Page 53 of Let It Be Me

“Fine. Get down on your knees.”

She drops her chin, looking up at me through her eyelashes, warning me.

“What? It’s a hip flexor stretch.” I move closer and put a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her down.

She traps her bottom lip between her teeth, restraining a smile. “Lorenzo.”

“Better do what Coach says.”

She obeys, but her eyes catch mine as she lowers herself onto her knees.

“Move into a kneeling lunge and lean forward.”

“Are you going to join me?”

I take my phone out of my pocket and toss it onto the grass, then lower myself down. “Now squeeze your butt.”

“You squeeze your butt.”

“Okay, if you’re not up for it, I could ...” I pretend to reach for her ass.

She laughs. “What is with you today? You’re supposed to be a cranky old man.”

“Can’t a cranky old man get frisky?”

She watches me, a smile still on her lips. She has to be thinking what I’m thinking—the silence between us is anything but silent. What would she do if I leaned over and kissed her? Open her mouth for me? Climb on top of me like she did in bed? I think she would.

She turns her head forward. “Okay, what next?”

“Glute stretch.”

“The grass is wet.”

“Get over it. You’re here to sweat anyway.”

We lie in the grass, and Ruby unties her ponytail, letting her hair loose. I help her reposition her hands around the back of her thigh instead of her knee, a hands-on approach that’s totally unnecessary, but I can’t help it. Seeing her on her back with her hair splayed out around her head isn’t leaving room for any thoughts that aren’t a little dirty. The feel of her soft fingers under mine, wrapping around her thighs, makes my dick come alive alarmingly quick. I lie back into the stretch, taking a quick detour at my shorts to reposition myself.

We switch legs and Ruby turns to look at me. She’s smiling like doing glute stretches on the damp grass in a public park is her idea of a perfect day. And honestly? It’s mine too. It’s justmore proof that maybe I was right the other day, that Ruby is everything I want in a woman. Trust. Loyalty. Fun. Check, check, and check. My eyes linger on the curve of her ass as she brings her knee to her chest. Hot sex. And if Ruby fucks anything like she kisses, that won’t be a problem. My dick stirs again as my mind conjures up an image of her kissing me the way she did that night in bed, but without any clothes.

Ruby sits up, and I’m jerked out of my fantasy. “What’s next, Coach?”

“Um.” I try to get my mind right. “Hamstrings.”

We’re reaching for our toes when my phone beeps in the grass next to Ruby. She glances at it and then leans over to get a better look at the screen.

“Are those . . . nipple rings?”

I groan. I know who’s texting me. “Give it to me.”

“I can’t look?”

“You just did. Give it,” I say shortly.

She rolls her eyes but hands me the phone. I swipe to clear the text and shove the phone in my pocket.

It’s not the first time Ruby’s spotted a nude land in my texts, and after all the years we’ve spent hooking up with other people, it’s never been a big deal. But somehow, without her saying anything, I know today it is.

“All right, hammies loose enough?” I ask, getting up. “Let’s hit the track for round two.”

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