Page 131 of Outlaws of Tulsa

Yuck.

He’s not mine.

But, oh, how I want him.

“What?” His features are tight as he glances at my hold on his arm.

“I’m stuck here all day…” I trail off. “I thought I could work out with you today.”

His dark eyes narrow as he studies me. Normally, it unnerves me when he does this. Today, I leave myself wide-open and visible. He needs to see I really want this.

“Fine,” he grumbles. “But no whining. If you’re gonna whine, you can whine in the kitchen and make us supper.”

“You like it when I whine,” I tease. “Makes you want to give me something to whine about.”

His eyes flash with barely contained hunger, shocking the hell out of me. Okay, so I can work with this.

“Meet me in the home gym in five,” he grunts out, stalking out of the room like his ass is on fire.

I suppress a girly squeal. This is the most excitement I’ve had in months. Quickly, I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and pull my wild blond mane into a high ponytail. After smearing on some lip gloss, I hunt down some yoga pants, a tight white tank top, and my tennis shoes. I’d even say I look almost like the usual me aside from the freaky shock collar on my neck. It’s definitely the slutty version of a workout outfit considering I don’t have a sports bra and I’ve forgone a regular bra. My nipples are visible beneath the fabric, which makes me grin.

Have fun ignoring me now, asshole.

I practically skip to the home gym located in the basement. One wall of the basement overlooks the lake. It’s a pretty view, especially with the storm clouds rolling in. The better view is of Copper’s muscular, tattooed back. He’s sexy as hell shirtless and in nothing but a low-slung pair of black basketball shorts. His focus is on the dumbbell he’s curling, making his bicep pop with each time he brings it to him.

Ignoring the urge to drool, I walk over to the treadmill and turn it on. I begin at a brisk pace and soon turn it up so I can run. For the next half hour, I work my ass off on the machine whilesecretly stealing glances at Copper as he makes his way through his weights. The sky outside darkens with the late May storm that’s brewing making the windows seem like mirrors. Despite Copper facing the window, I can feel his gaze burning into me in the reflection. I bite on my lip when I take in my own reflection. My tits bounce with each step I take and my ponytail swings back and forth.

“We can’t work out together,” Copper complains, dropping his dumbbell to the mat. “You’re a distraction.”

I mash the button to stop the machine and step off. “How? I was being quiet.”

He waves a hand at my tits. “You know fucking why, Stormy.”

A thrill shoots down my spine, but I feign innocence. “Actually, I don’t. Explain it to me.”

“Your tits. Kind of hard to focus when I have to look at them.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” I snap, annoyed that he’s being a dick. “Some of us just enjoy the scenery and don’t act like a pussy about it.”

He takes an angry step toward me and on instinct, I place a palm to his hard chest that now wears a sheen of sweat. His head cocks to the side as he studies me up close. My heart hammers in my chest, eager for wherever he takes us.

“Make a list of the shit you need and I’ll get it next time I’m out,” he grunts. “Put sports bras on that list if you want to do this again.”

“Fine,” I yell, swiveling away from him, “I’ll go ahead and put a vibrator on there too so my vagina doesn’t dry up from non-use.”

His grip on my ponytail has me halting and my heart leaping into my throat. He steps closer, his erection pressing into me from behind me. Warm lips brush along the sweaty column of my neck above the shock collar.

“You’ve been such a good girl for months. Why are you deciding to run your mouth now?” he demands, his free hand sliding to my stomach while the other one tugs at my ponytail. “Did you miss the monster?”

My body shudders at his touch. “You’re not a monster.”

Thunder rumbles nearby, making the windows rattle. I lean into his touch as I glance out to check on the storm. Lightning flashes and the trees move with the wind that’s begun to pick up speed. My eyes find their way back to our reflection, though. To an outsider, this would most certainly be a lover’s embrace.

I grip his hand to guide it south of my stomach, but he stops me with his words.

“Grab a shower. We should start dinner in case we lose power. Hop to it,” he barks out, releasing me. “Now, little storm.” His palm playfully smacks my ass.

Before I can argue, he’s gone. On my way to the bathroom, I hear him chiding the dogs about getting dirty. I strip out of my clothes and take a quick shower, annoyed I’ve missed an opportunity to seduce Copper. Truth is, I’ve never had to work too hard to get a guy to want me. From my experience, they see my tits and want to jump into bed with me. I know Copper is attracted to me, but because I accused him of being a rapist, he’s going out of his way to treat me like I’m nothing he’d ever be interested in.

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