Blinking, I gave my brain a moment to restart to even understand his question. “Around the corner.”
“Let’s go.”
He didn’t wait for me to follow. Just assumed I did as he started in the direction of my parked car. That was classic Luke.
I picked up my pace to get even with him and his long strides.
He made sure to put enough space between us so that our bodies didn’t touch as we walked. He kept his hands in his pockets and gaze straight ahead. It might’ve even appeared as if we were two strangers who so happened to be walking in the same direction. The energy we’d shared sitting across from one another during dinner, Luke staring me directly in the eyes, had shifted. He closed himself off again.
I fought hard not to analyze too closely what made him shutdown. Though it was probably in both of our interests to keep things as professional as possible. Everything in my mind told me not to go down the road my body was pulling me down. I had my own reasons for wanting to become Luke’s trainer. Interests he probably wouldn’t like. It was likely best I stopped right where I was and dropped my wandering imagination.
“What made you so closed off?” I blurted out as we came to my car, obviously going against my better judgment. Because no matter how smart I might be in school or business, I could never stop myself from reaching over to the dark side for a little taste.
However, as Luke moved in close, placing his arm on the roof of my car, trapping my body between the car and his, staring down over me, I knew I was asking for more than a little taste. I wanted him to lean down a few inches more, pressing his lips to mine, so I could find out whether or not I imagined the chemistry between us.
“You ask too many questions. Are you sure you’re not a cop?”,” he growled. While his face looked angry, I wasn’t scared or put off, which I do believe was his intention.
“My mother used to tell me I asked too many questions also.”
“It obviously hasn’t stopped you.”
I flashed a smile. “No, it didn’t.”
His teeth clenched, causing his jaw to flex and I wanted to run my fingers through his beard so badly, but I kept my restraint.
“Be careful of the questions you keep asking, darlin’. You might get some answers.” With that, he pushed away from me, putting more space between us.
My body instantly deflated at his withdrawal. His nearness had caused my body temperature to rise and I started to feel cold the instant he pulled away.
“Get in your car,” he demanded.
I clicked the lock to the driver’s side door and slid into the front seat. As I started the car, I could feel Luke’s eyes on me, as if searing my profile through the window. Taking one final look in his direction, I watched him as he watched me, sizing me up.
Yeah, he definitely wasn’t going to Williamsport alone, whether he knew it or not.
Chapter 12
Surprise
Luke
She hadn’t asked about my going to Williamsport for the four days we trained together since the weekend of the half-marathon. I’d gotten dangerously close to saying fuck it and buying her a ticket on the same flight as me to the city where my brother lived. I stopped myself with the reminder that she was my trainer.
There were lines there that shouldn’t be crossed. That reminder was my last defense against all the nasty shit I wanted to do to Syd.
My typical not giving a fuck attitude when it came to broads wasn’t working this time around. It was the proximity. It had to be.
With most chicks, I could uphold enough conversation to land them in my bed for a night, if they were lucky, two, and that was it. No talking about my past, asking about careers and bullshit like that. With Syd it was different.
We worked together five out of seven days a week. As my trainer she had to ask questions like what I ate, how well I slept, how I felt physically. Naturally, that lent itself to deeper conversations. That coupled with those damn dancing lessons. I could still hear her laughter at one of Twinkle Toes’ ridiculous jokes. It was like the sound burrowed itself deep inside my chest and refused to let me ignore it.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. What they don’t tell you is that proximity makes the dick grow enamored. That’s what had to be going on between Syd and me. This was the reason I didn’t want to hire a woman as my trainer in the first place.
At least, that was what I told myself.
“The hell?” I grunted, sitting up from the bed I’d just laid down on after getting into my room. I’d landed over two hours ago but being hungry, I’d stopped by a restaurant for food before checking in. I hadn’t even let Jacob know I was in town yet, so it obviously wasn’t him knocking on my door.
“Keep your panties on. I’m coming,” I yelled to the insistent knocker, assuming it was one of the hotel staff coming to let me know something I probably didn’t care about. When I pulled the door open, it wasn’t a hotel worker wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt with the words Renaissance Hotel across the left breast. No, that would’ve been a more welcomed inconvenience.
