It’s Evan, it’s not some stranger. Though he may as well be, it’s not like I know a whole lot about him. I know where he works, his name, who his parents are, oh, and of course the stories that Seb and West like to tell about their childhood adventures.
The main door closes and I hear footsteps as they head back into the room Evan was just teaching in.
I lean my head against the wall, taking deep breaths and giving myself a pep talk. I need to pull up my big girl panties and walk in there, demanding to know what is going on. I’m not going to be a pushover, I’ll stand my ground and not back down. Yep, that’s what I’m gonna do.
I push up off the wall, my back straight and sheer determination flowing through me as I make my way out of the office and around the front desk.
I take one step into the room, and all of that determination evaporates as I watch Evan pick up the mats—bare-chested. Did you hear what I just said? Bare-chested.
How am I meant to talk to him when I can see all of his muscles out on display, slick with sweat. My eyes widen as they track along his defined pecs and down to his abs and that V. Goddammit, why did he have to have a V?
His head snaps up and I realize I must have made a noise because when he sees me, a smirk spreads across his face and he stands to his full height.
“Erm… Hi?” I lift my hand in an awkward wave, squeezing my thighs together as I try to tell myself to not even go there.
“Hey, Lex.”
I take two steps forward as he steps toward me, coming to a stop a couple of feet away. I’m not ashamed to say that my eyes are still drinking him in like a person dying of thirst. How can he be carrying all of that under his shirts?
My hand lifts as I see a scar on his bicep, but as I’m about to touch it, he stops me by grabbing my wrist and placing a soft kiss there before letting me go.
I breathe deep, taking in his musk scent that is unequivocally Evan before looking up into his eyes and watching the gold swirl, hyperaware of how close his body is to mine.
“So…” I say, biting my bottom lip which gains his attention.
“So…” he replies, tensing one of his pecs. My gaze flits down and back up.
“I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Yeah.” He smirks, tensing his other pec.
I r
aise a brow. “What are you doing?”
“Me?” He points to his chest again, tensing one pec and then the other.
“Yes, you.” I shake my head but can’t stop the chuckle that breaks free.
“I.” Left pec. “Have.” Right pec. “No idea.” Left then right pec. “What you’re talking about.” Both pecs.
I make a choking sound as I try to hold in my laughter. “That!” I point to his chest. “What are you doing?”
“This?” He tenses his pecs again several times to some invisible beat. “It’s the pec dance.”
“The...” I gasp. “The pec dance?”
He smirks, moving his pecs again before grinning wide at my reaction.
“I’m trying to talk and all of…” I wave my hand at all of his muscles. “Is distracting me.”
I bring my gaze back up to his, seeing the laughter shining in their depths as he steps forward, his pecs no longer dancing.
“Work has been manic.” He takes one last step toward me, his chest now inches from me as his hand grips my waist. “I’ve been dying to see you.”
“You have?” I ask, my voice unsure. “I… I didn’t…”
He tilts his head, spinning us around and walking me backward. “You didn’t what?”