I pedal faster, feeling a sweat start to break out on my skin. My heart rate increases, and while it still isn’t as good as running it does feel better than when I first hopped on.
Movement catches my eye and my head shoots up, worried one of the men might be headed my way. I’m not naïve enough to realize that I’m a young, female, and very much on my own in here if someone wanted to try something. At least there are cameras stationed in different areas.
But when I look I see Lachlan entering the room. Navy active shorts hang low on his hips, down past his knees, hiding the scar there. He wears a fitted white tank that shows off every muscle he’s worked his ass off to have.
He doesn’t know I’m here, and I watch unabashedly as he says something to the other two guys in greeting. He makes easy conversation with them and I wonder if they’re friends or acquaintances from bumping into each other here often.
Lachlan moves away from them and sits down on a bench, retying his sneakers.
He grabs some weights and gets to work. It’s a sight to behold, watching him grunt and sweat over the heavy weights. It makes the butterflies in my chest flutter madly. It doesn’t seem to matter what he does he looks sexy doing it.
The bike beeps at me. I jolt, realizing I’ve slowed to nearly a stop thanks to my staring. Even my music stopped and I didn’t notice.
I push the button on the bike, telling it I’m not finished with my workout, and pick another playlist.
When I look up Lachlan is staring at me from across the room.
Despite the distance between us I feel his stare everywhere. It’s like he sees through me, x-ray vision straight to the things I try to hide most from people.
He really is Superman.
He gives a small, crooked smile, and turns his back to me so he can focus on his workout.
There’s still no chance of me focusing on mine. Not when the back of him is as nice of a view as the front.
Get your head out of the gutter. Focus, Dani.
It’s easier said than done, but I do my best to pedal the last of the ten miles I set out to do today.
When I finally reach them, I hop off and grab one of the antibacterial wipes to clean the bike.
I do my best to ignore the towering, larger than life, man taking up so much space in the room and in my thoughts.
Heading into the hall outside the gym, I bend over the water fountain since I forgot to bring a bottle with me.
I feel his presence before I see him, before even his shadow darkens the space around us.
“You took my advice.”
I turn around, wiping the back of my hand over my mouth where cool water clings to my lips. “It’s not running, but I have to start somewhere.”
He gives me a jerk of his chin. “I’m glad.”
I give him a small smile in return. “Hopefully I’ll grow to like it.” I don’t mean to sound as melancholy as I do, but it’s hard not dwell on things that used to be.
“Well,” he clears his throat, “I’m proud of you for trying.”
“Thanks.”
His shirt is damp with sweat, clinging to his skin. I watch as he pulls it away slightly with a playful smile. “I better get back. I wanted to say something before you left.”
There’s two feet of space between us, we’re in public after all, and it’s killing me a little inside that I can’t touch him. I feel like I can’t joke with him either since I’m not supposed to know him that way. Does it bother him like it does me? Standing in front of me smiling, it seems like it doesn’t, but you never know what’s going on in someone’s head.
We say our goodbyes and I stand there as he goes back into the gym before I finally get the courage to move my feet.
Catching the elevator, I lean against the railing inside it, hopping off when I reach Sage’s floor.
When I open the door, I find him sitting in front of the couch playing video games—only he didn’t own any video games when I left here.