Page 154 of Succumbed

“I see.” I eye him. “You a runner?”

His grimace is answer enough. Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.

“Tsk. Maybe Linc wasn’t being a decent brother.”

Declan’s brows rise as I start to stretch. “What does that mean?”

“Hope you can keep up,” I taunt, stepping into a lunge.

“Don’t worry, boss. I’ll be a gentleman and match your pace. Wouldn’t hurt to take it easy.” The edge of bravado in his voice is as entertaining as it is delicious.

“Of course, Wilde.” I roll my eyes. “Can’t leave me in the dust, can you?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he grins.

Something flashes in his eyes at my sharp smile, but I don’t stop to analyze it.

“Alright then, Declan. Let’s see you earn it.”

I take off down my driveway, Declan’s thundering footsteps hot behind me. Unwilling to give an inch to the cocky asshole, I set a brutal pace. When Linc had first joined me, I’d slowed down a bit until he got used to things, then ramped back up to my usual. For Declan, I step it up a notch.

Halfway through our route, Declan is breathing hard, face red and dripping with sweat. I slow, smirking as he stumbles back to a walk, hands on his hips.

“Fuck, Lex. Linc actually does this with you every day?” he gasps.

I shrug, jogging lightly on my toes. “Just about, yeah.”

He side-eyes me. “He never used to run.”

My heart swells as I grin. “I know. He’s a willing convert now, though. You planning to join him?”

“Fuck no,” he barks, shaking his head. “This was a onetime deal. Back to your regularly scheduled Linc tomorrow.”

“Aw, not having fun?”

He chuckles, smile sardonic. “I’m with you. That’s a plus.”

I snort. “Cute.”

“Hey, I could either give a good answer or an honest one.”

“What would you rather do, then, Wilde?”

His breathing has calmed somewhat, enough for him to pick back up into a light jog.

“You want to work out with me, Lex, come to the house. You know how to hit or kick a bag?”

Big, broody asshole likes to hit things. Shocker. “I love kickboxing, but I’ve never tried it outside of a class. The kind without props.”

He glares. “Learning to use the equipment is half the fun.”

“I see.”

Clearing his throat, he coughs. “I could teach you.”

“Think that’s a good idea, do you?”

His eyes burn blazing tracks across my skin as he takes in my sports bra and running shorts. “Yeah,” he grunts, “I think it has its merits.”

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