Page 42 of Under the Lights (The Big Boys of BRU #2)

Thirty Four

Dom

Did I have to be at the gym right now? Not really. Was it the second time — okay, third if one was inclined to count the full-pad practice and the lift after as separate incidents — I was working out today? Possibly .

The overhead fluorescents buzzed faintly, casting a sterile glow over the room filled with steel and sweat. Beneath it all, the sharp clang of plates and the low thrum of EDM pulsed.

Maybe I was here to stretch out. Do mobility work. Maybe I wanted to hit the fucking sauna. And maybe I was talking out my ass. I was here for one reason and one reason only.

I’d been watching my girl like a hawk, just like I’ve done many times before. Sierra was posted up in front of the squat rack, chalk dust still lingering in the air like smoke.

The scent of rubber mats, metal, and something citrusy — probably her shampoo — filled my nostrils.

She liked the free weights section. Didn’t talk to anyone, with her big headphones and that golden hair tied back in a ponytail.

The harsh lighting made sweat glisten on her temple, and it caught the edge of her jaw like a spotlight. Her sports bra was short-circuiting my brain.

Sierra Johansson was my Roman fucking Empire.

And I was positive she was trying to kill me right now — or to drive me to kill someone else.

The gym was crowded, but I barely registered anything else: the sound of a bar dropping behind me, the hiss of a cable machine, and the grunts of guys trying to impress their reflections in the mirror.

I wouldn’t blame anyone for looking because, fuck , but I’d definitely have to fight the urge to gouge their eyes out with a spoon.

The way her ass looked in those leggings knocked the breath straight out of my lungs. They were the deep charcoal ones with the contour seams. Deadly .

The fact that she was squatting 250 lbs like it was nothing made me even more feral for her. Her quads flexed smoothly and powerfully, like poetry made flesh. She was badass, and she was all mine.

As she racked the bar again, she clocked me watching through the mirror. I gave her a slow, appreciative once-over, raising my brows as if to say, “Yeah, and?”

She rolled her eyes at me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Shaking my head subtly, I cocked my head to the side, giving her a pointed look, and her expression told me she knew what I was thinking.

You’re gonna pay for that later, Darlin’.

She could act unimpressed all she wanted. Joke was on her — I wasn’t trying to impress her. I was trying to make damn sure no one else ever measured up again.

I strolled over to the bench next to the squat rack, her eyes following my movements.

“Oh wow, what are the odds? This bench is free? Right next to you? Crazy .” I put my hands up to my face in faux-shock.

She didn’t even take her headphones off, just regarded me with an unimpressed lifted brow. Setting down my towel on the bench, I picked up some dumbbells.

I shuffled in front of the mirror, making sure I was directly in her line of vision, and started with some curls.

Super subtle .

I mean, I hadn’t whipped my shirt off yet. That had to be worth something .

Sierra stepped under the bar again and lifted it, while her eyes kept flickering to me. She was trying so hard to focus on her reps — it was adorable.

“You know, most people train with a partner. Not stalk one,” she grunted.

I set the weights down, giving her a sideway glance. Casually, I pulled off my pump cover to reveal a tank with cutout sides so deep, I might as well not be wearing it. Which, of course, was the point.

“Nah, stalking is when you aren’t invited. You keep leaving the door open.”

“You’re not even actually working out.”

I grinned and winked at her through the mirror. “Sure I am. I’m training my patience. My restraint. My ability not to bend you over this bench right now. Growth .” I positioned myself right behind her, pretending to spot her.

A flush crept into Sierra’s cheeks, and smug satisfaction vibrated through every pore of my body. “This is a public gym.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t make those little sounds when you lift. They go straight to my head. And not the polite one.” I said in a low voice, a dark edge to it.

Sierra swallowed, her throat bobbing visibly. “You need help.”

“Maybe try looking at me like you did last night when I had your knees over my shoulders. That might calm me down.”

She struggled a little on the way up, so I put one hand under the bar and helped her finish the rep.

“Thanks,” she said grudgingly, before starting to pull the plates off the bar.

After helping her with the bigger plates, she moved to the section for deadlifts as I went back to collect my stuff.

Sierra had just started racking her bar when I heard a male voice cut in. My head shot up, eyes narrowing.

Some dude was grinning at her, eyeing her up in a way that made me want to make good on my earlier thoughts and have a go at his eyeballs. They belonged nowhere near my girl, after all.

“Need a spot? I’m real good with my hands.”

Sierra blinked in shocked disbelief. The ’Has he really just said that?’ was written all over her face.

Before she could even open her mouth to spew out a snarky reply, I was there, my voice low and deadly calm.

“You offering to die in a gym today, or is this just your version of flirting?”

The guy turned around, clearly not realizing what he’d just gotten involved in. I raised my eyebrows challengingly, a pleasant expression on my face.

He was taking me in, seizing me up, and then chuckled. “Didn’t realize she came with a bodyguard.”

“She doesn’t. She comes with consequences.”

“Oh my God,” Sierra groaned under her breath.

The dude chuckled again, albeit a little uneasily this time. “Right. My bad, man. Didn’t mean to step on your toes.”

I offered him a sharp smile. “No harm done. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

He finally got the fucking message and backed off, throwing Sierra a wink like he’s the reasonable one here. He must have a death wish.

Not taking my eyes off the guy until he disappears behind a row of machines, I stepped right up to Sierra, the heat of her backside seeping into my front.

My half-hard dick brushed against the curve of her ass, sending a jolt of pleasure through my body. I took a deep breath, inhaling her scent to calm down my temper.

My lips right at her ear, I spoke in a low voice. “Next time a guy so much as blinks at you like that, I’m dragging you home mid-set.”

“You’re insane,” Sierra said flatly.

My grin was back. “No, Darlin’. I’m committed. There’s a difference.”

I stepped back, grabbing my towel, not missing the shiver running down her spine.

“Finish your reps. I’ll be over here watching and pretending to be chill,” I threw over my shoulder as I walked off.

***

The front door clicked shut behind us, and I was right on her heels, a smirk playing at the corner of my lips. I had not forgotten about her little eye-roll stunt, and I was planning to show her the error of her ways.

Sierra walked into her room, setting her stuff down, before turning to look at me, still standing in the open door.

“What, you just going to stand there?”

I didn’t answer her, just leaned against the doorframe and let my eyes roam over her body, unashamed. Her hands fell to her side as her movements stilled at the intensity of my fiery, possessive gaze.

“I’ve been thinking about something else, actually,” I replied with a wicked grin.

Her eyebrows rose as she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to act all unaffected. I rediscovered my love for sports bras at the clear view I had of her nipples stiffening.

First her ass in the leggings, now this — workout clothes were where it was at.

I knew she felt the same need, the same energy crackling between us, I felt. A flush spread over her cheeks, but she raised her chin stubbornly, unwilling to back down.

“You think you can just tell me what to do, Hotshot? One snap of your fingers, and I’ll jump?” The challenge in her voice was clear.

I pushed my tongue into my cheek, unable to keep the smirk off my face. “I don’t think so, Darlin’. I know so.”

After that little gym session, I was hungry — my need for her had been building inside of me, flooding my every pore.

“You said you’re mine, right? Time to fucking prove it. Come over here, and get on your knees for me.”

She gaped at me, rooted to the spot by my words. I knew this was something she might struggle with. This was like a test to see how far I’d broken down her walls.

When I saw the thrill of being challenged flicker through her eyes, I knew I’d won. Sierra never backed down.

She opened her mouth to reply — some snarky comment, no doubt — but I sent her a pointed look, immediately shutting it down.

“Don’t make me ask twice. Don’t make things worse for yourself after already rolling your fucking eyes at me earlier.”

I could see her internal struggle, the warring emotions wreaking havoc. As much as it was ingrained in her to fight me, she loved it too much when I forced her to let go.

There was that little part of her that was just waiting to jump at my every command. Dragging this out of her, seeing her transform into something that only belonged to me, was the most delicious thing.

With slow, deliberate steps, she crossed the room and dropped to her knees right in front of me, her eyes never leaving mine as she sank to the floor.

Zeroed in on her every move, she pulled my shorts down just enough to free my cock. It hung heavy between us, and she skimmed the shaft with her fingertips.

Then she looked up at me, her deep blue eyes big and full of hunger, her lips just barely brushing against the crown.

“You like being a good girl for me that much, huh?” I asked with a teasing smile.

Sierra scoffed. “You’re just lucky I’m in the mood.”

“You say that like you have a choice.”