Like clockwork, Marina walks into the gym when Cecily settles at the bench with a couple of dumbbells.
“Hey, Dylan,” Marina says, walking over. “I’m surprised to see you here. You took a brutal hit. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” I say as Cecily starts her set, ignoring us.
“Hope your ankle heals fast,” Marina says.
“Thanks,” I say.
“I’m gonna go this way.” She does an awkward bounce, and instead of watching her face heat up, I stare at the dumbbells in Cecily’s hands.
“You can push more,” I say to Ce. “Pick up the pace. Don’t sacrifice your form.”
She ends the set, out of breath, but hasn’t broken a sweat yet.
“You are very motivating with your words, smut. You should become a personal trainer. I already know who’d hire you.”
When I glance at Marina, she’s already looking at me. I quickly look the other way. “Awkward.”
Cecily smiles. “She knows good eye candy when she sees one.”
I try not to look at Cecily’s chest, but my eyes don’t care. I look anyway.
“Careful there, smutty,” Cecily teases, watching me in the mirror.
I cross my arms, staring back at her. “Moo.” I raise my brows to elongate theooh.
She starts pushing hard as she changes the subject. “I’m being blackmailed.”
I look at her instead of the mirror. “For what?”
She holds the weights above her head, slowly letting them down. The exercise isn’t easy, but watching her do it makes it seem effortless. “For my contacts.”
“That’s not good,” I say carefully because I realize now that she’s not exactly talking to me. I think she’s pushing heavier weight out of frustration. “Push harder,” I encourage. I get rightat her eye level. “I said, screw the person who’s blackmailing you and push!”
She’s stronger suddenly, pushing with perfect control. Then she drops the weight on the ground. I step to the side as she paces, out of breath.
I take her seat and start doing the same exercise.
She runs over and grabs the weights from me. “Strict orders from the boss. I’m the boss. Your body needs to rest.”
“Just a little pump. Come on.”
She shakes her head, grabbing the weights back.
Fuck. She catches me staring at her ass in the mirror.
Without standing up, she looks over her shoulder. “Smut, you’re staring again.”
I stand, walking over to her. “Can you give me a new nickname?”
She shakes her head, standing up to face me, but still below my chin level. “No,” she says, and I can smell the mint in her breath. “Take a selfie with me.”
She stands in front of me as we both stare at the camera. I could be a douche and flex right now, but it’s not my style, not when she has that many followers. I would if it were private just for her, though, which is what I decide to do next. I steal her phone and take a selfie from my height, flexing my arms to steady it. Fuck, I look good. Does she know how good I look? Because damn.
“I’m over it today. Let’s get you home. Elevate your foot, apply ice, and get yourself healed. I can’t go all week without a gym partner.”
“I’ll tell Scott to replace me,” I joke.
