Reese

“Sure. Are you going to rent or buy?” she asks me curiously.

I shrug. “I’m not sure. Depends on what’s available. Being back at the gym made me realize how much I missed it, and I agreed to do some self-defense classes.”

“That will be good. Everyone should know how to defend themselves against an attacker.”

“Exactly. If I buy, I could always go down when I have time off, or during the summer, and do like a six-week boot camp kind of thing.”

She studies me in that way she does, like she can see right through me and all my bullshit, down to the secret parts I hide from the world, and even myself, at times.

“I think that sounds perfect for you, Reese. Now tell me what has that look on your face because something tells me it has more to do with dick than death.”

I laugh and cross my legs. “I think my sweat must have some kind of pheromone in it.”

“That will be the Candy. It makes all the boys go crazy.” She grins.

“I don’t know what it is, but it’s freaking me out a little. It’s like I’ve got some gravitational pull thing going on, and I don’t know how to turn it off.”

“Do you really want to?”

“Yes. Maybe.” I shake my head. “It’s not real,” I reply softly, having come to that conclusion in the wee hours of the morning.

“What do you mean it’s not real?”

I think of Blink, Vega, Graves, and even Law. “I’ve been back one day, and suddenly four smoking hot guys want to make me queen of their sex palace. I’m good, Sugar, but I’m not that good.”

She purses her lips, something moving behind her eyes.

“You think they’re playing you?”

“Yeah, I just don’t know why. These guys don’t struggle to get pussy, so it’s more than that.”

“Do you think they know who you really are? I mean, your alter ego and what you do?”

“It’s doubtful, although one of them is an ex-cop. Besides, even if they did know, what could they possibly hope to gain from playing me? They would have to know I’d rip their balls off and fashion them into earrings.”

“Okay, so take that out of it. What else could it be?”

I think back on what happened while I was there and remember Blink standing outside the office door when I admitted I owned the gym.

A sharp pain in my chest doesn’t want to believe that’s it, but I’d be a fool to rule it out.

“Money, maybe. It’s possible they know I own the gym.”

She frowns. “Okay, but how does getting into your pants tie into that? It’s not like you’re going to suddenly marry one of them and deed them the place as a wedding present.”

“Wow, that was not where my mind went at all,” I laugh.

“It could happen.”

“It just doesn’t feel like it fits either.”

“Maybe you should just ask them.”

“Just like that, huh? Hey, guys, want to tell me why you’re acting as if the inside of my pussy contains the secrets to world peace?”

Now it’s Sugar’s turn to laugh. “You’ve been spending too much time with Lollie.”

I huff but don’t argue with her.