Page 59 of Heart Taker

He had plans, and so did I.

Kolt offered me the bag, and I nodded. “Thanks, Kolt.”

“I love your tatts. Are they done locally?” he asked me.

“Verdant Ink. I work there part-time. They’ve got tons of cool artists. Drop by sometime.”

“Thanks, I’ll check it out. I moved here a few months ago so I’m still finding my way around.”

“If you ever need a tour guide, I’m game,” I said to the bartender and turned to Damien. Fuck it, if he didn’t want to look at me, that was his problem, not mine. “I’ve got to hit the road. See you Wednesday, Damien.”

“Yep.”

Damien nodded but didn’t so much as glance my way.

Despite my jacket, and the warm atmosphere in the pub, I was freezing cold.

CHAPTER 18

DAMIEN

THE NEXT DAY

There was no one in the school gym when I arrived at six a.m. During the regular semester it was packed, and because of that, I tended to choose late evenings for my workouts. In the summer, however, the place was a ghost walk. And mornings were my preference, since exercising early always started the day right. Hitting the weights forced me to focus on my body and to forget about work for a while. Inevitably, afterwards, I always gained clarity to whatever puzzle or problem I was dealing with at the time. And like any former pro athlete, I was used to the routine. Working out was as necessary to me as eating right and drinking plenty of water.

And I needed a workout today more than ever.

I couldn’t stop replaying my conversation with Silas. Fuck, I’d told him things I didn’t even talk about with Dave, who I considered my closest friend here in Sutton. What was up with that?

After Silas left the pub, I finished my dinner, alone, and headed back home, alone. I was too caught up in my head to try and attempt to make a connection with anyone in that bar. Notthat I was giving up. But I didn’t know what to do with these intense feelings for a man that I could never have. A man so far out of my league we were playing in different games.

Doing my best to put last night aside, I warmed up on the treadmill, a brisk twenty-minute walk, and then headed around the corner for the weight machines. First up was a couple of sets on the chest press, then I focused on my legs. After that, I did a few reps of seated cable row.

I was halfway through my second set of reps when I heard a door open. I paused momentarily, distracted by the sound, then continued with my workout. There was the familiar beep and whirl of a treadmill starting; someone was warming up. I kept going with my reps, until sweat trickled down my face and neck, and my muscles began to burn. I knew not to push it too far with my right leg, though. There was a fine balance between staying flexible and risking another injury.

I finished my set and reached for my towel, swiping my face. The echo of footsteps getting closer meant my solo time in the gym was done.

When I dropped the towel on my lap and looked up, there was Silas sitting on the rowing machine opposite me. He was wearing tight black shorts, all those stunning tattoos across his chest and arms on display, his hair tied up in that messy bun that was my new obsession. I wondered if his hair was as soft as it looked and how it would feel against my skin. Shit. Was I hallucinating or was he looking back at me with the same intent? And why was it that everywhere I looked lately, there he was? I’d spent months seeing him at practice and games but now everything felt different. It was getting harder to keep any distance between us.

My professional line was already way past gone.

“Hey,” I managed to whisper, my voice cracking.

Jesus, I sounded like a nervous teenager with a first crush.

He glanced at me and his expression turned wary. “I can come back later if you prefer?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied and reached for my water bottle. “I’m halfway done anyway.”

“Early riser?”

“Always. My mind spins twenty-four-seven. You?”

“Same.”

I nodded and swallowed hard at the sight of him. Normally, I saw Silas when he was padded up, on the ice. Or in a suit for game day. All he had on now were those thin shorts, exposing long, hard thighs lightly dusted with blond hair. My formerly slumbering libido was wide awake and into this view. My eyes roamed over his chest, lower, and I couldn’t help but let out a laugh when I saw the word he had tattooed across his taut abs.

“Ruthless?” I stated with a raised eyebrow.

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