Page 67 of Opening Strain

Jenna breezes into the room carrying a heavier kettlebell. “This is for your lateral exercises,” she explains.

Not even her adding weight to this difficult exercise ruins my upbeat mood from the email. However, one rep in and I’m singing a new tune.

“If I didn’t think you could do it, I wouldn’t have added the extra weight.”

“Tell that to my leg,” I breathe through gritted teeth.

“You’re doing great. You really are in good shape.”

Her compliment goes a long way toward helping me complete these exercises. When I finish, I drop the kettlebell to the floor with a loud thud.

No sooner does it land, but she points to a barbell. “We’ll try using this next time. Until then, how about we do something new with bands?”

She leads me through another set of grueling exercises which tax my groin muscle, but not beyond my limit.

When we break for the session and I lie down on the table to get another round of ice, I ask, “Where’s Austin?” Kudos for not referring to him as the Asshole.

“I sent him over to the other clinic. The receptionist was diverting patients over there anyway, since the media isn’t over there.”

“I feel terrible for how I’ve disrupted your life. But I might have a solution for you.”

“I’m all ears.”

As she massages my thigh, I share the email. “Hayden Vaughn on UC’s PR team suggested I take you to a safe house, as it were, while they get restraining orders against the media to keep them away from you. I’m fair game, being a public figure, but you’re a private citizen.”

She stops, pressing her fingers on my upper thigh. My cock twitches.

“A safe house?”

“Nothing FBI-like. I’m thinking a couple days rental of the gated house King and Angie showed us today with the long private driveway, Secluded Rest. Your house is too open, and my rental too easily accessible. Once the wolves figure out where I’m staying, I won’t be able to keep them away.”

“I like my house.”

I shake my head. “You don’t have to move away. I’m thinking you stay away from it for a couple of nights, until the restraining order isin place. By then, I’ll almost be on tour anyway.” I swallow over the boulder in my throat. I don’t want to leave her.

Like Lissa abandoned me for my ex-best friend Curtiss. Like my father did when he died. Like Mom wrongly insists I did with my sister.

“Do you think a restraining order will work?”

I blink. “I’d usually say no, but in your case, I’m more optimistic. You’re not a public figure nor are you dating one.” A pang of longing washes over me. “They’ll have little option but to let you be.”

“I hope you’re right. Otherwise, my best hope is for some other celebrity to draw them away from me.”

The only other celebrities in the Hamptons at this time of year that I can think of are King and Angie. “Should we ask the Huntes to help us out? They can raise their profile by faking a fight or something.”

Her nose scrunches up. “No way. I’m not going to drag someone else into this mess on purpose.”

The mess I set in motion by pulling my groin muscle and hiding it from the public. But if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have reconnected with Jenna. Who, now, I can’t imagine not speaking with on the daily. She challenges me to see things differently and try new things, something I didn’t realize I need in my life. I want to get to know her more. Much more.

“Yeah. I agree.” I toss the ice pack to the side and sit up. “I’ll fill King in on our plan and make it happen.”

“Who knows?” Jenna says. “You might decide to keep the mansion and even expand your circle of friends so they can visit.”

Not going to happen.

She tidies up the exercise room.

Even though she might be a good reason to amend my long-held beliefs.

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