Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

My phone buzzes with a new picture message from Chloe. A banana inked with a lopsided star. It's less lopsided than the one she sent five minutes ago. It's a hell of a lot better than the one she sent an hour and a half ago.

But it's still not there.

For the last two hours, she's been sending pictures like clockwork. Every five minutes. Without fail. The girl is a machine.

You'd think, at picture twenty-something, I'd realize I'm not getting a shot of her panties, but every time my phone buzzes, anticipation floods my body.

I tell my cock to calm down.

Chloe and I aren't happening.

No matter how badly I want her.

Walker finishes his last chest press. Sets the barbell in its stand. "You spotting me or flirting?"

"That a real question?"

He chuckles.

"You should see this. Kinky shit. Every fantasy she has about my—"

"Uh-huh." He stands. Motions to the bench. "You're up."

That I am. I slide my cell into my pocket. Load the barbell with an extra twenty pounds on each side.

Walker shakes his head. He knows me too well. Knows I'm going heavier to prove a point.

But I don't admit that. I drop to my back. Wrap my hands around the weight. Grunt through my first rep.

"Too heavy for you?" He looks down at me, half spotting, half taunting.

Fuck, I'm going to be sore tomorrow. But I can do this. Even if I have to cut it a rep short.

"You can load that thing with an extra hundred pounds. You aren't gonna fool me."

I grunt through my next set. Pause at the top. Fucking chest presses. "Why would I do something like that?"

"How long have I known you?"

"Easy to forget. Your life was empty before."

"How long have we been doing this?" He motions to the gym.

"Ditto." We've been working out together… forever, really. It's always been a competition to see who can lift heavier, run faster, go longer.

"You gonna tell me what the deal is with you and Chloe?"

"There's no deal."

"You do realize we went to the same high school."

"And?"

"You look at her the way you used to."

"Like I want to fuck her." I grunt through my next set. "Of course I want to fuck her. Look at her."

"You volunteered to help her."