Page 74 of Ace of Spades
Early the next morning, Taylor headed straight to the gym, with Rand following behind her. After a restless night, she needed a hard workoutto clear her mind. In the locker room, she took the leather bag containing her gun and phone from her purse, then put her purse and the clothes she’d put on after a shower in a locker.
“What are you attacking today?” Rand asked.
“The treadmill.”
“I’ll be in the weight room. Let me know when you’re ready to go,” Rand said.
“I’m going to do an hour run.” For some reason, she could do her best thinking when running, and she had a lot to think about. “You’ve been up all night. I’m safe here, and the building’s right across the street. Why don’t you head home and get some sleep?”
He gave her an eye roll, then headed for the weight room. Gah, she hated having to be babysat. Sighing in frustration, she wrapped a towel around her neck, then stepped onto the treadmill. She set the leather bag in the tray and then switched on the machine, setting it for a warm-up. Five minutes later, she turned the speed up.
The biggest thing on her mind was Nate, and that wasn’t good. She needed to be concentrating on their case, not her love life or lack thereof. Someone stepped onto the treadmill next to her, but she didn’t look over. Didn’t want to encourage a conversation.
What was she going to do about Nate? Yes, she’d overreacted to his stupid comment. Between the case and being stalked, missing her girls, and her head filled with all things Nate, she was operating on a short fuse.
Thirty minutes into her run, she made a decision. She couldn’t stand the way things were between them, and she was as much to blame for that as Nate. The best thing to do was to turn the clock back to before she’d slept with him, to when they were best friends. It would be hard to forget how amazing it was to be with him, but she could do it.
“You seem in deep thought, Ms.Collins.”
She glanced over at the man on the treadmill next to hers. “Oh, hello, Mr.Tillman. Just trying to convince my legs that they can makeit another twenty minutes.” Not wanting to encourage him, she faced forward.
“How about just Wade? Mr.Tillman sounds like you’re talking to my father.”
“Sure,” she said, not looking at him.
He was silent for about two minutes, and then said, “May I call you Taylor?”
Had she told him her first name? She thought back to when he’d introduced himself last week, remembering that she had. “If you wish,” she said, letting her voice go cold.Take the hint, Mr.Tillman.It seemed he got the message, as he stayed silent after that.
At the end of another ten minutes, she slowed the treadmill for a cool down. Her legs were on fire. Muscles screaming in protest after a good workout always gave her satisfaction. She stepped off the treadmill, scrubbed her face with the towel, and then grabbed her leather bag.
“May I buy you a cup of coffee, Taylor?”
Crap. The man was quickly moving into pest status. He wasn’t bad-looking, and fifteen or so years on her wasn’t a deal breaker, but she had zero interest in encouraging him. She was still licking her Nate wounds.
“Um—” Her cell phone vibrated, signaling she had a text. “Excuse me a minute,” she said, grateful for the interruption. She angled the leather bag so he couldn’t see her gun and slipped her phone out. Nate’s name came up on the screen.
Is he bothering u
She glanced up to see Nate leaning against the wall, a scowl on his face as he stared at Wade Tillman.
A little
Never taking his eyes off her, he strode toward her like a man on a mission. “Hey, babe,” he said on reaching her.
Babe?
He put his arms around her shoulders, tucking her against his side. “Ready to go?”
Something like displeasure flashed in Mr.Tillman’s eyes, then it was gone. What was that all about? She should probably introduce him to Nate, but she didn’t want to start up a conversation with the man. He was beginning to rub her wrong. Besides, he wasn’t a friend, and she didn’t want to encourage him to think he was.
“I need to change,babe.” She startled when Nate dropped his hand down and pinched her butt, getting a soft chuckle from him.
“Enjoy your day, Taylor,” Mr.Tillman said.
She nodded, then nudged Nate to go.
“He seems to have taken an interest in you. Who is he?” Nate said when they were out of earshot.
