Chapter 6 #2
I lurk in the shadows, watching two more sets.
I don’t like feeling like an intruder, but with every round, I’m fascinated by a different part of her body.
Her leg muscles beneath her tight shorts, the way they bunch and fire.
The round globes of her ass, highlighted and put on display by those same shorts.
She finally takes a break, punching something on her watch before turning her back to me as she chugs water.
I step into the barn, letting my boots scuff enough to get her attention. She doesn’t see me as she removes a plate from each end of the bar, still leaving an impressive amount of weight, and resumes. Only this time, she continues the clean portion of the set, going for burnout, I realize.
The power contained in that delicious body fascinates me.
I felt those muscles when we collided, but seeing them on full display, witnessing the control she has…
This woman can hold her own with any man.
She’s no fragile flower. She’s powerful, lithe, and athletic in the most deceptive way, because she’s also lush and enticing.
The total package that makes me want to push her against the wall and see if she could handle me. I could take her as rough as I wanted and know she’d handle it without fear of me hurting her.
Jesus, I sound like a stalker wanting to do depraved things to this woman without her knowledge.
The cleans stop, and she drops and does so many burpees I lose count. She collapses to the mat, body dripping with sweat, stomach heaving as she tries to gain control of her breath.
I lean a shoulder against the doorframe, enthralled with watching her work out. She taps her watch again, then finally stands and guzzles the rest of her water, reaching under her headband and pulling an earbud from her ear. No wonder she didn’t hear me.
“Impressive.” My voice slices through the adrenaline-filled space.
She screams, hurling the empty water bottle in my direction before she’s even fully facing me.
It flutters uselessly to the floor, and I bite back a smile. “You’d be better off throwing something with a little more oomph behind it. Like the spade on that table, or that screwdriver or something.”
“Oh my god, you scared me,” she gasps. “What the hell are you doing here?”
I step farther into the building, drawn to her in a way I despise but can’t deny. “Had to land somewhere. This was it.”
Her chest still heaves, and a bead of sweat trickles down under that damn sports bra.
“I thought you were going to a hotel.”
My fingers itch to touch her damp skin, so I shove my hands into my pockets as I take a few steps closer, then prop against the nearest stall, planting a boot against the familiar wooden wall.
“Hotels were all booked up. And the cops don’t really like it when you crash on personal property that isn’t yours.
I took a gamble that Gus wouldn’t be venturing beyond the house and came back here earlier this morning. ”
Her eyes roam the length of my body, her expression blank. Is she sizing me up as a friend or foe? And what’s made her be so guarded? Yesterday she was open and readable. Now she’s closed off. Wary.
She turns her back to me and bends to break down the weights. I push off the stall and move to help, trying and failing, to ignore her perfect peach of an ass on full display. Her entire body tenses as I pass behind her to help with the other end of the bar.
“I’ve got it.”
I don’t like how she goes from open to bristled in the span of a moment.
“I know you do, but I can help. That is, after all, why I’m here.” I let the words have the slightest bite to them. “Otherwise, I’d be on the other side of the world.”
A flush rises in her cheeks before she ducks her head. Residual from her workout, or have I embarrassed her with the reminder that she’s part of the reason I’m here?
We clean up her workout space without further conversation. Surprisingly, she breaks out cleaner to wipe down even the rubber mat. With every minute that passes, the tension between us eases and her movements become less agitated, which makes me start to relax.
I still don’t want to be here, doing this adulting chore. But maybe it doesn’t have to be a completely shitty time.
“I’m sorry about the hotel situation. Where’d you end up sleeping?” she says before I can apologize for my shitty attitude.
“In my car.”
Horrified hazel eyes meet mine. “That thing is tiny.”
I shrug. “I managed.”
Job finished, she stands and gathers a sweatshirt, throwing it on and hiding that glorious body, finally. “Thanks for helping me clean up.”
With a nod, I step to the side. I hate that I want her to stay.
“Let me talk to Gus. I’ll try to help sort something out so you don’t have to sleep in your car again. But heads up, soon enough, I’ll be in class, and you’ll be on your own. I’ll try to hide the bullets, but don’t get yourself shot while I’m gone.”
“That’s the plan. I’ll call the attorney and let him know I’m in town.”
She ducks her head. “I, uh, did that yesterday. He’s got time to see us next week. If you’re available.”
Frustration sweeps away any lingering attraction. “Of course you did. Can’t help yourself from meddling, can you?” It would be nice if she’d get her nose out of family business. It makes it seem like she’s got more investment than just being Gus’s caregiver.
“I’m not meddling,” she fires back. Dammit. Why is her ire so captivating? “Well, maybe a little, but I’m only trying to help.”
“Whatever. I’m going to get a coffee, but I’ll be back in an hour. You’ve got that long to prep that crotchety old goat.”