Page 26 of Marring an Athlete

Michael made a disgruntled noise, and Anna peeked over at him.

“You don’t like Javier?” she asked.

“Javier? What’s not to like,” he said. There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice that told Anna, he really didn’t like the guy.

Anna studied the floor. How could Michael dislike Javier? They’d only just met him. For a moment, she allowed the idea that perhaps it was because she’d hit it off with him so well. But then she told herself that she was an idiot, and pushed that thought as far away as she could.

Michael didn’t have feelings for her. He never would. She was the only crazy person in this relationship who was hanging on to past feelings and allowing them to invade her thoughts.

Moving the conversation forward seemed like the best idea. “Thanks for the info, Greta,” Anna said.

“Anytime. You’ll discover that there are a lot of couple-building activities for you two to do. Who knows, by the end of your stay here, perhaps your strange no-relations pact will become obsolete.”

Heat rushed across Anna’s skin, and she was pretty sure she was blushing from head to toe. There was no way she wanted to even entertain those ideas much less talk about them.

“Yeah, maybe.” She hated how high-pitched her voice had gotten. Right now, she needed to be focusing on McKenna and Sam and not the erroneous idea that she and Michael could ever have an intimate relationship.

The rest of the massage was done in silence. Thankfully, the music helped fill the awkward air that surrounded them.

It wasn’t what he wanted, and she was trying to convince herself that it wasn’t something she wanted. Or what she would do if she tried to make it a reality, only to have him crush her with rejection. And that was what Michael was good for. Rejection.

“Thank you for unwinding with us today,” Greta said, patting her back.

Anna nodded and grabbed the edges of the sheet and sat up. Michael was doing the same. He glanced over at her, and she got lost in his gaze. Too embarrassed to speak, she triple-wrapped the sheet and hopped off the bed.

“Thanks,” Michael said to his masseuse, who nodded and slipped from the cabana.

Greta waved to Anna as she followed the other therapist out.

Now alone, Anna tried to ignore just how chiseled Michael’s abs were as he tied the sheet around his waist. He stood and looked over at her.

“Can I get dressed in here? Or do you want me to go to the bathroom,” he asked.

Anna squinted as she forced down the butterflies that had risen in her stomach. If she really didn’t have feelings for Michael, then what did it matter if he changed here or in Taiwan? He seemed completely at ease—as if the idea of changing in the same room with her was a normal occurrence. And maybe it was. After all, he probably changed in front of his entire team all the time.

She cleared her throat. “It’s okay with me, if it’s okay with you.” Wow. Could she sound any less confident?

He shot her his signature cocky smile. “I think I can handle it.”

Anna nodded. Crap. Now she had to do it. After all, she couldn’t be the one to suddenly change her mind. It would give away too much, and right now that was not something she was ready to do. If ever.

“Perfect. Okay. I’ll turn around, and you turn around.” She swallowed as she pushed her nerves back. “We just have to promise not to look back.”

An annoying smile played on Michael’s lips. “Do you want to spit-shake on that?” He waved toward her skin. “I’ve never seen a girl blush so hard about being naked in the same room as me.”

“I’m not nervous,” Anna said, her voice rising an octave.

Michael’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

She cleared her throat and forced a confident smile. “Really.”

He shrugged and turned. “All right. Let’s do this.”

In a matter of minutes, Anna was dressed. She’d never in her life been that fast. She slipped on her undergarments, and then pulled her sundress over her head. She let the sheet fall to floor. After a few seconds, she cleared her throat.

“I’m done. Are you?”

Michael’s soft chuckle filled the air. “Yeah. You can turn around.”

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