Settling the Score (The Summer Games #1)(42)

I sneered. “Actually, I think I’m all set. I’ll just go home.”

She shook her head. “Too late.”

I groaned and leaned forward onto the training table. Lisa had it set up so that she stood on one side and I stood on the other, leaning toward her with my wrists hanging off the table.

“Ready?” she asked with a smirk.

I narrowed my eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get this over with.”

She stepped forward to adjust my form on my right hand. “Loosen up for a second.”

I let her link her fingers through mine.

“Take a breath,” she said, using her own wrist to rotate and loosen mine. I bit down on my lip to avoid cursing her to hell for all eternity.

Just then, I glanced up to see Freddie walking into the training room alongside his teammate, Thom. I could tell they’d just come from swim practice. Freddie’s dark hair was still damp and he had his workout bag slung over his shoulder. He was wearing a white workout tank that cut down the side of his chest and loose gym shorts that sat low on his hips. He looked massive standing there beside Thom, tall, chiseled, and looking my way with curious eyes. Lisa still had her hands linked through mine, so I couldn’t wave. I settled on a smile as he changed course and stepped closer.

“Hi,” I said through clenched teeth. Can’t you ease up a bit, Lisa?

“Hey,” he said, glancing at my hand in Lisa’s before meeting my eye. “How’s the training?”

Lisa turned with narrowed eyes. “Bud, you mind coming back when we’re done? We’re kind of busy here.”

I wasn’t sure how “bud” translated over to UK English, but Lisa’s body language made it clear that she wouldn’t tolerate any distractions. There was a fleeting moment where I thought Freddie might escalate her unwarranted aggression, so I spoke up first, easing the tension with a feigned smile.

“Freddie, I’ll come find you when I’m done,” I promised.

“It’ll be a while,” Lisa cut in, still holding my hand. The situation couldn’t have been more awkward, but fortunately Thom nudged Freddie’s arm and pulled him away.

“Your trainer’s looking for you,” Thom said before nodding my way. “Hey Andie.”

I smiled.

“Come on.” Thom nudged him again. Freddie glanced back at me with a curious expression before heading off with Thom. I watched him go, taking in the slope of his powerful back. Swimmers had the most insane bodies.

I swore after they walked away, Lisa dialed up the punishment. She forced me to do double the normal amount of wrist turn-things, and four times the normal amount of my other least favorite exercise: something I called “holyf*ckingshit” for short.

All the while, I tried to sneak peeks at Freddie. He was working with a trainer on the other side of the room, an older man who was helping him stretch out his arms and shoulders. Twice, I glanced over my shoulder and found him watching me. His trainer was jotting something on a sheet of paper, but Freddie was focused on me. I blushed and glanced away.

The third time I looked back, I thought I’d go into cardiac arrest on my training table. Freddie was in the middle of tugging his shirt off over his head. Time slowed as his arm and stomach muscles coiled and stretched. I’d seen a glimpse of his arms and back earlier, but when his shirt came off and I was met with his perfectly sculpted chest and abs, I nearly lost control of my vision.

“Andie, are you focusing?” Lisa asked.

No. Absolutely not. I was watching Freddie’s trainer as he pressed an ice pack on the back of Freddie’s right shoulder. He wove an elastic bandage over his chest and around his arm to keep it in place. I’d never wanted to change places with a human being as much as I did in that moment. He was getting the privilege of touching him. His hand was on his chest!

“Foster,” Lisa snapped.

“Yep!” I said, jerking back to my table and trying to regain control of my tongue so I could answer her.

“Lisa! Phone call!” one of the training assistants called from across the room.

Lisa nodded and let go of my hand. “I need to take that. Rest for a minute and then we’ll finish up.”

“Oh thank god,” I mumbled under my breath as she walked away. I’d been training with Lisa for eight days and each day I woke up with a little less pain than the day before. Still, her sessions were unbearable. Any break she offered, I’d take.

I stood up from the training table and shook out my arms. I reached for my water bottle and took a sip before giving in to the urge to steal a glance back toward Freddie. He was sitting on the edge of his training table, typing on his phone with one hand—THE PHONE HE’D USED THE NIGHT BEFORE…oh god. His trainer had left to help another athlete while he iced his shoulder, which meant I had a short window of time to talk to him alone. I scanned over to Lisa’s office to find her gesticulating animatedly on the phone with the door shut. Without a second thought, I grabbed my water bottle and headed for Freddie.

He didn’t notice me approaching until I was only a few feet away. He dropped his phone beside him and straightened up. I swallowed down a groan. Seriously, it wasn’t real. The chest. The abs. His body was so sculpted it seemed to fit on the pages of an art history book better than it did in real life. I stepped closer and held my hand up to block everything from my view except for his face.