Page 38 of A Lot Like Adiós
“What?” she asked, all innocence. He heard rustling, andwhen he finally looked up, she was on her hands and knees on the yoga mat, her beautiful butt in the air, with a resistance band tight around her thighs.
He sent her an exasperated look. “What are you doing?”
“You’re the personal trainer. I should think you’d know.” And then she had the nerve to smack her ass and give him a saucy wink. “Gotta keep this baby in prime condition.”
As if all that wasn’t enough, she started doing fire hydrant leg lifts.
Gabe watched her for a few moments, mesmerized. His trainer brain noted her perfect form, the way she kept her core engaged and taut while rotating her leg and hip out. And her body was... everything he’d ever wanted. Not even because of what she looked like, but because of Michelle herself. She’d always moved with easy confidence and total trust in her own body. It was rare, and it was sexy as hell. Something he tried to help others learn.
Gabe rubbed his hands over his face to snap out of his trance. “Are you trying to provoke me on purpose?”
Michelle shot him a sassy grin. “Maybe.”
That was a yes. Shewastrying to drive him wild. Wild with need, with wanting her. How had he ever spent so much time around this gorgeous, maddening woman without losing his mind?
Because he’d thought she wasn’t into him. He hadn’t wanted to push her, hadn’t wanted to ruin the friendship, hadn’t wanted confirmation of what he’d feared—that they really werejust friends—followed by rejection.
But she hadn’t rejected him. Then or now.
“Actually, I just remembered I have to do push-ups.” Dropping down to the mat, Gabe caught Michelle around the waist and flipped her onto her back. She let out a peal of laughter, but made no move to push him away. Gabe braced himself above her, doing push-ups that brought his mouth an inch away from hers. On the third one, Michelle lifted her chin and kissed him.
Fire spiraled through him. He loved her playful side, the way she enticed him to take things less seriously. Lowering himself to his elbows, their bodies touching, he murmured, “Time for planks.”
She raised her eyebrows as his pelvis pressed into hers. “Someone’s already got a plank, I see.”
His cock surged against her, inexplicably turned on by her bad jokes. “And someone didn’t warm up first,” he said, then closed his mouth over hers.
She kissed him back fully, her hands coming up to cup his face. Shifting his weight onto one elbow, Gabe slid his other hand down her body, molding over her breasts and belly before delving his fingers into the tight space between her thighs. They were pressed together by the resistance band and his own legs. The spandex pulled taut over her pussy, making it easy for his fingers to find her crease. He stroked her through the fabric, loving her heat, swallowing her gasps as he continued to kiss her.
Her hips bucked against his hand. Little moans issued from her throat as her kisses became more intense. The fabric against his fingers grew damp. And then she bit his lower lip, letting out a high-pitched cry as her body shuddered beneath him.
When she stilled, her head falling back to the yoga mat, Gabe drew his hand away.
“I’m warmed up,” she said weakly, and he managed to laugh, despite his raging hard-on.
“Never let it be said that I don’t look out for my clients.”
She reached down and brushed a hand over his dick through the thin fabric of his sweatpants. “Are you looking for round two?”
He bit back a groan. “No condoms down here.” And he was a little worried about her earlier “it was fine” comment. It had always been impossible to know what she was really thinking.
“Ah. Right. Well, I guess we should go to the zoo.”
His eyes widened. “Thezoo?”
She sent him an impish grin. “This is your first time back in how many years? You didn’t think I was going to let you get away with working the whole time, did you?”
He had thought that, but in hindsight, it was pretty naive of him. Of course Michelle was going to cart him around to do some sightseeing.
Sitting back on his heels, Gabe tugged the resistance band down her legs and set it on the weight bench. Clearly his workout was over. Then he got to his feet and gave her a hand to help her stand. She wobbled a little.
“You okay there?”
“Just a little weak in the knees.” She sent him an enigmatic smile and headed for the stairs.
He was sweating, and since he’d forgotten to grab a towel, he pulled off his shirt and wiped his face with it. Then he followed Michelle up the stairs a few paces behind.
When she reached the top, she let out a bloodcurdling scream.Gabe’s heart leaped into his throat. He bolted up the rest of the way and into the kitchen where he saw—
