Just a friendly reminder that you have three days to get me what I need. G.
CHAPTER TEN
IT’S NOTHING. YOU’RE blowing things out of proportion.
Sakis repeated the words over and over as he pulled the handles of the rowing machine in his gym just after six o’clock. Right this moment he’d have loved to be doing the real thing but this wasn’t the time to jump in his car and drive to his rowing club, no matter how powerful the temptation.
He smothered the voice that suggested he was running away from the truth.
What truth?
He didn’t know what the text on Brianna’s phone meant. Sure, the easiest thing would’ve been to wake her up and demand an answer. Instead, he’d got up, returned the phone to her jacket pocket and high-tailed it to the gym.
He yanked on the row bars and welcomed the burn of pain between his shoulders and the sweat that poured off his skin. He tried to ignore the question hammering through his brain but the truth of his actions was as clear as the scowl he could see in his reflection in the gym’s mirrors.
Are you invested in this? When he’d blurted those words out last night, he’d been stunned by the need to hear her answer in the affirmative. Because in that moment he’d realised just how truly invested he was in having Brianna in his life and not just as his personal assistant. Even now, with suspicion warring with his new-found intentions to trust more and judge less, the thought of not having her around made a red haze cloud his senses.
You have three days to get me what I need...
Was it a professional request? Who would be making such a demand of her professionally?
If it was a personal one...
He emitted the deep growl that had been growing in his chest as jealousy spiked through his gut.
At that moment, Brianna walked into the gym and froze. In the mirror, their eyes meshed. The look on his face was fierce and unwelcoming—he knew that. He wasn’t surprised when her eyes widened and she hesitated.
‘I can come back later if I’m disturbing you.’
With one last, vicious yank on the row bar, he let it go, watched it clatter against the spinning wheel and stood and advanced towards her.
The sight of her in skin-clinging, midriff-baring Lycra made adrenaline and arousal spike higher. The thought of making another of his myriad sexual fantasies come true pounded through his blood and groin with a ferocity that made him grit his teeth. He barely managed to catch himself from lunging for her, and veered towards the row of treadmills.
‘Disturb me. I was in danger of letting my imagination get the better of me.’ He gave a smile he knew fell far short of the mark and busied himself with programming the treadmill next to his. When he was done, he waved her over.
‘Thirty minutes okay?’ he asked.
He caught the look of wariness on her face as she nodded and approached the machine.
About to set his own programme, he glanced over and was pretty sure he burst a blood vessel when she bent over to stretch.
‘Theos!’ His hiss brought her head up and she slowly straightened.