Page 71 of What About Us

“I’m never nice.” I lean in so my lips are near her ear. “Your body is what wet dreams are made of, wildcat.”

She snorts and pushes away. “Yeah, okay. Go away so I can work out.”

With that, she turns on her music, another ’90s station that’ll have my ears bleeding in minutes, and just as Gangsta’s Paradise starts to play, this amazing girl hops on the treadmill and starts to walk.

After five minutes, she boosts up the speed to a jog, and I can plainly see her tits move in the mirror.

I’ll say it again. She’s trying to fucking kill me.

“Stop watching me, Xander Hendrix,” she says into the mirror. “You’re going to make me fall.”

“I have way more confidence in your ability than that,” I reply and saunter over to where I keep extra clothes and change into a pair of shorts, then walk over to the lat pulldown machine right behind her and get to work.

“What are you doing?” she asks without missing a step.

“Upper body. I thought you said you only run if something’s chasing you.”

“Something is chasing me. The numbers on the scale. Why don’t you go eat breakfast?”

She’s starting to breathe faster, and it only makes me want her more. I want to be the reason she’s out of breath. And she’s the only breakfast I want.

“You’re perfect. Ignore the fucking scale.”

“Says the man who’s naturally”—she has to pause because she’s panting—“perfect. Mr. Hotshot Hockey.”

“But I’m your favorite, though. Right?”

Come on, Red, tell me I’m your favorite.

“Right now, you’re a pain in my ass.”

I like this side of her. This sassy, funny side.

“That’s not me, that’s all the running.”

She huffs out a laugh and works hard to ignore me as I move to arm curls. I’m not a complete psycho pervert, I’m not staring at her, but I do keep an eye on her.

Because she’s amazing. And she can never wear that outfit to a regular gym. I’d end up being arrested for murder.

“You can work out here from now on,” I say casually as I return to the lat pulldowns. I should do some bench presses, but I’ll be fucking damned if I’ll let her out of my sight. “Consider this a lifetime membership.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t usually have time to work out.” The treadmill slows, and she walks for a few minutes before grabbing a towel to wipe off her face and then moving over to the squat rack.

Because of course she fucking does.

“Here’s the thing, Hendrix,” she says as she adjusts the plates. “I’d rather you didn’t watch me do this.”

“I’m just also getting a workout in, Red.”

She smirks. “You’ve been ogling my ass.”

“It seems to be a side benefit to using the gym today.” I grin at her, and she rolls her eyes, but I sober. “But if I’m really making you uncomfortable, I’ll leave.”

She pauses and props her hands on her hips.

Ivy really does have amazing tits. I want to do unspeakable, dirty things to them. I want to bury my face in them, suck them.

Come on them.