Chapter Eleven
Thanks for the coffee,” Blake mumbled. “I’m not a morning person.”
“I am.” I casually sipped my black Pike Place Roast as we weaved a path through the weight machines. “Well”—I tossed my cup into the nearest trash can and grabbed a piece of cinnamon gum—“it’s showtime.”
Without asking, Blake stole the gum right out of my hand, then shivered. “It’s freezing in here.”
“Well, if you’d wear clothes . . .”
She elbowed me. “I wore what you said to wear.”
“You’re wearing a sports bra.” I pointed to the black-and-pink bra that pushed the girls up high. “And tight spandex pants. So, basically, you’re almost naked.”
Blake pulled her thick hair into a ponytail holder and placed her hands on her hips. “Let’s do this before I chicken out.”
“Well, since I won’t have time to actually work out today, we’re going to do one of my WODs.”
“WODs?”
“CrossFit.” I shrugged. “Workout of the day. We’ll do a quick warm-up, bust out an EMOM, and some max weight lifting, then end everything with an AMRAP and stretching.”
Blake gave me a blank expression. “Are you speaking in code?”
“EMOM—every minute on the minute you do the prescribed exercise. AMRAP—as many reps as possible.”
“Sounds fun,” she said sarcastically.
I winked and slapped her ass hard. “Let’s go, sweet cheeks. Weights to lift, guys to make jealous.”
“All in a day’s work.” She rubbed her ass and glared in my direction, but I was already too busy getting our warm-up set together to care.
I grabbed two twenty-five-pound weights for her, and three for me.
“We’ll do a two-hundred-meter jog and ten pull-ups, followed by hand-release push-ups and then plank holds, alright?”
Blake gave me a thumbs-down, then flashed me a beautiful toothy smile. “You’re going to make me sore, aren’t you?”
“So sore you can’t walk,” I said with a naughty grin.
“Double entendre?” She laughed. “Nice.”
“Love coach. Kinda goes with the title.”
“Does it?”
“On your hands and knees.”
“What? To run?”
“No.” I laughed. “I’ve always just really wanted to say that. You know, all dominating . . . Hey, can I tie you up later?”
“No.” Blake’s cheeks burned red. “I highly doubt that’s part of the program.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it.” I jogged away from her.
With a curse, she followed. “The answer’s still no.”
I sped up. “Blindfold?”
“No!”
I turned and started running backward. “I guess that means no costumes either, huh?”
“Client.” She said the word slowly, then rushed past me. “That means the only man tying me up will hopefully be David.”
Something pinched the middle of my chest as I tried not to allow what she’d just said to seep through the little rips she was making in my heart. What the hell was wrong with me?
David.
A man could really grow to hate that name, and the person. And every other male in the universe who played basketball.
“I know why Gabi says she wants to kill you all the time,” Blake yelled hoarsely midburpee.
“Two more!” My chest hit the floor, and I pushed myself up to my legs and jumped into the air with a clap, then dropped again.
Blake was seriously holding her own. I didn’t even have to slow down, which was impressive. She only complained once we started doing death by burpees, which basically meant you do burpees until you lose the will to live.
“I.” She dropped to her chest. “Hate.” She tried to push herself up. “Burpees.”
“One more!”
Her arms trembled as she pushed herself up to her feet and finally managed to stand and do a weak jump. Her pretty face was dripping with sweat. With a wide smile, she held up her hand for a high five.
Was she high-fiving me?
After putting her through hell?
I hit her hand, then pulled her against my sweaty chest.
“Ahh!” She pushed against me. “Thanks for that. Clearly my workouts pale in comparison. You wouldn’t . . .” She glanced away. “Never mind.”
“What?”
“Do you work out like this every day?”
“Yeah.” I tossed her a towel and checked my watch. David was late, not that I cared. I’d forgotten about him even working out during our time in the gym.
“You can say no.” Blake put her hands in front of her. “But would you mind if I tagged along a few times a week? I can even pay you or something. My coach has really been after me to work on my cardio lately, and I think this will help.”
I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to pay me . . . It’s not like I’m a trainer. You can just do my workouts with me. I get bored being by myself, and for some reason Lex refuses to work out with me.”
“Gee, I wonder why,” Blake joked, tossing her sweaty towel at my face.
“Hey!” I reached for her, then pulled her into my arms and set her against the mat on the ground, my body hovering over her. “You tired?”
“Exhausted.” She laughed. “But I love that feeling.”
“It’s the best,” I said, my throat suddenly dry as her eyes fell to my mouth.
“So”—I put some distance between our bodies—“I’ll help you stretch and—”
Blake’s eyes widened as she jerked her head to the right, as if to say, Look!
David was making his way toward us, head bobbing to the hip-hop pounding from his phone. I’d always assumed guys like him listened to Josh Groban. Hell, he even looked like a taller version of him.
“Stay calm.” I grabbed her leg and quickly pushed against it so that it was getting stretched toward her head, then placed my body over hers, my legs in between hers. Basically we were doing a Kama Sutra move with clothes on and no happy ending. Damn it.
Nodding, Blake closed her eyes and let out a little moan. “Ouch, that hurts.”
“Sorry.” My fingers fumbled as they moved down her calf to her thigh. “Shit, you’re tight.” Her muscles quivered beneath my fingers as I slowly massaged.
“Yeah,” she breathed. “Right. There.”
I dug deeper with my hands, then continued stretching her until we were nearly chest to chest. She arched as my hand found the knot.
“Sorry.” I shared a wince with her as I continued massaging.
“Feels amazing.” The knot relaxed, and I moved on to her next leg. “Oh.” She nearly came off the mat.
“Doesn’t the PT help you guys out with this?” I asked, trying to keep my hands focused on actually stretching her, instead of moving from her muscles to parts that didn’t need stretching.
“He’s groped me three times,” she grumbled. “I think he takes his job a little too . . . personally.”
“Kick him in the nuts next time. I’m sure you could blame it on your incredible reflexes.” I pushed harder as I completely straddled her one leg while lifting the other high above her head. My body was really enjoying the stretch, but not because it was relieving tension. If anything, it was creating it, and it wasn’t like workout clothing was very forgiving. All she had to do was look down and she’d see just how excited I was to help her out in any way possible, day and night, night and day.
“Blake?” A deep voice interrupted our stretching session. I glanced up and dismissed David with a quick smirk, the kind guys give each other when they know the other dude is jealous and can’t do shit about it.
“Oh, hey.” Blake leaned up on her elbows as I lowered her leg. “I didn’t see you there, David.”
“You look . . .” He pointed at her body and swallowed slowly, his eyes drinking her in with obvious interest.
“Exhausted,” she said. She burst out laughing and grabbed my hand. “Ian really knows how to work me.”
I nearly burst out laughing at the rage that crossed David’s face. How dare I touch his friend! Just to piss him off, I kissed her hand and winked.
“You know”—David leaned down into our space—“if you ever want any extra help . . . at the gym, you could always ask me.”
“Oh.” Blake glanced between me and David. “That’s nice of you to offer, but—”
“I think I’ve got it covered, David.” I leered suggestively.
“Well, the offer still stands.” David pushed to his feet and slowly backed away. “It was great seeing you, Blake. You look . . . really good.”
She glanced down at her tits.
Which in turn made me and every other male within a fifty-mile radius join her in mutual admiration.
“Thanks!”
I nearly groaned when she popped her shoulders, making her chest bounce a bit. My hand twitched, along with my dick.
“Uh.” Poor David looked about ready to swallow his tongue as he moved his hands to the front of his body and nodded. “Well, see ya.”
Dirty little prick was covering his junk.
He immediately went to the bench press and loaded 275 on the bar. Really, dude? He was going to be in a world of hurt if he didn’t at least warm up.
But the Jolly Green Giant was sneakier than I expected. He didn’t pretend that we weren’t watching. If anything, he knew we would be.
Sly Jolly Green Giant. I frowned as he started pumping the 275 like it wasn’t a big deal. He stood, chest puffed out, and glanced over at us as if to say, Oh, you’re still here? Watch this.
He added another thirty pounds.
He had no spot.
Had to hand it to him. He was an idiot, but he was a strong idiot.
“Wow,” Blake breathed. I glanced at her wide eyes as they bobbed up and down with the cadence of his pump. Oh, hell no.
Grinding my teeth, I nearly mauled her right then and there. Was she seriously impressed with that douche? The line between personal and professional was blurring right before my very eyes, because I wanted nothing more than to pin her against the wall and sink myself into her.
I was caught in a situation I’d never been in before. A situation where the girl and the guy doing their natural I’m man, watch me roar—oh my, look how strong you are thing actually made my chest hurt.
I told Blake if it was necessary, I would kiss her.
Suddenly, it became extremely necessary.
To stake a claim.
So, without allowing my brain to conjure up logical reasons why it was a bad idea, I leaned in toward Blake and kissed her.
The minute our mouths met, she gasped.
I expected her to completely shut down, which would mean I’d have to turn her back to David so she didn’t give us away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning her body into mine.
And opened. Her. Mouth.
She tasted like coffee and cinnamon. Holy shit. Someone should make a gum with that combo.
I invaded her mouth, plunging, pillaging, basically planting my flag and saluting it, all the while running my hands down her back, my fingers digging into her skin, willing the heat between our bodies to singe the clothes so that I wouldn’t have to spend time ripping them from her body.
Her hands twisted in my hair as I angled my head differently, teasing her mouth. Making love to her lips.
A loud clang sounded.
We broke apart.
“Sorry,” David called from his side of the weight room. “Dropped some weight.”
Sorry, my ass.
Whatever. I didn’t care. Because I was the guy walking out with the girl.
Not that she was mine.
Or that she wouldn’t be his in a few days.
Shit.
“That was”—Blake ducked into my chest as I wrapped an arm around her—“a really great first kiss.”
Damn it! I was ruining everything. I was her first kiss? Me? The certified whore? The guy she was paying? Not the one she was in love with.
And that was the kicker.
She was saving herself for someone important, while I’d never saved myself for anyone, ever.
The thought haunted me the entire walk to my car.