After half the kids arrive, I make the decision to talk to him. This isn’t going to work if I ignore him the whole time. “Girls, can you excuse us for a moment?” I motion for Luke to follow me, then make my way to the break room. When I turn around, he slams right into me, unprepared for my sudden stop. “Whoa.” My hands land on his chest. It’s as though electricity jolts straight through me.
“Sorry.” He backs up with a clear of his throat. Very slowly, his eyes travel over me. I don’t want to welcome the heat it brings me. His fingers twitch like wants to touch me, but he holds back, straightening his shoulders. His hair is a little longer, and his chiseled jaw is lightly shadowed in stubble. He looks even more handsome than I remember.
“We need to talk,” I tell him.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you in the daylight. You look good.” He swallows, meeting my eyes. “Are you happy?” The question seems genuine, like he really wants to know.
“I know what you’re doing. It isn’t going to work this time.”
His forehead creases. “What is it you think I’m doing exactly?”
Oh please. You know what you’re doing. “Trying to make me feel sorry for you. I’m smarter than you think, Luke.”
“Well shit. I guess you’ve figured me out then.” He tugs on his hair. “Look, I’m sorry if—”
“Are you? Are you really?” Of course he’s not sorry. If he were sorry, he would’ve left me alone like he’d told me he would.
“I said it. Didn’t I?” He frowns, looking around the empty break room then back to me.
“You say a lot of things you don’t mean.”
“All right, I deserve that.” He drops his head and continues, “But when are you gonna to give me a chance to talk? There are things I need to say—things I’ve wanted to say for a long time.”
“Oh no. You fooled me once. I’m not going to let you do it again.” I shake my head. “You and I’ve got no relationship outside this gym.” A sick feeling stirs inside my belly, as soon as the words leave my mouth. The love and hatred I feel for this man only brings me confusion. Why can’t it be just one or the other?
“There’s no reason we can’t be friends, Reese. You’re good for me,” he murmurs.
“Huh, well you’re not good for me. And there are several reasons why we can’t be friends.” Who is he kidding?
He steps toward me with narrowed eyes, and his clean soapy scent washes over me. “Why won’t you let me explain? What are you afraid of?”
I notice the way his shirt stretches over his muscled chest, and how his arms flex against his sleeves. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Yeah.” His voice is soft as he moves closer; his brown eyes reel me in. “Well I think you’re lying.”
Don’t fall for his charm, Reese. I back away and find my voice. “I don’t care what you think. We keep things professional. Are we clear?”
He rubs a palm over his face, then with an exaggerated breath, he agrees, “Yes ma’am. Crystal.”
“Will you be able to control your urges?”
Blinking three times before he cups a hand behind his ear, he says, “My what?”
He knows what I said.
“Could you repeat that? I don’t think I heard you right.” His mouth twitches.
I’m not trying to be funny. “Your urges,” I growl. “The flirty comments, the sexual innuendoes, and inappropriate touching. Can you keep a handle on that?”
“I was getting ready to ask you the same thing.” He leans back, folding his arms.
“And that thing you’re doing with your eyes. You definitely can’t do that.”
“My eyes?” He laughs incredulously. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asks, placing his palm over my forehead. “You feeling okay?”
I’m mad this entertains him. “You’re breaking a rule right now!”
“I asked you a question!”
“You were smirking, the way you do, where just the left dimple shows. You do that when you’re flirting!” My eyes land on his dimple. And I can’t control how I feel when you do those things.
I can tell this pinches a nerve with him. “Your rules are impossible. What if I don’t agree to them?”
“If you respect me, you will! End of story!”
“Fine! We done?”
“Yes!” I say in response, but he doesn’t hear me. He’s already left the room.