“That’s clear, but it doesn’t change the fact that you should have a spotter.” Then he smiled, and holy cow. It was wide and bright and sexy and mischievous all in one.
I pushed against the way my body decided it wanted to work out with him, but not in the gym. “And you want to be my spotter?”
He shrugged. “Me or someone else. I can find someone.” He scanned the room. I did too, but at this time of night, the gymwasn’t very full. Everyone was likely at dinner, which meant all these guys were like him, probably trolling for a woman.
“I’m not interested in?—”
He held up his hand. “Me neither.” He leaned closer. “I don’t need to hit on women at the gym… or anywhere, really.”
It was an arrogant statement, but no doubt true. He was built like a Mack truck, probably six feet-five of mostly muscle. He was bald, so his pale, crystalline blue eyes stood out. Or maybe it was the dark lashes. He looked like he could be lethal, but his smile suggested he was an affable man. I couldn’t quite pin his age. Older than forty, but not by much.
“Fine. It will avoid having to deal with any of them,” I said, motioning to the other men in the gym.
He grinned and again, it felt like a lightning bolt. “I’ll be your bodyguard.”
Reluctantly, I let him spot me. As we moved from machine to machine, I realized he was probably a trainer. He gave me tips and alternative ways to work on my muscles. Within thirty minutes, I wondered if he was married because I was thinking I wouldn’t mind spending a little more time with him outside the gym. Sixty minutes later, I was disappointed that I was done.
“You know, a sauna is a nice way to end a workout,” he said as I wiped my brow of sweat.
I studied him, wondering if there was a deeper meaning behind his words. “Oh?”
He nodded. “It’s hot. Steamy. Good for the muscles.”
Damn. I was normally good at reading people, but I was still having a hard time figuring out if he meant something more. “Will you show me where it is and how to use it?”
He smiled, and this time, it was clear that he didn’t mean just a sauna. So, now was the time for me to back off if I wasn’t interested. But I was. It had been a long time since I’d had sex. And I’d never had it with a man who looked like him. I couldn’thelp but wonder if all areas of his body were as large as his height and muscles suggested.
“Of course.” He led me to an area off the locker rooms. “I don’t think enough people use a sauna. It’s almost always empty.”
Good to know.
“We need to shower first.”
“Together?” The question was out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying.
His blue eyes flashed with heat. “That would be lovely, wouldn’t it? Alas, there is no coed shower. I’ll meet you here in five. Here’s a towel and a robe for you.” There was something in his tone that told me this was his way of giving me an out if I didn’t want to follow through. I hoped he didn’t want me to ghost him because I was feeling hot and bothered all over.
“Five minutes, then.”
I showered quickly, wrapping myself in the towel and then heading a little too eagerly back to the sauna. It was ridiculous how much I wanted to see this man naked.
I stood outside the door trying not to look like an idiot. The longer I stood, the longer I wondered if he’d changed his mind. I noticed a very large robe hanging on a peg outside the door and considered that he’d already gone inside. As if to answer my question, the door opened to a large, sculpted chest that made my mouth go dry. Slowly, my gaze lifted up to pale blue eyes.
His smile hinted at mischief. “Ready?”
“Yes.” I slipped my robe off, hanging it next to his. I chanced a glance at him to see if his mouth had gone dry at seeing me. I wasn’t model-pretty, but I did okay in the looks department. It helped that my hair was a dark red and long. Men seemed to like that.
He bit his lower lip as I passed him. I took that as a good sign.
“We should sit on the lower bench first. It’s cooler there.”
The room was hot, but not steamy. I sat on the bench and for the first time in a while, nerves skittered through me.
“We need to acclimate a bit,” he explained. He sat next to me, his arms spread eagle on the bench above us. It highlighted just how wide his chest was. And sculpted. God, I wanted to drag my tongue along every line of his chest and lower. Holy cow, did he have an eight-pack?
“You looked good out there.”
I dragged my gaze away from his impressive physique and up to his handsome face.