“Ha, um, sorry,” I mumbled as I stepped out into the open. “I didn’t mean... I wasn’t... I just... sorry.”
What could I even say?
This time there was no curtain of water to hide behind. I’d clearly been caught spying on him.
At least he didn’t seem mad as he turned to face me. If anything, he seemed completely relaxed as he stood there, sweat still clinging to his heated skin, and the boxing gloves dangling loosely from one hand as he braced his other hand on his hip.
“You know, I don’t mind.”
“Huh?” The unexpected comment shocked me out of my embarrassment, and I instinctively straightened out of mydefensive posture. I must have looked like a lost puppy with my head cocked to one side as I tried to figure out what he meant.
Laughing under his breath, Kitt tossed the boxing gloves aside.
“I don’t mind if you look at me. It’s my job to stand in front of a jury and hold dangerous people accountable for their crimes. I’m used to being looked at in all sorts of ways. Being admired is definitely the best option.”
His long legs brought him closer to me in a few easy strides, but he stopped just outside of arm’s reach. It was a safe distance. The kind of distance that would give me plenty of opportunity to run away if I wanted but also invited me to come closer if I wanted.
Normally, I’d have been inclined to run, but the man was still standing there shirtless, and at this distance I could count the lines of his abs.
Kitt laughed, this time with more heat to the sound.
“Unless... you’re interested in more than just looking. That’s a different conversation.”
With a sharp jolt, I realized he was right. I actually was thinking about coming closer. I could so easily picture myself reaching out to him, that I could practically feel the heat of his skin under my fingers already.
What the hell was I thinking?
Even if there was nothing wrong with being attracted to Kitt, Clay had already warned me that he had a partner.
Realizing what I’d been about to do, my mouth went dry, and I took a stumbling step back.
“I-I don’t... um, I don’t think your partner would like that very much.”
Now it was Kitt’s turn to look confused. It was a subtle expression. The man seemed to keep all negative or vulnerable emotions close to his chest, but his brows pinched together, andhis dark eyes flickered as if a dozen thoughts raced behind them at once.
“What are you talking about? I don’t have a partner.”
Relief washed through me at the thought that Clay at been wrong.
“Oh, well, that’s good.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how insulting my comment probably sounded and immediately tried to backtrack, waving my hands in front of myself as if I could erase my words from the air.
“I don’t mean it’s good that you’re alone. I just mean that it’s good I’m not, like, being a home wrecker or anything.”
With one more step, Kitt crossed the line into arm’s reach. I could have touched him if I wanted, though I still didn’t dare. As he leaned against the weight machine, I could practically feel the heat radiating off his body.
“A home wrecker? Is that your goal?”
“No, no,” I quickly disagreed. “I’m not a home wrecker. That’s the whole point.”
“But only because I’m single.”
Kitt didn’t move a muscle, but something about his presence still gave off the feeling of leaning closer, like the intensity of his gaze warped the space between us.
“I’m curious,” he said, his voice slightly softer than before. “If I wasn’t single, would you actually be in danger of being a home wrecker?”
I’d never truly thought about infidelity before. I’d never even had a relationship and never experienced what it was like to have one person’s love all to myself and compared to everything else I’d faced in the past, the pain of being cheated on didn’t seem worth worrying about. However, just because I’d known worse pain didn’t mean the pain of infidelity was meaningless.I’d known too much hurt in my life, and never wanted to be the cause of it if I could help it.
