Page 46 of Recklessly You
I turn my gaze back to Liam, who is still staring at me while spotting the other guys. A chill runs down my spine. For the last days, every night after work, he’s arrived at my place with a change of clothes and a dessert.
Since the day at the restaurant when I told Liam about Eric criticizing me for how I ate, he’s acted strange, in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. Different. More, I don’t know, I guess, more vigilant toward me, protective of my body, caressing me with his hands and eyes. Making sure I feel beautiful. Then he would show me just how much he wanted me by giving me the fantasy I wanted. Him fucking me in his uniform every night. Fucking me in the kitchen, living room, up against the wall, in the bedroom. We would shower, then return to the kitchen to make dinner together. Liam chopped the vegetables, or whatever we were cooking, and we ended each night watching Netflix. It has become our nightly routine. It’s like we’re doting lovers.
My breathing quickens as my feet tap the concrete in time with the swish of the rope. Sweat drips from my forehead, but I keep jumping—my arms steady, my heart racing. I close my eyes, hearing the thump, thump, thump, the drumming in my chest. The burning sensation in my body intensifies ten times like a summer fever. I can go through cardiac arrest at any moment, not because I’m jumping like a mad woman…no, it’s because of the man who is slowly capturing my heart unknowingly.
“Jeez, woman, are you training to be the next Rocky Balboa? I’ve been calling your name. We stopped five minutes ago,” Daliah says in a raspy voice.
I stop, sweat dripping down my forehead to my breasts. Looking around, I notice everyone is putting their ropes back in the box, and Luis is talking to all the elderly women fawning over him. My gaze goes back to Daliah, who is standing with her hands on her hips, watching me. I want to laugh at how strange she looks in athletic gear. I’ve only seen her in graphic rock band shirts, skirts or jeans, and combat boots.
“So, you want to tell me why Dominic’s bestie is staring at you like he wants to eat you out?”
“Jesus Christ, Daliah.” My voice strangles in my throat. Glancing across the gym where the weights are, I spot Liam watching me, grinning.
Then he mouths, “Come here,” and beckons with his finger.
“Oh lord,” Daliah whispers. “Is something going on with you two?”
“No,” I say defensively. I lie through my teeth.
“Yeah, whatever, Rocky. I’m going to the bathroom to wash up. Go check on your buns of steel of a man.” Daliah snickers, wagging her eyebrows.
“Look, don’t tell Mila anything. She’ll either worry about me getting hurt, or she’ll go over the top, acting like we are a thing and wanting to plan a double date. When were not. A thing.” I’m rambling.
Daliah lifts her hands and says, “I don’t know anything.” She smiles and heads to the bathroom.
* * *
Grabbing a hand towel,I wipe the sweat off my forehead and make my way toward Liam. He’s surrounded by women, and the other guys are hot on their tails. Except for Dominic, who ignores them completely. Good.
I hate how close Liam and I are getting. I guess I shouldn’t say close. He doesn’t share anything about his life, which is infuriating. I want to know what demons are hiding in his shadows. He knows more about me than I know about him. Hell, I don’t even know where he lives. He falls asleep in my bed and wakes up early to go back to his place and get ready for work. I huff an irritated breath at how all the women are doing squats right in front of him, lusting over him like cats in heat.
Bitches.
Why is it that men can get all territorial and stake a claim? I know we are not a couple, and I can’t stake a claim, although I let him do it when I was doing the calendar shoot. So, how in the hell am I supposed to get these women away from him? Just as I approach him, a woman jumps right in front of me. What the fuck?
“Hey, Liam, you’re looking good.” She hums like a hummingbird, all sweet and sugary.
Annoyed and pissed, I make my way to Dominic, who is packing his gym bag. I hate how jealous I feel and how it makes my chest cave in. I just got out of a bad relationship, and the last thing I need is to feel like a broken doll with Liam. I don’t want to feel anything, but I do feel like a stupid idiot after he told me what he wanted, and I agreed like a desperate slut. I don’t bother to glance back to see if he’s talking to the woman, whom he probably slept with.
“Congratulations,” I say to Dominic. We just found out Mila is pregnant.
His smile widens. “Thanks, I can’t fucking wait until her belly swells.”
I smile in awe; the guy has seriously won me over. When Dominic and Mila reunited, I threatened to seriously hurt him if he ever hurt her. He said he would prove he was here to stay with her and Dante, and he has.
“That’s so cute, Dominic.”
He scoffs. “Whatever, Grandpas.com.”
He lifts his head up to the person walking up behind me. I know it’s Liam. I can feel him. “How’s the dating life going? No more Brut or mothball guys?” he asks, laughing as he grabs his gym bag.
“Brut guys? Mothballs? What the fuck is that?” Liam asks behind me.
I roll my eyes.
Dominic laughs harder. “She dated some guys who smelled like her grandpa. You know, the cologne old guy’s wear.”
“Ha, ha.” I mimic the guys laughing, including Santiago and Mark, who are nearby, bench-pressing.
