“Better, but don’t get excited.” Lifting my hand I hit him with the ‘I’m watching you’gesture.
“I live for your approval,” he declared solemnly.
I rolled my eyes. “Water break, before you die dramatically on my field.”
“Righto. Let’s leave the theatrics to Janet.”
Kai jogged to the sideline, grabbed his bottle and took a long drink. Water spilled down his chin and onto his throat before disappearing into his shirt.
My mouth suddenly felt as dry as fucking sawdust. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced over at me.
“You stare like that with all your athletes?”
“Only the ones who don’t listen.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “And you’re still opening your stance too wide.”
Kai capped the bottle and wandered back, more slowly this time, his dark eyes filled with heat. “You see everything, huh?”
“Mm.” I stepped behind him as he reset. “It’s kind of the job.”
He swallowed, pushing inky black strands of hair out of his sweaty face.
Fuck me.
“Again.” Why the fuck did my voice just get all raspy? Ugh. “And don’t rush it. Let me see you feel it this time.”
He moved smoother and slower this time, finally leading the turn with his hips as he should have been doing all along. I followed closely behind, close enough to guide him with my hand on his lower back when he veered off course, close enough to feel the heat radiating from him.
“Yesss!” I clapped excitedly. “There. That’s what I’m fucking talking about!”
Kai was bent at the waist with his hands on his thighs, breathing hard. When he looked up at me, curling thecorner of his mouth up ever so slightly, my heart skipped a beat.
Ugh, he was gorgeous.
“See?” I cleared my throat. “When you stop thinking, your body figures it out.”
He nodded, rising to his full height again. “You always say that.”
“Because you never listen.” I raked my eyes over his impressive form. I wasn’t thirsty anymore, I was fucking parched.Down, girl.
Kai laughed and moved into the bag drills without complaint, taking hits, resetting, reacting faster each time. When we paused, he dropped onto the grass beside where I was standing, staring up at the sky.
“What were you studying again?” The question landed more heavily than I’d expected. I sat down beside him and pulled my knees up to my chest.
I snorted. “Which time?”
He turned his head, curiosity glinting in those dark eyes. “There were multiple?”
“Psychology.” I counted on my fingers. “Then nursing. Then education.”
“Bit of a theme,” he murmured.
“Yeah. Turns out I like helping people; I just can’t decide exactly how I want to do it. I also hate committing.”
Kai smiled at my response, then sobered. “I reckon you’re good at helping people.”
I shrugged, trying not to let him see how much his words affected me. “I was good at a lot of things I couldn’t afford to keep doing.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
