“Hey, man”—Grant knocks his arm into mine—“we’re going to take off. Ava says she’s coming to practice tomorrow. I vote we put a uniform on her and have her bring us a win.” He dots her cheek with a kiss as they head out the door.
Funny.
I shake my head as I watch them disappear. Grant is another lost cause. Too bad. He was one of the good ones.
“Nice seeing you, Janelle.” I offer up a high five to Knox. “Enjoy the gym. I’ll be working out over there if you two need anything.”
“You bet.” Knox slaps me over the shoulder as they take off, sneaking kisses in as if they can’t get enough of one another.
I don’t get it. This is the one place I’m not looking to get laid. I know it works here, too, but I just want to listen to music and lose myself in the moment.
A heavy thud comes from behind as weights snap together from the tension. I turn to find Lucky nursing her left hand while seated at a pulley system.
“You okay?” Truthfully, I’m afraid to take a step in that direction.
“What do you care?” she barks so loud half the facility cranes their neck. Great. I can feel what’s coming next by a micropenis mile.
Lucky squeezes her eyes shut while trying to shake off the pain.
Crap. I head on over without putting too much thought into it.
“Here, let me see it.”
“Oh, so now you’re a doctor?” Those wild lavender eyes of hers glow like a pair of neon signs—they spell out crazy, crystal clear, but for whatever reason, my feet refuse to pivot.
“Yes, Dr. Kent here to see you.” I kneel down and pull her tiny hand forward—cold to the touch. Obviously, there’s no blood pumping through her, and that would explain the lack of a beating heart. “You pinched it.” I rub my thumb over the bright red spot already starting to swell. “You’ll live.” I place her hand gently onto her lap, and those oversized Disney eyes of hers blink back tears. “Hey, you up for using this thing or what?”
I might be willing to play doctor, but I’m no psychologist. There’s no way I’m delving in to find out what the waterworks are about. She couldn’t have smashed her hand that bad. I bet for her entire life Jet has catered to every cut and bruise, and now that she’s on her own, she can’t handle a smashed finger. This, right here, is where coddling someone will get you. A catatonic state in the gym—a spoiled brat everywhere else.
“Yes. Get away. I’m fine.” Lucky shakes her head as if trying to snap out of wherever her mind just took her. She threads her arms through the contraption in the wrong direction, and if she tries to do a single crunch that way, she’ll pull every muscle she owns.
“Whoa, princess. Easy there.” I gently remove her long slim arms from where they don’t belong and land them in the proper position. “Your legs are in the wrong place, too.” I sit down on the bench behind her, and her tiny frame presses tight against mine. I can’t help but smile at the irony. Her backside just butted up to my not-so-micro front side, and if she’s really got balls, she’ll apologize for challenging my manhood.
“Wow, you’re like a pillow.” She pushes against my body, and I can’t help but hold back a laugh. That was almost as good as an apology.Almost.
Her hair brushes against my chest, against my arms, and sends a flurry of prickling sensations straight down to my feet. The thick scent of something floral wafts up, and I can’t help but take in a deep breath. Damn, she smells good.Clean. Now that’s something you don’t get too often in a frat house full of sweaty dudes.
“All right. Put your feet in each of those stirrups and open wide. A position I’m sure you know well.”
Lucky grunts up at me with that all too familiar smirk I’m starting to enjoy invoking. “Watch it, buddy. You’re already too close for comfort. The only reason I’m letting you get away with this molestation is because my ass needs to get into shape.”
“Big decathlon coming up?” I try to tone down the sarcasm, but it’s nearly impossible around her.
“I wish.” She struggles to get her feet in the hooks just right, and I lift her thigh just enough to help her stick the landing.
Lucky’s thigh. My balls ache as my fingers glide over her creamy flesh. I’ve never felt a girl with such smooth skin. I try not to let my hand linger too long, lest she throws that disgusting M word at me once again.
“I just want to run the track with Harper”—she continues, out of breath—“and I can’t even keep up a single lap.” I’ve more than met Harper—she’s my little sister. Harper is hot. Everybody at Beta house is chomping at the bit to land that girl horizontal. The thought never really crossed my mind, though. I’m betting the fact she’s my little sis has everything to do with it. Ava and Grant were kicked out of the Greek interpersonal program for violating just about every term in the agreement. But I don’t plan on crossing that line with Harper. Besides, she’s got a boyfriend. Justin. I’ve heard about him at least a thousand times. He’s clear out in California, and he’s still ruining her good time here at Briggs. It’s just not right.
Lucky starts flapping her arms as if they were wings, causing the weights to swing erratic.
“Dude, you’re going to take my head off.” I land my hands over her arms to help regulate her movements. Lucky doesn’t knife my balls off, so she must be good with it. Her tiny muscles thump underneath mine like a heartbeat. And something about the sensation makes my own heart thump out of tune. It’s adorable. I’d tell her I find tiny things cute, too, but I’m guessing this isn’t the moment or the venue.
“Maybe taking your head off was the point?” She grunts through the next few revolutions. “You ever think of that?”
Figures. Here I’m trying to help, and she’s got a decapitation in the works.
“All right, sweetie. It’s been real.” I wrangle myself free from the contraption and take a few hopping steps away. “Anything you want to say to me?” I can’t help but give a cocky grin. “For your information, that was no micropillow you were leaning on.”
