Page 44 of The Forbidden Mate

Was it that obvious that I was literally trying to outrun my problems?

“I’m fine. Just trying to work through some things.” I shrugged. “Stress and whatnot.”

“Got ya. Is there anything in particular you’d like to work on? I could show you some training exercises if you want.”

“I appreciate it…” I told him “… but I’m not really interested in becoming a gym rat.”

Ryker laughed, a full, rich sound I hadn’t expected from him—he always wore a serious demeanor. “Sure thing. But if you’re dealing with some stuff, maybe you should consider kickboxing or something similar? It requires enough focus to clear your mind, plus you can take out your aggression in a healthy way.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He flashed me another smile before getting back to his own workout, though he continued glancing my way. I wasn’t used to a lot of male attention, so I didn’t really know how to act. I’d had a couple of boyfriends over the years, but never anything serious. I didn’t think of myself as the kind of girl who typically caught a man’s eye, but maybe I hadn’t given myself enough credit. These dudes in here today were making me feel more confident than I had in a while.

I decided against resuming my run. I was already feeling exhausted from lack of sleep, so I probably shouldn’t push any harder. I grabbed a towel from one of the cabinets, wiped the sweat from my face and neck, and headed toward the door.

Before I could get there, though, Ryker jogged over and opened it for me. He smiled yet again. “Hope you have a nice day, Jessica.”

“You too, Ryker.”

His smile widened. “Yep. See you around.”

“See you,” I echoed then headed back to my room, mystified by all the attention.

Back in my suite, I jumped in the shower then got dressed in white pants and a yellow sleeveless knit top. It was warming up more every day, and I was happy to see spring’s arrival. As I blow-dried my hair, I thought back over my experience in the gym. Ryker had definitely made it clear he was interested. He was built, handsome, and seemed nice enough.

Why couldn’t I be interested in someone like him instead of Garrett—someone who was actually available? Why could I not get Garrett out of my mind?

I’d thought I was just harboring a crush on him, something that didn’t mean anything at all. But as more time passed, and as I spent more of that time with him, I was starting to think it was more than that.

I groaned at my reflection. “Don’t start catching feelings for that man,” I warned myself. But I was afraid it might be too late.

Once I was done with my hair and makeup, I decided it was time to visit Garrett. It was on my to-do list. We needed to go over the competition details before I finalized anything in case he wanted to add or change anything.

Gathering my nerve and willing myself not to be weak when it came to him, I made my way to his room. He answered on the first knock, and my mouth went dry when I realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal. I’d seen naked shifters with hot bodies all my life. I’d just been in a room with some of the cream of the crop. Yet the sight of Garrett’s broad shoulders, carved biceps, and chiseled abs had my resolve flying right out the window.

“Hey there,” he said, his tone entirely too flirty. He lifted one corner of his mouth in that smile I’d just been thinking of, catching the top of the doorframe with his fingers so that his muscles rippled with the motion.

I tried not to stare. “Morning.”

“I missed you at brunch this morning. Everything okay?”

No. “Of course,” I said with a bright smile then waved my clipboard. “Just wanted to get some extra work in this morning. Do you have time to go over the details of Monday’s competition with me?”

“For you? Of course.” He moved back and gestured for me to come in then shut the door, trailing behind me as I walked toward the black leather sectional in his living room. “Can I get you anything?”

When I shook my head, he sat down beside me. It took all my willpower not to turn to him and give in to the desire to reach out and touch him. That would be crazy, though. I was tryingnotto get myself more entangled.

“So here’s what I’ve come up with…” I gave him a brief rundown of how the competition would work, and how I wanted to use a scavenger hunt to highlight the women’s leadership skills and abilities to work as part of a team. “Plus, we'll see how they do physically as well.”

“A mental and physical challenge,” he mused, nodding. “Nice. I like it.”

“Is there anything you want to change? Any additional clues they’ll have to work through?”

Garrett leaned back on the couch, stretching his arms out. His fingers were so close to my shoulder that all I would have to do was breathe a little deeper for them to brush against my skin. Instead, I leaned forward.

“I think it’s perfect,” he said. “Nothing I want to change. At least not when it comes to the challenge.”

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