“Havin’ a workout. Just thought I’d let you know in case you wanted to hold my hand.” I gave him a sarcastic cheeky grin as I waltzed past him.
He raised his eyebrow at me and put his guitar down. I continued out through the bi-fold doors and onto the balcony where the home gym equipment was situated. As I stepped up onto the cross trainer, I watched him casually stroll up to me with his hands in his pockets, stopping at the weight machine and leaning up against it.
“Can I help you?” I asked him, playfully.
“No.”
I began to stride. “You’re not seriously going to stand there and watch me, are you?”
“Yes, I seriously am.”
“Bryce, I was only kidding about the whole hold-my-hand thing. Go away.”
“Can’t do it, Hunny.” He lifted one foot and propped it back against the machine, hands still in his pockets and looking as comfortable and as sexy as ever.
“This is not funny. I’m not kidding, you know.”
“Neither am I.” He pushed off the machine with the foot he had moved and walked over to a chair. He slid it out from the table, spun it around and sat on it backwards, facing me with his arms crossed on the back rest.
He’s fucking serious. I stopped my strides and glared at him. “Bryce!”
“Don’t bother. I’m not moving. You won’t listen to me and stop exercising on your own, so I will make sure you are not on your own. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You are fucking unreal.” I started striding again, trying my damned hardest to ignore him. It wasn’t working.
Even though I was no longer making eye contact with him, I could feel his stare bore into the depths of my body. It was arousing my sexual reaction to his scrutinization and my heart pounded in response. Well, you are exercising, Alexis. That could explain the increase in heart rate. My nipples twinged, tickling and firming as I moved. No, it’s Bryce’s stare, definitely Bryce’s stare.
A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, so I grabbed my towel which I’d draped over the handle of the machine and wiped my brow while catching a glimpse of Bryce who was smirking at me. “Are you enjoying yourself, you overprotective arse?”
He laughed. “Yes. I’m especially enjoying the view. You are fucking hot when you sweat. Although, I like to be the one who makes you sweat.”
I squinted my eyes at him. “Yeah, well best you enjoy watching me sweat. Because it’s the only way I’m going to sweat for you if you insist on being a domineering dick.”
He laughed again. “Sorry, did you say I have a domineering dick?”
“No.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No, I didn’t I—”
“My dick likes domineering your mouth and your—”
“Your dick will be domineering nothing if you keep this shit up.”
He chuckled. “You’re sweating again, Hunny.”
You infuriating sexy son of a bitch. I slowed to a stop, wiped my brow and stepped down from the machine. Bryce watched me intently as I walked over to the exercise bike. He swivelled his chair around so that he could continue to face and taunt me.
I dropped my head back in surrender and groaned.
“I love it when you groan. Do that again.”
I lifted my head. “No. Piss off.”
He laughed and rested his chin on his folded arms. “You’re sexy when you’re angry.”
“Bryce Edward Clark!”
“Fuck, I love it when you say my name in full.”
He had an amused cocky grin on his face. I rolled my eyes and groaned again.
“Ah, that groan, Alexis. It’s like you are fucking me from a distance.”
I dropped my head to my arms which were crossed over the bike’s display monitor, smiling behind the screen as I pedalled harder and faster out of frustration. Frustration over him taunting me, but more so because I was enjoying it and really wanted to go over and bite that naughty mouth of his.
“Alexis, slow down.” His voice was no longer playful. I ignored him and pedalled harder. Who’s got the domineering dick now, ha? Um...clearly not me! Um...never mind. “Alexis, I’m serious. Slow down.”
I raised my head and looked at him. “No.”
He stood up quickly, pushing the chair away and walked over to the bike. “Alexis!”
“Bryce!” I mimicked.
He switched the power off, forcing the bike to lose momentum.
I gripped the padded handles, squeezing them tight and screamed my irritation at him. “Who do you think you are? You can’t boss me round like that.” I stepped off the bike and poked him in the chest. “Back off, I mean it.”
“Fuck, you drive me wild.” He bent down and wrapped his arms around the base of my arse, gently hauling me up and over his shoulder. Then he turned to walk back inside.