Page 53 of Honey Undone (The Hornets Nest #5)
SARAH
“ M orning,” I said, wandering into the kitchen to find Ella and Zoey at the island with their noses in mugs of something that smelled incredible.
“Do you need this too?” An unfamiliar warm voice called to me and I turned the corner to fully access the kitchen to see Coach Cody standing in a sleeveless tank, a pair of Hornets sweats and his shaggy hair pressed beneath a hat.
For a forty-something year old man he sure was in good shape.
The rising sunlight pouring through the massive kitchen windows back lit his strong frame and it took me a whole fifteen seconds of observation before I remembered he had asked me a question.
“Oh yeah, thank you,” I said, reaching out for the mug he was holding.
“Coach is making pancakes,” Zoey mumbled, setting her head on the counter.
“You know you’re supposed to get drunk on the wedding night, not before.” He said with a hearty chuckle and went back to cutting fruit on the island next to Ella.
“Hey I’m just sleepy, not hungover…” Ella defended herself. “They got Arlo drunk and in turn…”
“Arlo’s always been a horrible drunk,” Coach mumbled, sliding a bowl of strawberries and mango across the island.
“Van fell off the bed this morning, and he hit the ground so hard it woke me up an hour before my alarm,” Zoey yawned through her sentence.
“And you?” He asked me .
“I’m usually at the gym,” I confessed. I was a little hungover but nothing near how poor Zoey felt. “We do practice early during the seasons, so if I don’t do the gym at the crack of dawn. I usually don’t do it,” I said.
“Smart girl. If only I could get the boys on that schedule, it would leave more time for drills.” Coach hummed to himself but Ella just laughed.
“You run plenty of drills,” she teased, “Are they done yet I’m starving.”
“Impatient as always.” Coach shook his head and went back to cooking.
“There’s a gym downstairs?” Zoey said in a strangled burp that also kind of sounded like vomit starting.
“I don’t think it’s ever been touched.” Ella agreed.
“I was in there this morning, Novak.” Coach grumbled.
“Okay, I don’t think it's even been touched by normal human beings.” She slid off her stool. “I need a puke and a shower to rally. I’ll be back in twenty. Don't let the vultures have all the bacon, I'll need it to survive today!” She wiggled past me clumsily and disappeared down the hallway.
“I’ll have to wake her up in two hours,” Ella said, looking over her shoulder. Coach set a plate of pancakes in front of her and looked at me in question.
“I think I’m going to go try that gym out,” I said.
“Basement, last door on the left.” Coach threw a bottle of water from the cooler on the counter and pointed toward a door behind me.
“There’s a stereo, you can plug your phone into it,” Coach said, it sounded like he was still surprised by the fact that he could.
“Room is soundproof so no one will hear it if you turn it up.”
“Thanks.” It took me all of thirty seconds to find the door.
Large, framed in the same oak as the rest of the house but with a sleek gold plate across the front.
I don’t know why I was surprised when I turned the knob.
It was massive down here, rows of machines all in pristine condition.
It was a smaller version of the facility at the university and would be the perfect way to relax before everyone else got up.
I found a stereo he was talking about and plugged in my phone, turning it up loud enough to echo across the space before I started to stretch. My body was a little sore from the night before but I wasn’t nearly as hungover as Zoey.
I giggled to myself starting a simple circuit around the gyms with what machines I could find and didn’t stop until I had successfully sweated out all the booze from the night before.
I paused as my phone chime went off through the speakers scaring me half to death and making me drop my weight on the mat in front of the mirror.
Are we sneaking off like booty calls now?
I’m in the gym
We have a gym?
I chucked my phone back on the shelf, if Jensen wanted to find me he would. It was just a matter of time. I went back to my workout, the sweat starting to pour down my back enough for me to strip from my cover.
“You shouldn’t do that without a spot,” he appeared above the bar as I laid back, the music so loud I hadn’t even heard him sneak in. His hair was messy from bed, dripping off his forehead as he ducked beneath it and laid a kiss to my lips.
“Is that all you’re good for?” I questioned, staring up at him with wide eyes.
“Have you done your cardio yet?” He asked, ignoring the jab.
“No,” I scrunched up my nose, “I have two more sets here.”
“Alright,” Jensen stared at me, his hands still wrapped around the bar as he hovered over my mouth. “One more,” he said, stealing the little expendable air I had with a smirk.
“One more.” I confirmed as he pulled away.
“Go for it,” he said, lining up so I could finish.
Once I was finished, I tortured Jensen for another twenty minutes on the treadmill.
He kept up decently for a man that was hungover, but he was just patiently biding his time for me to ask him for help stretching.
He’d come down here with one thing on his mind, that much was clear.
The second I stepped off the treadmill he followed, pushing back his sweat-licked hair off his face and trailing his eyes down my body.
He stalked me across the gym to the mat, stretching his arms above his head, every muscle flexing tightly.
“I thought I was in good shape, but you…” he doubled over, resting his hands on his thighs to catch his breath.
“Me what?” I laughed, sinking to the ground and kicking off my shoes.
Jensen huffed, shaking his head and straightening up, hands on his hips. He eyed me hungrily, the intent in his gaze clear. He dropped to his knees in front of me, hands on my shins, “You work me like a dog, and I fucking love it.”
“Like a dog, hey?” I rolled my eyes.
He grinned wider, his thumbs gently rubbing the back of my calves, “Yeah, a very happy dog.” He leaned forward slightly, pressing a light kiss just above my knee.
“A very cute one too,” I leaned back on the mat as he massaged my legs.
“It took forever to find you down here.” His hands slowly crept higher, squeezing my thigh as he went. He looked over at the stereo on the shelf, still pumping out music. “You can’t even hear the music from the hall.”
“Ryan said it was soundproof.” I shrugged with a tiny smile.
His hands paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing before he leaned in a bit closer. His voice was low and teasing, “first name basis with Coach now?” The grin returned when his fingers found a knot in my muscles I’d been trying to work out all week.
“What else did you and Ryan talk about?” Jensen asked.
“He made me pancakes!” It was a tiny, funny lie that made him even more worked up as I wiggled under his tight grasp, and despite the sharp pain I was grateful when the muscle started to smooth beneath my skin.
“Wow, who knew it was Coach I needed to watch,” Jensen said, pushing harder.
“He was all sweaty from working out to—” The words died on my lips. “Mercy, mercy!” I yelled through gritted teeth, groaning as my back lifted and arched off the mat.
“No mercy, this is payback.” Jensen watched on, knowing he had me right where he wanted me. His fingers continued to work the spot until he knew it was completely gone. “You can take it, Adeline. Almost there.” He closed the gap between us, his lips brushing my ear .
I pushed my hand into his hair, holding onto him as he got the last remnants of the knot out. His fingers worked harder and better than anything, in more ways than.
“That’s my girl,” he praised when his finger finally let up. He watched me relax against the mat, catching my hand as it slipped from his hair and locking his finger into mine. He smirked softly, his eyes lowering to take me in spread out beneath him.
“Wow,” I huffed with a bright smile, “who knew he wasn’t just a fuck boy. No, Malachi Jensen, talks a girl through everything .” I teased.
He threw his head back and laughed, a deep rumble that echoed through the room before he moved over me and pressed a playful kiss to my lips. “Shut up,” he whispered, “I save all my best pep talks for you.”