Winter: I’m going to go work out tonight. Summer offered to watch Vivi, but if you aren’t working, you can have her instead.
Theo: Unfortunately, I’m working tonight. I close the gym.Are you working out alone? I could help you.
Winter: No, you don’t need to do that. Summer booked me a session with another trainer. Max, I think?
Theo: You could have asked me.
Winter: I don’t want to work out with you.
Theo: Is it because you’re going to wear tight pants you know will give me a boner?
Winter: This job must be hard on you with your uncontrollable erections.
Theo: The gym is fine. It’s living next to you that’s the issue.
“No.” Winter’s arms cross under her breasts, propping them up in the most appealing way.
I’ve spent the past twenty-four hours thinking about her new pink nails and how good they’d look wrapped around my dick. And now she’s gotta create a shelf under her tits and put them on perfect display for me.
I’m going to have to deep-clean my own house to keep my hormones in check. My mom used to bug me and say the Virgo in me would stress clean. I laughed her off, but the older I get, the more I wonder if she was onto something.
Is horny cleaning a Virgo thing? Cause that’s where I’m at right now. I could clean this whole fucking gym and it wouldn’t sate me.
“Yes,” I deadpan back at Winter while Summer shifts awkwardly on the spot, Vivi babbling happily in her arms.
“I had my session booked with some Max guy.”
I groan and roll my eyes. No chance that was happening.
Summer shoots me a look, and I give her my best puppy dog eyes. “Somehow, the schedule got changed around. It’ll be fine. Theo knows this stuff inside and out.”
“I’m not paying for him to work out with me. He’s not even certified.”
I stifle a laugh. Tink is mad. “I am. Did the course during my off-season. But you don’t have to pay. I’ll do it for free.”
Summer’s eyes volley between us. Amusement and nerves war on her face as she bounces on the spot, clearly not sure what to do with herself. “Theo insisted that it be him—”
“Summer,” I cut her off. “You can go. I’ll talk to Winter.”
“Don’t tell her what to do. This is her gym. I’m her sister. And this is supposed to be my free time.”
“Okay! On that note, Vivi and I have a date with the bathtub and her rubber duckies.” Summer’s tone is altogether too bright, smile too forced.
Winter turns on her. “You’re taking his side?”
Summer’s head tilts and her eyes roam over Winter’s face. “No, Win. I’m taking your side. This will be good for you. Go take care of yourself. I’ve got your girl.”
She looks at us both when she says your girl and makes a show of waving at both Winter and me before turning around and leaving the gym.
“I don’t want to work out with you,” Winter announces without glancing my way.
“Something else you’d rather do instead?”
Winter’s eyes roll as if I exhaust her, but her tone has no malice when she says, “I hate you.”
A chuckle rumbles from the back of my throat, and a knowing smile touches my lips. She didn’t hate me when she tugged me down on top of her. “Haven’t you figured out that doesn’t deter me at all?”
She scoffs, turning away to scan the gym floor. Various machines and weights litter the space in a sort of organized chaos, but in a town this size, it’s quiet at this time of night. The group classes have filtered out and only a few stragglers remain.
“I could take you for tequila again.”
Her shoulders stiffen. “Yeah. That ended so well last time.”
I step closer to her, admiring the elegant column of her neck. She always holds her head so high. I admire that about her. No shame, like the opinions of those around her don’t matter to her—even though I know they do. She’s strong.
“I think it ended pretty well.” I trail a finger up the indent that runs through the center of her back, right over her spine. She shivers but makes no move to pull away. I lean forward and whisper in her ear. “I still think about pressing you up against that window. The way you trembled when I—”
“That’s not what I meant.” She swallows, eyes full of pride. I see the tip of her tongue dart out over her lips.
“Did you mean Vivi? Because I thought nothing would be sexier than that night. Until I saw you with her.”
A small whimper escapes from her lips, and she steps away. “Yeah, sure. Until you decide you want to trade me in and shack up with some bimbo buckle bunny with a porn voice and give Vivi a new stepmom.”
“What?” My brows knit as she finally turns to me, glancing around to see if anyone is watching us.
She snorts. “I had a dream about it. She was hot. I mean, good for you. It just made me realize things might get complicated. I’ll have to share Christmas morning—”
“With me and my bimbo wife?” I roll my lips in to stifle a laugh.
“Yes!” Her hands shoot out, annoyance billowing from her in waves.
“Can you give me a demo of this porn voice?”
Winter swaps her facial expression, batting her eyelashes so fast it looks like something is stuck in her eye. “Oh, Theo, there aren’t any chairs left. Can I rub my ass all over your lap for Christmas?” she mocks, and I don’t bother holding back the laughter anymore.
“Is that what she said?”
“Basically. Before grinding herself all over you.”
“That sounds like a pretty great Christmas gift.”
Her lips twitch. This conversation is ridiculous, and she knows it. “You’re the fucking worst.”
“You’re the one who’s mad at me for something I did in a dream.”
“I’m not mad at you.” Her arms cross. “I’m mad at the future.”
“Don’t be. I promise you that’s not what the future holds.”
“Okay, I’m mad at you for torpedoing my training session with someone who doesn’t constantly hit on me. Why did you do that?”
I shake my head as I breeze past her, through the turnstile and onto the gym floor. Might as well be honest with her, so she isn’t confused about what I want. “Because I’m the only one who’s going to be putting his hands on you in those tight fucking pants, Tink.”
Winter is lying on a bench in front of a long bank of mirrors. Racks of dumbbells line the lower part of the wall in front of her. She has her knees bent, her sneakers resting against the end of the gray pleather seat, and her palms covering her forehead as she stares up at the ceiling.
I’d worry I worked her too hard, but we kept things light. I showed her the machines she can use in her free time to get back into things slowly. It was on the turf floor that everything went to shit.
I started her in plank pose, set a slider under each foot, and had her use her core to drag her feet toward herself, piking up into a V-shape. Then she’d walk her hands back out and start over.
At first, she seemed unsteady and struggled with the exercise. But she wasn’t a quitter, and I supported her where I could. A hand on her hip. One flat on her bare back where her tank top had ridden up.
It was why I went into the computer system and changed her session to be with me. Not a fucking chance would I sit at home while some Roid Monkey ran his hands all over her under the guise of helping her work out.
When I tugged the fabric back down to cover her, she snapped. In a flash, she dropped to her knees and rolled up into standing.
“Yeah. My core sucks after pregnancy. No need to rub it in. I’m done now. I’m going to go stretch.”
And with that, she marched off without a backward glance. If she’d bothered to look, she’d have seen me staring at her ass.
I decided not to push her and started tidying the gym for closing. Putting away the plates people left all over the place. Wiping down touch points. Bidding patrons farewell as they head out the door.
And through it all, Winter has laid there on the weight bench, not moving. And definitely not stretching.
I decide to wait her out and let her have whatever moment she needs. As I slip behind the front desk and turn the music down, the last guy here walks out of the dressing room. His head snaps in Winter’s direction and he hesitates before walking over to where she’s still laid out.
He hikes his bag up on his meaty shoulder and tips his head down over her. I don’t like the way he’s leering at her. And I hate the way he says, “Hi,” with that dorky, bashful smile, like he hasn’t been eyeing her up all night.
“You okay?”
“No,” Winter replies, making my stomach drop.
He crouches beside her head as if she invited him to talk to her some more. “I saw you here yesterday.”
My feet move before I realize what I’m doing. All I know is I don’t want him towering over her while she’s laid out like that. I don’t want his eyes on her body. Not today, not yesterday. I want him out.
“Thought that sometime we could—”
Winter doesn’t even turn her head to look at the guy. “Goddamn, I wish I had your confidence. My life would be so different.”