Page 44 of What About Us

“They’re really good, just a little different.”

“No sisterly love added in,” Britney says with a wink. “Ivy, do you mind if Mark and I work out with y’all? The gym is so big, you won’t even know we’re there.”

“I don’t mind if Xander doesn’t.”

Xander shakes his head. “Don’t mind.”

He shoves the last bite in his mouth, and once I’m finished, he clears our plates away and we move down the hall to the gym.

Xander sets my bag on the desk, and I follow to add my water.

“Oh, I forgot your hoodie,” I say with a frown.

“I told you to keep it.”

“Listen, Xander.” I blow out a breath and cross my arms over my chest. “I’m a woman.”

“Trust me, I’ve noticed, Red.”

My cheeks heat, but I keep going.

“I will never turn down the opportunity to steal a man’s hoodie. It’s in my DNA as a female. But it’s a team sweatshirt, and I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

He grins and leans against the desk, crosses his arms, and I want to lean against him.

I don’t. But I want to.

“Who am I going to get into trouble with, exactly?”

“Whoever the boss is. The one that’s in charge of your clothes.”

He reaches up and brushes the pad of his finger over my cheek, across the bridge of my nose, to the other cheek, and I can’t help but squirm from that simple contact.

“You have the most beautiful freckles I’ve ever seen.”

My brows pull together, and he drops his hand.

Wait. Don’t stop!

“I’m not going to get in trouble with anyone for much of anything, Ivy. I’m the captain of the team, and I get away with a lot. I’m not a rookie. Not to mention, I can do whatever I want with that gear. You keep it.”

“It’s a really nice one,” I reply softly. I can hear Cooper and Britney doing their thing somewhere in the gym. “Thanks. We should get started.”

He nods, and I lead him through to where the jumping boxes are.

“Double leg jumps,” I tell him. “Start with ten.”

“This is not tall enough.”

“It’s plenty tall.”

He shakes his head, and I know he’s frustrated that he’s starting with exercises that seem so easy, but I can’t let him hurt himself.

We work through our normal routine, and after about an hour, Cooper joins us and participates in the same exercises.

“Should you be going this hard?” he asks.

“That’s what she said,” I blurt out, and then I go very still because I’ve never uttered something so unprofessional at work before.