by Missy Jane
“What time are you grilling on Saturday?”
I gaped for a second and keeping shock from my voice was a physical effort. “Um…probably around six. It’ll be too hot before then.”
He nodded and ran a hand over his head while I barely dared to breathe.
“What should I bring?” he finally asked.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as I hopped out of my seat and stepped up to the counter.
“I’ve got the steaks covered and others are bringing sides. Unless there’s something you’re really good at cooking and you want to show off, then just BYOB.”
He shrugged and fished his car keys from the pocket of his gym shorts. Stealing glances at me but not quite meeting my gaze.
“I’m not much of a cook, but I can bring enough beer for everyone if you want.”
“That’s cool. There’ll only be eight of us if everyone shows.”
He nodded and stepped back from the counter. “All right. I’ll see you then.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You know you’ll see me all week.”
He finally looked me in the eye and grinned before walking through the doors. I damn near fainted. Maybe there was hope after all.
* * * * *
Tuesday morning I led the spinning class because Elle had called in sick. She’d sounded as if she’d been crying all night and I mentally calculated the amount of money in my savings, wondering if it was enough to put a hit out on Declan. Since I not only had no clue how to actually hire a killer, but seriously doubted two hundred and fifty-three dollars was enough, I scrapped that idea and went on with my day. I usually worked the midafternoon-to-evening shift during the week but always covered for Elle. We’d known each other since high school and she was the closest thing I had to a sister.
Max arrived a little earlier than his usual three o’clock with a scowl on his face. It was a look to scare people off but I’d seen it before and it didn’t deter me. I leaned on the desk as he punched in his code.
“Hey, Sean. Here a little early today, huh?”
One thick brow lifted in surprise but the scowl remained. I batted my eyelashes playfully in an attempt to make him smile, but he just rolled his eyes.
“I left work early,” he growled.
“Oh? Everything okay in the world of retail?”
He looked conflicted, as if he couldn’t decide on whether to actually talk to me or not. I didn’t know why every conversation had to be a battle with him, but we were finally making progress and I wasn’t willing to give it up.
“Yeah. No… I don’t know. I’m just a little stressed out right now.”
My smile melted into genuine concern and I placed a hand on the fist he held clenched against the countertop. He looked down at my hand but didn’t pull away.
“You know, there usually isn’t anyone in the hot tub at this hour. Why don’t you lay off the weights today and go relax?”
When his gaze returned to mine there was genuine surprise. He unclenched his fist and turned his hand up, twining our fingers for one heart-stopping moment.
“That’s a great idea. Thanks, Megan.”
I smiled and slipped my hand from his to grab a towel. The loss of his skin against mine was like a slap but it was worth it to see appreciation in his gaze. He took the towel with a nod of thanks and walked away. My heart started beating again and I remembered to breathe. Something was weighing heavily on his mind and I wanted to know how to make it go away. A glance at the clock showed ten minutes until my replacement arrived. I usually left the gym right after working an early shift to go to the bookstore. I could spend hours there and usually more money than was wise, but it’s my only vice. This time I decided to stay and take a dip in the hot tub. After all, I needed some downtime too.
Twenty minutes later I peeked around the corner of the wall separating the women’s locker room from the coed pool area. The hot tub was on the other end of the room, so Sean would see me coming. I adjusted the straps on my one-piece black bathing suit, wishing for the millionth time I had Elle’s body. I naturally kept in shape being an employee of the gym, but I’d always been athletic. Years of softball, volleyball and soccer had given me a teenage boy’s figure rather than a voluptuous woman’s. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it without surgery so I tried hard not to care.
Sean had his back to me, lounging in the hot tub with the jets on high. His eyes were closed and my bare feet made almost no sound. We were alone, though there were two men in the pool swimming laps. I entered the water slowly so my body could acclimate to the higher temperature. It was divine. I didn’t normally take time to enjoy most of the gym’s perks, but this was one time I just couldn’t stay away.
I must have splashed or gasped or something to announce my presence, because when I looked up from taking the final step into the water Sean’s intense blue gaze was on me. I froze and smiled weakly, my nerves going into overdrive at joining him uninvited. Was I being too bold after barely getting him to agree on the barbecue? He remained silent with a blank look on his face as I took a seat opposite him, a full leg’s length away. I’d piled my dark-brown hair into a haphazard knot at the top of my head. It’s so thin, I usually can’t get it to stay in a neat braid. I silently prayed it didn’t look too messy.
“Mmmm, this feels great, huh? Definitely relaxing,” I said.
He didn’t reply and I fought to keep my natural smile in place. I made a show of looking around, as if seeing the pool area for the first time. I didn’t come in here often, so it wasn’t completely for show. Sean didn’t say a word or move a muscle.
An eternity later, in reality only about seven minutes, the two men in the pool left. Sean and I were completely alone, but I didn’t expect to stay that way in the middle of the afternoon. I lounged back against the hot tub and clasped my hands behind my head, closing my eyes. I was actually relaxing and enjoying the solitude when something brushed my foot. I opened one eye to see Sean standing and my pulse leapt. I wanted to jump up and grab him but decided looking that desperate was uncalled for. If he wanted to leave, fine.
I let my lid drop back down and he brushed against my calf. I’m on the short side, so I didn’t understand how my legs could possibly be in his way. However, if Sean wanted to touch my bare skin I was all for it. Even after that thought, his rough hands on my upper thighs jerked me fully upright. My eyes flew open and were filled with his lightly furred chest. I looked up to see him well within my personal space and slowly inching closer. My breath caught in my lungs and I watched in fascination as his gaze zeroed in on my lips and stayed there. He was going to kiss me and I was going to let him.
All rational thought disappeared the moment his lips touched mine. I didn’t give a damn about being in a public place, where I worked and could potentially be seen by my boss. I wrapped my arms around Sean’s neck and pulled him in tight, afraid to let go when I finally had him where I needed him. He didn’t seem to want to escape as he explored my mouth with his expert tongue. His taste, mint and coffee, filled my senses and I moaned in delight.
His hands had moved to my hips and he tightened his grip to pin me in place. I wasn’t going anywhere, but his forcefulness ratcheted up my arousal and I wrapped my legs around his hips. He finally pulled back but didn’t try to move away. I caught my breath and looked up into his eyes.
“I really needed that,” he whispered.
I opened my mouth to respond but he took it as an invitation to continue. My hands itched to feel his warm skin and the muscles I watched him hone daily. I slid my palms down his chest as he sucked on my lower lip. My whimper escaped unintentionally. He invaded my mouth again and I lowered my touch to his abdomen when voices suddenly echoed through the room. I dropped my legs and pushed at his chest, but he was already moving away from me. A sudden chill from the loss ran down my spine and I rubbed my arms.
“Yo, Nettle!”
I startled and leaned over to look past Sean’s broad shoul
ders. My coworker Ben, or Smith as his nametag said, was talking to a couple of members in swimsuits at the other end of the room. I waved and he motioned me over.
“I’m so sorry, Megan.”
Sean’s whispered apology pulled my attention back to him. He was standing about a foot away, head bent and eyes closed with his hands fisted at his sides. I stood and gently grabbed his shoulders.
“There’s no reason to be. I needed that as much as you.”
He opened his eyes and the lust in his gaze sped my pulse. Just knowing he wanted me was an instant aphrodisiac.
“Not here. If you get into trouble I’ll never forgive myself.”
I smiled and ran my hands back down his chest before dropping them at my sides. No reason to tempt fate further.
“It’s fine. Ben won’t say anything.”
“What about the other members?”
I just shrugged and stepped around him. “I’m off the clock and not in uniform.”
His shoulders relaxed and he turned to watch me leave the water. A glance back showed him sitting in my spot with his gaze on me. I felt it all the way across the room.
As I walked over to join Ben the urge to run back to Sean slowed my pace. What did those kisses mean, if anything, to him? For me it was the start of something I’d been craving for two months. We had gotten along so well on our dates, and I felt a connection to him every time we talked. There just had to be more.
Unfortunately, by the time I finished talking to the two new members Ben was showing around, at least twenty minutes had passed. I’d been glancing toward the hot tub every few minutes but never saw the moment Sean left. I don’t know how long he waited or if he was indeed waiting on me at all. But seeing the empty water slowed my stride. I headed straight for the locker room to change and leave.
* * * * *
That night as I readied for bed, the memory of Sean’s kisses burned through me. I was flushed from my shower but the moisture between my legs hadn’t come from the water. I dropped my towel to the floor beside my bed and crawled on top of the blankets. Sean’s image immediately filled my mind when I closed my eyes. His bronze skin and taut muscles, military-style hair and blue eyes all coalesced into a perfect male specimen. I sighed and ran my fingertips over my sensitive breasts. My nipples hardened and I grasped them between my fingers. Lightning streaked through my bloodstream at the slight pain and I moaned, wishing Sean was with me.
His house was two streets away, a mere two minutes at a brisk walk. For a heartbeat I contemplated arriving on his doorstep in nothing but my bathrobe. My hands stilled on my belly as I considered his possible reactions. Any red-blooded male would be thrilled to have a willing woman show up mostly naked on his doorstep. Right? But Sean had never fit my pattern of normal, red-blooded male. He might be mad and consider me pushy. Or, worse yet, he might think me desperate. Those possibilities kept me on my back, fingers inching toward the source of a deep, aching emptiness.
I’ve never been shy about taking care of my own needs, and Sean’s image had provided fantasies for just this purpose many times over the past few months. My favorite was him after a few laps in the pool. He would already be breathing hard, chest heaving and shoulders tight from exertion. Lucky water droplets would slide down his pecs, cutting a slow path through his light-blond curls to follow his happy trail. Sean’s well-defined six-pack would gleam beneath the soft fluorescents as he stripped out of his wet swim shorts. I imagined the cold tiles against my back as he pressed me to the floor with his hard body.
The fingers of one hand gripped my breast almost roughly as he would in his impatience, while my other fingers slid across the smooth skin of my mons. Would he like me bare? I imagined a surprised look of appreciation on his face as he explored all I had to offer. I could taste him in my mouth, feel his warm lips against mine and smell his masculine scent still lingering in my lungs from earlier. My thighs became slick from my heightened arousal and I found the epicenter with one clever fingertip. A few slow circles, hips pumping in urgent rhythm, nipples tight and aching, I came shouting his name into my empty room.
A shiver ran along my spine as I relaxed against the mattress and slowed my breathing. Sated, I was ready to fall asleep on top of the covers without a care in the world. Then a knock sounded on my front door. Sean immediately sprang to mind but my luck had never been that good. Really, what were the odds he would show up at my house now as if mysteriously called by my masturbatory fantasy?
I rolled off the bed, nearly falling on my face as I scrambled into my robe and ran for the door. If he had gone through the trouble of coming over I didn’t want to make him wait any longer than necessary. By the time I reached the front hall the knocking sounded again, harder and more persistent. I made sure the robe was tightly belted, everything covered, and unlocked the door without asking who was there.
Unfortunately it wasn’t my fantasy come to life, it was a nightmare. Elle nearly knocked me over as she fell into my house. I caught her and barely kept us both on our feet. Her eyes were swollen almost shut and there was blood in her hair. That was all I noticed before she started sobbing uncontrollably.
Chapter Two
It took almost an hour to calm Elle down. I took pictures as she sobbed. Aside from her two black eyes, she had a busted lip, the earrings had been ripped from both ears and one of her fingers appeared to be broken. I was livid. She wouldn’t let me call the police. I called the bank instead to confirm my savings balance and wondered if hit men posted online. Never in my life had I wished to be a man, but right then I would’ve paid every penny I had for the strength to kick Declan’s ass in a really spectacular way.
She took a shower and I angrily paced across my living room. There was no doubt she would stay the night, I just wasn’t sure how long I could keep her. I had a spare bedroom and wouldn’t mind her using it, but history showed she would return to Declan before her wounds had time to heal. There were times I didn’t even want to help her anymore, but I’m her friend and this was the kind of shit true friends put up with.
A hard knock on my door kicked my pulse into overdrive and I ran to my fireplace for the wrought iron poker I kept there. Unfortunately, Declan had been to my house many times and there was no doubt where Elle would run to. With the mood I was currently in, only one thought raced through my mind.
Bring it on, motherfucker.
This time I had the sense to look through the peephole. The poker nearly fell from my hand as surprise knocked me back a step. It wasn’t asshole Declan on my doorstep this time. It was Sean. I opened the door and looked up at him with a question on my face. He eyed me up and down, a quick glance hitting the poker in my still raised hand before returning to my face.
“Hey, is this a bad time?”
I closed my gaping mouth and stepped back to let him in as I shook my head. “Uh, no. What’s up?”
He walked in and looked around. My front hallway was just a short path to my open living room. I had a large sofa with end tables on either side of it facing the front windows. A lamp burning on each table gave the only light in the room.
“I couldn’t sleep, decided to run. When I passed by I could see your shadow pacing around in here. You seemed…agitated.”
I shut the door with a sigh and followed him as he walked farther into the room. Elle’s shoes were in front of the sofa with blood splattered all over them. Her wounds had actually looked better than I’d expected considering all the blood. Sean walked right up to them and nudged them with one foot before turning a questioning gaze my way.
“Elle’s here.”
Maybe it was in my voice, or the fact I’d opened my door in a relatively safe and quiet neighborhood with a weapon. Perhaps he was just perceptive enough to realize Elle always looked a bit battered at work. Whatever it was, my saying her name initiated an immediate response from him. He stood straighter and scowled at the front door as if he expected Declan at any moment.
“How bad is she?” he asked.
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I shrugged and walked over to the fireplace to return the poker, suddenly exhausted.
“She’ll live but I wish she would let me take her to the hospital. She won’t even let me call the cops.”
He ran a hand down his face. “Where is she now?”
“In the shower.”
“I can call them. I don’t give a shit if she gets mad at me.”
He looked around again as if searching for a phone and I quickly grabbed his arm. There was pure anger and determination in his tone.
“No. Please, don’t. She won’t be willing to press charges and then Declan will just hurt her again. It’s happened before.”
He frowned at me but didn’t try to remove my hand from his arm. His warm skin beneath my palm felt so good I was reluctant to let go. I stepped closer and slid my fingers up to his shoulder. His body thrummed with tension and it was suddenly very important to me to calm him down.
“I can’t believe you run around the neighborhood in the middle of the night.”
His frown slowly melted into a slight grin and he looked me over again. I was suddenly very aware of how little I had on.
“Are you naked under that robe?” he whispered.
I nodded and the naughty side of me decided to come out to play. “She interrupted me.”
One brow shot up and his jaw tightened. “What exactly did she interrupt?”
I bit my lip and closed the tiny space between us so I was pressed against his chest. He placed his hands on my hips as if it was the most natural thing in the world to him.
“Well, I’d just finished my shower and I was thinking about you in the hot tub. So, I dried off and lay on my bed naked…”
His grip on my hips tightened but he didn’t seem aware of it. I slid both hands over his shoulders to his chest and rubbed the hard muscles beneath his shirt.
“And what did you do then?”
I grinned and moved my hands south to his waistband. “First, I played with my nipples.”
