Chapter 6 #2
It would seem the why-isn’t-it-Friday blues were hitting early in the evening. Two grown-ass men were about to start a fight over what, one of three dozen weightlifting benches?
“Don’t you dare push me,” a straitlaced-looking blond snarled, his chest puffing up. Even his hands were fisted in preparation. Why did all the executives feel the need to wear and/or trash their hundred-thousand-dollar watches while working out?
Did these dudes who probably drove a Mercedes or even a Ferrari really believe they were going to find the perfect woman inside a gym when they were all sweaty and gross?
Hmmm… Case in point and the reason for the recently developed hot scale.
While the second guy was a little scrappy around the edges, he was by far the sexier of the two. Plus, he was calm and cool, grinning as if he’d just stolen the man’s most prized possession.
“Push you?” the second guy laughed. He was enjoying the hell out of invoking extreme anger.
“Yeah,” the blond snarled in return just as he shoved the other guy over the very bench they’d been arguing over and to the floor.
“That’s it,” I snapped, rushing forward. “You’re both outta here.”
“He started it!” Did the blond honestly believe his bully in the sandbox whine was going to get anywhere with me? It was always the buttoned-up guys you had to worry about.
“I don’t care who started the fight. I’m too old for this shit.
Get your things and leave.” The moment the blond opened his mouth to retort, my finger was in his face.
“Don’t say it. I didn’t have nearly enough coffee this morning and skipped my favorite energy drink, so I am more than a little bit cranky. I suggest you take that as a hint.”
The other guy made the mistake of chuckling at the wrong moment, which in turn landed him a seriously venomous look.
“You too.”
“Okay. Okay.” While the dark-haired guy clambered to his feet, the blond huffed and puffed until I slowly turned my head toward him once again. All my life I’d gotten into serious trouble because of the nasty looks I offered when I wasn’t pleased about something.
At least in this circumstance, I didn’t need to worry about hurting their feelings or being called to the principal’s office.
Thankfully for both, they chose not to argue with me. One then the other scampered away. If they decided to engage in another battle in the parking lot, security could deal with them. When they were out of my line of sight, I blew a strand of my messy hair from my face.
“You’re one formidable lady.”
The tone of the voice was deep, throaty, and created a warm and velvety series of shimmers drifting ever so slowly across my body. It was impossible not to feel heat rising from the base of my neck, exploding across both cheeks. His voice should be used to record audio books.
Steamy audio books.
As quickly as the slight hint of truly wicked desire played havoc on my body, it faded. Why? Because attached to the incredible husky voice was an arrogant godlike douchebag.
I wasn’t basing the fact solely on his given profession as a hockey player, although points should be taken off his scale for that alone. What had annoyed the heck out of me was insisting I go on a date just to learn his name.
Yeah, I’d given him a fake name, but girls couldn’t be too careful. He could have a side job as a mafia assassin or something equally as dangerous. Hmm… Maybe that would return the two points lost for being a hockey player.
Very casually even though my stomach was churning, I spun on my heel. The offending player was on his back, his massive legs straddling another weight bench. From where I was standing, I had a direct view of his long torso, which ended in a thick bulge between his legs.
Wait a minute. Did he have a hard-on while lifting weights or was he just that well-endowed when his… cock wasn’t in use?
The flush was back, crawling even further up to my eye sockets.
“You need to be around arrogant men.”
“Arrogant, huh? Did you know that from the way they looked or by what they were arguing about?” He pressed a heavy load of weight and after I blinked a few times, I realized he was pressing over three hundred pounds easily. With no exertion.
Yes, the man was muscular and had obviously been lifting weights for a long time, but he hadn’t even broken into a sweat.
“By their mannerisms. You can also tell a lot by what a man wears on his wrist.”
“Oh, yeah?” He did five reps while I stood there, each becoming easier than the one before. Then the heavy set pounded and vibrated the J-hooks with enough power I felt the deep rumble in my feet.
“Yeah.”
He jerked to a sitting position, which only forced my gaze to fall to the space between his legs for a second time.
How un-ladylike. I pressed my fingers against my forehead, using pressure in hopes of driving aside the lurid thoughts.
“So you’re saying a guy wearing an expensive watch is a jerk while one wearing a cheap take-off a cool dude then. Right?”
“Exactly.” As soon as the word slipped from my mouth, I instantly regretted it since he’d lifted his arm, fisting his hand while showing off what appeared to be a cheap watch purchased at any big box store.
In addition to grinning, highlighting his gorgeous dimples, he’d had the nerve to flex his arm so I’d have an up close and personal view of his sculpted muscles. Which were heavenly, I might add.
“Well, then I guess I’m the coolest dude you’ve ever met since I’ve had this watch since I graduated from high school.
I think I paid ten bucks for this baby. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
” He swung his legs off the bench, jumping up as if his exercise had invigorated him. I’d been wrong about him sweating.
There were several beads running down both sides of his face and it was impossible not to study them as they trailed down his glowing skin. Yes, his skin was lightly bronzed, glowing as if sun-kissed. I reminded myself the sun was coming in through the windows.
“There are several other factors on the cool test. None of which I think you’d pass.” Instead of looking at him directly, I counted the amount of weight on the bar. Three hundred and eighty pounds. That man was a beast.
“Such as?” He’d managed to take long strides closer.
As soon as I returned my gaze, I tried to concentrate on the sweat plastering the thin material of his shirt to his chest. His perfectly chiseled pecs were revealed.
“Such as the make of their sports car.”
“Ah, so every jerk drives a sports car. That’s what I’m doing wrong.” He rubbed his chin, which did nothing more than draw my attention to the uneven dark dusting covering his jaw. The slight beard added an air of effortless, tameless confidence.
Correction. Arrogance.
“Meaning?” Why was I engaging him in conversation?
“Because I drive a pretty beat-up truck. Any other test I won’t pass?” I could tell he wasn’t a man to ask for what he wanted, he simply took it. How had I come to that conclusion? When he’d slipped his hand into my partially open duffle bag, pulling out a bottle of water.
Now what was I supposed to say to that? I didn’t have much time to respond before he twisted the cap on the bottle, tipping his head and chugging the liquid.
He’d managed to invade far too much of my space, but stepping to either side or behind me would result in tripping over a piece of equipment. I was forced to watch a man quenching his thirst.
All while engaged in thoughts unbecoming an employee.
When he was finished, I expected him to belch like a normal guy, not pour the remainder of the bottle over his head. Instead of draining on the floor, which would force me into janitorial mode, his skin and clothes absorbed every drop.
A dazzling reminder of when every inch of him had been wet from a swim.
Any other woman would be gawking. Not this girl. I acted bored, managing to yawn while he dragged his hand down his face.
He’d obviously had hopes his salacious act would draw my full attention, which it had, but I was too cunning to allow him to know. His grin quickly faded when he noticed my expression.
“Any other tests?” he asked even more coyly. There were those dimples again.
“The others you wouldn’t understand. If you don’t mind, I need to return to work. My advice is you grab a spotter.” Somehow, I managed to slide around him without either touching or doing any physical harm.
“Ah, come on. Now you have my blood pumping.”
“Does that really work with the chicks?”
He narrowed his eyes, which caused his thick, dark brows to collide together. “What do you mean?”
“Relying on your dimples and a shy boy smile? Does that cause them to rush right over to you?”
He scratched his head, thoroughly confused. “I’m not that kind of guy.”
“Sure, you’re not.” I took another step away, my body almost tottering into his.
Although being so close to him allowed me to gather a whiff of his scent.
Damn it. Sandalwood and citrus along with perspiration. A truly dangerous combination.
“Try me,” he said when I’d walked a couple of feet away.
“I’ll save you the embarrassment.”
I thought he’d suffered the loss with charm until he did the unthinkable once again. “How about going on that date with me, Clementine? I’ll tell you my name.”
Hearing the enunciated syllables of my fake name drifted a few nodes of current into every muscle. I turned, walking backward. “Thanks, but no, thanks. I don’t need to know your name. We’re not going to be friends. And dating a member isn’t allowed. It’s in the rules.”
It wasn’t, but he didn’t know that. Complications I didn’t need.
At least that stopped him from providing a comeback.
This time when I left the room, I groaned. I’d give him an A+ for effort.