“Where do you keep these cups?” Kay turned to Eli.
He turned around at the same time and they ended up face-to-face. She sucked in a breath as his lips brushed her forehead. They both froze, shocked into stillness at the sudden intimacy. Her body instantly warmed, all her nerves suddenly hypersensitive. A heavy fullness settled in her breasts, her nipples tightening almost to the point of pain. If he moved any closer or brushed up against her, she’d go up in flames. Or melt into a puddle.
“The universe is conspiring against me,” Eli whispered.
Kay smiled, inordinately pleased at the idea of tormenting him. Why should he get off easy? She was walking around as a mass of shivery, fluttery hormones whenever he was near. It was vindicating to her feminine pride to see that he was struggling too. Although it would be so much more satisfying if neither of them had to struggle. If they could just…
Give. In.
Kay leaned forward slightly and sucked in a long, slow breath as she brushed up against him. He made a sound, a low growl in the back of his throat that made her panties go instantly damp.
“I’m going to go shower. And pray the water is cold enough,” he muttered. “Good night, Kay.”
“Good night, Eli.” She didn’t look at him as she said it. If she looked at him, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep it together. One look at that fierce face and she might decide she didn’t give a crap about pride and beg him to put her out of her misery.
Or at the very least to give her another taste of what she was missing.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE NEXT DAY, Kay was in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast when Eli found her. He’d changed into sweatpants and a tight muscle tee. His arms flexed against the thin fabric, straining the edges until they looked like they’d cry out for mercy. Kay almost dropped the dish towel she was holding. Heat swept through her as she tried desperately to look anywhere but at him. No one needed that kind of muscle. He was like an action figure come to life.
“I’m going to ask Tank to stay with you for a while. I really want to get a workout in.”
Kay nodded. That made sense. A body like his required maintenance. And worship. She blew out a breath.
“Could I come with you? I’d love to get some exercise too. I can’t do all the stuff you do, I’m sure, but maybe they have yoga. Or dance classes.”
Eli looked surprised. “They do. They also have a daycare, so we could bring the baby. They give you a wristband that will vibrate if you need to come back to the nursery.”
“That’s pretty handy.”
“I know.” Eli shrugged. “It’s one of the things I recommended they do when I redesigned their security system last year.”
Kay felt a burst of pride. “Well, I feel completely safe taking Hope there, then.”
His eyes flashed at her words. “Okay, meet me back here when you’re changed and ready to go.”
Kay dashed down the hall to her room. Since she hadn’t packed her own bag, she had no idea if she had anything appropriate to wear for exercise. However, her purple fleece sweatpants were rolled into a ball and tucked into the corner of the bag along with a few sports bras and some T-shirts.
She sent up a silent prayer that whoever had done the packing had included several sports bras instead of just one. Due to her size, she always needed a double layer. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to do anything high-impact without putting out an eye. She giggled at the thought.
Eli was waiting for her in the kitchen. He looked up when she entered. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, let me just grab some stuff for Hope.” The diaper bag already had diapers and wipes, so she just added another outfit and a blanket. Then she leaned down and scooped up her daughter.
Eli appeared at her side with the car seat.
Kay smiled appreciatively. “You’re getting the hang of this baby thing.”
“I have a new respect for my mother after these past few weeks. And for you.”
Kay’s stomach tightened. “Thanks.”
She buckled Hope into her seat and allowed Eli to carry her out to the car. He settled her car seat into the base like a pro and then rounded the car to the driver’s side. Kay was fastening her own seatbelt when he spoke again.
“I’m glad you’re coming with me. An old high school friend teaches a dance class at this gym. If you want to learn about fitness, Janet is the perfect person to ask. She’s got a great body.”
It was impossible to miss the affection in his voice. Probably because he was so serious most of the time, it was even more obvious to see him light up now. Eli apparently still had a thing for this Janet.