Page 86 of Shamed
Apart from at the club, she usually dresses in baggy sweaters and looser fitting pants, but the clothes she has on now are tight, accentuating the perfect curves of her body.
I quickly lift my eyes back up and watch as she inspects the machines, then steps farther away from a few losers ogling her, discomfort evident in the way she discreetly hugs herself.
I rise to my feet, shelving the weights and quickly wiping the bench before making my way over to her, the ashy blonde’s voice a fading sound in the background.
The sight of Jayne’s face brightening when she sees me, and her moving toward me, instead of away, makes me feel like a fucking rock star.
The totally messed-up thing is that she shouldn’t be feeling safe and gravitating to me at all.
“This is certainly unexpected,” I greet. “Are you angry at me again, or are you here for a quick workout before heading to the club?”
With a cute roll of her eyes, she shrugs and glances at the machine beside us. “Someone told me feeling stronger would be good for me.”
“I’m surprised you listened.”
A small smile. “I do that sometimes. Now, if you want to point me in the right direction to where you think I should start, then I can leave you be.”
Ishoulddo that.
Instead, with a flick of my wrist, I check my watch. “I have half an hour before my next client will be here. How about I spot you on a couple machines, then leave you with some things to work on?”
I wait for the refusal, for her to say that I don’t need to, or some other excuse. But after she nibbles on the corner of herplump lip, she simply nods, the dyed hair in her messy bun flopping with the movement.
Okay. That was easy.
Trying not to let my smile free, I angle my head to the side. “Follow me then. We’ll start with your chest and back.”
Twenty-five minutes later, I have her sweaty and panting, face flushed.
On the last rep of the lat pull down, she starts struggling, arms shaking, so I press in behind her, placing my hands on top of hers to help her finish.
“You did it.” Slowly, we release the bar together, and I hold on to her hands until they lower to her lap, since I’m sure they feel like jelly.
She must be feeling lightheaded because she leans back into me with a soft laugh, breathing heavily. “Barely.” The heat of her body melts into mine, and I’m acutely aware of every single place she’s touching me.
Too close.
Our eyes connect when she tilts her head up, the smile slowly transforming into something else, something electric.
“Yo, Mase.”
Startled, I quickly separate myself from her, making sure she doesn’t fall back, then turn toward the source of that interruption standing nearby.
Zach gives me a grin, looking between me and Jayne.
“You’re early.”
“Not really,” he says, smile growing. “I always do some stretching first. Plus, our session is in like, five minutes.”
Oh. Right.
Before I can make an introduction, a ringing sound comes from Jayne’s pocket, and she quickly fishes her cell out with a frown. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen her use her phone. She’s as friendless as I am, unfortunately.
“Hey, Clint,” she answers, her eyes flicking to mine for a second. Ah, the landlord I went and talked to about not taking care of her as a tenant, only to find out she didn’t even tell him about the ceiling.
I take a few steps away to give her some privacy, and gesture for Zach to do the same.
“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”
