Page 111 of Oblivion

CHAPTERFORTY-TWO

Dante

“Okay, third time, lucky!” I plucked my forgotten protein shake off the counter and strode to the elevator, putting in an extreme effort to not give into my thirst for Penny—for athirdtime.

Now that the chains on my libido had been snapped, I couldn’t fucking help myself around her. So tempting, delectable, butGod damn it,so off-limits it wasn’t even funny.

She met me at the entryway. “Do we have to?”

I eyed her incredulous expression while tying my laces, determined to get to the gym without falling between her thighs again.

“Yes. Come on—in.”I pointed into the elevator when the doors opened.

“But I don’t have shoes on. Wasn’t that one of your rules?” she drawled.

I scoffed. “So was not fucking you, but seems that I’m willing to bend rules today.”

Penny breezed past, muttering something about bending, then squared off with me against the rear wall of the elevator. I stepped in and punched the button for the basement floor, then smirked as I took a sip of shake.

“Can I have some?”

I almost spat the mouthful. “I fucking made you one!”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but I forgot to bring it. Besides, yours tastes better.”

“Damn it, woman, you’re testing me oneverylevel today.”

A boxer-melting smile appeared on her face. “Thanks!”

“It wasn’t a goddamn compliment, jailbait!”

Laughter filled the cart and she entered my space, draping herself against my side and running a hand down the center of my chest.

“I know, but I took it as one. Are we going to have gym sex?”

My eyes locked with her baby blues—all fluttery and “innocent.” With as much mental fortitude as I could muster, I splayed a hand across her upper chest and pushed her to arm’s length.

“Gym time is sacred. No, we won’t be having gym sex.”

Even as the words tripped across my tongue, I knew they were a lie. If not today or tomorrow, I anticipated that one day Iwouldgive in to her perky little booty bending over at the most convenient time. For that moment, I would wait. I was a patient man when I needed to be.

Penny smirked. “We’ll see, man meat. I bet you won’t be able to last a week now that you’ve had this.” She tapped the apex of her thighs and gave me a sassy look that damn near had me caving.

The elevator doors gliding open saved me from myself. Not only did Penny push past so I had to follow her bare legs into the gym, but she also plucked the shake from my hand and took an exaggerated sip.

“Christ, woman. Just…” I ran a hand over my head and looked around. “Go sit over there so I can focus.”

“Mypleasure,”she purred.

Muttering away my irritation was all I could do. It was either that or laugh, and laughing would do nothing but encourage her.

At times, I didn’t notice our age difference, whereas at others, it was startlingly obvious. Like her inability to sit the fuck down and relax for more than two minutes without checking her phone. Or her incessant need to win an argument. Or, most alarmingly, asking me what a fucking film canister was. Itskedto myself.

Taking a quick pause before moving onto two new weights stations, I approached Penny and snatched my shake from her grasp. I shook it while pursing my lips.

“Really?”

Innocence lit her expression, and damn it, if it wasn’t kinda cute.

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