Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Gripping the bar, I shrug before lifting. “Just thinking about shit.”
We take turns a few sets, spotting each other, until my muscles are burning and I’m soaked in sweat. I kneel to wipe my face on a rag when Morris lets out a groan.
“Jesus,” he hisses. “If I didn’t already smell like pussy, I’d be all over trying to hit that.”
I follow his stare to a nice ass in black spandex. The woman’s blond hair is pulled back in a ponytail that swings as she talks to what must be her boyfriend. When she feels our stare, she turns to look our way.
Holy shit.
“Lauren?”
“You know her?” Morris mutters. “Introduce us.”
I stand quickly and throw my towel down forcefully. “No. She’s mine.”
“You’re dating that young thing? No fucking way, man!”
“What? No. I’m not…forget it. Just stay here.”
He laughs after me as I stride over to Lauren. Her brown eyes slide over my body in a greedy way that makes my blood heat and my cock swell. This girl is bad news for me. I react way too much in her presence.
“Daniel,” she says, her naturally pink lips quirking on one side.
“Lauren.”
Her boyfriend comes to stand behind her, but when our eyes meet, I realize based on the same eyes boring into me this is her brother whom I’d met a couple times before.
“Can we talk?” I ask her, needing to get away from his scrutinizing gaze.
“Uh, yeah. Landon, I’ll meet you over at the elliptical machines in a minute.”
As soon as he’s gone, I reach forward and touch the pale pink line on her forehead. She doesn’t flinch under my touch.
“How are you feeling?”
“We’re not at the hospital,” she says. “You don’t get to play doctor right now.”
But she doesn’t move away from my touch. Her skin is paler than when I saw her last. Brows slightly pinched. It makes me wonder if she’s in pain.
“I’ve been worried about you,” I admit, dropping my hand and fisting it. I don’t tell her that an hour ago I was stalking her on social media.
“I’m f—”
I press my thumb to her lips. “Don’t say it.”
Her brown eyes flash with defiance.
“Hi, I’m Evan.”
I tense when Morris comes to stand beside me and I reluctantly drop my hand from Lauren’s supple lips. She pulls her stare from mine to flicker over to him. Her eyes dance up to his hair and she smiles. Of course. They all smile over Mr. Pretty Boy’s hair.
“Pleasure to meet you. I don’t often meet Daniel’s girlfriends.”
Her skin floods crimson. “What?”
“Morris,” I grumble. “Come on, man.”
A chuckle rumbles from him. “My mistake. When you’d said she was yours, I assumed—”
I let out an annoyed growl and give him a shove. The fucker just laughs harder.
“My bad,” he says. “Nice to meet you…”
“Lauren.” Her eyes leave him and she burns me with a glare.
“Right, so I’m going to go take a piss. Meet you back over by the weights in a minute.” He bounces off and my tension leaves with him.
“Yours?” she implores.
I run my fingers through my sweaty hair and grit my teeth. “He’s a player. If I didn’t claim you, he’d already have your number and you’d fall into his sex trap.”
She snorts. “Sex trap? Sounds kinky.”
“Virgin girls don’t belong in sex traps. I was protecting you.”
“So noble,” she taunts. “And here I thought it was because you wanted me all for yourself.”
I’m about to retreat and leave her before I do something idiotic like kiss her, when she makes a strange sound. She sways and frantically grips the front of my soaked shirt.
“I need air,” she whispers against my neck.
Curling my arm around her, I guide her out the side door and into the warm April late evening. There’s nowhere to sit, so I walk her over to a shady area and help her sit down on the concrete. She crosses her legs, and with her elbows on her knees, she buries her face in her palms. I kneel beside her and stroke my fingers through her ponytail.
“Talk to me,” I say gently. “I can’t help you unless you talk to me.”
Her shoulders shake as she cries silently. Anxiety ripples through me.
“Can we just sit and watch the sunset?” she whispers.
“Are you going to faint or become sick?”
“I’m better already.”
“I’ll do it on one condition.”
She lifts her head and stares at me wearily. I reach forward and brush away a rogue tear with my thumb.
“What’s the condition?” she asks.
“You call me the next time you feel sick.”
Her nostrils flare. “I’ll watch the sunset alone.”
Grumbling, I sit down on my ass beside her. “Are you always this fucking stubborn?”
“Always,” she sasses, flashing me a pretty smile that no doubt gets her out of lots of trouble.
“No one should have to watch a sunset alone,” I grunt out. “And no one should suffer through something by themselves. All I’m asking is for you to talk to me. As a friend, not as a doctor.”