Page 23 of Rough Ride

I glanced sideways at Liz.

“Okay, alotof them are like him,” she admitted. “Which is why you should jump on the ones you find whoaren’tlike him.”

“They seem nice,” I said. “But they’re still rodeo guys. From Colorado. They’ll leave in three weeks and I’ll never see them again.”

“A perfect chance to get laid!” she exclaimed. “All the fun without any of the commitment.”

I opened the gym door for her. “Yeah, but… I kind of want commitment.”

She rubbed my shoulder as we went inside. “Aww, sweetie. I know. But maybe if you get laid, you’ll be able to think more clearly?”

“Maybe. In the meantime, I guess I’ll get all sweaty on the treadmill instead.”

Liz groaned. “I hate the treadmill. I call it thedreadmill. You should hit the weights with me instead. Today I’m working on my glutes.” She skipped forward and struck a pose, sticking outher ass. “I’m trying to get somecake. Have you seen how much Cassandra gets in tips?”

“I’m pretty sure she’s gotten a Brazilian Butt-Lift,” I said.

“Yeah, well, I can’t afford a BBL. So I have to cheek up the old fashioned way.”

“I think you have a nice butt!”

She gave me a loving look. “Aww, thanks.”

We scanned our IDs at the front desk and walked into the weight room. Since it was January, it was crowded with all the New Year’s resolution people. Half the machines were occupied, and there was no space with any of the free weights.

“Oh well,” I said. “Maybe if we hit the treadmill for a while we can come back and—”

Liz was fearless, immediately walking up to the nearest power rack and tapping a guy with dirty-blond hair. “Hi! Are you almost done with the barbell? My friend and I…”

She trailed off as he turned around. Sawyer had traded his black hat and leather cowboy gear for shorts and a tank top, but it was him. That harsh gaze and chiseled cheeks with a dusting of a five-o’clock shadow were unmistakable.

My breath caught in my throat. I already knew he was reasonably fit, but seeing him in a tank top showed just howrippedhe was. His shoulders were like boulders, with powerful arms that he crossed over a thick chest. In the blink of an eye, I was back in my dream, Sawyer watching me from across the room with a hint of a smile twinkling in those dark eyes.

Those eyes passed right over Liz and settled on me. His expression was already full-scowl, but somehow it darkened even further.

“I can’t get away from you,” he growled.

That knocked me out of my daze, and I frowned right back at him. “You have it backwards.Ican’t get away fromyou. You’re the one invading my city, my bar, my gym.”

“This is the closest gym to my hotel.”

“Hotel? You’re not staying at the rodeo camp?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Heat’s broken on my trailer.”

“Your hotel doesn’t have a gym?” I shot back.

Deadpan, he replied, “I need free weights, not a fucking elliptical.”

“Speaking of free weights!” Liz cut in hopefully. “Are you going to be done with the barbell soon?”

Sawyer glanced at his watch. “Nope. I’ve got five sets of power cleans, then five sets of squats.”

“Damnit,” Liz said.

Sawyer glanced at me, then exhaled softly. It might have been a sigh, except a man like Sawyer didn’t sigh. “I’ve got three minutes of rest between each set. We could alternate, if you want to share the bar.”

“Pass,” I immediately said. “I’d rather wait for one of those barbells to free up.”

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