Page 8 of The One Who Got Away
I groaned.
“We’ll stretch out and I’ll give you homework until I see you on Friday.”
We’d done a lot of mat work and I had a feeling I’d be a crying heap tomorrow at work.
And I was supposed to see Eloise.
Shit.
I was so stupid.
Josh loaded my notes app with exercises for me to do in between sessions along with a few dietary instructions. At the level of protein, I needed to ingest I was going to have to shuffle my grocery budget and add in some meal prep time.
Whatever I needed to do to get back my life, I didn’t care.
On my way down the stairs to the main gym I spotted Eloise on her elliptical machine. A new weak-in-the-knees moment was unlocked when I got a look at her workout outfit.
Sweet fuck.
She wore one of those bra things leaving her midsection bare. The network of freckles that coated her face and neck spread out on all of her skin.
And I wanted to paint every single mark with my tongue.
The merlot-colored bra matched the skin tight pants that hugged every damn curve she had. She dabbed at her neck and chest with a towel before she kicked up the incline which showed every single muscle flexing in her thighs and heart shaped ass.
This was not the little Eloise I knew when we were in school. She’d been tiny in an almost fragile way. She half-heartedly played soccer, but it was mostly for the college points. She’d been happiest working at the computer, perfecting her code and ideas. Back then she’d been deep into storyline games. Her brain had been fascinating and I knew she was way too good for me.
Now she was home, which was a story on its own.
I slung my towel over my shoulder and crossed to where she was. She’d worked up a sweat and the little baby hairs along her neck were kinking up in the curls I knew and loved.
My thighs protested, but I stepped on the treadmill beside her and set it to an easy walk. Even with that my thighs and abs burned and screamed.
She turned with a tight, polite smile then it suddenly bloomed into the kilowatt Eloise smile. “Hey. Since when were you a gym guy?”
“Since thirty came and smacked me in the face.”
She laughed. “Same.” She tapped on her earbud. “Running around Bite Me is good, but then I also eat there because...hello.” She smacked her hip. “Right there.”
My mouth dried. “Everything looks good to me.”
A blush started in her neck and she hid a smile. “You don’t have to say that.”
“I’m not kidding.” I gripped the bars a little tighter and wished I had my sunglasses so I didn’t do something stupid, like let my gaze trail over her mouthwatering breasts. I’d seen her in a bathing suit before, but it was a far cry from the tight bands that somehow lifted and strapped down everything at the same time. Whatever the magic, I wanted to peel her out of it.
Mistake—my brain said with a blaring alert.
A huge fucking mistake to come over here and see her like this. But I was locked in now.
There was nothing but the swishing sound of the machines for a moment. She cleared her throat. “Did you want to do something tomorrow or was that just...”
“No, I do.”
A quick smile bloomed across her face. “Good. I’m back at my mom’s house.” She looked down for a minute before her cute little chin lifted. “She’s got a book and wine club thing in Saratoga. I could cook us something, unless you want to go out.”
“You cook? Since when?”
She chuckled. “Since I lived alone for ten years. Take out got old.”
