The number of men who opened with descriptions of their dicks still shocked me. Were they seriously looking for a date? Did their approach ever work?
“I think the scariest part was that he thought I owed him something. I was very clear that it was only a meet and greet. I never promised him any more than to meet him for a single drink. He assumed he would be invited back to my place.”
“You know what the biggest problem is? That even now, after I witnessed what he did with my own eyes, you’re trying to prove that you didn’t lead him on. Kendra, I don’t care if you flirted all night, brought him back to your apartment and got turned off because he had pimples on his back. You were absolutely right when you said consent could be withdrawn at any point.”
I laughed. “I bet his back is covered with cystic acne.”
“I hope it’s painful. That fucker deserves it.”
Hawk stood over my shoulder as I showed him some of the research I had put together. The proximity of his hulking form caused me to lose my train of thought several times. When I reached the end of my research, I stopped, turned to him, and waited for a response.
“This is great. Oh, I ordered lunch for everyone in the main conference room.”
“Oh, thank you.”
I expected Hawk to join us in the conference room for lunch, but was disappointed when he didn’t. Dammit, Kendra, whatever attraction you felt towards the man, you need to cut it out. I reminded myself that my job was worth more than a quick lay, and that was the only thing I had ever allowed myself to have with men.
Hawk might have witnessed the date with Tyler, the disaster where I sent him home alone. But had he been there a week ago, he would have seen me take home two different men for equally unsatisfying trysts. I cringed, tried to remember either of their names, and couldn’t. The last relationship I had attempted was with a guy who was more interested in getting the scoop and breaking the news about Sam Drummond than he was in me.
Work and the classroom had always been safe. I could bury myself in work or studying. It was the only time I wasn’t awkward.
I checked my dating app and confirmed a meet-up tonight. Had I scheduled it, knowing that Hawk might be there to look out for me? Maybe. Or maybe it was because I wanted to test Hawk’s interest and see if he was purely operating as a wingman or if there was any jealousy there.
Whatever happened tonight, I needed to get in a good workout first. Exercise endorphins werealmostas good as sex endorphins.
SIX
hawk
One of thebest parts of owning your own baseball team had to be the state-of-the-art gym equipment that was available to me. The Minutemen let all staff use the gym, though it was unavailable during team workouts or when individual players needed it to rehab.
In the off-season, we mostly had free range. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Kendra working out after hours, but I inhaled sharply at the sight of her running on the treadmill. Fuck, she was fast.
She didn’t notice me right away, and I took advantage, watching her as I put weight plates on the leg press to warm up. Whatever she was listening to in her earbuds had her completely blocking out the rest of the world.
I was on my third set when she stopped the treadmill and wiped the sweat off her brow. Her black leggings and sports bra did nothing to hide her lean, toned body. And those tits, fuck. Did she know that her nipples popped clear through the fabric of her top?
Adding a few more plates to my next set, I attempted todistract myself from watching her, using the strain of the weight as a physical reminder that I was her boss.
Kendra still hadn’t noticed me, and I continued to watch her as she continued, moving onto a shoulder and chest workout. I passed her as I moved to the Smith rack, where I planned to set up for squats.
Our eyes met in the mirror, and she smiled slightly, continuing with her set. I waved before jumping into my next set.
She waved me down when I finished. “Can I get a spot?”
“Sure.”
Fuck me. Spotting her on the bench press, I had to look at her, and no, I couldn’t avert my eyes to avoid her nipples. My dick twitched, a reminder that not only was I not immune to her, but that it had been way too long since I’d gotten laid.
Work, the team, and convincing Grandad to let go of his control of the team had monopolized every waking hour. Add to it that Julia, my long-time friend with benefits, was now in a relationship. My only action of late was from my right hand.
Fuck. I liked tits. They were okay, but I fully subscribed to the thought that more than a handful was a waste. I fucking loved nipples, and Kendra’s begged for me to suck on them.
She was efficient in her workout, moved quickly through the set, and sat up to thank me.
“What are you listening to?” I asked. Kendra blushed.Interesting.
“It’s an audiobook.” She grabbed her water bottle and took a swig.
