Page 42 of The Secret

“What are you doing today?” He followed me out of the kitchen to the front door, holding it open for me.

“Payton and I are going to a spin class at the gym, then brunch, then…” I shrugged, “who knows? Shopping, maybe, if Payton has anything to do with it. I’ll see you at seven.”

He leaned against the doorframe, one of his enormous biceps flexing as he held onto the top of the jamb, Bell nestled against the other. “Have fun. Enjoy spinning.”

“Thanks. What are your plans?”

“Standard Saturday; boys and brunch, and we might watch a game here later.” He shrugged, scratching his stubble pensively. “I know you probably want to get away from here at the weekends, but you can always bring Payton over too. Or if she wants to come over in the week, that’s okay. I don’t want you to feel like you’re imprisoned here, even with the ‘all the rooms’.”

Although his final point was delivered with a massively exaggerated eye roll, the sweetness and concern wrapped around me like a cozy cashmere blanket, not to mention his trust in me beyond my job and the very comprehensive NDA I’d signed. Because I’d learned that Murray was extremely protective about his private life and not many people were part of his inner circle.

I hoped the smile I gave him conveyed how grateful I was. “Thank you, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t feel like that. I love being here and looking after Bell.”

And the rest…

“The offer’s open whenever you want it.”

“Thank you. Have fun with the guys, and tell Penn there’s a chocolate and apricot loaf in the pantry for him.”

His eyes flashed a darker green than normal.

“I can’t believe you’re baking for my friends. You don’t have to do that,” he growled.

“I made something for you too; there are waffles in the oven.”

His groan of approval set off a deep throbbing at the apex of my thighs that dampened my panties.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.” I walked down the corridor before he could say anything else likely to set off an involuntary reaction which would result in me throwing myself at him.

I’d been so distracted I’d gone six blocks before I realized I’d forgotten my gym bag, including my change of clothing, and I didn’t relish the thought of spending the day in sweaty gym gear.

Fuck’s sake.

I pulled my phone from my pocket.

Kit:Forgot my bag and need to run back. Meet you at the gym x

Payton:Cool, I’m running late anyway. See you there x

Fifteen minutes later, I was back in the apartment.

“Hey, I forgot my bag,” I called out, running up the stairs two at a time to my bedroom, not hearing any response. Maybe they’d already gone out.

I grabbed my stuff from where I’d left it and ran back out of my room into the corridor, stopping dead just before I reached the stairs. My breath caught in my throat, and I only just managed to stop my mouth dropping open. The throbbing I’d experienced earlier started up again, intensely and swiftly travelling over my entire body until I was shaking. Hot arousal seeped between my legs, giving me no doubt I needed to change my panties immediately.

Murray was walking out of his bedroom, his eyes focused on Bell, wrapped up in her little bunny towel, cuddled to his chest; his wide,barechest, because Bell wasn’t the only one in a towel.

Holy. Fuck.

I now had another one to add to my list of Murrays.

I’d known he had an impressive body from the thick arms and broad back I’d glimpsed under his shirts. I thought I’d been able to imagine the rest of him when I’d allowed my mind to wander that far… but I’d never imagined this.

I didn’t even knowthisexisted beyond pages of fitness magazines and a good photo editing program.

He was definitelynotedited.

Beads of water were still clinging to him, causing his skin to glisten from the sun pouring through the windows. My eyes followed a droplet as it travelled from his damp hair, along the sinews of his neck and onto wide shoulders, before running down a heavily defined left pec to his torso, and across the many,manyabs that he’d clearly dedicated his lifetime to building, before hitting the towel sitting snug on his hips. The white towel, which made his skin look like it was permanently golden, was so low-slung it wrapped around a V-line as sharply impressive as the rest of him.

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