Page 259 of Rush

I cross my arms. “You’re really saying no?”

“Yeah.”

I laugh once, dry. “No to sex. With me. In this very accessible hoodie. With no bra.”

His jaw tightens. His tell. He’s seconds from breaking.

I push, because I can’t help it. “Did Alex give you a brain injury when you fucked each other or?”

“Please he couldn’t handle all this American muscle,” he scoffs, “and this isn’t about younotbeing sexy.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’re so fucking beautiful it hurts to look at you sometimes, and saying no might actually kill me.” He laughs under his breath. “But from the moment you stepped into my gym months ago, we’ve been doing this wrong. Using sex to hold on to something that was already there. And El—it hasn’t just been sex in a long time. Maybe it never was.”

I arch a brow. “Damn, Schwartz. That was one hell of a TEDTalk.”

“You’re a cheeky little ball-buster, you know that?”

“You can bust your balls on my lips if you want.”

He groans, low and helpless.

“Because I was definitely offering birthday sex,” I say, feigning innocence.

“Elena—”

“Come on. I was planning a birthday blowjob. Would’ve worn lipstick. Red, maybe.”

His breath hitches. His hands balling into fists at his sides.

“You can’t look at me like that and say shit like that and expect me not to take you right here,” he growls.

I grin. “So you do want me.”

He leans in, nose brushing mine. “Every fucking second.”

I rise onto my toes, voice a whisper. “Then take me right here. Right now. On this floor.”

He exhales sharply, eyes burning. “You’re not playing fair.”

“Neither are you.”

Then—he steps back. Again.

“What the actual fuck,” I mutter.

“Take me out,” he says roughly. “One night. Just us. No mixed signals. Let me hold your hand.”

I blink. “You know this is a lot of paperwork, right?”

“I’m good at renegotiating terms.”

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”

“I’m sure he’ll see my side. I can be very persuasive.”

“Oh, so you’re gonna wine and dine him too?”