With Griffin, she’d slipped, but never again. She didn’t intend to give him a third chance to insult her. Nor did she want to be reminded of her own painful past, something he’d managed to do quite easily and without much remorse. No, she could find time to see her niece when he wasn’t around.
She tucked a stray strand of hair back into her ponytail, switched sides and lifted her left leg. Chelsie didn’t need another slap in the face. She’d made a huge mistake. She’d also apologized. His penetrating eyes and sexy looks didn’t entitle him to treat her like dirt.
He wasn’t worth another thought.
So why have you wasted an entire workout session obsessing about him? She wouldn’t dignify that thought with an answer. Chelsie lowered her leg, lay down on her back, and began the deep breathing session of the tape.
* * *
“Hello?” Griff knocked lightly and pushed the door open further. Though he felt like an intruder, he entered anyway and peered inside. One glance at Chelsie stretched out on the floor and he rushed in, kneeling beside her for a closer look.
Her chest rose and fell in steady intervals. Once he realized she was okay, he noticed more than her even breathing. A cranberry-colored bodysuit and tights molded her lithe body. With each breath she took, her full breasts became more evident. Damp tendrils of hair clung to her slender neck. His body hardened at the sight. She looked sated. The word brought sensual images to mind. Images of those long legs wrapped around him as he...
What the hell was wrong with him? He tore his gaze from her body and noticed the TV had faded to black-and-white fuzz. Grateful for the diversion, he popped the tape out of the VCR and shut down both it and the television. He glanced at the video in his hand. “Exercise and Relaxation.” He shook his head in disbelief. She’d fallen asleep mid-exercise with her door open and unlocked.
His gaze drifted to her sleeping form. Her cheeks were flushed pink from exertion, her full lips parted slightly in repose. With a shake of his head, he tried to clear his thoughts. He’d have to do better if he intended to have her around. For Alix’s sake, he had no choice. He snorted in disgust.
The sound woke her. She took one look at him leaning over her and let out an ear-piercing shriek, loud enough to deafen him for life.
“Calm down. I’m not a stranger.” Stupid words, but what else could he say to a woman whose apartment he had entered uninvited and whom he had wakened from a sound sleep? Especially when he was fairly certain he wouldn’t be welcome under ordinary circumstances.
She scrambled to her knees and scurried backwards, placing a large distance between them. Her eyes seemed wide and unfocused. Fear. She appeared paralyzed by the emotion. If he wasn’t mistaken, she didn’t recognize him.
“Chelsie?” He reached out a hand and gently touched her shoulder, his fingertips connecting with her silken skin.
She shook her head and strands of hair fell from their binding. As if in response to his touch, her gaze focused on him, awareness dawning slowly in her dark eyes. “Griff?” she asked in a shaky but husky voice.
His name on her lips sounded incredibly intimate. She’d never called him by name before, especially not the abbreviated version used by his close friends. He was surprised she did so now.
“Can I help you up?”
She grasped his extended hand and allowed him to pull her to a standing position. Her palm felt cold and clammy, similar to Alix’s forehead when she awakened in fright. Given his unexpected appearance in her apartment, he supposed Chelsie’s response was normal, yet he couldn’t help wondering if there was more to her reaction than just shock.
Intending to lead her to the couch, he placed one hand on the small of her back. This time, she stiffened at his touch and pivoted around to glare at him. “What the hell are you doing in my apartment?”
“For a supposedly smart woman, you aren’t too bright. You live in the city of Boston and fall asleep on the floor with your door wide open. Anyone could come in. Anyone could see you lying on your back, half dressed, ready for heaven knows what...”
A deep flush crept up her neck and stained her cheeks. “Well, don’t be subtle about expressing yourself.” She turned her back to him and picked up an old gray sweatshirt pulling it over her upper body, effectively hiding her sexy shape from his view. “Excuse me for a minute,” she said and disappeared into another room.
As his gaze swept the expanse of the small living area, he noticed his surroundings for the first time. Crystal animals and fragile ornaments accented an otherwise sleek decor comprised mostly of leather and glass. Hardly a place for a child. At least he’d left Alix at home with Mrs. Baxter. He’d hate to think of the damage a little girl could do in such an environment.