Page 42 of Charlie

"I'm fine," he mutters.

He's not fine, but I let it go. "What's next, deadlifts?" I ask, trying to fill up the awkward silence.

"There's no way in hell I would survive teaching you deadlifts, Charlotte," he grinds out, finally looking up at me, his expression tight.

"Was I really that bad?" My face heats with embarrassment.

"Bad? No." He cocks his eyebrow, and I realize I must be missing something.

"Then what?"

He looks around to make sure no one is watching, then palms his crotch. "I have the biggest fucking hard-on right now, Charlotte!" he hisses, keeping his voice low.

Oh. Oh. I can't tear my eyes away from his hand and the way it's wrapped around his cock. I clear my throat. "I guess telling me to sit on your knee wasn't the best idea, huh?"

"The best idea I've ever had," he growls. "Go tell Lachlan he needs to show you how to do deadlifts."

"That's not a good idea," I protest. All I want to do is go home and take an ice-cold shower.

"Lachlan!" Jack bellows, waving him down.

I watch Lach as he runs over, his shorts not hiding a damn thing. I stare at the mat. Hard.

"Do you want to help Charlotte with deadlifts?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely," he grins. His cock twitches, and I suck in a sharp breath, my gaze bouncing between them. I wonder if this is how it will work if I decide to go further with them. One taps out, and the other steps in to finish the job. As appealing as that sounds, I would much rather both of them finish the job at once.

"Charlotte." My name slides out of Jack's lips, a whispered warning.

Lachlan licks his lips, color high in his cheeks. "You're thinking about fucking us, aren't you?"

I splutter, "No."

"Don't lie, Sassenach," Jack says, standing up and taking a step toward me.

Lachlan steps between us. "Maybe we'll go with hip thrusts and get some of this sexual tension worked out?"

I nod mutely. Anything to get them separated. Anything to stop thinking about ripping down their shorts and taking what I want.

23

Iwake up bright and early with a text from Isla asking me to check on Sorcha. I have a mini panic attack wondering if Jack will be at the barn again. Do I want to avoid him, or am I hoping for the perfect meet cute? Does he even wake up this early?

I rub my eyes. Hell, if I know. I don't even know what he does all day long. I don't know anything about him other than the fact that he hits all the right buttons. Fuck-me hair. Whisky eyes. Muscles for days. Lips that I can't stop thinking about.

Fuck. I have to get control of myself. Jack and Lachlan are a hard no. Really hard... sigh. I already know they're not the kind of guys you have a fling with and leave. They're the kind of men that get under your skin. The kind you never get over. The kind that can break your heart. They're the last thing I need when this summer ends with me going home. I'm starting to hate that word.

I throw on leggings and a hoodie, pulling the hood over yesterday's messy bun. I opt for rain boots, realizing too late that they're impossible to wear while riding a bike. After a few minutes of awkward pedaling, I jerk them off, throw them in the basket and pedal barefoot.

I move over to the shoulder when I hear a vehicle behind me, slowing down but not stopping because I loathe the idea of having to put my bare feet on the nasty wet road. An old farm truck blows past me, the gust of wind making the front tire of the bike wobble. After it passes, I sigh in relief, moving back into the road again. I round a bend, my attention on the loch, fog rising from the water, the castle a misty enigma in the background. I turn forward, and my heart skips a beat. The truck is right in front of me, stopped in the middle of the road. I squeeze on the break with my free hand.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" The front wheel locks up, pitching me over the handlebars.

Strong arms catch me, easily tossing the bike aside before it does any damage. I sink to the ground, my hand on my chest. "What the hell, Lach?"

He crouches down, his eyes scanning my limbs for damage. "I'm sorry, Carebear. I stopped to see if you wanted a ride. I didn't mean for you to run into me."

I take the hand he extends to me, jumping from one foot to the other as I pull on my boots, holding a hand up before he even asks me why I wasn't wearing them in the first place.

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