“Thought we’d do some leg lifts and then hit the treadmill. Maybe hit the pool after that.”
“Sounds good to me,” I told her as I started toward her. Maverick gave me a quick chin lift as he watched me shuffle out of the door. Melody had stopped bringing the wheelchair after the second day, forcing me to walk everywhere we went, even if it took twice as long. I had to give her credit though. She was patient and made the time go by fast by talking nonstop the entire way. When we finally made it to the weight room, Melody headed straight to the vertical straight leg lift machine. I groaned when I noticed where she was going, knowing it was the hardest place to start. Most of the floor abdominal exercises only train one particular muscle, but leg raises on the pull-up bar work all your muscles at once. It was brutal.
“Alright, mister. Let’s see what you got. I want two reps of fifteen to start,” she smiled as she cocked her head to the side. I held back the profanities racing through my mind as I got into position and started my reps. When I’d started my second round, she said, “I’m going to turn on some music. Anything you want to hear?”
“I’m good with anything,” I grumbled, thinking there wasn’t a song in the world that could distract me from the burning pain in my gut, but I was wrong. After just a few beats of the loud, thumping music, a memory hit me with such a force it felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.
It was Doc’s birthday, and the brothers had gone all out to show him a good time. Everyone brought food and presents, and he was genuinely touched by the gesture. Once the presents were opened and the food was eaten, the party really got started. Everyone was having a good time, especially Cass. It was one of the few times she’d actually managed to coerce Henley into coming to the clubhouse, and she was obviously pleased to have her there. Seeing how excited she was to have her sister around, I put Tristan behind the bar, giving Cass a chance to cut loose a little, and that’s just what she did. She grabbed Henley and rushed out to the join the others on the dance floor, smiling and laughing as her hips swayed to the different rhythms that came blaring out of the jukebox. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Every move she made had me completely captivated, and when she caught me staring, her lips curved into a knowing smile.
As soon as a familiar song began to rumble through the room, several of the girls became excited and rushed toward the dance floor. Cass gave them a welcoming smile as she continued to dance with Henley. I couldn’t help myself—she had me spellbound. She’d blown into my life like a storm, weakening my guard and making me want more—much, much more. I sat there, drinking my beer at the bar, watching her as Maverick and Guardrail bitched back and forth over god knows what. Maybe I should’ve been listening, but there was only one thing that had my attention, and she was standing out on the dance floor. The two nosy asses both stopped talking when they noticed Cassidy walking in my direction.
She stopped a few inches from my knees and smiled as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. I was tempted to pull her closer, but fought the urge. She finally placed her hand on my knee and leaned forward as she asked, “How ‘bout a dance?”
“Sorry, sweetheart. Not one to dance,” I answered. Not liking the look of disappointment that crossed her face, I said, “Maybe some other time.”
“Come on, Cotton. Dance with the girl,” Guardrail teased, which only made the situation more awkward. I don’t know what my problem was. I should’ve danced with her, but I was a fucking stubborn ass and refused to do it.
“Not happening,” I snapped. I leaned back, resting my elbows on the bar, and smiled at her. “Trust me, Cass. You don’t want to dance with me. I’ve got two left feet.”
“Suit yourself, hot stuff. But just so you know, I’m not giving up. Sooner or later, I’ll get you out on the dance floor,” she smiled. “And dancing isn’t the only thing I have planned for you.”
“Is that right?”
“That’s right. I’ve got my ways, Cotton, so consider yourself warned,” she laughed. Fuck. I loved her laugh. There was nothing like it.
I leaned forward and reached for her waist, pulling her between my knees. Her breath caught when I brought my mouth close to her ear and whispered, “Looking forward to it.”
Without skipping a beat, she said, “You and me both.” With a wide smile, she walked back over to Henley and started dancing, completely carefree and happy.
“Hey… you okay?” Melody asked, pulling me from my memory.
I cleared my throat and said, “Yeah, I’m good. What’s next?”