Bared to You: A Crossfire Novel

“You can head to the gym now, Angus,” he told his driver, settling back in the seat. Then he pul ed his smartphone out of his pocket. He saved my new number into his contact list; then he took my new phone out of my hand and programmed my list with his home, office, and cel numbers.

He’d barely finished when we arrived at CrossTrainer. Not surprisingly, the three-story fitness center was a health enthusiast’s dream. I was impressed with every sleek, modern, top-of-the-line inch of it. Even the women’s locker room was like something out of a science fiction movie.

But my awe was total y eclipsed by Gideon himself when I finished changing into my workout clothes and found him waiting for me out in the hal way. He’d changed into long shorts and a tank, which gave me my first look at his bare arms and legs.

I came to an abrupt halt and someone coming out behind me bumped into me. I could barely manage an apology; I was too busy visual y devouring Gideon’s smokin’ hot body. His legs were toned and powerful, flawlessly proportional to his trim hips and waist. His arms made my mouth water. His biceps were precisely cut and his forearms were coursing with thick veins that were both brutal looking and sexy as hel .

He’d tied his hair back, which showed off the definition of his neck and traps, and the sculpted angles of his face.

Christ.

I knew this man intimately. My brain couldn’t wrap itself around that fact, not while faced with the irrefutable evidence of how uniquely beautiful he was.

And he was scowling at me.

Straightening away from the wal where he’d been leaning, he came toward me, and then circled me. His fingertips ran along my bare midriff and back as he made the revolution, sending goose bumps racing over my skin. When he stopped in front of me, I threw my arms around his neck and pul ed his mouth down for a quick, playful y smacking kiss.

“What the hel are you wearing?” he asked, looking marginal y appeased by my enthusiastic greeting.

“Clothes.”

“You look naked in that top.”

“I thought you liked me naked.” I was secretly pleased with my choice, which I’d made that morning before I’d known he’d be with me. The top was a triangle with long straps at the shoulders and ribs that secured with Velcro and could be worn in a variety of ways to al ow the wearer to determine where her breasts needed the most support. It was special y designed for curvy women and was the first top I’d ever had that kept me from bouncing al over the place.

What Gideon objected to was the nude color, which coordinated with the racing stripes on the matching black yoga pants.

“I like you naked in private,” he muttered. “I’l need to be with you whenever you go to the gym.”

“I won’t complain, since I’m very much enjoying the view at the moment.” Plus, I was perversely excited by his possessiveness after the hurt he’d inflicted with his withdrawal Saturday night. Two very different extremes

—the first of many, I was sure.

“Let’s get this over with.” He grabbed my hand and led me away from the locker rooms, snatching two logo’d towels off a stack as we passed them. “I need to fuck you.”

“I need to be fucked.”

“Jesus, Eva.” His grip on my hand tightened to the point that it hurt. “Where to? Free weights? Machines?

Treadmil s?”

“Treadmil s. I want to run a bit.”

He led me in that direction. I watched the way women fol owed him with their gazes, then their feet.

They wanted to be in whatever section of the gym he was, and I couldn’t blame them. I was dying to see him in action, too.

When we reached the seemingly endless rows of treadmil s and bikes, we found that there weren’t two treadmil s free adjacent to each other.

Gideon walked up to a man who had two open on either side of him. “I’d be in your debt if you’d move over one.”

The guy looked at me and grinned. “Yeah, sure.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Gideon took over the man’s treadmil and motioned me to the one beside it. Before he programmed his workout, I leaned over to him. “Don’t burn off too much energy,” I whispered. “I want you missionary-style the first time. I’ve been having this fantasy of you on top, banging the hel out of me.”

His gaze burned into me. “Eva, you have no idea.” Nearly giddy with anticipation and a lovely surge of feminine power, I got on my treadmil and started at a brisk walk. While I warmed up, I set my iPod shuffle to random and when “Sexy Back” by Justin Timberlake came on I hit my stride and went ful -out. Running was both a mental and physical exercise for me.

Sometimes I wished just running fast could get me away from whatever was troubling me.