Just Getting Started (Fair Lakes 2)

His hand strokes my cheek, his finger grazing gently against my flushed skin. “Gabrielle,” he says again, the sound of my name bringing me out of the sex-fused haze I’m trapped in.

I blink a few times before my eyes widen in shock. I can’t believe we’re doing this. Here. In the middle of the gym, where anyone can walk by the rectangular window in the door and glance in.

“Shit,” he mumbles before slowly picking himself up off my body. I miss his heat, his touch instantly.

Straightening my shirt, I sit up, averting my eyes. The silence is deafening and awkward, yet the hum between my legs is like a foghorn in the dead of night. Chase jumps up, extending his hand to help me up. I almost don’t take it, but to be truthful, I’m not sure my legs are strong enough to get me up off the floor anyway. So I reach up and place my hand in his. Warmth wraps around me as he pulls gently, helping me stand. As soon as I’m up, I turn toward my water bottle, taking hearty gulps of precious water, but also using it as a buffer to ignore the big fat elephant in the room.

I take my time gathering up my stuff, my back kept to the only other occupant in the room. Finally, I hear the door open and I let out a shaky breath. He’s leaving, which is a good thing. I definitely made a mistake by kissing Chase. Not that I initiated the kiss, but I didn’t do a damn thing to stop it. In fact, I was practically purring like a cat, rubbing against his body like a feline in heat.

This was certainly a mistake, right?

But damn, it didn’t feel wrong when his lips were on mine.

“I’m sorry I kissed you in a public place, but I’m not sorry I kissed you, Gabby,” Chase says, confirming he hasn’t left the room yet. My heart pounds a hard rock beat in my chest.

Then he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and post-kiss guilt.Chapter SixChase 6* * *I stalk out of the room and head straight to the men’s locker room. I need a minute. Fuck, I need more than that. I need her tight little body pressed against mine. I need her hands clutching my shirt and the warmth of her heat.

I fucking need her.

There lies the problem.

No matter what I seem to do, she’s fighting it. With the exception of a few minutes ago. However, when I pulled back, I could see it in her eyes. The indecision. The way her eyes grew wide and how the worry mixed with fear filled those big green eyes of hers. I knew I needed to get away. I needed to separate our bodies before she had the chance to freak out. Not because she’s right, but because I’d have had no choice but to show her why her freak-out was unnecessary while showing her exactly how good we can be together. That is what I’m running from. Not because I’m scared, but because she deserves better. I’ve waited a hell of a long time to have her, and I’ll be damned if it’s finally going to happen on a sweaty gym floor.

Thankfully, the locker room is empty. Bracing my hand against the wall, I bow my head and suck in a deep breath. I meant what I told her. I don’t regret kissing her. Just where I let it happen. I know she doesn’t believe me; she thinks this is a game to me. It’s not. I can see it in her eyes; she’s unsure. I’ll just have to prove it to her.

She deserves more for our first kiss. Yes, first kiss, there will be more. Now that I’ve tasted her, it’s a craving, a need that only she can satisfy.

Pushing away from the wall, I splash some water on my face, hoping like hell it works to cool my body down so I can get myself under control. With a deep breath, I exit the locker room. My eyes scan the room and immediately lock on her. I watch her as she packs up her bag and disappears down the hall. I follow her, waiting until I hear the door close before peering out the window, making sure she gets in her car safely. Satisfied when she pulls out of the lot, I head back to my office that I share with Harrison and gather my things.

Once in my truck, instead of turning toward my place, I head in the opposite direction, steering my truck away from home. Away from Gabby. When I see the sign for her favorite Italian restaurant, I pull into the lot and call in all her favorites.* * *