Page 1 of A Step Too Close
Chapter One
Arden
I am so damnnervous, and I don’t know why. I have known for months that when Levi had a break in cases, he would bring me on. The time has come, and today is my first day. I have done everything I need to do to become a private investigator; I just need field hours. In the last few months, I focused a lot on strength training. Every morning at four, I meet Levi at the gym.
I met him through college in my final semester when he came to talk about serial crimes. Although he has never worked as a detective, he has done the research to investigate. His primary goal with serial crimes is to recover bodies. Active crimes obviously go to city detectives, but he will also take on cold cases when he is contracted by the city. This means he is the perfect man to learn from. The moment he stopped talking, I jumped up and asked if he took on trainees. He said no because newbies slow him down. So, then I proceeded to visit him every day at hisoffice until he finally said yes. He was clear that not only would he push me, but he expected me to be able to keep up with him. I said I wanted to get better with physical fitness, but all people wanted to do with me was focus on weight loss, not muscle gain. He said to pick a gym, and he would meet me every morning.
I am wide awake and on my way to the gym. I am so excited, but this man… he is so damn grumpy. Levi is also dangerously hot, and I havedefinitelycaught feelings for him. His energy is magnetic, and I can’t get enough of him, no matter how little he smiles.
I walk into the gym and go back to the locker room to set my bag down. It’s always so fucking hot in here, so I usually wear spandex shorts, a sports bra, and a drop armhole tank top. When I step out of the locker room, I am quickly reminded why I hate wearing this here. I picked the creepiest gym, and if it weren’t for the fact that I stick with Levi, I would never come here alone.
“Good morning,” I say, walking up behind Levi.
“Hey,” he says with a half-smile. I will take it. He must be in a good mood today. I have seen him every day for six months, and I can tell what his mood is based on the kind of expression on his face. I’m like a grunt translator now too. He sounds different to express different things.
“Well, well, aren’t you just a chipper little peach today, Levi,” I say proudly, and he actually smiles. Like a full-on grin.Thatmakes me giddy.
“Ready?” he asks.
“To get tortured by you?” I ask. “Always.”
“You know the drill. Cardio first,” he says. I decide not to complain today, and we go toward the treadmill. He sets mine up because he knows I will cheat the moment he lets me pick the setting. He starts us out with a fast-paced walk on a slight incline. “No complaining today?”
“Nope. It’s a good day today,” I say.
“Mmm. I miss whiney Arden,” he smirks and speeds mine up to force me to start running. I immediately reach over and bump his up so he has to run with me, making him chuckle.
“Sorry, Levi. You’re smiling. I’m in a good mood. It’s a good day,” I say as I run.
“Mhmm,” he grunts.
“There he is. I thought I’d never hear that famous grunt,” I remark. Instead of responding, he speeds mine up before his own.
He’s a fucking sadist. A sexy and ripped sadist. He is hardly breaking a sweat, yet I’m fuckingdying.I won’t stop, though. I haven’t so far, and I don’t plan to now.
I owe Levi so much after he helped me with Wilder and putting that psycho bitch in jail. After Tina plead guilty, she was giventwenty years with a possibility of parole after ten. Macie and Wilder finally had a real wedding a few weeks later, and I forced Levi to come celebrate. He usually keeps me at arm’s length, but when he lets himself relax, I am able to get closer. I will be as patient as I need to be for him to really let me in.
Once we are done running, we go to the decline sit-ups. I am usually in a lower setting, so I am wide-eyed when he increases it to nearly what he does. “Are you trying to kill me?!”
“Was that a complaint, Arden?” he asks.
“No,” I say. “Nope. Let’s do it.”
I put my feet in place to lock me in position before laying back. I am upside down, and I start to doubt if I can do this. “Let’s start with ten. Let’s go.”
“Ugh!” I groan. I cross my arms over my chest to touch my shoulders before I sit up. “Fuck!”
“There ya go. You’ve got it. Keep going,” he encourages. I do another, and he continues to praise me. “That’s it. Keep going, Arden. Four down. Come on!”
“Ah. It hurts,” I whine.
“Come up. Pull yourself up, Arden. Let’s do it,” he pushes. “Five. Let’s go… Six… you’ve got this, girl. Keep going. Seven…”
“I can’t,” I groan. I try but can’t get myself up again.
“Tighten your core, Arden. Come on,” he says. He lays his hand on my lower belly, and it’s like a burst of energy. I sit up again but can’t hold myself as I lower back down.
“Fuck,” I growl
