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His heart was thumping so hard he wondered what a heart rate could accelerate to without killing a man. At least he’d die with Ellery in his arms.
One more swing and grasp and he was at the last swinging bar. He flung them to the final bar, a solid and stable landing and exiting bar as opposed to the rest of the bars that swung. He almost missed it, so distracted by her body pressed close. Despite the extra energy she infused into him, his body was exhausted. His hand caught hold of the metal, and then he wrapped both hands around it and hung on with every ounce of grit and strength he’d earned over years of competing and pushing himself beyond his own limits.
The crowd cheered. Ellery started to disentangle herself, but he rasped out, “Wait.”
“What?” She cocked her head to the side, smiling sweetly at him.
“If I do a pullup while I hold you, will you come to the wedding with me?” He asked the question close to her ear to be heard over the cheering.
He was starting to lose his grip. He clung tighter, willing his hands not to give out.
Please help, he begged heaven above.
Derek hadn’t asked much of heaven since he’d lost his mum, simply protection and healing for the rest of his family. With the mess Steffan and Hattie were in and the dangers Curt and Aliya recently went through and Tristan being burned by a bomb, it seemed his prayers weren’t working.
His fingers seemed to meld to the iron bar like they were magnetized to it.
Thank you.
Ellery regarded him for far too long. The crowd quieted but didn’t disperse, as if wondering what was happening between them. He didn’t know if she was considering her options, or giving him extra time clinging to the bar to make the pullup next to impossible.
Finally, she gave him an impish grin. “Okay.”
“Okay? Yes!”
She’d go to the wedding with him. All he had to do was complete one pullup. He’d better do it quick before his grip gave out and he slid right off the bar.
There were some chuckles from the crowd, but they didn’t know what was happening.
“What do I get if you can’t do it?” she asked.
“Anything you want,” he rushed to say.
She stared at him and then said so softly he barely heard her, “A kiss.”
He almost dropped right then. Not only because he wanted a kiss from her desperately, but because she’d never so much as admitted she wanted to date him, but now she was asking for a kiss.
“Okay.” He smiled, but he was in a quandary. He could drop, keep her in his arms, and kiss her thoroughly. On the other hand, if he completed the pullup, she’d come to the wedding with him. He’d have Friday evening through Sunday morning with her. If she was interested in a kiss right now with them both all sweaty, hanging from a monkey bar, and with a crowd watching, he could bet she’d be willing to kiss him when he was dressed in a suit, smelling fabulous, and in a romantic spot in Augustine or his castle.
Derek gritted his teeth and slowly, slowly bent his elbows. A pullup primarily engaged the lats and traps, but right now it felt like every muscle in his body quivered and stretched to the limit. Their weightlifting focus today had been back and lats. He’d already done over a hundred pullups this morning in addition to various other difficult and draining strength-training exercises. He’d been practicing different obstacles since then, only taking a break for water, snacks, and lunch. He was spent, but he could never quit.
He dug deep, prayed in his mind, and kept lifting their combined weight inch by excruciating inch.
The gym crowd was going absolutely insane, chanting, “Nin-ja Prince! Nin-ja Prince!”
Sweat ran down his face, his back, and his chest. His palms were so sweaty he feared he’d lose his grip simply from the moisture on the bar.
Please, Mum. I want to take Elle home with me. Kiera would love her.
His mum was as soft for their little sister as his dad and the rest of them and Kiera already idolized Ellery. He could only imagine their interactions would be endearing and filled with fun.
Ellery smiled up at him. “Can you make it, my princely hero?”
His stomach swooped happily. Princely hero? She always teased him, but sometimes it was more sarcastic than sweet. Was she letting down her walls and warming up to him in ways he’d only dreamed about the past four months?
He gave her a cocky smile. “Easily, my princess love. Easily.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth softened. He would kiss her. Soon. Maybe after he completed this pullup.
