Page 15 of Deadly Oath

I bite my lip, trailing the tips of my fingers over the edge of the denim, my stomach muscles tightening at the thought. It feels tempting, and something about the idea of him walking in and catching me makes it even more so.

Is this what I’d want, left to my own devices?It feels like a new side of me, one that I’ve never even considered before, and that makes my heart jump a little, too, fluttering in my chest. For the first time since Caldwell deposited me here, I feel a sense of anticipation.Excitement,even. Even if this thing with Kian and I didn’t go anywhere, what would be the harm in enjoying it as far as itcouldgo? In giving myself something to take pleasure in, something I would choose for myself?

And then, just as my fingers are about to slide past the waist of my jeans, a familiar, drawling voice breaks me out of my reverie, sending heat flaming up my face all over again.

“Ready to go, Sabrina?”

7

KIAN

She jerks away from the lockers so quickly that I’m sure she thinks I didn’t see what she was doing—or about to do—but I saw it, alright. I know exactly where her fingers were about to wander, and just the thought of it sends a bolt of hot lust straight down to my cock—which I only just finally convinced to settle down.

I had half a mind to stand there while her eyes were closed, and see exactly how far she’d go with this. But that felt like a step too far, especially after last night.

I smirk as her eyes fly open, her face turning bright red. “What’re you doing in here?”

A look of panic flits over her face. “Exploring,” she says quickly. “I’ve never gone to a gym like this before. I thought I’d take a look around.”

I chuckle, enjoying watching her scramble a bit. I’m not sure if she realizes that I know what she was thinking about, but she’s embarrassed all the same. “I could help you figure out a workout routine, if you want.” I raise an eyebrow suggestively. “I find it hard to believe you’ve never worked out before, though.” I let my gaze trail down her slim, taut body, and her blush deepens even further.

“I had a trainer,” she says tartly, her chin tipping up in what’s becoming a familiar gesture. “And a workout room in my home.”

“Fancy.” A bolt of possessive heat, entirely unfamiliar to me, jolts through me at the thought of some other man guiding her through her workouts, touching her, looking at her as she stretches and moves. “Well, I’m happy to take that spot. Won’t even charge you.”

“I bet.” Sabrina looks at me assessingly. “You’re not even supposed to be in here.”

“Well, I couldn’t find you, so I came looking. You ready to go get dinner?”

Her teeth graze her lower lip, and I see her gaze quickly flit over me, taking in the dark jeans and dark red, long-sleeved henley I changed into. Respectable enough for dinner in this town, even with my hair slicked back, still wet, and a pair of motorcycle boots for my footwear. I can tell from the small quirk to her mouth that she likes what she sees, even if she’s too thrown off-balance to admit it.

“Sure,” she says quickly, following me out of the locker room. I grab my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, and gesture to where my truck is parked as we walk out of the gym and I lock up.

“Did you drive over?”

She flushes again, and I recall that I didn’t see any kind of vehicle in her driveway. “No car?”

“I moved here from the city,” she says defensively. “No need for a car in Chicago.”

“True enough. Did you walk all the way over here?” I look at her curiously, raising an eyebrow. “Just to thank me for earlier?”

“It’s not that far.” Sabrina’s posture is more closed off now, her walls all going rapidly back up, one after the other.

“Well, we’ll take the truck to dinner, then. Any preference on where we go? This is a date, after all.” I grin at her, and she frowns a little as I unlock the passenger door, opening it for her.

“I’m not very familiar with what there is to eat in town,” she admits. “I’ve been to the grocery store and coffee shop, but other than that, I haven’t gotten out much.”

"No problem. I know just the place." I close her door and walkaround to the driver's side, sliding in behind the wheel. As I start the engine, I catch her eyeing the interior of my truck. It's nothing fancy, but it's clean and well-maintained. I’d rather drive it than the squad car I was assigned.

I pull out of the parking lot and head toward Main Street. The silence between us is thick with tension, and I can practically feel her nervousness radiating off her. “So, if that was your first kiss, is this your first date?”

Sabrina presses her lips together, twisting her fingers in her lap. “That obvious, hm?”

“Just an educated guess.”

“Yeah,” she says quietly. “This is my first date. Unless you count meeting the guys that my dad tried to set me up with at big family events. But I wouldn’t.”

“I don’t think I’d count that, either,” I tell her with a chuckle. “None of them made the cut, then.”

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