AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Well, that was unexpectedly endearing. I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to me. I’d never get sick of kissing this woman. Of feeling the subtle give of her body against mine, or the moment her lips surrendered, and she melted into my hungry demands. This remarkable woman—who’d walked the globe twice over, who had CEOs eating out of her delicate palm—was asking to keep me for herself. As deeply as I wanted to come clean, to claim her publicly, as I tasted her lips and my hands traveled over her warmth in a frigid city, some part of me decided just to do what it took to keep her happy. Despite the gnawing in my gut that said this was going to bite us in the ass, I nodded and peeled away from her just as a gentle snow floated down between us.
“Okay.”
“Okay,” she said, tone slightly more chipper, although not entirely certain.
“We’re not in Mistyvale anymore, Todo. We better get out of the dark alley before trouble finds us,” I said, glancing around to ensure we were still alone and relieved to find the space empty. Her giggle dissipated the unease a bit.
“True.” She leaned up to tickle bunny kisses across my nose and then led me off into the glowing snow globe of a winter night in Chicago. I followed her through wonderland, wanting to believe everything she said. Wanting to believe she wanted to prolong this oasis of ours. But a part of me felt like the reality was I’d yet to fully earn her trust. And who could blame her? For a decade, I wavered like a fucking pussy as we both hung onto the hook. It would take a lot more than a few weeks and a surprise trip to earn her faith in me. I just had to be okay with doing whatever it took to do it.
Elora
The sharp smack of Broderick’s palm against my ass trapped my breath in a bubble in my chest the following morning. My surprise turned into a coy smile when I found him smirking down at said ass, looking all-too satisfied. Sweat glistened over his beautiful biceps, leaving damp spots on his cutoff t-shirt.
“Couldn’t have the gym bros confused about who you’re going home with,” he said cheekily, amused eyes flicking up to mine.
“They just recognize me from the vlog, but don’t know why.” When his smile turned into a deadpan, I laughed and glanced around the crowded space. Most assisted machines were taken, the free weight section we’d happily made camp in no less congested. Lo-and-behold, a few guys with headphones on looked between us before turning to their machines.
“You were saying?” he said, closing the distance to trail warm fingers over the skin between my tank and leggings.
“That you have excellent taste in women. Take the compliment?” Clearing my throat, I offered a quick smile before rising on my toes to press a quick kiss to his lips. Setting my hands on his chest, I said, “Besides, you look awfully tempting curling those dumbbells.”
“I’ve got nothing on you with your ass in the air cranking out deadlifts.” My cheeks flushed, and I glanced around outside our little bubble. The best part of most gyms was that everyone lived in the cocoon of their own headphones. His fingers gently pinched my chin, tilting my face up to his so he could press a firm kiss to my lips before saying, “Alright, coach, what’s next?”
Grinning, I supplied, “Squats.”
“Trying to kill me, Pix?”
“You seem to appreciate the results just fine.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s get this over with.”
“For a football coach, you sure whine a lot in the gym.”
“For a business coach, you sure lift like you’re preparing for war.”
“Your point?” Laughing, I disentangled, nodding towards the weight wrack. “Will you spot me?”
“Not like you need it.”
“No,” I agreed, not dropping his gaze as I backed over towards the towering barbell wracks. “But I like your hands on me.”
He groaned as if I’d inflicted a physical pain, head rolling back as he followed me, and I couldn’t even wipe the grin off my face when I turned to load plates onto the bar. There was a euphoria that seemed to emanate between us during the simplest of activities, a sensation that I’d yet to experience. Weights loaded, I stepped under the bar and positioned myself, but it was Broderick’s careful evaluation that I watched in the mirror. The only description for the look in his eyes was…protective. And I loved it.
“Good girl, keep your form,” he instructed, tugging my ponytail playfully before pulling it over the bar so I didn’t place the weight on it. With one nod of approval, I began my set, smiling as each rep got harder, my breath coming hotter, legs shaking by the fifth. I was about to roll the weight back onto the hook when he shook his head. “You’re not done. Keep going, baby.”
“Fuck,” I breathed, but lowered again, something like pride swelling in my chest as he grinned and nodded. His eyes stayed on me–those broad palms upturned and ready to step in if I maxed out–while mine watched him in the full wall mirror across from us. The chaos of the gym was nothing but a blur, I’m sure partially because of the adrenaline-endorphin combo in my roaring bloodstream, but my zeroed in focus was all on him.
“That’s my girl, you got one more,” he said when I extended, giving my ass another light slap.
“Gonna…kill me,” I gritted out, but shifted on my feet, mentally preparing for the fight of it. Through the scream in my quads, I squatted down, the smooth metal purr of the weight sliding down the track permeating my fog as I watched him step forward, his hands under the bar, but not touching until I’d extended. There if I needed him, but not doubting my ability to do it my damn self. Fuck, I loved the man. I rotated the bar back onto the hook with a heavy clunk. My breath exited in a relieved little whoosh as I straightened on shaking legs, grinning at him as he raised his big hand for a high-five. When my palm met his, he laced his fingers into mine, pulling me against him with his other hand as he brought our foreheads together, dropping that hand to my waist.
“I ever tell you how proud I am to call you mine?”
I grinned through ragged breaths, shaking my head.
“Mmm, we’ll have to remedy that,” he said, the promise in his tone sending a shiver down my spine before he claimed my mouth with a kiss that set fire tearing through my bloodstream. “A man has never been prouder, Pix.”
As we stepped apart, I watched that glorious smile, and wondered if a woman had ever been prouder of her man than I was to call him mine. More than a decade worth of internal Elora’s preened, and I decided that wasn’t possible.
