Two Dates Max Read Free

walking through the doors. I damn near fainted. Maybe there was hope after all.
    * * * * *
     
    Tuesday morning I led the spinning class because Elle had called in sick. She’d sounded as if she’d been crying all night and I mentally calculated the amount of money in my savings, wondering if it was enough to put a hit out on Declan. Since I not only had no clue how to actually hire a killer, but seriously doubted two hundred and fifty-three dollars was enough, I scrapped that idea and went on with my day. I usually worked the midafternoon-to-evening shift during the week but always covered for Elle. We’d known each other since high school and she was the closest thing I had to a sister.
    Max arrived a little earlier than his usual three o’clock with a scowl on his face. It was a look to scare people off but I’d seen it before and it didn’t deter me. I leaned on the desk as he punched in his code.
    “Hey, Sean. Here a little early today, huh?”
    One thick brow lifted in surprise but the scowl remained. I batted my eyelashes playfully in an attempt to make him smile, but he just rolled his eyes.
    “I left work early,” he growled.
    “Oh? Everything okay in the world of retail?”
    He looked conflicted, as if he couldn’t decide on whether to actually talk to me or not. I didn’t know why every conversation had to be a battle with him, but we were finally making progress and I wasn’t willing to give it up.
    “Yeah. No… I don’t know. I’m just a little stressed out right now.”
    My smile melted into genuine concern and I placed a hand on the fist he held clenched against the countertop. He looked down at my hand but didn’t pull away.
    “You know, there usually isn’t anyone in the hot tub at this hour. Why don’t you lay off the weights today and go relax?”
    When his gaze returned to mine there was genuine surprise. He unclenched his fist and turned his hand up, twining our fingers for one heart-stopping moment.
    “That’s a great idea. Thanks, Megan.”
    I smiled and slipped my hand from his to grab a towel. The loss of his skin against mine was like a slap but it was worth it to see appreciation in his gaze. He took the towel with a nod of thanks and walked away. My heart started beating again and I remembered to breathe. Something was weighing heavily on his mind and I wanted to know how to make it go away. A glance at the clock showed ten minutes until my replacement arrived. I usually left the gym right after working an early shift to go to the bookstore. I could spend hours there and usually more money than was wise, but it’s my only vice. This time I decided to stay and take a dip in the hot tub. After all, I needed some downtime too.
    Twenty minutes later I peeked around the corner of the wall separating the women’s locker room from the coed pool area. The hot tub was on the other end of the room, so Sean would see me coming. I adjusted the straps on my one-piece black bathing suit, wishing for the millionth time I had Elle’s body. I naturally kept in shape being an employee of the gym, but I’d always been athletic. Years of softball, volleyball and soccer had given me a teenage boy’s figure rather than a voluptuous woman’s. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it without surgery so I tried hard not to care.
    Sean had his back to me, lounging in the hot tub with the jets on high. His eyes were closed and my bare feet made almost no sound. We were alone, though there were two men in the pool swimming laps. I entered the water slowly so my body could acclimate to the higher temperature. It was divine. I didn’t normally take time to enjoy most of the gym’s perks, but this was one time I just couldn’t stay away.
    I must have splashed or gasped or something to announce my presence, because when I looked up from taking the final step into the water Sean’s intense blue gaze was on me. I froze and smiled weakly, my nerves going into overdrive at joining him uninvited.