Page 86 of For Wrath and Redemption
“Ugh. Spare me the innuendo. It’s too early.”
I don’t bother fighting my laugh. I don’t bring up last night, either. I didn’t know how she would handle things in the light of day. I still don’t. I was worried when I saw her that it would be awkward. I’m grateful for the guise. I’m even more grateful she didn’t make me wait in suspense until Sunday.
I’m nervous, and I’m fucking embarrassed, and truth be told, I’m scared. Years-old abandonment issues are stirring. They were alreadyrestless, thanks to the change in my friendship with Torren, but this shit with Claire has me teetering on panic.
I’m not proud of how I reacted last night, but I know from experience it could have been worse. So much worse.
The gym is empty when we walk in. It’s always cleared out for us, but when I search for another giant, ripped trainer, I don’t see one.
“Where’s the Scottish Thor?”
Claire huffs a laugh. “It was too late to book someone. I’m your trainer today.”
“We going to get sweaty together, Trouble?”
She arches a brow. “I’m going to run you ragged, Hendrix. I’m going to work you so hard, by the time I’m done with you, you won’t know which way’s up.”
Fuck, I’m going to get hard. “You might want to watch what you say, Davis. I’m going to get the wrong idea.”
She ignores my comment entirely, then proceeds to do exactly what she said she would. Her workout might even be more difficult than Thor’s, but she keeps up with me.
Fifteen minutes in, and I’m ready to call it quits. Not because of the squats, though. Because of her. Sweat drips down her chest, sliding into her cleavage. Her lower back glistens. Her cheeks and neck flush the sexiest pink. When she does squats, I try so fucking hard not to stare at her ass. At the way her muscles flex with each motion.
I try and fail. And when my dick gets hard, I turn around and groan.
“I can’t do this anymore, Trouble. I have to tap out.”
“What?” Her question is breathy, panted. It just sends more blood to my cock.
“We have to stop.”
“We’re almost done. You can’t quit yet.”
I push my palms into my eyes and shake my head.
“Trouble, if I do anything else, I will pass out from lack of blood to my brain. I’m so fucking hard that it hurts.”
She snorts. “Working out turns you on?”
“Youturn me on. You’re all sweaty and breathless and bossy. Every time you bend over, I remember how it felt being inside you. When you lay down for crunches, I replayed how you looked lying beneath me.My hips between your thighs.” I groan again. “Fuck, I’m fucking worthless. This is pointless. I can’t do this with you.”
She goes quiet, just her labored breathing getting lost in the ’90s rock playing from the gym speakers. I worry I went too far. I should have kept my fucking mouth shut. I should have just said I was tired.
“Forget it. I’m wiped and talking nonsense. I need a shower and some ibuprofen. Forget everything I just said.”
I will her to agree and let it drop. I need her to just pretend I didn’t say any of what I just said. It’s a lot. After last night, it’s too fucking much.
“I’ll see you at soundcheck,” I say to the wall, then take a few steps toward the door. I need to get the hell out of here. Then she speaks, and I stop in my tracks.
“I want you, too, Jonah.”
Her whispered confession makes my heart stop, and my ears go on high alert.
“What did you say?”
“I said I get it, okay? I’m attracted to you. I think about it a lot. This is hard for me, too, Jonah. But...”
Fuck. There’s always a fucking but. The pause stretches. My patience wears thin. I can’t take any more suspense.
