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She reaches for the hand that still grips her chin and gives it a little squeeze. “Thank you,” she says softly.

“So lose the shirt, quit hiding, and anyway, I can’t be seen with you wearing a I heart Vegas t-shirt.”

She lets out a small laugh; it’s light and airy and makes me smile. “Yeah, it’s giving Joey in London vibes, right? Could I be any more of a tourist?”

The look of confusion on my face must show because she clamps a hand over her mouth and sighs. “Friends, you’ve seen the showFriends,right?” she asks.

I shake my head. I’ve never had the time to watch TV. I’ve seen the odd movie, but that’s it.

“No, not really my thing,” I say.

“I’ll make a deal. You promise to watch one season of Friends with me, and I’ll take off the shirt. No deal and the shirt stays on,” she challenges as she folds her arms across her body.

I mull over her words and smile. We’ve hung out together, but it’s usually as a group with the others. I like the idea of hanging out with her, so before I talk myself out of it, I say. “Deal. Lose the shirt.”

She grips the hem, and I think she will whip it off quickly, but to my surprise, she peels it off slowly, teasing me, revealing an inch at a time of her golden skin. Her toned stomach muscles flex with the movement. She pulls it a little further, revealing her perked breasts, pushed together by the black sports bra she’s wearing, creating a killer cleavage. One I’d very much like to swipe my tongue through.

The last of the shirt goes over her head, and she tosses it to the side.

“Is that better?” she asks, giving me a challenging stare, hands on her hips.

I don’t know if she’s meaning to, but it’s as if she’s flirting with me and I grin, giving her body a once over with my heated stare, and say, “Good girl. Much better.”

An obvious tremor pulses through her body, and her cheeks pinken at my words. It brings me more joy than it should, knowing I may be affecting her in the same way she’s affecting me.

“I’m, erm, going to finish my stretches,” she stammers, before turning and walking back to the spot she was working out in.

‘I’ll be over here,” I say, pointing to the pull up bar.

I need to get my head together. Distract my wandering mind, I reach up to hold on to the bar above me.

I count to ten in my head, enjoying the burn in my arms and upper back as I pull my body up until the pull I’m holding reaches my chest. I fall into a steady rhythm, and new beadsof sweat roll down my chest and back as my breathing grows heavier. I make the mistake of glancing in the mirror where the reflection of Gabriella, twisting and bending like an elegant goddess, takes over my brain, and my movements falter. My arms give out and my feet hit the mat below as I let out a frustrated growl.

“Are you okay?” Her sweet voice filled with concern rings from behind me. I turn to face her, my breathing ragged.

“Yeah,” I huff.

She walks toward me, sipping on her water, and my eyes focus on the way her throat bobs as she swallows and my dick begins to rise again.

Fuck’s sake, not again.

“I don’t know how you do those,” she says, gesturing to the pull up bar. “I have the upper body strength of a kitten.” I smirk at her comment, and because I am clearly in the business of torturing myself, I offer to help.

“I could teach you.”

“Teach me what?” she says just loud enough for me to hear over the music. Oh, there are many things I’d like to teach, Gabriella. But for now, I’ll settle with this. The thought takes me by surprise.

“Pull ups,” I say, taking the water bottle from her hand and taking a small sip before handing it back to her. I run my tongue along my bottom lip, savoring the taste of her cherry flavored chap.

“Erm, sure,” she agrees hesitantly. I point to the spot where I need her to stand. She is a tiny 5ft 2, so I know I’ll need to lift her so she can reach the bar.

“Do you trust me?” I ask her in a serious tone, but with a little wink to keep the moment lighter.

She nods and I take that as my permission to move closer. I place my hands on her slim waist She lets out a little gasp at thecontact, and heat floods my chest at the feel of her warm skin beneath my calloused hands.

“I’m going to lift you on three and you are going to reach up and hold on to the bar. Got it?”

She nods again.