Sasha leans backon her hands, pressing her lips together as she gathers her thoughts. “I’ve always loved sports. But during my senior year of high school, I tore a ligament in my ankle during a soccer match.”
“You used to play soccer?” My eyebrows raise in surprise.
She nods. “I was pretty good, actually.” A note of pride creeps into her voice. “Obviously the injury wasn’t career-ending like yours, but it was bad enough I had to sit out the rest of the season. During rehab, I got into yoga and other alternative therapies, which helped me recover faster than the doctors expected.
“Since I couldn’t play anymore, I wanted to take what I’d learned from my own recovery to help other athletes get back to doing what they loved. Which is what inspired me to major in sports medicine.”
“So how did the idea for Summit come about?”
“Saw a gap in the market when I was doing research. Places focusing on fitness were everywhere, but there wasn’t anything out there that combined traditional exercise with alternative therapies for recovery and overall wellness.” She shrugs. “Ryanwas in my business class. We started dating, and when I pitched him the idea, he was all in.”
“How many locations do you have?”
“One hundred and twenty-five,” she grins. “Lakeside will make one-twenty-six.”
Fuck. I love a woman who goes out and grabs life by the balls. Now I just need to convince her she wants me just as bad as I want her.
“Damn, that’s impressive.”
“Thanks,” she says. “It hasn’t been easy, especially with Ryan trying to undermine me at every turn.”
“What’s his deal anyway?” I frown. “Why is he so determined to get you to sell?”
“Control?” she sighs, picking at a blade of grass. “He can’t stand that I have the final say in everything. And I think he hates that I’ve moved on from him, even though he’s a cheating piece of shit.”
She pauses, and I swear I can see her blush. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all my baggage on you.”
“Don’t apologize.” I reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. A thrill goes straight to my dick when I see her shiver. “I asked. And isn’t that what friends are for?”
nineteen
Wow.Jax is really good at subtle manipulation. Not in a bad way, but boy is he good at countering every excuse I try to throw at him. The way he says “friends” makes it clear he hasn’t forgotten the other part of our arrangement.
My body tingles in anticipation as he shifts closer.
“So,” he murmurs, his eyes dropping to my lips. “I believe we had a deal. I get to kiss you anywhere I want.”
The tone of his voice makes me shiver in anticipation. I swallow hard, nodding slightly. “That was the deal. You should to know. I’m still all sweaty and gross from my workout.”
“Don’t sweat it,” he says with a twitch of his lips. “As much as I want to get my mouth on that sweet pussy of yours, that’s not what I have in mind.Yet.”
His eyes darken as he leans in, but instead of capturing my mouth like I expect, he brushes his lips against my cheek, trailing soft kisses along my jaw. I tremble in response when he pushes my hair out of the way and finds the sensitive spot just below my ear.
“Jax,” I breathe.
“Shhh,” he murmurs against my skin. “Let me enjoy this.”
His mouth continues its journey down my throat, leaving fire in its wake. When he reaches the junction between my neck and shoulder, he bites down firmly, before soothing the sharp sting with his tongue.
A let out a soft moan and his hands find my waist, pulling me into his lap. Not only can I feel the heat of him through the thin barrier of my clothes, I can feel how hard he is beneath me. He smells musky, like cedar and sin, and it makes my head spin.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” he whispers, breath hot against my collarbone. “About all the places I want to put my mouth on you.”
My hands move to grip his neck as he drops lower, pressing a kiss to the swell of a breast just above the neckline of my top. Even through the layers of clothing, I can feel the heat of his mouth as he traces the outline of my nipple with his tongue.
“Jax,” I gasp, arching into his touch. “We’re outside.”
He chuckles against my skin. “Don’t worry, sweet cheeks. It’s dark. Only the moon and stars can see us.”
