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“Goose.”

I shot him a look that had him clamping his mouth shut.

I wasn’t about to let him or anyone else turn this into something it wasn’t. Or maybe something Icouldn’tlet it be. I glared at him a moment longer, then headed inside.

I wasn’t in the mood for anyone else’s bullshit, so I headed down the hall and went straight to my room. I stepped into the bathroom and turned the shower on, letting the water run hot while I kicked off my boots. I was tense. I tried rotating my shoulders, hoping it would ease the stiffness, but it didn’t quite do the trick.

It'd been a long damn time since I’d worked like I had today. I did plenty of shit around the club but not much real, hands-on labor. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed it. It felt good to put in the work and see the results, but it had done a real number on me.

Every muscle in my back and arms ached, which was an unwanted reminder that I wasn’t twenty-five anymore. I let out a deep breath as I peeled off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I groaned as the heat started to work into my tight muscles.

It felt good, damn good, and for a few minutes, I just stood there, letting the steam rise around me. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back, and it wasn’t long before she crept into my head.

The way she’d watched me when she thought I didn’t notice.

The way her lips had curled into that soft, easy smile.

The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she got nervous.

Damn.

I leaned forward and braced my hands against the tile as I tried to will the thoughts away. But they just kept coming. The way she moved, graceful and effortless. The way her voice softened when she thanked me.

And that blush.

Fuck me.

There was no forgetting that blush.

A slow heat spread through me. It was different from the warmth of the water. I knew where this was heading, and hell, if I wasn’t tempted to let it go there. It had been too damn long since I’d felt this way. She’d gotten under my skin. She wasn’t some club girl or an easy distraction.

She was something else entirely.

And if I let myself go down this road, even just in my head, there’d be no coming back from it.

I tried to shake her from my thoughts, but I couldn’t seem to get her out of my head. Damn. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams. I needed to get her out of my system, and I needed to do it fast. Hoping it would knock some of the edge off, I turned the hot water up and took my throbbing cock in my hand, gripping my fingers tightly around my pulsing shaft.

I needed to feel the bite as I started to move my hand up and down. I closed my eyes and thought about her in my bed, completely bare and waiting. That thought alone had me almost spiraling. It was strange. I was older. I’d been around the block more than once and had seen and been with my fair share of beautiful women.

I didn’t get worked up. Not anymore.

At least, I didn’t think I did. Tabitha was proving me wrong. I could almost feel her soft, smooth skin against my fingertips. My breath quickened as I thought about her body responding to my touch. Her skin blushing. Her thighs clenching. Her pulse racing. Her little whimpers echoing through the room.

With each vision, my grip tightened, and my hand moved faster. Every stroke had me closer to the edge. My cock pulsed in my hand when I thought of her back arching off the bed as I raked my tongue against her clit. Tasting her. Tormenting her until the moment when her orgasm took hold. Dammit. I couldn’t get enough.

I stroked harder, faster, and my hand never stopped moving until I finally came long and hard. The water was starting to run cold, so I finished up and got out. That’s when I noticed that my dick was still standing at full salute.

Damn.

Getting this woman out of my system was going to be harder than I thought. I left the bathroom and went back to the bedroom. After throwing on a pair of clean boxers, I collapsed into bed. My muscles were sore, and I was beat. It didn’t take long for my exhaustion to take hold, and I crashed.

Sleep came fast, but morning came faster.

I woke up earlier than I’d planned. It seemed my internal clock was refusing to let me rest. The room was still dark, but I knew better than to roll over and try to go back to sleep. My mind was already running, and once that happened, there was no going back.

I pushed off the covers and eased out of bed, wincing slightly as my muscles protested.Shit.I was stiffer than I’d expected, and it pissed me the hell off. I would have to hit the gym later and put an end to this shit. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with my cut, then made my way down to the kitchen.

I started a pot of coffee and took a moment to enjoy the silence while it brewed. The clubhouse was quiet this early, just the way I liked it. As soon as it was ready, I poured myself some coffee and headed to my office.