Page 40 of Final Temptation
“At nine o’clock?”
“Well, you know how it is at the bar. I got stuck late finishing up some payroll, and I was just headed out. Figured I’d give you a call and see how you’re doing.” The mention of the bar slightly irritated me. Mostly, because he was bringing it up, and I knew he wouldn’t let it go.
“I guess you could say I understand, seeing as how I grew up in that place. But I don’t know if you remember or not…that you fired me,” I scoffed, feeling petty.
“Soph, you know I was just trying to teach you a lesson. You can always come back to work any time, but not until you’re ready to admit that you need this bar as much as it needs you.”
My eyes rolled so far into the back of my head I was scared they’d get stuck.
“Dad,” I scolded him. “I don’t need that place. I don’t want to work atPeaksfor the rest of my life. I have dreams outside of the family business. Why is that so hard for you to understand?”
“And what dreams would those be? You mentioned going back to school, but that’s it. You didn’t have any plans outside of that the last time we talked.”
Yeah, because I didn’t want to tell you. If you can’t be proud of me for taking the leap to go to school, why will you consider being happy for me when I reveal that I want to start a special events and party planning business?
“Just so you know, since you didn’t ask, school is going great. It’s opened my mind to what I want to do, and I’m making steps in the right direction. I also have a roommate to help me with the bills while I focus on my studies.”
How hard was it for him to just call me and speak to me like any other father would to their daughter?How are you doing, Honey? How’s school? What have you been up to?
Instead, he spoke down to me like my ideas of going to school were silly, and I was stupid to have any aspirations outside of taking over the bar for him one day.
“I just don’t understand why you would waste your money going to school, when I have a perfectly successful bar in town to hand over to you one day.”
I heard the sound of Myles lock his car, the high-pitched beep giving me the perfect excuse to get off the phone.
“I gotta go, Dad. My roommate just got home.” I tossed my phone to the side, not bothering to say goodbye.
I didn’t want to seem rattled when Myles walkedthrough the front door, so I grabbed my laptop, placing it back on my lap, and plastered a giant smile on my face.
Hopefully, it didn’t look too fake.
“Hey, Rebel,” I greeted him excitedly, putting the conversation with my father behind me.
Would you be bothered if I did a quick at-home workout?Myles’ question came back to me.
Bothered? More like hot and bothered. By all means, please. The floor is yours, and I’m sitting front row.
Myles ran to his room to change into athletic shorts, waltzing back into the living room without a shirt on, his chiseled chest on display.
Did he have any idea how hard it was going to be to continue staring at my computer screen when he was moving his body in ways I only saw while watchingMagic Mike?
“What is that?” I gazed over my computer, noticing a weird, bar-looking contraption in his hands.
“It’s a pull-up bar. I can wedge it between the doorways.” He angled it just right, so it was sitting on the top of the door frame. “See?” he said, as he began testing out a couple pull-ups. I was having a hard time keeping my jaw off the floor each time he lifted his body up on that bar.
“So, um, y-you’re just going to keep doing that same thing? Right here?” If this was what he did for all his at-home workouts, then by all means, fuck me sideways. Cancel the gym membership and workout from home, permanently, please and thank you.
“I was planning to do a mix of pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. If I were at the gym, my workout would be a bit more complex. But I’m working with what I have here.” I stared at him blankly, my eyes blinking open and shut. “Is that okay with you?” he asked.
“Mhmm.” I answered with tight lips, nodding my head.
“Okay, because you’re acting kind of weird. I don’t want to get in the way of what you’re doing.” He placed his hands on his hips, just above the waistband of his shorts that laid low enough to show off the deep V traveling all the way down to the part of him I couldn’t get off my mind.
I cleared my throat. “I had no idea that when you mentioned working out at home, it was going to look like this.” I gestured my hand toward him, waving it up and down his torso.
His eyes traveled down to his stomach—flexing even harder knowing I was eating him up. With a wicked grin, he dragged one hand up his body and said, “Oh, is this going to be a problem for you?”
“Nope!” I answered in a high-pitched voice, looking back down at my computer, forcing myself not to look up at what he was doing. Sure, we were friends with benefits, but I didn’t want to show all my cards. I refused to display the side of me that wasobsessedwith Myles Cooper.
