He crouched down in front of her and took her other boot. He flicked his fingers, indicating she should give him her foot. “Here, sit up. I’ll save myself the temptation of looking.”
She sat up and lifted her foot to him.
“All I’m saying is that you came here to work out for a reason.” He took her ankle in his big hand and gently slid her boot on. She had no idea why the simple move was so erotic, but her pulse had turned into a hammer at the base of her throat. “Obviously, the challenge of it is still calling to you. You should keep trying. I can train you and make sure you conquer Wally. Plus, it would be helpful to be familiar with all the obstacles for your fund-raising event.”
“Right,” she said distractedly as he took his time zipping up the long zipper, her skin electric with tingles even through her jeans.
He set her foot down and rocked back on his heels, still
crouched in front of her. “Maybe you should participate in the event. Show those teenagers that us old folks can do it, too?”
That snapped her back into reality. “Ha. Correction: You can still do this stuff. I proved the other night that I definitely cannot.”
“Yet.”
She groaned. “Why are you pushing my challenge buttons? I’m that girl who could never turn down a dare. This is why I can’t accept the school board’s no. I don’t like no. I have enough on my plate without worrying about if I can get up this damn wall.”
His lips curled into a wicked smile as he reached out and took her hands to pull her to her feet. He leaned down close to her ear. “Taryn Landry, I dare you.”
A hot shiver ran down her neck, his breath ghosting against her skin. “Mean trainer. Mean, hateful trainer.”
He laughed softly. “I’ll put you on the schedule. I’m a very good trainer. Very hands-on. You’ll get up that wall.”
He was still holding her hands, and she guided them around her waist, dragging him closer. “Hands-on, huh?”
He hooked his arms around her and tucked his fingers in her back pockets, the heat of his palms against her ass making a flash of arousal go through her. “Very.”
She could feel him, the hint of hardness growing against her making promises. She swallowed past her dry throat. “Well, that’s all you had to say.”
He held her there for a moment, his freshly showered scent surrounding her. She absorbed the feeling of simply being against him, feeling the whispers of arousal and his steady heartbeat, relishing the tease they were both giving each other. They’d agreed to take things slowly tonight and go on a date, but the delicious anticipation of what could happen in the near future was pushing all of her buttons.
After a few seconds, he lowered his head, touching his forehead to hers. “If I haven’t said it yet, thank you.”
She let her hands slide to his waist below his shirt, feeling the heat of his skin, holding him there. “For what?”
“For the chance to just…be how I want to be with you. I know a clean slate can’t exist, but it feels really good to know that tonight, I can take you to dinner and not have to watch that I don’t slip up and reveal my past, not have to worry that I’m lying to you. I can just…be myself for better or worse. That feels like a special kind of freedom.”
Her heart broke a little for him. She wished he could be that way in the world and not just with her, but she didn’t let it show on her face. She pushed up on her toes and brushed her lips over his. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the real you.”
He kissed her back gently and then smiled. “Let’s see if I remember who that even is.”
“I bet it will come back to you quicker than you think.” She stepped back and took his hand, forcing herself not to look at the fly of his jeans, not to move too fast despite her galloping libido. “How about you start by telling me what you feel like eating? And if you tell me salad and a protein shake, I’m kicking your trainer ass to the curb right now. I have no time for that nonsense.”
He laughed and pulled her by the hand toward the front door. “Never. How about pasta?”
She nodded. “Mmm-hmm. I like.”
He walked backward, leading her along and somehow maneuvering around the equipment behind him without looking. “And a little wine?”
“For sure.”
They reached the main lobby, and he grabbed keys from a drawer behind the counter. “And maybe something with whipped cream at the end?”
She smiled, picturing him as the something with whipped cream on it, but they’d decided before he’d hit the showers that they needed to get to know each other a little better before getting carried away like they had that night in the foam pit. They had time.
Even though a big part of her wanted to just drag him home now. She’d waited this long to get in bed with a guy. She could wait longer. It was better to make sure they were both comfortable with this agreement before they took things to another level.
The naked level.