“See, tough, right?” Teddy said from beside her as Jack literally ran circles around them, those strong thighs flexing with every shuffle of his feet, the twist of his T-shirt against his abs showing off tiny slivers of tan skin—and for the briefest moment, a line of cut muscle at his hip disappearing into his shorts. He moved with all the fluidity and grace of an elite athlete, retired or not.
He drew to a halt back where he started. “Got it?”
Indy bit her bottom lip to hold back what she really wanted to say before she nodded and rasped, “I think so.”
“Let’s see it, then,” he said, moving out of the way for her.
She set herself, but as she started her crossover step, Jack’s voice rang out. “No, no, stop.”
“What?” she asked, spinning around to face him, hands landing on her hips.
“You’re totally off-balance. Come back here,” he said, moving in closer. She complied while every inch of her skin tingled pleasantly at his sudden proximity. “Okay, now stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart—I said alittlemore, Indiana, not like the earth is tearing apart beneath you.” He tapped gently at the outside of her leg, his hand warm and large, and she jumped, or at least her heart did. She managed to keep her feet on the ground while trying not to wonder exactly how his fingers would look wrapped around her thighs, as she slid them a little closer to each other. His hand moved away and she mourned the loss of contact immediately. Maybe she should screw up the next drill and he’d touch her again?
“Good. Now keep your weight on the balls of your feet, not your toes. It’s all about balance and staying in an athletic position, knees bent slightly, perfect, shoulders over your toes. That’s it,” he said as she followed his instructions, and something about that, the soft but commanding timbre of his voice and the approval when she did something right, was almost as heady as his touch. “And now the pièce de résistance, relax your joints. You’re stiff as a board.” His hands landed on her shoulders and the muscles there tightenedreflexively. “Relax.” With a deep inhale and slow exhale, she tried to do just that, but it was nearly impossible with him standing so close. He must have sensed it because he stepped back with a knowing glint in his eyes, or maybe that was just the setting sun, and said it again. “Relax, stay loose.”
“Okay,” she said, allowing her shoulders to drop ever so slightly.
“Good. Now try it.” Then he was gone, the warmth hovering behind her giving way to chilly solitude. She began, her feet speeding through the exercise he’d demonstrated. Her stride was smoother, the flow of her feet easier.
“You feel that?” Jack called out as she pivoted at the edge of the court and raced for the net.
“Yeah,” she shouted back, and finished the drill. It was like an Einstein on steroids, but this little drill was exactly what she needed as she prepped for the Classic.
“Aw, Pen, you didn’t have to wait for us,” Teddy said from the sideline, and Indy whirled around, slamming back into the real world as Penny Harrison stepped through the gate, not over it as her twin had, and onto the court. She was showered and dressed in a mint-green sundress dotted with wildflowers. Indy had never really pictured Penny as a sundress kind of person. Then again, she probably didn’t wander around in tennis clothes all day.
“I wasn’t waiting,” Penny said. “You have my car keys and Jack has his, so cough ’em up, Ted.” Teddy reached into his pocket and tossed her a set of keys. Then she turned the green eyes that matched her brothers’ to Indy. “Hey, I’m Penny.”
Indy’s mouth went dry at finally being noticed. PennyHarrison had said hello to her. Praying she wouldn’t mess up like she had in the morning with Jasmine, she said, “I’m Indy.”
“Nice to meet you,” Penny said before looking over her shoulder at Jack, who stood off to the side, still as a mountain and silent.
“Indy’s training for the Classic,” Teddy said. “It’s her first day today and Dom seeded her fourth.”
One perfectly shaped eyebrow lifted and Penny pursed her lips. “So, you’re the one they’re all bitching about in the locker room?”
Her eyes narrowed and Indy felt like an insect under the microscope of some scientist who was about to dissect it. The silence dragged on and Indy could practically feel something ridiculous building on the tip of her tongue when Penny grinned and said, “Good luck at the Classic.”
A flush spread across her face. Penny Harrison wished her luck. So fucking awesome. “Thanks.”
With a nod, the other girl spun on her toe and strode off the court, totally ignoring her brothers as she left.
“I better go, too,” Indy said.
“We were just going to get dinner,” Teddy said, smiling at her winningly, dimples flashing. He rocked toward her with his hands in his pockets. “Why don’t you join us?”
“Ted, she said she had to go,” Jack cut in, looking at his brother meaningfully. The implication was clear: He didn’t want her to go. Indy felt like someone had slapped her. Where was the guy who’d cheerfully rescued her a few minutes ago from OBX’s queen bitches?
“He’s right. I do and plus I already ate.” She tried to ignore the clear relief that spread across Jack’s face at her words. “Thanks so much for your help. I’ll see you guys around.”
Indy left the court, trying to focus on the good. She had a great ranking for the Classic. That’s what she’d come to OBX for, to win the Classic, but despite that, her thoughts kept drifting back to Jack Harrison and the way his voice sounded when he said her name… and the way her body reacted to it.
THE NEXT MORNING PINK SLIVERS OF LIGHT CREPT ABOVE THEwaterline far in the distance, giving the beach an unearthly glow. Indy stretched her arms over her head, muscles suddenly so much heavier than they’d been the day before, as she clomped down the wooden stairway leading from the practice facilities down to the sand. Each step made every fiber of muscle in her legs throb. After only one day, her body was in shock. She’d forced herself out of bed that morning knowing the sooner she moved, the less it would hurt—eventually.
Gingerly she reached the bottom of the stairs and landed in the sand, and suddenly, even standing still was painful as she tried to keep her balance on the soft surface.
“This wasn’t a great idea,” she muttered to herself. She wanted to turn around and crawl back into bed. She could run tomorrow, when her body was more accustomed to OBX’s training regimen.
She grasped the handrail of the stairs to pull herself back up them, but as she looked up, she saw Penny Harrison, long dark hair piled at the top of her head and headphones plugged into her ears, jogging down the stairs.
