Page 16 of Charming Crosschecks

They had been working methodically, rolling the foam under each leg and flipping over to target the thighs. She couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped out, rolling her eyes at his joke. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard it, but his delivery was always on point.

“The word starts with a ‘P,’ and it will make it feel ‘sore’ – trust me,” she replied, her smirk betraying just how much she knew this wasn’t going to be fun.

“Oh, I know, but ya gotta find humor in it where you can,” he quipped, flashing a grin.

“True,” she said with a sly smile. “Keep that in mind while you are sitting on this.”

“What?” His expression turned wary. “Ohhh, no. You didn’t mean stretching my psoas muscle – you meant…”

“Yup.”

“You’ve got a mean streak.”

“You’ll thank me…”

“Oh, I know, but this is why I avoid it.”

“And that is why I’m here,” she countered sweetly, handing him the hard ball she’d been saving for this exact moment.

He stared at it like it was a grenade. “Lift up, put it directly under the soft meaty portion of your butt cheek and…”

“And get ready to whimper?” he muttered, already following her instructions. His face contorted almost immediately, his jaw tightening as the pressure found its mark. His breath came out in a series of hisses, his teeth gritted against the discomfort.

“Okay – let it relax and do the other side,” she said softly, knowing the drill would only get worse.

“Gee, can I?” he muttered flatly but was already shifting the ball under his other cheek, glaring at her. “Sooo? You gonna spill the details of what happened with you and Thierry?”

“Y’all are nosy,” she shot back, her cheeks heating as she avoided his gaze.

“He’s my friend, which means you need to be nice.”

“Do you need me to think of another torture for you?”

“No. I’m good,” he chuckled, though his grin quickly twisted into another grimace. “But seriously – he’s… not like dealing with some of us guys.”

Her curiosity was piqued despite herself. She studied Lafreniere, waiting for him to elaborate, even as he flinched.

“Found the psoas…?”

“Accurately named,” he grimaced and winced, his voice tight. “Thierry is a good guy, a nice guy with a big heart. He lets what people say get to him, gets his feelings hurt, and is a big ol’ soft teddy bear.”

“The man is six foot four. I don’t think he’s a teddy bear,” she countered, arching a brow.

“The bigger they are…?”

She didn’t need him to finish the phrase; the unspoken words hung in the air. His knowing smirk softened slightly as he glanced at his watch.

“Don’t you get off work soon?”

“Oh my gosh, do all of you know?”

“Know what?” He grinned, his expression far too smug. “It was just a guess because Thierry is pretty impatient when it comes to certain things – like his donuts.”

“Ugh, don’t I know it…”

“And you, my dear – you are his donut.”

Molly blinked, the words landing harder than she’d expected. There was a strange earnestness in Lafreniere’s eyes, his typically gruff expression softened by the tiniest of smiles.

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