossip spreads faster than a brush fire in August. One wrong look, one lingering touch, and we’re front-page news on the town’s unofficial Facebook page.
Okay. Maybe it’s not that bad. But you get my drift.
“Fine,” I grumble, forcing myself to turn away and pick the barbell up off the floor. “But don’t go blaming me. You’re the one who wanted to come here and work out knowing she’d be here, literally right there, doing things with her body that should be illegal.”
Logan’s jaw flexes. “No shit. I have eyes in my head too, ya know.”
Even though the gym is mostly empty, I lower my voice. “So, what did the chief say, exactly?”
There’s an older guy on the treadmill a few machines down, but he’s wearing an old-school pair of headphones and seems completely zoned out.
Leaning against the weight rack, Logan shoves his hands into the pockets of his shorts.
“He said as long as there’s no favoritism or conflict of interest, he doesn’t have a problem with it.
But he also said if it starts affecting our performance or causing issues within the department, we’ll need to reassess. ”
“That’s... surprisingly reasonable.”
“Yeah,” Logan shrugs. “Turns out him and his wife have a girlfriend. They’ve been in a poly relationship for about five years now.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “No shit?”
“No shit.” A ghost of a smile tugs at his mouth. “Said it took them a while to figure it out, but it works for them. And he gave me some advice.”
“Advice? From the chief?” I snort. “Just when you think you’ve heard it all...”
“Shut up.” Logan narrows his eyes at me. “He said the key is communication. All three of us need to be on the same page, and we need to check in on the reg. Make sure no one’s feeling left out or getting jealous.”
I turn to face him fully. “And are we? On the same page?”
He holds my gaze for a beat. “Yeah. I think we are.”
A weight I didn’t realize I’d been carrying slips from my shoulders. We’ve been best friends since college. And what we plan on doing now is nothing like what we’ve done before. Back when two-for-one was all just fun and games.
This time it’s different. Reyna is different. And the thought of losing either one of them if we can’t figure this out makes my chest hurt.
“Good,” I nod. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Neither am I.” His voice is steady, certain in a way I haven’t heard from him in years. Not since before his ex ripped his heart out and practically ate it for fucking breakfast. “Now get your shit together so we can be done by the time she is.”
Rolling my eyes, I lean over and pick up the weights. But just as I go to take one last look, Reyna’s gaze lifts and catches mine, and I can’t help myself. Releasing a slow, deliberate smirk, I waggle my eyebrows.
Her lips twitch, quickly morphing into a small, secret smile—the kind I know she reserves just for me—before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the class.
“Brex.” Logan’s voice is a warning growl.
“Fine,” I mutter.
Tearing my gaze away, I shove my AirPods in my ears and try to focus. But no matter how hard I try, half my mind stays with the pretty vision behind the glass.
Forty-five minutes later, we’re sweating it out on the treadmill when Logan waves a hand to get my attention.
I remove an ear bud. “What?”
“Class is letting out,” he tells me with a jerk of his chin.
My head snaps around. Sure enough, women are filing out of the studio, gym bags slung over their shoulders, chatting and laughing as they make their way toward the exit. I watch as Reyna gathers her things, slinging her duffel over her shoulder as she makes her way to the door.
“Shit. Here she comes. Act natural.”
“Act natural?” I laugh, raising the incline. “Who the fuck are you right now?”
“Shut up and run,” Logan grumbles.
“Jesus, you’re a bossy fucker today.”
Logan just scowls.
Upping the speed, I start jogging, keeping my eyes fixed on the digital display. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Reyna as she slips through the door to the gym. Cheeks flushed, her skin glistens with sweat, a few damp strands clinging to her neck.
A small smile plays at the corners of her mouth when she spots us and makes her way over.
“What are you two up to?” she asks with a tilt of her head.
Her sports bra leaves little to the imagination. All it’s doing is squishing her tits up with every rise and fall of each breath, and I have to force myself to keep my eyes on her gorgeous face.
Logan slows his treadmill down to a walk, hits stop, and turns to face her. “We need to talk.”
The smile on her face falters. “Okay.” She tucks a damp strand of hair behind her ear. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” I hurry to say. “We just—”
“We’re coming over to your place tonight,” Logan cuts in, the edge in his voice making me want to elbow him in the ribs. “There are some things we need to discuss.”
Reyna’s frown deepens.
I give him a look that says, ‘Take the broody down a notch.’ The last thing we need is for her to think we’re about to drop a bomb on her.
“If that’s cool,” I add, keeping my tone light. “Nothing bad. Promise.”
She studies us for a long moment, her eyes bouncing between Logan’s stoic face and my attempt at a charming grin. The tension in her body eases just a fraction, but there’s still a wariness there.
“You could,” she says slowly, adjusting the strap of her bag. “But I’m not going to be there.”
Logan’s brows furrow. “Why not?”
“Because it’s girls’ night.”
I narrow my eyes at my best friend. ‘Don’t be a dick and mess this up for us.’
He huffs out a breath. “Okay. How ’bout tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow night will work.” Reyna’s lips twitch. “What time?”
“Seven?” I grab my towel from where it’s slung over one of the handlebars and step off the treadmill. “We’ll bring dinner. Right, Lo?”
Logan’s gaze, stuck on Reyna’s cleavage, flicks up. “Uh. Right. Dinner.”
Looks like someone is having a hard time taking his own advice.
Logan’s phone pings. When he pulls it out and checks the screen, he shakes his head and looks at me.
“What’s up?”
“Rowan. Says girls’ night has been relocated to his and Lizzy’s, so we’re invited to meet up with him and the other guys at The Brew.”
“Cool.” Reyna nods, and her small smile returns, not quite as bright as before. “Then I guess I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
And with those words, she turns and walks away.
“That you will, Pretty,” I call after her with a grin. Logan growls and shoves me, making me laugh as I stumble a couple of steps to the side. “That you will.”